Vermetid Snail Removal

[nzkiwi80]

Okay, so a few things before I get started.

1. I live in New Zealand, Bumblebee Snails are not available
2. I have thousands of these things, manual removal would take far to long
3. Currently have a few a hammers, Green Star, Mushroom, 2x Tangs, Six line and a Bi-Color Blenny

As you guessed it I've got these things, I didn't know what they were and left them, I now have thousands of them. Every part of rock my is covered. On one end where the water flow is stronger they are much worse than the other end.

So how do I move forward? Here's my plan and I welcome comments, thoughts.

1. I've removed the largest and worst covered rock. I've spray it with 50/50 water and hydrogen peroxide 3% (may not return this rock)
2. I've killed the water flow for now
3. Cut feeding right back (once this week)
4. Added filter wool into my filter sock
5. Considering adding my own home made "Coral Snow" using calcium carbonate powder (will this harm fish?)

The plan is to stave them to death, give them no where to live but I'm not very confident with this approach.

Feedback welcome.

 

[Dom]

I added a Saddleback Puffer to my tank because I think they are cool.

The bonus was that it started crunching on the tubes of the snails, probably to maintain their beak.

 

[Manose]

Okay, so a few things before I get started.

1. I live in New Zealand, Bumblebee Snails are not available
2. I have thousands of these things, manual removal would take far to long
3. Currently have a few a hammers, Green Star, Mushroom, 2x Tangs, Six line and a Bi-Color Blenny

As you guessed it I've got these things, I didn't know what they were and left them, I now have thousands of them. Every part of rock my is covered. On one end where the water flow is stronger they are much worse than the other end.

So how do I move forward? Here's my plan and I welcome comments, thoughts.

1. I've removed the largest and worst covered rock. I've spray it with 50/50 water and hydrogen peroxide 3% (may not return this rock)
2. I've killed the water flow for now
3. Cut feeding right back (once this week)
4. Added filter wool into my filter sock
5. Considering adding my own home made "Coral Snow" using calcium carbonate powder (will this harm fish?)

The plan is to stave them to death, give them no where to live but I'm not very confident with this approach.

Feedback welcome.

This is what I did on my first tank

 

[Cheezle]

I've been trying to figure out how to kill them myself, I added a frag and next thing I knew they were everywhere. Wish there were something that ate these dang things consistently

 

[Lavey29]

Bumble bee snails eat them

 

[nzkiwi80]

Bumble bee snails eat them

If you read my post i'm in New Zealand and we don't have them.

 

[Jamie814]

I've got a 500 gallon 5 year old sps tank with thousands of them everywhere that came in on a maricultured frag I got years ago. I've tried all of the above and just about everything else and nothing has seemed to work.

I'm at a point where they are casting snot webs and covering the sps corals to the point that polyps are receding. I'm debating cutting the sps off the rocks as much as I can, save them in a large clean started frag tank with the fish and inverts minus any shelled inverts as many of their shells have the pest on the as well. Take all the rock out, muriatic acid bath it all, clean the tank and sump, dry all the plumbing lines out good with a hair dryer to kill anything hiding inside and start over. It just sucks as the rock is covered in coralline algae as well that took years to establish.

 

[nzkiwi80]

This is what I did on my first tank

Did you have any sucesss?

Did I hear that right,
115g of calcium carbonate powder
240mls of water

Then add 10mls to the aquarium at night?

 

[Manose]

Did you have any sucesss?

Did I hear that right,
115g of calcium carbonate powder
240mls of water

Then add 10mls to the aquarium at night?

I did mine 2 times a week some do more

 

[Lavey29]

If you read my post i'm in New Zealand and we don't have them.

Anything is available if you know where to look

 

[dwest]

Sorry. I have a bunch too. I’m currently trying to live with them.

 

[bluemon]

Did you have any sucesss?

Did I hear that right,
115g of calcium carbonate powder
240mls of water

Then add 10mls to the aquarium at night?

I’ve done this to my tank, up to 3-4 times a day for almost 6 months with no real benefits.

For me it was a mix of less broadcast feeding, manual removal and bumblebee snails that did the trick for me.

I couldn’t tell if the bumblebee snails did anything though. They do seem to eat something as the numbers decreased and they are still alive but I never saw one eat a vermetid.

I know you said you don’t have access to bumbler snails but just my two cents

That being said, I still have quite a few, but not enough to be a big bother to coral

 

[R33f_Hacker]

One of the Biologist from Triton Labs suggested that I feed only flakes for 2-3 weeks and they will all die. I gotta say they did die down A LOT.

 

[MYACROS.WONTGROW.504]

One of the Biologist from Triton Labs suggested that I feed only flakes for 2-3 weeks and they will all die. I gotta say they did die down A LOT.

Interesting gonna try that

 

[JTP424]

Did you have any sucesss?

Did I hear that right,
115g of calcium carbonate powder
240mls of water

Then add 10mls to the aquarium at night?

I did this but I did it more by feel (as far as feeding schedule etc)
I kept a mixed bottle by the tank, every time I saw some sweepers/feeders I squirt a bunch in the tank.
It didn't eradicate them, but it definitely cut their numbers.