Are these SNAIL PARASITES???? *Pics*

StinkinTuna · 08/31/2006, 11:03 PM

So what the heck are these parasites or baby snails?

I havent added any snails to my tank in over a year and no corals in 6 months...but this is the first I have noticed these....are they the infamouse snail parasites which look like tiny snails themselves?

(brown spots are just dirty acrylic)

Ursus · 08/31/2006, 11:23 PM

Yup, those would be the ones. Not really much you can do besides manually remove them... but even then you will probably never get rid of them all. At least, thats my understanding.

TKByrnes · 08/31/2006, 11:24 PM

they look like pyramid's to me. good luck with them.

StinkinTuna · 08/31/2006, 11:56 PM

TK when you say pyramid's does that mean they are pyramid parasite snails?

So do these things just attack the big turbos or do they do other nasy things I should know about?

Thanks all!

JR719 · 09/01/2006, 12:02 AM

Hope you don't have any clams. Those things will destroy clams. I've read where 6 line wrasse will take care of them. Of course, you will have to pick out many of them.

StinkinTuna · 09/01/2006, 12:04 AM

No clams...I have a fat little six line, maybe I should feed him less and make him take care of the rest......grrrr parasites

ACBlinky · 09/01/2006, 01:27 AM

I feel your pain, I've been dealing with these pests for a while. Pulling them off each and every snail gets tedious, pyramids are really frustrating.

SuperNerd · 09/01/2006, 03:16 AM

I've had those too. Do they harm the snails?

jasper24 · 09/01/2006, 06:56 AM

I have those pyramid snails also. I have to pull my 2 clams out 1 or 2 x per week and pick them off. Thay are a PIA. They come out mostly at night so my 6 line never sees them. If you have that many out in the day I would bet you have a ton more that come out at night.

LeslieP · 09/01/2006, 06:59 AM

Aside from hurting clams, do they do much injury to anything else? I have quite a few that come out at night.

Travis L. Stevens · 09/01/2006, 07:55 AM

FWIW, I have a feeling that you do have Pyramid Snails, but without a microscopic analysis, there is no way for a definitive answer. But, Pyramid Snails are mollusk predators, and sense they are seen here crawling all over your poor snail, it's most likely safe to say that they are Pyrmaid Snails.

Yet, there is a chance of hope. There is a tiny detrivore snail called a Rissoa Snail that looks the same to the naked eye, but is completely harmless.

I would say that if you have had any snails, clams, or other mollusks dying off quickly, then it's safe to say they are Pyramid Snails. If they aren't actually bothering anything, then you might want to find someone that can give you a hand with identifying them. Here are a couple links with more information about Pyramid Snails and Rissoa Snails.

Rissoa Snail Shells - http://www.gastropods.com/Taxon_page...SSOININAE.html
Rissoid And Pyramidellid Snails - http://www.reefland.com/rho/2006/05/...lid_snails.php

skeeter-doc · 09/01/2006, 09:29 AM

6-lines do help, but you could also try a canary/yellow wrasse too

RichConley · 09/01/2006, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by skeeter-doc
6-lines do help, but you could also try a canary/yellow wrasse too

FWIW, almost all of the Halicoeres wrasses (Yellow Coris, green coris, melanurus, iridis, xmas wrasse, checkerboard wrasse,etc) will eat these thigns.

Travis L. Stevens · 09/01/2006, 09:46 AM

Like Peppermint Shrimp and Emerald Crabs to their eating capabilities, wrasses are a hit or miss situation. But, it's worth a shot and the wrasses sure are pretty.

StinkinTuna · 09/02/2006, 12:13 AM

Ive got a siz line and a ruby head wrasse so hopefully they'll find a new liking to these pesky appetizers....

Thanks for the hope Travis but I think these are the parasites...only say this because I only see them on my turbos...but no mass snail extinsion though....strange how I just noticed them this week....

ohioreef · 09/02/2006, 12:24 AM

Seeing as how they are the glass they might be harmless rissoid snails. I had what I thought were pyramids. I sent some to Dr Ron Shimek and he identified them as rissoids. He said that the only way to tell them from pyramids is by examination under a microscope.

I usually see mine on the LR and glass after lights out. Occassionally I'll see one on a snail but they don't appear to have harmed my snail population.

08/31/2006, 11:03 PM	#1
StinkinTuna Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: LA, CA Posts: 616	Are these SNAIL PARASITES???? Pics So what the heck are these parasites or baby snails? I havent added any snails to my tank in over a year and no corals in 6 months...but this is the first I have noticed these....are they the infamouse snail parasites which look like tiny snails themselves? (brown spots are just dirty acrylic)

08/31/2006, 11:24 PM	#3
TKByrnes Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Fairfield, PA Posts: 1,331	they look like pyramid's to me. good luck with them. __________________ Baby it was on sale half price I PROMISE!!!! Current Tank Info: 90 gal mixed reef-55 gal sump-mag 9.5 return pump-10 gal frag tank 15 gal refugium. 2x 150 watt HQI outer orbit 4x pc actinic

