Hundreds of small cone-shaped white snails
- Thread starter bkvreef
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bang guy
Moderator
It does sound like Cerith. They are beneficial because they are one of the few Snails that can eat Algae and Detritus, and can readily reproduce in an aquarium environment.
Young Cerith are often confused with Pyramidillidae Snails. Ceriths are an off white and have larger spirals.
Young Cerith are often confused with Pyramidillidae Snails. Ceriths are an off white and have larger spirals.
bkvreef
Member
Originally Posted by Bang Guy
It does sound like Cerith. They are beneficial because they are one of the few Snails that can eat Algae and Detritus, and can readily reproduce in an aquarium environment.
Young Cerith are often confused with Pyramidillidae Snails. Ceriths are an off white and have fewer spirals.
As long as they aren't going to overtake my aquarium!!! Yeahhh finally something that I've found that is good for my aquarium!!!!
It does sound like Cerith. They are beneficial because they are one of the few Snails that can eat Algae and Detritus, and can readily reproduce in an aquarium environment.
Young Cerith are often confused with Pyramidillidae Snails. Ceriths are an off white and have fewer spirals.
As long as they aren't going to overtake my aquarium!!! Yeahhh finally something that I've found that is good for my aquarium!!!!
nietzsche
Active Member
make sure theyre cerith because i always hear that they never make it past the egg stage.. if theyre coming out at night it really does sound like you have Pyramidillidae Snails. they dont come out during the day but they come out a couple hours after lights out
ive had cerith snails lay eggs but have never seen any new cerith snails
they pyram snails look like this
ive had cerith snails lay eggs but have never seen any new cerith snails
they pyram snails look like this
jonthefishguy
Active Member
Those snails are bad. They eat clams among other things
debbie
Active Member
Oh lord, how in the world did I get them into my tank?? The only thing new in my tank in the past 4 years is a large rock with an anemone attached to it. I have several different mushrooms, 2 toadstool leathers and the anemone in the tank. If these are the bad ones will they bother any of this stuff I have in my tank??
jonthefishguy
Active Member
A few types of generalist predatory snails will attack and eat the flesh of tridacnids. Some snails of the genera Chicoreus and Cymatium are known as tridacnid predators but the parasitic snails that attack tridacnids, however, are actually quite common and are, thus far, more troublesome for hobbyists (and clams) than the above mentioned generalist predators. These parasites are called the pyramidellid snails, better known as pyrams to hobbyists, and include members of the genera Pyrgiscus, Turbonilla and Tathrella. These parasitic varieties aren't just common, they also are very small, difficult to see and can reproduce prolifically. Pyramidellid snails are actually much smaller than the generalist predatory species, and rarely reach a maximum size of around 7mm in length. They're also lightly colored, and usually hide under a clam's shell in the petal-like scutes present on some species' shells, or in the sand/gravel substrate during the day, and thus are very hard to see. Finding them is easy enough if the tridacnid specimen isn't attached to the substrate, but far more difficult when a clam is firmly affixed to a piece of rock that prevents its removal. If a clam is attached, the best method to find them is to watch for the snails at night using a flashlight. Rather than munching on a tridacnid's tissues, these parasites use a trunk-like snout called a proboscis to puncture the soft, extendable mantle near the shell's upper edge, and then feed on the clams fluids. So that's where you need to look for them if a clam can't be removed. Pyram snails can also move from one clam to another if they choose and, as mentioned, they can reproduce rapidly if left alone. On tridacnids' shells they can produce lots of eggs. I would remove them as much as possible and quarantine your clams. Scrub your clam shell with a toothbrush to remove the eggs and snails. DONT scrape the soft part, just the shell.
bkvreef
Member
Originally Posted by jonthefishguy
A few types of generalist predatory snails will attack and eat the flesh of tridacnids. Some snails of the genera Chicoreus and Cymatium are known as tridacnid predators but the parasitic snails that attack tridacnids, however, are actually quite common and are, thus far, more troublesome for hobbyists (and clams) than the above mentioned generalist predators. These parasites are called the pyramidellid snails, better known as pyrams to hobbyists, and include members of the genera Pyrgiscus, Turbonilla and Tathrella. These parasitic varieties aren't just common, they also are very small, difficult to see and can reproduce prolifically. Pyramidellid snails are actually much smaller than the generalist predatory species, and rarely reach a maximum size of around 7mm in length. They're also lightly colored, and usually hide under a clam's shell in the petal-like scutes present on some species' shells, or in the sand/gravel substrate during the day, and thus are very hard to see. Finding them is easy enough if the tridacnid specimen isn't attached to the substrate, but far more difficult when a clam is firmly affixed to a piece of rock that prevents its removal. If a clam is attached, the best method to find them is to watch for the snails at night using a flashlight. Rather than munching on a tridacnid's tissues, these parasites use a trunk-like snout called a proboscis to puncture the soft, extendable mantle near the shell's upper edge, and then feed on the clams fluids. So that's where you need to look for them if a clam can't be removed. Pyram snails can also move from one clam to another if they choose and, as mentioned, they can reproduce rapidly if left alone. On tridacnids' shells they can produce lots of eggs. I would remove them as much as possible and quarantine your clams. Scrub your clam shell with a toothbrush to remove the eggs and snails. DONT scrape the soft part, just the shell.
