Vermetid snails - are they really that bad?

[Sump Crab]

I’m so over vermetid snails. I have billions in my tank. It’s 3 years old and I meticulously quarantined every single coral in my tank for at least a month. Dipped, inspected, and dipped again. Yet somehow I ended up with bubble algae and vermetids galore.

I saw a few at first and superglued each one I saw for a while. Then I bought a new house and moved my tank, and soon I had an infestation. I have emerald crabs and bumblebee snails and I think they’re putting a dent in them, but I still see little mucous webs EVERYWHERE and I’m feeling defeated.

Tonight I noticed my MP40 sounded awful so I took it off to clean it. The nem guard was glued shut with vermatids. When I took the housing off the entire inside was caked in them, thousands. So I’m sitting here scrubbing and panicking and having a minor anxiety attack. I don’t know what else to do. To those of you living with them and pretending to coexist.. what’s the worst possible scenario? I mean I only really have softies and a few LPS.

these types of pests only take over a tank lacking in the diversity needed to keep everything balanced. The easiest way to fight this plague would be to add more diversity and quit QT the crap out of everything.

 

[DanTheReefer]

Cleared my Monti canopy today, is that what’s on the underside here? Usually in the dark - seems like it hangs out with sponges in the Upside Down

 

[ptrusk]

didn't read the whole thread bu bumblee snails kill the *******

 

[HBtank]

Cleared my Monti canopy today, is that what’s on the underside here? Usually in the dark - seems like it hangs out with sponges in the Upside Down

Yep.

 

[DanTheReefer]

Yep.

Thanks, I’ve always had these in all of my tanks since I started in 2006. Had a guy troll me in my local club’s forum for selling him a frag that had one lol, I didn’t realize they are an issue

 

[fish farmer]

these types of pests only take over a tank lacking in the diversity needed to keep everything balanced. The easiest way to fight this plague would be to add more diversity and quit QT the crap out of everything.

What is you definition of diversity and in your opinion how does that help curb outbreak or vermetids.

 

[HBtank]

Thanks, I’ve always had these in all of my tanks since I started in 2006. Had a guy troll me in my local club’s forum for selling him a frag that had one lol, I didn’t realize they are an issue

Like many things in the hobby they are only an issue if they bother you. I personally have never been too bothered by them, but never had them cast extreme mucus nets.

 

[Sump Crab]

What is you definition of diversity and in your opinion how does that help curb outbreak or vermetids.

Well my experience is mainly anecdotal but throughout the nearly 20 years I’ve had reef tanks I have only ever seen tanks taken over by pests that started out with dry rock and their owners took extra precaution to keep pests out. It is my opinion that tanks started with real ocean liverock have a much easier time dealing with pests. Basically the idea is when you have 1000 different critters living on and in your rocks then just one won’t take over. If a tank has only one critter in it then said critter has zero competition and takes over. With all this being said I have seen tanks with liverock taken over by green hair algae due to poor husbandry. Red planaria can also be tough but easily managed with melanrus wrasse.

Obvioisly there are a million ways to skin a cat. I just like the easy button method lol.

 

[BaliReefBox]

They aren’t that bad. Not annoying or anything like that.

Captain we gonna need a bigger BRUSH

 

[DanTheReefer]

Well my experience is mainly anecdotal but throughout the nearly 20 years I’ve had reef tanks I have only ever seen tanks taken over by pests that started out with dry rock and their owners took extra precaution to keep pests out. It is my opinion that tanks started with real ocean liverock have a much easier time dealing with pests. Basically the idea is when you have 1000 different critters living on and in your rocks then just one won’t take over. If a tank has only one critter in it then said critter has zero competition and takes over. With all this being said I have seen tanks with liverock taken over by green hair algae due to poor husbandry. Red planaria can also be tough but easily managed with melanrus wrasse.

Obvioisly there are a million ways to skin a cat. I just like the easy button method lol.

Live rock. Those were the days. I miss turning on the lights at night and wondering what aliens were crawling around in there. When I had a fish die once same story, most bizarre things came out of the woodwork. That tank was a deep sand bed too, like 4-5 inches lol

 

[Sump Crab]

Live rock. Those were the days. I miss turning on the lights at night and wondering what aliens were crawling around in there. When I had a fish die once same story, most bizarre things came out of the woodwork. That tank was a deep sand bed too, like 4-5 inches lol

Oh ya man those DSB days lol. As far as liverock goes, you can still find the good stuff. South Pacific stuff is $$$ and you will pay atleast $20/lb but Florida rock is much cheaper and sustainably farmed. KP aquatics out of the FL keys is the best I’ve had from FL $10/lb plus shipping.

