An Observation of Vermetid Snails' Web Damage

[trevorhiller]

I'm not seeking help with an ID, but thought I would share this observation.

I have vermetid snails in my tank and one seems to have taken up home within an old hermit crab shell that has been lying on my substrate. A few weeks ago, I noticed a small hole in the shell. Over these weeks that hole appears to be getting larger. I found this odd that the shell was dissolving in my tank since my pH runs on the higher end (~8.25-8.50).

It appears that the vermetid snail "web" is secreting some sort of acid that is dissolving the shell itself allowing the vermetid to gain access to the water column outside of the shell.

I've not see the dissolving ability of these little critters webs mentioned before, so I thought I would share this observation to see if anyone else has experienced similar. I've heard they can irritate corals, perhaps this is why the mucus "web" is so irritating!

 

[Seansea]

Wow. Great observation. I have them as well and whereever they are near corals close up. I had a huge one in my zoas that snaked all thru them and they were closed up until i pulled the rock out and crushed the SOB. I have theorized for a while that their webs have somesort of acid in them but wouldnt think strong enough to dissove a shell. But appears so. Have you found any easy way of getting rid od these suckers. Have a snail that has one on its back and pretty sure its dropping babies around the tank.

 

[Aquachristik]

The bane of my tank's existence! Great observation, I hadn't heard that before.

I recently started using Reef Snow (Calcium Carbonate) for water clarity and assistance with cyano, but I've seen Mike Paletta say that it also helps kill vermetids as well. Hopefully he's right.

 

[trevorhiller]

The bane of my tank's existence! Great observation, I hadn't heard that before.

I recently started using Reef Snow (Calcium Carbonate) for water clarity and assistance with cyano, but I've seen Mike Paletta say that it also helps kill vermetids as well. Hopefully he's right.

I’ve been doing that for a few weeks too. But haven’t noticed a difference just yet.

I’ve got them all over, likely because I was feeding dehydrated fish food in the auto feeder. I’ve slowed that down and started running a smaller filter sock as well.

We’ll see how it goes. Aside from being ugly they don’t seem to bother the corals at the moment.

 

[trevorhiller]

1 month update to this thread. Notice the hole has gotten larger.

 

[Rick's Reviews]

I've added numerous shells for my hermit's to move into and have noticed this break down in a shell that's just sat alone. I would assume the vermited has taken up residence in this shell due to its low flow/ cave like structure to grow into, I very much doubt it's ability with its acid web ' like the movie alien'
Sigourney Weaver original'
Vermited would not have the ability to destroy a calcium based shell in this in a short period of time, especially a conch shell

 

[Thales]

I'm not seeking help with an ID, but thought I would share this observation.

I have vermetid snails in my tank and one seems to have taken up home within an old hermit crab shell that has been lying on my substrate. A few weeks ago, I noticed a small hole in the shell. Over these weeks that hole appears to be getting larger. I found this odd that the shell was dissolving in my tank since my pH runs on the higher end (~8.25-8.50).

It appears that the vermetid snail "web" is secreting some sort of acid that is dissolving the shell itself allowing the vermetid to gain access to the water column outside of the shell.

I've not see the dissolving ability of these little critters webs mentioned before, so I thought I would share this observation to see if anyone else has experienced similar. I've heard they can irritate corals, perhaps this is why the mucus "web" is so irritating!

Rock. This is mentioned in scientific literature but rarely talked about in the hobby. Likely digestive or stinging filiments. That hole in the shell pic is likely normal degradation and not caused by the webs.

 

[trevorhiller]

I've added numerous shells for my hermit's to move into and have noticed this break down in a shell that's just sat alone. I would assume the vermited has taken up residence in this shell due to its low flow/ cave like structure to grow into, I very much doubt it's ability with its acid web ' like the movie alien'
Sigourney Weaver original'
Vermited would not have the ability to destroy a calcium based shell this in a short period of time, especially a conch shell

That’s why I posted this for discussion. The purpose is to make a hypothesis, then follow up with observations. You form your own opinion on what’s going on. Out of curiosity, what range does your pH run?

I have some additional shells on my sandbed and this is the only one with a noticeable hole in it.

Of course this is just one hypothesis. Another viable option is an urchin could have been munching algae on it causing damage as well.

 

[Rick's Reviews]

That’s why I posted this for discussion. The purpose is to make a hypothesis, then follow up with observations. You form your own opinion on what’s going on. Out of curiosity, what range does your pH run?

I have some additional shells on my sandbed and this is the only one with a noticeable hole in it.

Of course this is just one hypothesis. Another viable option is an urchin could have been munching algae on it causing damage as well.

Yes of course hence my contribution, my ph is 8.5, my alkalinity is very high compared to others but that's not the question here, however I will be following to see the results.


Snails grow a shell so it's alive like a skeleton on the outside but alive in someway to grow with body, so a shell left unbodied/ nothing to keep it alive at the bottom of an aquarium is basically decaying
Hence the hole in your decaying shell, your vermited is just hosting the best possible house.

The shell itself is decaying as it's not living anymore, the snail/ host has died so the shell itself is starved

 

[trevorhiller]

Yes of course hence my contribution, my ph is 8.5, my alkalinity is very high compared to others but that's not the question here, however I will be following to see the results.

The reason I asked was because calcium carbonate is more likely to dissolve quicker at low pHs. I wouldn’t expect calcium carbonate shell to be actively dissolving so quickly at my pH levels as mentioned in post 1.

I do wonder why that shell is dissolving so much quicker than this other one a foot away with no damage (also a conch shell).

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Do you dose and test for calcium carbonate? If these shells are left alone with nothing 'living' to provide life support for these to grow, these will die without a host.
I guess you could say the shells are 'living'

in regards to your 'different' conch snails degradation... I'm not a scientist. I assume these just degrade in their own time. Hence your original photo of a vermited hosting this 'shell' which i assume has been there for a while,

'conch snail' shells are living as they grow with the host, if host dies, so does shell... over time it will disintegrate and break down, hence your original photo

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Do you dose and test for calcium carbonate? If these shells are left alone with nothing 'living' to provide life support for these to grow, these will die without a host.
I guess you could say the shells are 'living'

in regards to your 'different' conch snails degradation... I'm not a scientist. I assume these just degrade in their own time. Hence your original photo of a vermited hosting this 'shell' which i assume has been there for a while,

'conch snail' shells are living as they grow with the host, if host dies, so does shell... over time it will disintegrate and break down, hence your original photo

My hypothesis