I have no clams in my tank but they do look very similar to the ones in the picture. Should I worry about anything else in my tank getting hit?
A few types of generalist predatory snails will attack and eat the flesh of tridacnids. Some snails of the genera Chicoreus and Cymatium are known as tridacnid predators but the parasitic snails that attack tridacnids, however, are actually quite common and are, thus far, more troublesome for hobbyists (and clams) than the above mentioned generalist predators. These parasites are called the pyramidellid snails, better known as pyrams to hobbyists, and include members of the genera Pyrgiscus, Turbonilla and Tathrella. These parasitic varieties aren't just common, they also are very small, difficult to see and can reproduce prolifically. Pyramidellid snails are actually much smaller than the generalist predatory species, and rarely reach a maximum size of around 7mm in length. They're also lightly colored, and usually hide under a clam's shell in the petal-like scutes present on some species' shells, or in the sand/gravel substrate during the day, and thus are very hard to see. Finding them is easy enough if the tridacnid specimen isn't attached to the substrate, but far more difficult when a clam is firmly affixed to a piece of rock that prevents its removal. If a clam is attached, the best method to find them is to watch for the snails at night using a flashlight. Rather than munching on a tridacnid's tissues, these parasites use a trunk-like snout called a proboscis to puncture the soft, extendable mantle near the shell's upper edge, and then feed on the clams fluids. So that's where you need to look for them if a clam can't be removed. Pyram snails can also move from one clam to another if they choose and, as mentioned, they can reproduce rapidly if left alone. On tridacnids' shells they can produce lots of eggs. I would remove them as much as possible and quarantine your clams. Scrub your clam shell with a toothbrush to remove the eggs and snails. DONT scrape the soft part, just the shell.
I have no clams in my tank but they do look very similar to the ones in the picture. Should I worry about anything else in my tank getting hit?
blazin2k6
Active Member
I have alot of those in my tank as well but i just see them mainly crawling around on things and on the glass. There are probably 100 or more but mine arent white clear looking like that they are more of a brownish color. Well a brownish spiral. Would these be bad also or no ? I havent been noticing anything bad happening in my tank so i am guessing all is ok.
mudplayerx
Active Member
If you have a magnifying glass grab one of those snails and look at the opening in the shell. The bad snails lack an operculum (the little plug/door at the opening).
nietzsche
Active Member
you can also tell by the tips, i forgot how to identify them, but pyrams and ceriths snails have different swirls
theres also rissoid (sp) snails that look similar to ceriths and pyrams but feed on algae. i think i read that ceriths go through a planktonic stage that makes it diffitcult for them to grow in the tank because of skimmers and pumps, etc, while other snails like nass snails dont have a planktonic stage
theres also rissoid (sp) snails that look similar to ceriths and pyrams but feed on algae. i think i read that ceriths go through a planktonic stage that makes it diffitcult for them to grow in the tank because of skimmers and pumps, etc, while other snails like nass snails dont have a planktonic stage
jessica47421
Active Member
i have tons and tons of those snails as well. they look like the ones in the first posted pic. are these good or bad if bad how do we get rid of them? sounds like alot of ppl on here have them.
saltymac
Member
Wow, very curious. I just noticed these snails in my tank about a month ago.....couple hundred of them. I thought my ceriths had produced them, but I also noticed they weren't getting any bigger. I dont have any clams, but have lost a couple of my snails that arent that old.... could it be from them? If so, what do you do about them? Can you stop them? I remember awhile back in a freshwater tank of mine, a friend gave me 1 snail. Then a few months and I was polluted with them. And the only way I could stop them was to tear the tank down. These little buggers wouldnt be similar to those little buggers would they? So, it that correct that they dont have a "door" to close their shell. (if the bad ones) Any help greatly appreciated in advance.