How to reduce/wipe out vermetid snails?

[4tanks]

I just added 6 bumblebee snails for the same problem and some vermitids are gone already in less than week

 

[JustPoprocks]

As an experiment I put a frag that had a few in a tank with my Six line and Almost instantaneously the six line was there checking them out. Come back 10 minutes later and I’m watch him pick them.
I also ordered some bumblebees so well see how that works out too

 

[blue.flyzz]

I have a few in my 125 (running 6 years) mostly around my overflows. Occasionally I will see that my melenurus has snatched a tube and then plays with it. He spits it out, chases it down, spits it out until he gets tired of it. Maybe that’s his way of eating it, dunno.

 

[mfollen]

Angelfish. They will eat all of the vermetids in the display. larger non-dwarf species.

 

[tahoenano]

Can anyone chime in if these snails will kill montis? I have had a mystic sunset monti for two years that always has thrived and survived all my learning experiences. My peramiters are stable and perfect. Acros and other montis look wonderful. No changes in the system at all. The passed week it has been declining, turned grey and now bleaching. Did a water change that typically makes corals look better if there is a chem unbalance. noticed that the rock the sunset has encrusted has small purple tubes on the side and stringy sweepers coming from each. Identified as vermatid and broke tubes and glued the ones I can see. Not sure if these will hurt a sunset monti that bad? Any comment would be appreciated.

 

[Lowlandreef]

As an experiment I put a frag that had a few in a tank with my Six line and Almost instantaneously the six line was there checking them out. Come back 10 minutes later and I’m watch him pick them.
I also ordered some bumblebees so well see how that works out too

Keep us up to date how that works out for you!

 

[Niknak36]

On one of the first frags I bought when I started this hobby, I had the luck of getting a vermetid snail as a hitchhiker. I didn't know what it was and didn't remove it. It never was a problem in this first year of reefing, until now. They are spreading very quickly and some are annoying corals with their stringy nets. From what I've read there is not so much you can do about it. There are a few theories but I'm not sure which work/are effective.

First I've read about the manual removal. This is pretty hard for me, since I can't just lift some rock out the tank without crushing corals. This might be the best solution from my research, but very hard to do for me.

Second thing I came by was the natural predator "solution". Some people have reported that their yellow coris wrasse eats them. Seems like more people disagree than agree with it. There are also some people who claim that bumble bee snails eat them. This again isn't supported by too many people from what I've read.

The final method I've seen was adding coral snow to the tank. I haven't seen much people who didn't agree, but it hasn't been supported too much either. This makes me wonder how much of a solution this is.

Lastly I would like to mention the "feed less' hypothesis. Although this might work for some people, I don't think that's a great solution. I have a NPS coral which I need to feed daily which makes it hard to feed less and besides that I think that feeding less won't be very effective. Vermetid snails are filter feeders, so they will always find stuff to eat in the water column.

So to all of you reefers the question: whats the best method to reduce (or even better wipe out) vermetid snails?

For what it’s worth my tank was riddled when I got back from a 4 week holiday. One of my pumps stop working, I up the flow in the tank considerably and after a moth gone!!
Can’t say that it was related to anything else, use it or lose it

 

[cumbeje]

I have had them in all my tanks. I really don't understand the issue people have with them. I have personally never seen anything negative with them. I only have ever had small ones not the gaint variety. I few them as just part of a normal reef system.

 

[Viking_Reefing]

Angelfish. They will eat all of the vermetids in the display. larger non-dwarf species.

I can second that, my regal has gotten rid of every vermetide in places it can reach.

I would also try to limit the amount of suspended particles in the water column. Do you use filter socks or a rollerfilter?

 

[mfollen]

Yup. No one is talking about angels for vermetids. they hunt vermetids all day. non-dwarfs though.

 

[GlassMunky]

Yup. No one is talking about angels for vermetids. they hunt vermetids all day. non-dwarfs though.

But aren’t they considered non-reef safe and therefor can/will nip at corals?
thereby making them non really useful for most people

 

[mfollen]

Fair point. Mostly yes, but not 100%.

if you don’t care for meaty LPS.... Then some angels will work well.

 

[uhgster1]

I used super glue and bumblebee snails and I haven't had a problem since. I super glued the big ones and I personally saw the bumblebees take care of the little ones to the point that I think they starved to death because I haven't seen them in a few months.

 

[Viking_Reefing]

But aren’t they considered non-reef safe and therefor can/will nip at corals?
thereby making them non really useful for most people

Well, large angels are generally safe with sps and some species like regals are also relatively ok with LPS...almost all of them will munch on zoas though.

 

[Lowlandreef]

I can second that, my regal has gotten rid of every vermetide in places it can reach.

I would also try to limit the amount of suspended particles in the water column. Do you use filter socks or a rollerfilter?

Unfortunately I don't have room for a large angelfish... Would love to try it otherwise! Like mentioned by other people it might not be an option for everyone due to their "reefsafe with caution" label.

I do use filter socks and filter floss, so I don't have much suspended particles in the water column. I usually have a problem with them around feeding time. They throw their nets out and irritate corals. Some of them are on LPS, which retract due to the irritation caused by the nets.

 

[Silent]

I would try the six-line wrasse. They are small and inexpensive.

 

[danieyella]

I had an infestation. I added 4 bumblebee snails. They flourished, I ended up with 20 bumblebee snails and I haven't seen an active vermetid in awhile.

 

[GlassMunky]

I had an infestation. I added 4 bumblebee snails. They flourished, I ended up with 20 bumblebee snails and I haven't seen an active vermetid in awhile.

What size tank?

 

[danieyella]

What size tank?

90g display

 

[MD84]

I have just noticed some. I'm about 5 weeks in to my first tank. 73Gallon. I have a 6 line wrasse and a blue spotted puffer. They don't seem to be interested. I was hoping the puffer might pick at them. I'm feeding him pretty well though IMO. I think I'll add some bumble bee snails. I'm not sure how many to add or where to get them. So far all of my livestock has come from the LFS.

Any recommendations on how many bumble bee snails and where to buy?