 

[Tamberav]

I have them but only ever a few here and there... my rock is all aged live rock... some 15+ years old. My overflow looks like that picture EXCEPT it is covered in small feather dusters instead

I do all the bad things they like too... feed lots of frozen LRS, dose some vinegar, tons of macro. I do have like 2-3 hitchhiker bumblebees and many wrasse and a copperband. No idea if they ever eat them.

The only time I had issues with them is a nano I did dry rock in and that tank also got dino at one point. Dry rock is the plague I have to shake my head every time someone says they did dry because they were scared of hitchhikers. That dry rock is basically a luxury apartment for them.

 

[Sump Crab]

I have them but only ever a few here and there... my rock is all aged live rock... some 15+ years old. My overflow looks like that picture EXCEPT it is covered in small feather dusters instead

I do all the bad things they like too... feed lots of frozen LRS, dose some vinegar, tons of macro. I do have like 2-3 hitchhiker bumblebees and many wrasse and a copperband. No idea if they ever eat them.

The only time I had issues with them is a nano I did dry rock in and that tank also got dino at one point. Dry rock is the plague I have to shake my head every time someone says they did dry because they were scared of hitchhikers. That dry rock is basically a luxury apartment for them.

This is some truth lol

 

[Klyle]

They're the worst! I think short of tearing down the tank and starting over the best you can do is adjust feeding habits. They'll eventually stop exploding. That's where I'm at at least

 

[DanTheReefer]

I have them but only ever a few here and there... my rock is all aged live rock... some 15+ years old. My overflow looks like that picture EXCEPT it is covered in small feather dusters instead

I do all the bad things they like too... feed lots of frozen LRS, dose some vinegar, tons of macro. I do have like 2-3 hitchhiker bumblebees and many wrasse and a copperband. No idea if they ever eat them.

The only time I had issues with them is a nano I did dry rock in and that tank also got dino at one point. Dry rock is the plague I have to shake my head every time someone says they did dry because they were scared of hitchhikers. That dry rock is basically a luxury apartment for them.

Yeah when I got back into the hobby I did bare bottom dry rock, because that was the thing to do now I guess. Worst decision, spent 18 months battling pest of the month and the coral that survived didn’t grow. At some point the system clicked into gear and now coral growing so fast it’s a nuisance

 

[mcdrichj]

They're the worst! I think short of tearing down the tank and starting over the best you can do is adjust feeding habits. They'll eventually stop exploding. That's where I'm at at least

Im tearing down a tank because of them. They are EVERYWHERE. Made my frocks look like something out of hellraiser.

 

[Jaybeastin]

Im tearing down a tank because of them. They are EVERYWHERE. Made my frocks look like something out of hellraiser.

they’ll be back but make sure to add an overwhelming amount of bumble bee snail to control the population. They only eat the small ones

 

[Rick's Reviews]

They aren’t that bad. Not annoying or anything like that.

If it gets to this stage then surely is due to lack of maintenance.
I am constantly looking at my aquriam and inhabitants and any one little thing that seems out of place is either dealt with immediately or I research and deal with after.
I have dealt with vermited on my new corals from day one, if you keep on top of them like algae, it would not come to this infestation.
There is lots of information in reef2reef community about tackling but after reading so many comments it is basic maintenance, if you see one crush it, if you see 10, crush them glue them whichever method works best for you.
These vermited snails are not bad creatures but cause alot of problems like spinoid and are just smothering mother fckers .. if you control them from day one it would prevent spread

 

[Gudhjem]

This one's my pet. I've had him for over 10 years, and don't have the fortitude to kill him. He lives happily in my quarantine tank.

 

[Reefahholic]

There is lots of information in reef2reef community about tackling but after reading so many comments it is basic maintenance, if you see one crush it, if you see 10, crush them glue them whichever method works best for you.

Not really that easy. When nutrients elevate they will over-power all your effort’s to suppress them. I’m about as ADD/ADHD as they come. There’s also different species that are more prolific than others.