Vermetid Snail Predator?

[West1]

Got 3 bumble bee snails for my waterbox 20 hope it’s not too much, i constantly shift my sand and it’s so annoying seeing all that web all over the place also when I feed

I’d start with 10 or so. Vermetid snails populate faster than bumblebee’s eat. I hate to say it but you’ll probably have vermetid snails forever. My overflow and sump chambers have vermetid snails but display has near none.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

I’d start with 10 or so. Vermetid snails populate faster than bumblebee’s eat. I hate to say it but you’ll probably have vermetid snails forever. My overflow and sump chambers have vermetid snails but display has near none.

I'm dumping 25 a month into my 180. Still losing

 

[West1]

I'm dumping 25 a month into my 180. Still losing

If your dumping 25 per month, your water might be bad and killing snails.
Or the comment was far fetched and just started 1-2 months in Lol.

I can speak for myself and my experience. I had no luck at first, kind of like my intro to SPS Lol. With patience, I seen the decrease of Vermetid snails!

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Started 3 months ago, got a melanarus male kills some but they are small and slow and a 180 needs quite a lot.

 

[West1]

Started 3 months ago, got a melanarus male kills some but they are small and slow and a 180 needs quite a lot.

I’ve hear some wrasse eat them. Not sure anyone has seen them pick vermetid snails but I would assume they would eat the free swimming larvae like bristleworm baby’s.
I have faith the vermetid snails will put a dent in the population! I’m considering placing one bumblebee in each of my overflows and sump chambers. Hopefully they don’t get sucked through the return pump grill.

 

[moz71]

Unfortunately I had no luck! my malenarus wrasse doesn’t dent them nor my 20ish bumblebee snails. Just learning to live with them. The only plus is my pincushion urchin cleans down to bare rock wherever he goes so gives me some clean surfaces to work with lol. Caves and caverns are like razor obstacle courses though. I don’t know how my fish don’t end up with cuts all the time

 

[Oshengems]

I’d start with 10 or so. Vermetid snails populate faster than bumblebee’s eat. I hate to say it but you’ll probably have vermetid snails forever. My overflow and sump chambers have vermetid snails but display has near none.

ATM i was killing them my self since my rock work is minimal, its just when they get under my Acans and torches which i cant pull out, i cant seem to get rid off. i scrape them off but few weeks later i see the tube forming and slime when i tumble my sand.

I love inverts and if i could have some sort of natural control why not, will get a few more bumble bee tonight, i just hesitated to get more because i saw a few forums that bumble bee snails are not "reef safe"

 

[SlugSnorter]

I heard arrow crabs do too. I'm gonna try them both. And I'll come back and update.

bumble bees are a better bet as arrows can be agressive with many things

 

[Oshengems]

question for the ones that had success with bumble bee or any other pest control, Do they eat just the worm and leave the tube or the tube and worm is gone ?

 

[West1]

question for the ones that had success with bumble bee or any other pest control, Do they eat just the worm and leave the tube or the tube and worm is gone ?

I have a lot of vermetid bases without the stem. Most of mine are a black ball w/missing tubes.
hopefully that answers your question.

 

[timry2]

Has anyone had luck with the bumblebee’s. I had to break my system down because they were killing my corals. They grew everywhere. After a year, this is what my overflows look like, my rock was no better. I got infested from a piece of rock I bought from petco. I just rebuilt my system and I would like to have some kind of defensive mechanism in place to combat what I miss.

 

[moz71]

Has anyone had luck with the bumblebee’s. I had to break my system down because they were killing my corals. They grew everywhere. After a year, this is what my overflows look like, my rock was no better. I got infested from a piece of rock I bought from petco. I just rebuilt my system and I would like to have some kind of defensive mechanism in place to combat what I miss.

Dang! I thought my tank was bad! BB snails MAYBE slowed them down but still have an infestation I have about a dozen and half in a 125 gal tank. I continue to read reports of success though. Maybe i need more as well!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Has anyone had luck with the bumblebee’s. I had to break my system down because they were killing my corals. They grew everywhere. After a year, this is what my overflows look like, my rock was no better. I got infested from a piece of rock I bought from petco. I just rebuilt my system and I would like to have some kind of defensive mechanism in place to combat what I miss.

Yes and have read of many with success
Gel superglue Over the hole will keep them at bay
I break the tubes at the base also

 

[moz71]

Yes and have read of many with success
Gel superglue Over the hole will keep them at bay
I break the tubes at the base also

You expect him to glue all those! lol GLue the whole tank! Just Joshing! some recommendations just don't always apply!

 

[becon776]

Dude we need professional help on this. Like outside the hobby. I was involved in an ENORMOUS thread on RC a few years ago. There were some novel experiments happening. Different chemicals (fluconazole) etc. I shut down a 15 year old reef bc of them. New build and have them again. Corals are flourishing but man they are there in the hundreds. Little Ines big ones etc...

Tried tons of bb snails-did nothing. Tried the glue - good luck on that. Havent tried kz snow but interested there was anecdotal evidence on that as well.
Wish so badly we found a harlequin shrimp type if answer. Something has to love to eat these things.

 

[schooncw]

Has anyone had luck with the bumblebee’s. I had to break my system down because they were killing my corals. They grew everywhere. After a year, this is what my overflows look like, my rock was no better. I got infested from a piece of rock I bought from petco. I just rebuilt my system and I would like to have some kind of defensive mechanism in place to combat what I miss.

Wow! Destroy as many as possible by crushing the base and yes, BB's do work. I added 30 to my 120 and a few months later, all gone. It will be a slow process.

 

[vetteguy53081]

You expect him to glue all those! lol GLue the whole tank! Just Joshing! some recommendations just don't always apply!

I’m fully aware of that. His question is about bumble bee snails which was addressed
Mentioned of other methods- common sense says too many to break off or glue

 

[vetteguy53081]

Wow! Destroy as many as possible by crushing the base and yes, BB's do work. I added 30 to my 120 and a few months later, all gone. It will be a slow process.

Never crush base- they will simply rebuild. Pliers or lifting by screwdriver best way on tube removal which is calcified

 

[schooncw]

Never crush base- they will simply rebuild. Pliers or lifting by screwdriver best way on tube removal which is calcified

Every piece of advice I have ever seen, instructs to bust the tube BUT crush the base, as that's where it lives.
W due respect, I think you have it backwards: if you break the tube and NOT destroy the base, it lives on and will rebuild the tube.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Every piece of advice I have ever seen, instructs to bust the tube BUT crush the base, as that's where it lives.
W due respect, I think you have it backwards: if you break the tube and NOT destroy the base, it lives on and will rebuild the tube.

You want to remove at the base and not crush tube. Once base is off, you have the whole worm