stumper id

[jonthefb]

ok guys, i need your help here. its 5:00 in th emorning, i just lookied in my tank and i have a ton of these snails that appear very similar to the pyrimidelliae snaisl that feed on giant clams. first thing i do is check my clam over and he is fine. the weird thing is that these snails are on the front and side glasss feeding on algae!!!! i have checked my clam daily (its a squamosa) and the snails are never on him, not near the byssal opening or hiddend among his scutes. is there a type of snail that looks similar to the pyrmidelllae snails, but that eat algae. the shells of these guys are about an eighth to a quarter inch long and are totally white, they kinda look like grains of rice, however they are nowhere to be found during the day. any ideas?
thanks in advance!
good luck
jon

 

[drkegel]

jon - I have had tons of those little things on the glass for a long long time. I've heard them ID'd as about a dozen different things, so I'm interested to know what they might be as well.
I don't have any clams in my tank - so I'm not too worried about them. GL!

 

[jonthefb]

thanks drK. do yours look like little grains of white rice as well? i cant figure it out. i did have a few in the tank before i got my squamosa clam, so im really thinking that they arent the pyrimidellidae snails, at least i hope not. they are quick littel buggers too, they just zip right along the rock and glass, however i never see mine during the day! its good to hear that you have them though, without having any clams. im interested to hear what others think!
good luck/thanks in advance
jon

 

[rsd]

I have seen them too in my tank... but not as a good sign. If they are what I have pull out any of your large ('cause it's easier to see) turbo snails. Touch the foot so they retract into the shell. Check around that hard "trap door" they use to be secure in their shell... if you have what I do you will probably find those snails burrowed in around the foot of the turbo. Sometimes it will kill them other times it wont. They are like a parasite that will host on the turbo.
I also see them when my sand sifting star pulls out of the sand. They get caught up in the little spines that stick off the sides of its arms and get drug for a ride since its foot cant touch anything. I then like to pull them out and do serious harm to them.
The only side note is that I have never seen mine on the glass. But sound the same. Move fast, white grain of rice, only find at night (on substrate) or when disturbing DSB.
Hope all is harmless.

 

[bang guy]

If you have a bunch of them and you can see them eating algae then I believe them to be baby Cerith Snails. Congratulations

 

[jonthefb]

well guy, this is what i thought as well, however, i have had ceriths breed in my tank before, and these guys are not them. first their shell is totally white, and seocndm, they look nothing like the baby ceriths. ok, another question, rsd, you said they were on your large snails. i dont have any large snails, only ceriths and all have been doing fine lately. and like i said they do show up on the glass at night, not the sand bed, sometimes the rock, but the majority of them congregate on th eglass. any ideas? i think im gonna pull them out tonight, just worries me, ill check the clam again, and see if i can id em under my scope. confused!
jon

 

[bang guy]

Jon,
Not all Pyramidillidae (LOL sp??) attack clams, many attack snails. They will NOT eat algae however
Sorry I really think I mutilated the spelling...

 

[jarre]

Oh my — Jon's a papa!! LOL

 

[jonthefb]

so you all would say that since they are on the glass and eating algae that they must be somethign else correct? im just on ehte edge of a heart attack here, cause i dont know what to do!!!
good luck
jon

 

[bang guy]

I don't know of any predatory snails that can eat algae. I believe it's usually one or the other. Maybe there are omniverous snails, I just don't know of any.
Maybe you have a new specie that will revolutionize algae maintenance for the hobby
When you find out what they are I hope you let us know.
Guy

 

[rsd]

The snails I have I took to be identified at 3 lfs and 1 didn't know the other two agreed that WHAT I HAVE are a predatory snail. I can't see what you have and to be honest alot of snails look alike to me. I know that my snails are never on the glass... always either on the turbo's or in the substrate.
I really don't think that algea eating snails will be predatory. So you may have another type of snail.
Unless you see them attacking anything or if any of your corals/clams seem harmed I don't think they are doing harm.
I've taken a slower approach to removing anonymous criters unless I see them doing harm,,,, I'd hate to remove that "wonder bug" with out knowing it.
Besides, if they are predatory would removing the FEW you see do much good. I tried for six months removing my turbo's daily for their exam and I think I killed more than the pred. snails did. After removing over 100 little snails I realized that they will balance them selves out. I might have to remove their food for a few months but over all "nature" will balance out.
Good luck. Crack open an "adult beverage" and relax. If they were THAT harmful you'd be seein more death than you have.
thats MHO.

 

[drkegel]

Mine are the little grains of rice, but they don't move very fast. So I think my snails, are different snails than your snails. And I still don't know which snails I have and which snails you have.
I don't know snails about snails!
Due out soon - the super snails toungue twister!

 

[rsd]

Are you quoting Dr. Suess?