Snail eating snails

[gailfarquhar]

One of my customers has had two tanks COMPLETELY taken over by some sort of Pyramellid snail that has eaten all of his other snails. His six line wrasse won't touch them, despite their reputation as being a good control measure for these buggers. Will they eventually starve out now that they have eaten all of the snails? One of the tanks is 15 years old, and he doesn't want to do anything to compromise the tank, but the algae is getting out of control with all of his snails dead. I am ordering him some Lettuce nudis, but it may take a while for him to get them. Any ideas? One tank his corals, the other is a fish/lr tank.

Thanks in advance,

Gail

[dshnarw]

One of my customers has had two tanks COMPLETELY taken over by some sort of Pyramellid snail that has eaten all of his other snails. His six line wrasse won't touch them, despite their reputation as being a good control measure for these buggers. Will they eventually starve out now that they have eaten all of the snails? One of the tanks is 15 years old, and he doesn't want to do anything to compromise the tank, but the algae is getting out of control with all of his snails dead. I am ordering him some Lettuce nudis, but it may take a while for him to get them. Any ideas? One tank his corals, the other is a fish/lr tank.

Thanks in advance,

Gail

 

 

More likely, they'll begin eating each other and maintain a somewhat static level in doing so. I suppose it'd be time to begin hand removal of them, because it's about the only way he'll have a chance of getting them out without a better six line or other predator.

[reefman225gal]

hmm. i knew pyrams were usually pest to Tridacnid clams and could reach plague porportions if not kept in check. Im wondering if maybe there is some other type of predatory snail in the tank. Buccinidae spp. (Whelks) come to mind. "The pyrams eating snails" im going to do some research on that I never heard of that.

[Caesar777]

Pyramidellids also attack snails. I've had them come in on Cerith snails, and on Astraeas.

 

A 15-year-old tank probably has some MASSIVE detrital buildup--just have him gravel-vac the hell out of it, and do enough water changes. Snails aren't some magical answer to algae.

 

Lettuce slugs will only eat hair algae and Caulerpa; they won't eat diatoms, film, or cyano, and will starve without their needed food source. I'd recommend just doing water changes, maybe even a major tank overhaul (what with how nasty most old tanks I've seen can get).

[shaggydoo541]

Yeah they can become an issue. I had a lot of them in my nano and I would pluck my snails out every now and again and brush all the pyrams off. Granted this didn't work too well because the pyrams multiply too quickly but it seemed to keep my snails alive for a little bit longer.

 

Overall I let all my snails die and then when I started my new tank I have not seen any pyrams return even though I used all my old lr. But that is obviously not a very good option since most tanks need snails. So I guess I'm no help Good luck though cause they are a big pest.

[strangelove]

I've seen Queen Conch's and Nassarius Snails go after smaller snails before. What he should get is a bunch of emerald crabs to handle hair algae, pick out as many pest snails as he can, and get some of those big Zebra or Mexican Turbo Snails, those are awesome at glass cleaning and are fast enough to get out of trouble. Astrea snails are too accident prone, they are always falling and getting stuck upside down in the sand, easy meal for anything looking for something to eat. Bumble Bee snails have been the longest living snails I've seen.