vermetid snails infestation

[bshake]

I feel the best approach is management. It is how I approach them in my tank; I accept that they are there and keep them under control.

I think my situation is unique.

I have a Saddleback Puffer that loves going around and crunching on all of the tubes.

I understand the tubes are primarily calcium, and so, believe the puffer was crunching on tubes to maintain its beak. And because the snails feed through the tube, they starve off.

Sadly I don’t have any puffer. I wanted a porcupine puffer but they’re not reef safe and I like my corals and clam haha but definitely amazing

 

[SaltyBlue]

I was thinking about bumble bee snails but the problem i know they can go after other snails and they can even go after clams. So that’s why I haven’t went that route yet. Do you know they tell go after my clam and other snails?

The vermetids are indeed annoying. There was a point where I had them on everything, I put about 20 bumblebees in and 6-12 months later could tell there was a huge reduction, but they will never be eradicated. They seem to only grow on underside of large monti plates and they LOVE my candycanes. Other than that I don’t really see them.

Like others said and you acknowledged, go without the coral foods. When they got out of hand I had just started reef roids and I think that caused the explosive growth. You can use those foods to your advantage when treating with coral snow because they will extend their webs and take in the treatment. Side comment, I have an untested theory that aluminum sulfate will kill them but will also take out other mollusks.

I haven’t had an issue with bumblebees going after my other snails (turbos, konks) or my clam.

 

[Skippy The Meh]

If I keep the sand it won’t cycle over. I start all my QT tanks with a few cups full of sand from my display. The only thing is I’m scared they’ll be living in the sand bed because If they are definitely there’s no point of all this.

:) they are. If you dont start and stay sterile, the will show back up

So maybe I’ll just do a few of the very heavily infested rocks and leave the rest

Thats better than doing all. I had a Dino issue a while back and i used a uv sweeper on sections of the rock that were heavily covered and it took care of that issue but then those areas just became overrun with bryopsis a few weeks later. Anything that resets live rock takes off the beneficial algae and living organisms too. Makes it an open playing field for the most aggressive algaes. Unfortunately it seems those tend to be the nasty ones.