Unresolved Clam Problem & Snail ID, Pyramid???

Hi!

I have a crocea clam that is my favorite thing in my tank. It's been opening up great for months. As recent as Tuesday I was showing it off. However, last night around lights out I was doing tank maintenance and noticed it was partially closed.

Today, during the day it was looking the same. I was doing a water change after my daylights went out (blues still on) and noticed a handful of tiny snails on it.

Are these pyramids snails?





I picked off as many as a could. If they are pyramids what is my best course of action? It's foot is very firmly planted, so it'll be hard to get out. Should I just keep plucking them off as I see them?

Also, I had a sixline, but I got rid of it as it kept attacking snails in my CuC. But I'll pick one up tomorrow (praying they have one!) if that'll help.

Anything else I can do? What are my clams chances?? :-/

 

Yes very unfortunately they are indeed.

Manual removal is the only real method, there are reports of some wrasses eating them. Problem with wrasses as a solution is that the snail is nocturnal and the wrasses diurnal. Not all 6 lines eat them either, tried that route a number of times my self. You can carefully detach the clam and place them on a pedestal to keep the clam somewhat elevated and more easily removed.

 

Is there any easy way to detach it's foot? Def stressed about hurting it!

 

Get a brand new clean razor blade and cut as close to the rock as you can.I will not hurt it.

 

mine just shedded his foot tonite but seems to have regrown a new one quick.

 

Yes.

Then you get a larger diameter piece of PVC and fill it with sand and place the clam on the pedestal. This allows you to remove the clam and removal the snails as needed. You should try to do so at night when most of the snails are out feeding. Empty the sand from the PVC as needed to prevent the build up of more pyramids. Remove snail eggs from the base of clam as well.

Some pyramids will also begin to feed on larger snails such as turbos. As long as the pyramids have a food source they will reproduce quickly.

Good luck

 

Thanks for all the help.

I removed all the snails I could see tonight (luckily, it really didn't seem like many) but I left the clam where it was. Tomorrow, I am going to pick up some PVC for pedestal. I am hoping the rock he is on can come out of the tank. It'll be MUCH easier to get him off outside of where it is currently. I also think I am going to pick up a sixline. It couldn't hurt

Do FW dips help at all, or are the snails resilient against that?

Thanks for all the help. It sucks it's these snails... but I am relieved to know what's wrong.

 

don't think a freshwater dip is cool for clams, but i'll wait for corailline to answer that.

 

I thought I read you could do that to treat for some pests since clams are from tidal areas. Could be wrong though.

Also, I spotted a couple of these snails not near the clam or other snails. Could it potentially be a pyramid look a like? lol. Most were still on the clam though

 

Fresh water dips will do no good for pyramids.

A fresh water bath is the treatment for PMD. Temp and pH need to be the same as the tank water.

Pyramids will wander about the tank, many times you can find them right at the top layer of the sand where the sand meets the glass. The snails hide at the base and within the chutes during the day and move to the mantel to eat at night. You need to look for the snails within the chutes as well.