how do i get rid of Vermetids or tube snails?

[a49panhead]

I got tube snails on a pice of live rock about 6 months ago and the are spreading like a wild fire. Iv ben braking them off with a pair of tweezers but its a never ending battle. is there something that eats the unsightly things? or is there some other way of getting rid of them?

 

[CRW Reefer]

Following along

 

[cdness]

I got tube snails on a pice of live rock about 6 months ago and the are spreading like a wild fire. Iv ben braking them off with a pair of tweezers but its a never ending battle. is there something that eats the unsightly things? or is there some other way of getting rid of them?

I feel your pain... I have found no way to get RID of them other than take EVERYTHING out of the tank and acid wash it. This includes corals. What you are left with is a bunch of dead rock and coral where you can start from scratch... Unfortunately you may bring one in on your next coral purchase anyway so it is a neverending battle anyway...

I have fought these for years and tried everything I could do to control them. Reduce their spread rate by keeping the water clean. Break off the ones you can see, but expect them to come back. They are part of the ecosystem and unfortunately hard to prevent or control so you just need to live with them :cry:

If someone has a magic cure let me know... I would love to get rid of these where I can.

 

[ritter6788]

I have the larger ones that make a big mucus net. A bit of epoxy covering the whole seems to do the trick. I've never gone far enough to remove them all so they keep reproducing. I tried squiring Aiptaisa x in the hole an it killed some of them but it's not a quick thing and I think you need to let it sit for a long time. My next attempt is going to be boiling water injected down their tube.

 

[mnat]

If you can get to them with coral cutters, start clipping away at the shell which will kill them. If not I know people that have had success with a mystery wrasse.

 

[Dave3112]

Super glue worked for me. I just covered up the hole with a dab. Also a good fast encrusting monti wiped another infestation of them out and left behind a cool growth pattern to boot

 

[cdness]

If you can get to them with coral cutters, start clipping away at the shell which will kill them. If not I know people that have had success with a mystery wrasse.

Mystery Wrasse huh? I used to have one and lost it in a move. That just may be why my population wasn't too prevalent back in the beginning... I may have to get another one.

 

[ritter6788]

Super glue worked for me. I just covered up the hole with a dab. Also a good fast encrusting monti wiped another infestation of them out and left behind a cool growth pattern to boot

My sps try to cover them but they grow the tube taller and the coral covers the outside of the tube. I have one larger vermitid snail that has a Hulk Millepora colored tube.

 

[jgraz]

I just snap them off when i can. Even my faster growing montis like the sunset cant keep up with the tubes

 

[ritter6788]

The ones I have you can cut the tube off but they crawl out (fast) and make a new tube somewhere else.

 

[Dave3112]

My purple haze and seasons greetings must have been growing extremely fast. They grew right over the tubes on one rock and my Jedi mind trick did on another. It was funny looking with all those little tubes poking up everywhere on them.

 

[a49panhead]

thanks for the help ill try the Mystery Wrasse if i find one at my LFS till then ill keep braking them off.