Foreverlearnin
09/23/2004, 03:22 AM
As described in Knopp's book, I believe I have a 7-9mm snail from the Cymatium genus.
Here is the scoop. I bought a 6" Derasa from a not so local store. In the store, his mantle was slightly retracted, he was pretty new(1 or 2 days since arrival) and under 400W MH. All the others in the shipment looked to be in good shape. None were half as nice as this one. I have been waiting for a Derasa for a LONNGGG time and this was the first one I had seen that I really wanted and liked. The store is a few hours drive from my house so I decided to take him.
In the bag I noticed he kinda gaped open, bad sign. At this point I knew I was an idiot. I acclimated him slowly then added him to my quarintine w/ compact flo. The next day his mantle continuted to retract, so I inspected him well for any snails (found none). I thought he just wanted a day or two to settle so back he went.
The next day he was about the same, so I inspected him again for any snails. Nothing. I then thought it might be light. So I thought the best thing to do would be add him to my display with my other 8 clams all doing GREAT! So I gave him the standard 30minute FW dip in hopes to be carefull about any parasites that I may have missed. Nothing fell out, so I went ahead and added him to the main display.
The next morning he looked bad. I thought he wasn't going to make it and I should toss him. He looked dead. As I reached down he closed almost all the way so I thought great maybe he is ok. After getting home tonight, he is very retracted and starting to peel off the inner walls of the shell. There my cleaner shrimp is sitting on him and a thin worm which I think was a bristle or some type was hanging out of his shell. I knew he was a gonner.
I quickly opened the glass top to grab the worm thinking he might have killed the clam but as I looked back down it totally disapeared. I thought great now this bloody clam killing worm is in the tank free to have at the rest of my collection. I dig around in the sand and rubble near the clam to no avail. Perhaps he was just comming out to eat the dead clam? I only hope so!
I then yank the clam out of tha tank and right near the top of his shell is a 1/2" long snail!! %#@$. I can see the hole he punched right through the mantle on his way out. I guess he ate the gills as well as many other missing parts inside the clam. But how lucky am I to catch him just as he is leaving. I am not that lucky. The question of the day is how do I know there was only one snail, and 10 others are not now in my display? Are they solitary creatures? I doubt it.
These are not the kinda thing you see and can remove from a clam. This sucker was burried way inside. I wouldn't have even known him to be there if I had not caught him at the second I did. Unless he was still inside when I discected the clam to see why he died.
I have a wrasee to eat small snails, but this thing was way to big. About the only thing in my tank that would kill them is a hitch hiker mantis that destroys most inverts that have gone into the system. I doubt he will see them in the clam though.
I inspected the squamosa right beside the Derasa and he seemed fine.
First a hitch hiker Mantis that just got big enough to kill my 3 out of my 5 favourite fish. Then comes a major fish loss due to a long power outage. Now this! Makes me want to sell it all. :sad1:
Thanks for reading this far!
What have you experianced with these snails or what can you suggest I do?
No where to go!
Thanks for your time!
Here is the scoop. I bought a 6" Derasa from a not so local store. In the store, his mantle was slightly retracted, he was pretty new(1 or 2 days since arrival) and under 400W MH. All the others in the shipment looked to be in good shape. None were half as nice as this one. I have been waiting for a Derasa for a LONNGGG time and this was the first one I had seen that I really wanted and liked. The store is a few hours drive from my house so I decided to take him.
In the bag I noticed he kinda gaped open, bad sign. At this point I knew I was an idiot. I acclimated him slowly then added him to my quarintine w/ compact flo. The next day his mantle continuted to retract, so I inspected him well for any snails (found none). I thought he just wanted a day or two to settle so back he went.
The next day he was about the same, so I inspected him again for any snails. Nothing. I then thought it might be light. So I thought the best thing to do would be add him to my display with my other 8 clams all doing GREAT! So I gave him the standard 30minute FW dip in hopes to be carefull about any parasites that I may have missed. Nothing fell out, so I went ahead and added him to the main display.
The next morning he looked bad. I thought he wasn't going to make it and I should toss him. He looked dead. As I reached down he closed almost all the way so I thought great maybe he is ok. After getting home tonight, he is very retracted and starting to peel off the inner walls of the shell. There my cleaner shrimp is sitting on him and a thin worm which I think was a bristle or some type was hanging out of his shell. I knew he was a gonner.
I quickly opened the glass top to grab the worm thinking he might have killed the clam but as I looked back down it totally disapeared. I thought great now this bloody clam killing worm is in the tank free to have at the rest of my collection. I dig around in the sand and rubble near the clam to no avail. Perhaps he was just comming out to eat the dead clam? I only hope so!
I then yank the clam out of tha tank and right near the top of his shell is a 1/2" long snail!! %#@$. I can see the hole he punched right through the mantle on his way out. I guess he ate the gills as well as many other missing parts inside the clam. But how lucky am I to catch him just as he is leaving. I am not that lucky. The question of the day is how do I know there was only one snail, and 10 others are not now in my display? Are they solitary creatures? I doubt it.
These are not the kinda thing you see and can remove from a clam. This sucker was burried way inside. I wouldn't have even known him to be there if I had not caught him at the second I did. Unless he was still inside when I discected the clam to see why he died.
I have a wrasee to eat small snails, but this thing was way to big. About the only thing in my tank that would kill them is a hitch hiker mantis that destroys most inverts that have gone into the system. I doubt he will see them in the clam though.
I inspected the squamosa right beside the Derasa and he seemed fine.
First a hitch hiker Mantis that just got big enough to kill my 3 out of my 5 favourite fish. Then comes a major fish loss due to a long power outage. Now this! Makes me want to sell it all. :sad1:
Thanks for reading this far!
What have you experianced with these snails or what can you suggest I do?
No where to go!
Thanks for your time!