09/01/2006, 12:02 AM	#5
JR719 Tang Cop Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: OK Posts: 2,240	Hope you don't have any clams. Those things will destroy clams. I've read where 6 line wrasse will take care of them. Of course, you will have to pick out many of them. __________________ Can't sleep, clowns will eat me. America is the most grandiose experiment the world has seen, but, I am afraid, it is not going to be a success. Sigmund Freud Current Tank Info: 300 reef, Aqua controller, Deltec calcium reactor, Reeflo 250 skimmer, Icecap bla bla bla

09/01/2006, 01:27 AM	#7
ACBlinky Premium Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Peterborough, ON, Canada Posts: 4,954 Blog Entries: 20	I feel your pain, I've been dealing with these pests for a while. Pulling them off each and every snail gets tedious, pyramids are really frustrating. __________________ "The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea." - Isak Dinesen Current Tank Info: 150g mixed reef, 30g sump/refugium, LED lighting, 100lbs LR, coral beauty, flame angel, blue & yellow tangs, gobies, damsels, 6-line wrasse, lawnmower blenny, dottyback, clown pair, rabbitfish, shrimp, crabs, CUC.

09/01/2006, 03:16 AM	#8
SuperNerd Registered Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: SoCal/Left Side- USA Posts: 4,572	I've had those too. Do they harm the snails? __________________ I said fraggit! Current Tank Info: M-728 Combat Engineer (based on M60 hull). M-3 Lee Medium (British version with squatter).

08/31/2006, 11:23 PM	#2
Ursus Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Boise, ID Posts: 480	Yup, those would be the ones. Not really much you can do besides manually remove them... but even then you will probably never get rid of them all. At least, thats my understanding.

08/31/2006, 11:56 PM	#4
StinkinTuna Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: LA, CA Posts: 616	TK when you say pyramid's does that mean they are pyramid parasite snails? So do these things just attack the big turbos or do they do other nasy things I should know about? Thanks all!

09/01/2006, 12:04 AM	#6
StinkinTuna Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: LA, CA Posts: 616	No clams...I have a fat little six line, maybe I should feed him less and make him take care of the rest......grrrr parasites

09/01/2006, 06:56 AM	#9
jasper24 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Marietta, GA Posts: 2,120	I have those pyramid snails also. I have to pull my 2 clams out 1 or 2 x per week and pick them off. Thay are a PIA. They come out mostly at night so my 6 line never sees them. If you have that many out in the day I would bet you have a ton more that come out at night.

09/01/2006, 06:59 AM	#10
LeslieP Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Waterford, CT Posts: 1,544	Aside from hurting clams, do they do much injury to anything else? I have quite a few that come out at night.

09/01/2006, 07:55 AM	#11
Travis L. Stevens Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Perry, OK Posts: 13,946	FWIW, I have a feeling that you do have Pyramid Snails, but without a microscopic analysis, there is no way for a definitive answer. But, Pyramid Snails are mollusk predators, and sense they are seen here crawling all over your poor snail, it's most likely safe to say that they are Pyrmaid Snails. Yet, there is a chance of hope. There is a tiny detrivore snail called a Rissoa Snail that looks the same to the naked eye, but is completely harmless. I would say that if you have had any snails, clams, or other mollusks dying off quickly, then it's safe to say they are Pyramid Snails. If they aren't actually bothering anything, then you might want to find someone that can give you a hand with identifying them. Here are a couple links with more information about Pyramid Snails and Rissoa Snails. Rissoa Snail Shells - http://www.gastropods.com/Taxon_page...SSOININAE.html Rissoid And Pyramidellid Snails - http://www.reefland.com/rho/2006/05/...lid_snails.php __________________ Travis Stevens Current Tank Info: Restarting 28g Bowfront

09/01/2006, 09:29 AM	#12
skeeter-doc Moved On Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: TX Posts: 1,643	6-lines do help, but you could also try a canary/yellow wrasse too

09/01/2006, 09:46 AM	#14
Travis L. Stevens Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Perry, OK Posts: 13,946	Like Peppermint Shrimp and Emerald Crabs to their eating capabilities, wrasses are a hit or miss situation. But, it's worth a shot and the wrasses sure are pretty. __________________ Travis Stevens Current Tank Info: Restarting 28g Bowfront

09/02/2006, 12:13 AM	#15
StinkinTuna Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: LA, CA Posts: 616	Ive got a siz line and a ruby head wrasse so hopefully they'll find a new liking to these pesky appetizers.... Thanks for the hope Travis but I think these are the parasites...only say this because I only see them on my turbos...but no mass snail extinsion though....strange how I just noticed them this week....

09/02/2006, 12:24 AM	#16
ohioreef Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Western Ohio Posts: 3,106	Seeing as how they are the glass they might be harmless rissoid snails. I had what I thought were pyramids. I sent some to Dr Ron Shimek and he identified them as rissoids. He said that the only way to tell them from pyramids is by examination under a microscope. I usually see mine on the LR and glass after lights out. Occassionally I'll see one on a snail but they don't appear to have harmed my snail population. __________________ Gary