Sudden infestation of small snails

[jmatt]

Within the last few weeks I have been noticing more and more of these very small snails (?) appearing around the tank. At first I thought it's just, ya know, reef tank stuff... nothing to worry about.

Then, I found myself having to disassemble and clean my MP40 powerheads and I'd find them inside. Just tank debris, I thought. But I would have to do it increasingly frequently.

Well last night my main pump stopped working. It is presently disassembled and soaked in citric acid. There are these same snails all over it.... and everything else in the sump, the overflow, etc.

What are they and what do I do? They are tiny, like 1-2 mm and hard like a snail shell.

 

[Sophie"s mom]

do they appear round , curled up? White in color? If so they are most likely spirorbid worms. Just CUC members. I think my six line wrasse eats them in my tank.

 

[Jamie814]

Sounds like Juvenile vermetid snails to me. At night when the lights go out do they come out and cover your rocks?

They also could be collonista snails?

 

[jmatt]

do they appear round , curled up? White in color? If so they are most likely spirorbid worms. Just CUC members. I think my six line wrasse eats them in my tank.

Huh. And I just took my six line out of the tank about a month ago. Needed him out while the berghia nudibranchs wipe out my aiptasia problem.

These things are so abundant that they're causing my powerheads and pumps to stop functioning properly.

I am so tired of chasing my tail. I spent months trying to eliminate GHA. When that was finally gone, I got bubble algae. Then months trying to catch the six line so he wouldn't eat the berghias. I got the beghias because I had an awful aiptasia outbreak, they destroyed my zoas. And as soon as I'm getting close to wiping them out, now this.

Frustrating.

 

[Spare time]

Pictures?

 

[Sophie"s mom]

Huh. And I just took my six line out of the tank about a month ago. Needed him out while the berghia nudibranchs wipe out my aiptasia problem.

These things are so abundant that they're causing my powerheads and pumps to stop functioning properly.

I am so tired of chasing my tail. I spent months trying to eliminate GHA. When that was finally gone, I got bubble algae. Then months trying to catch the six line so he wouldn't eat the berghias. I got the beghias because I had an awful aiptasia outbreak, they destroyed my zoas. And as soon as I'm getting close to wiping them out, now this.

Frustrating.

Usually spiroedis kind of come and go. At one point my whole back glass was. Covered with them. Yea I know what you mean. It can get frustrating, just don’t give up. How old is your tank?

 

[Jmcg89]

Limpets maybe?

 

[Coral Memere]

It could be so many things. And so many things eat those other things. Pictures would really help us figure out which rabbit hole to send you down.

 

[jmatt]

Pictures?

Attached. Thanks.

 

[jmatt]

Usually spiroedis kind of come and go. At one point my whole back glass was. Covered with them. Yea I know what you mean. It can get frustrating, just don’t give up. How old is your tank?

Tank's about 19 months old.

 

[Spare time]

Attached. Thanks.

collonista snails maybe ?

 

[Dread Pirate Dave]

This doesn't help but maybe it'll make you laugh. Came to mind reading this.

Huh. And I just took my six line out of the tank about a month ago. Needed him out while the berghia nudibranchs wipe out my aiptasia problem.

These things are so abundant that they're causing my powerheads and pumps to stop functioning properly.

I am so tired of chasing my tail. I spent months trying to eliminate GHA. When that was finally gone, I got bubble algae. Then months trying to catch the six line so he wouldn't eat the berghias. I got the beghias because I had an awful aiptasia outbreak, they destroyed my zoas. And as soon as I'm getting close to wiping them out, now this.

Frustrating.

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

If they are Collonista, Common Name, “Baby Turbos.” Their maximum size is 1/4” according to my Marine Invertebrates book. They are from the Indo-Pacific.

 

[Jamie814]

Attached. Thanks.

Looks like collonista snails to me. I had a huge outbreak a couple of years ago. When the lights go out, they covered the rocks. Now it seems like the population has dwindled down as I do not see too many of them anymore. Didn't seem to harm anything, just pumps and powerheads as you are seeing.

 

[jmatt]

Looks like collonista snails to me. I had a huge outbreak a couple of years ago. When the lights go out, they covered the rocks. Now it seems like the population has dwindled down as I do not see too many of them anymore. Didn't seem to harm anything, just pumps and powerheads as you are seeing.

You may be right, they certainly do look similar to my pics.

So, a wrasse might keep them in check?

 

[jmatt]

I have to find a solution to this. I am now breaking down and cleaning my main pump once every 10 days. I'm sure there all in the plumbing, there's ton of them in the overflow. The powerheads get done like every 3 or 4 days.

I bought a few wrasses (fairy, flasher, pink streak) and they don't appear to be helping, What the heck eats hundreds of tiny snails? Would a six line help? I didn't have this problem before I got rid of him but I can't imagine it eating snails with a shell...

 

[Coral Memere]

I'm really glad this popped up in my feed again. I just found 4 or 5 of what I thought might be baby turbos. Now, I'm sad. What else can infest!?!??