PICS inside : Ordered a maxima clam from Liveaquaria. infested with pyramid snails

samstersam · 10/13/2011, 09:50 PM

The clam was completely healthy and beautiful. Kudos to liveaquaria. However, this situation has scared me to really believe in quarantining.

I've had a blue maxima for almost a year now, and added a gold/black/white maxima today. It opened up nicely as soon I put it into the DT after acclimating.

However, upon closer inspection, I saw a few pyramid snails. I took the clam out and with a magnifying glass removed at least a dozen of them. I used a toothbrush and scrubbed the shell vigorously. I took the blue maxima out and scrubbed the shell vigorously with a toothbrush as well.

I will be monitoring both clams carefully. But lesson learned. Even though liveaquaria is a very good online vendor, you must ALWAYS quarantine new arrivals. If I missed these snails, it would have infested my tank. Luckily the clam was only in for an hour, although who knows the eggs or baby snails might have now contaminated my DT. Anyway, I'll keep a close eye and inspect the clams every night.

Koddie Doo · 10/13/2011, 10:17 PM

good catch, I am not sure I wold have put them on my phone...

Arkayology · 10/13/2011, 10:39 PM

Nice clams. I had some on my crocea and maxima once. I started to pick them off and then sorta stopped. Eventually, I think either my wrasse ate them or them died off because I never saw them again after a few months. They are parasites and the chances of the clam dying due to p. snails is low. If you are really worried, I would also check any turbo snails you have as they will attached to them as well. GL

ocmikep · 10/13/2011, 10:41 PM

Good catch and a good rem

ocmikep · 10/13/2011, 10:42 PM

...reminder!

Acronic · 10/14/2011, 12:42 AM

interesting use of a blackberry! LOL

reefjunkie42 · 10/14/2011, 12:47 AM

they look like little hermit crabs.. no?

dogstar74 · 10/14/2011, 11:12 AM

They do look like hermits. With their claws out. If you don't see a soft grey pseudopod, then I'd wager hermits.

samstersam · 10/27/2011, 10:02 PM

Have inspected clams again and fonud no pyramid snails. I scrubbed the shells once more with a toothbrush just in case. Both clams are very wide open and happy. They catch some of the phytoplankton part of the mix when I target feed my pink goniopora with phyto/oyster feast/rotifers/crushed frozen cyclopeeze.

Also, in reply to above, no they aren't baby hermits. If you are looking at the blue colored abstractions near some of the shells, those are from prism reflections of small bubbles. These are definately pyramid snails. I've observed them after I caught them in a separate container with a magnifying glass.

Zacktosterone · 07/25/2014, 05:19 PM

I gave my clam a 30 minute dip in freshwater. I didn't have any problems after a dip. I hate quarantining too lol

10/13/2011, 09:50 PM	#1
samstersam Registered Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: NYC Posts: 389	PICS inside : Ordered a maxima clam from Liveaquaria. infested with pyramid snails The clam was completely healthy and beautiful. Kudos to liveaquaria. However, this situation has scared me to really believe in quarantining. I've had a blue maxima for almost a year now, and added a gold/black/white maxima today. It opened up nicely as soon I put it into the DT after acclimating. However, upon closer inspection, I saw a few pyramid snails. I took the clam out and with a magnifying glass removed at least a dozen of them. I used a toothbrush and scrubbed the shell vigorously. I took the blue maxima out and scrubbed the shell vigorously with a toothbrush as well. I will be monitoring both clams carefully. But lesson learned. Even though liveaquaria is a very good online vendor, you must ALWAYS quarantine new arrivals. If I missed these snails, it would have infested my tank. Luckily the clam was only in for an hour, although who knows the eggs or baby snails might have now contaminated my DT. Anyway, I'll keep a close eye and inspect the clams every night. __________________ My Reef 40 Gallon Breeder. 20 Gallon Frag/NPS tank. Current Tank Info: 40 Gallon Breeder

10/13/2011, 10:17 PM	#2
Koddie Doo Czar of All ThingsAwesome Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: O'Fallon, IL Posts: 2,578	good catch, I am not sure I wold have put them on my phone... __________________ I like to superglue living creatures to rocks and suspend a crazy amount of light inches away from the surface of the water just to stare at it. Mostly Softies and Nems / Marineland 90 / RS-200 3rd

10/13/2011, 10:39 PM	#3
Arkayology Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: SoCal Posts: 1,597	Nice clams. I had some on my crocea and maxima once. I started to pick them off and then sorta stopped. Eventually, I think either my wrasse ate them or them died off because I never saw them again after a few months. They are parasites and the chances of the clam dying due to p. snails is low. If you are really worried, I would also check any turbo snails you have as they will attached to them as well. GL __________________ -Matt in between tanks

10/14/2011, 12:42 AM	#6
Acronic The Fifth Master Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 1,813	interesting use of a blackberry! LOL __________________ Kevin I have lost all concept of reality and live in an SPS world now.

10/14/2011, 12:47 AM	#7
reefjunkie42 Wrasse junkie Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Buxton Posts: 2,148	they look like little hermit crabs.. no? __________________ Just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in... Current Tank Info: 60g SPS reef

10/13/2011, 10:41 PM	#4
ocmikep Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Foothill Ranch, CA Posts: 59	Good catch and a good rem

10/13/2011, 10:42 PM	#5
ocmikep Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Foothill Ranch, CA Posts: 59	...reminder!

10/14/2011, 11:12 AM	#8
dogstar74 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Wyoming Posts: 2,152	They do look like hermits. With their claws out. If you don't see a soft grey pseudopod, then I'd wager hermits. __________________ "If there's nothing wrong with me... then there must be something wrong with the universe!" Current Tank Info: 10 gallon nano with ATS

10/27/2011, 10:02 PM	#9
samstersam Registered Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: NYC Posts: 389	2 week update. Have inspected clams again and fonud no pyramid snails. I scrubbed the shells once more with a toothbrush just in case. Both clams are very wide open and happy. They catch some of the phytoplankton part of the mix when I target feed my pink goniopora with phyto/oyster feast/rotifers/crushed frozen cyclopeeze. Also, in reply to above, no they aren't baby hermits. If you are looking at the blue colored abstractions near some of the shells, those are from prism reflections of small bubbles. These are definately pyramid snails. I've observed them after I caught them in a separate container with a magnifying glass. __________________ My Reef 40 Gallon Breeder. 20 Gallon Frag/NPS tank. Current Tank Info: 40 Gallon Breeder

07/25/2014, 05:19 PM	#10
Zacktosterone Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Sault Ste Marie Ont Posts: 2,475	I gave my clam a 30 minute dip in freshwater. I didn't have any problems after a dip. I hate quarantining too lol

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