Tiny Snails on Clams Mantle... Doesn't look like Pyramidellid snails?

[ReefEnabler]

Hello,

I've had this clam for about two weeks now. It hasn't shown any signs of stress, but I noticed some white dots on the mantle. I have read about Pyramidellid snails, but these do not look like them to me.

Here's an actinic-only shot that shows one of the white dots as close as I could get it.



In the distance you can see another white spot. They appear to be something like a small snail, but they are perfectly round, and on the mantle, so to my untrained eye they do not look much like Pyramidellids.

I know I can FW dip a Tridacnid, but these snails are on the mantle, and it will withdraw the mantle, so I am not sure I could guarentee removing them.


Anybody else have ideas?

Are there other kinds of clam eating snails that these could be, or something else entirely?

The clam is still opening up fully when the metal halides are on.


Thanks,
Ryan

[a4twenty]

pearls , you're right they don't look like a pyramid snail.

there are other types of snails that are clam predators but none that i know of look like that.

do they move??

they look to have no growth markings and are almost to round not be man made, any chance they are some type of media you are running in the system that has leaked??

[ReefEnabler]

I have not been able to see them move yet.. last night took more pics and the one I posted above is in the same spot????

I am using GFO, but its decidedly brown, and larger than these spots. Would be strange if something was just stuck there....

If I didn't know better, I'd say this clam has ich


I've seen a few other snails on the clam, but only algae grazers on the shell. Looks like baby stomatellas though, not something of concern.

Would a FW dip be a good idea to see if it removes the spots?

[a4twenty]

i wouldn't do a FWD, it may just stress the clam and until we know what they are we don't know if it will help at all.

how is the clam other than the dots?? can you post couple of other pics of the clam?? ( from above / side )

[quicksilverq]

If the clam looks ok dont do a FW dip might kill him they do more bad than good half the time. If he starts to go down hill then that might be and option If that is a wild caught clam it could be something no one has seen befor there is so much we are still learning about clams. good luck.

[ReefEnabler]

the clam look fine today, fully extended and all. every time my tang swims too close overhead, the clam retracts and then re opens again, so I think it still looks healthy.

It's also just settled into the right nook on the rocks and looks like its secreting some of the white stuff near the foot to attach byssal threads, so I think thats a good sign.

of course if I ever do decide to FW dip I'll now have to remove the whole rock hes attached to......


I will get some pics this evening when the lights come on.


Thanks.

[ReefEnabler]

The clam is still opening and showing normal light responses when the tang swims overhead, but you can clearly see more white spots:



This closeup is disturbing. The large spot from the original picture that I posted has dissapeared, but it looks like there is a small crater where it was. I have pointed to this with the red arrow:



other white spots pointed out.

With the live view of the camera, I can actually zoom in further and see alot more clearly than the pictures show, but the white dots still just resemble perfect spheres.

If they are some kind of mollusk eating snail, they are burried slightly beneath the mantle, hiding the distinguishing features of the shell I suppose.

[a4twenty]

due to the perfect spheres and holes left behind i am thinking it is a chemical / salt burn. can you see them anywhere else??

do you dose anything??

how do you do WC's and maintain Ca and ALK??

can you list your parameters??

what lighting do you have??

[Reef Bass]

If it were a fish I'd say it has ICH. Can clams get ich?

[ReefEnabler]

Interesting thought a4twenty... had not considered it:

Here's params as of a few days ago:

Temp: 79F
pH: 8.1
SG: 1.0255

Alk: 9dkh
Calcium: 440
Mg: 1400

NO3: 0ppm
PO4: 0ppm

I maintain ca/alk using a Kalk reactor hooked up to topoff. I did have it fluctuate as low as 7dkh / 400ca two weeks ago and slowly brought it up to 9 dkh/440 using 2-part, but I dosed in the sump in a high flow area.

Water Changes:

The 50G tank above the Protein Skimmer is my water change tank:



The return pump has a 1/2" ball valve that feeds the W/C tank, and then there is a drain standpipe that drains back to the sump, and a drainage bulkhead on the bottom of the tank thats plumbed to my waste drain line.

So when I change water I shut off the supply feeding the W/C tank, empty it, and then refill it with RO water (thats what the float valve is for), add the salt, and let the two modded MJ1200s mix it for a day. Then I just re-open the feed valve, and sump water goes into the W/C tank, mixes with new water, and that mixture overflows back to the sump. This way I never have to shut off my return pump when doing a water change.

Also, the water changes are very gradual with this method. I only allow a trickle of water to enter the mixing tank, so it could takes several hours/days for all the water to be thoroughly mixed.

I use Coralife salt, but I used Reef Crystals for a couple weeks as well since I ran out, and the LFS didn't have Coralife.

Lighting:

2 x 250w MH w/ XM 10k bulbs (clam is mostly under ane of the 10ks).
1 x 400w MH w/ Radium 20k bulb (center of tank).
2 x 140w VHO Actinics
2 x 80W T5 ATI Blue Plus for *some* par supplement and coloration

[ReefEnabler]

Interesting you should mention dosing....

just last week I dosed Fauna Marin Ultra Min-S for the first time... about 3ml. My water volume is around 400g so that seems minimal, but who knows? It's around the same time as I saw the white spots....

Here are the ingredients:

Contents:
Water
Glucose Monohydrate
Magnesium Sulfate
Potassium Chloride
Ethylene Acetate
Sodium Acetate
L-Arginin Hydrochloride
L-Histidin Hydrochloride
Taurine
L-Threonine
DL-Tryptophane
Glycine
DL-Valine
Thiamin Chloride 100 mg
Nicotinamide 1500 mg
Riboflavine 40 mg
Dexpanthenole
Pridoxine Hydrochloride 100 mg
Cyanococobalamine
Sodium Methyl-4-Hydroxybenzoate
More than 70 trace elements