Are these SNAIL PARASITES???? *Pics*

[StinkinTuna]

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?

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/Charles4400/1-1.jpg
(brown spots are just dirty acrylic)

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/Charles4400/2-1.jpg

:rolleyes:

[Ursus]

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]

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

[StinkinTuna]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

[jasper24]

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]

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]

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_pages/TN_Family_RISSOIDAE_RISSOININAE.html
Rissoid And Pyramidellid Snails - http://www.reefland.com/rho/2006/05/identify_rissoid_pyramidellid_snails.php

[skeeter-doc]

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

[RichConley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8057017#post8057017 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> 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]

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]

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]

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.