Vermetid snails need to go

[l8_apex_it]

I was feeding my tank more phytofeast, oysterfeast, and reef chili in hopes of getting my corals to grow. Didn't work so well although the Vermetid snails exploded everywhere!!!

So now, I will take on crushing them with pliers. I need to get some good pliers and start taking this on.

In the mean time, can I feed Oysterfeast to the other corals w/o worry of feeding the Vermetid snails or do the snails eat Oysterfeast as well?

 

[twilliard]

Im sorry but they are suspended particulate feeders :(

 

[goatcorals]

Does anything prey on them? I suppose something does or they'd rule the ocean

 

[ritter6788]

It's about the only pest I can't get rid of. They really aren't the end of the world though. If one is irritating a coral cut it with bone cutters or remove it and cover in superglue.

 

[melev]

It's about the only pest I can't get rid of. They really aren't the end of the world though. If one is irritating a coral cut it with bone cutters or remove it and cover in superglue.

This. :)

 

[2xal]

I agree with ritter

 

[Justiful]

I also have a vermitid that took up residence in the middle of a leather coral. Can I yank it out safely? Do I need the super glue? My GF has some... I suppose I could steal it.

 

[Russ265]

one pest ive learned to live with.
+1 ritter

 

[naturefreak07]

I used gel super glue underwater with success

 

[ritter6788]

I have a few (hundred) on my overflow. Some of them get overgrown by sunset monti and some keep extending their tubes to outpace the coral. I've tried removing them but it's a useless task. The inside of the overflow is full of large tubes. I think of it as a natural filter. They really come out in force when detritus is stirred up so I think they can be good for a tank by eating suspended detritus. The mucus net can be irritating to some corals though.

 

[l8_apex_it]

I recently had to frag a frogspawn with 20+ heads in hopes of saving what I could as I was losing heads. When I fragged it, I scraped off hundreds of the snails. I realized that the numbers of them could easily explain why heads were dying. As I look around the tank there are areas that have exploded. Those areas look poor because of the number of snails.

I have found them on a SPS or two as well.

Lesson learned -

• Be careful dosing phytofeast and other coral foods. While I did not have a surge in algae, the Vermetid snails exploded over time.
• I will reduce or eliminate those feedings
• Attack sections at a time with bonecutters or gel superglue
• Hope they run their course and recede to manageable numbers

 

[davidc]

http://reefbuilders.com/2012/07/23/vermetid-snail-stony-corals/
Here is some good reading.
There has also been some reports of Bumble bee snails and Melanaurus wrasse being fond of them. Hit or miss as with a lot of specie though.

 

[saltyhog]

I have a few (hundred) on my overflow. Some of them get overgrown by sunset monti and some keep extending their tubes to outpace the coral. I've tried removing them but it's a useless task. The inside of the overflow is full of large tubes. I think of it as a natural filter. They really come out in force when detritus is stirred up so I think they can be good for a tank by eating suspended detritus. The mucus net can be irritating to some corals though.

I agree. For some reason the ones in my main DT have dwindled down to just a very few. My 4 gallon IM pico is a different story. I suspect it's because of the nature of the AIO with little nutrient export opportunities and my not being as dilligent as I should with water changes in the little tank.

Ritter, I love what you've done with your over flow! Is that a sunsed monti? Do you think a cyphastrea would work to do the same thing?

 

[a49panhead]

I was braking them up from the base one day with a pair of twisters and my coral banded shrimp started eating the remains and started following me around will I did so. Now I have non that I can see. My only expansion is that my shrimp got a taste for them and finished the job

 

[ritter6788]

Ritter, I love what you've done with your over flow! Is that a sunsed monti? Do you think a cyphastrea would work to do the same thing?

Thanks! It is sunset monti. Cypahstrea would do great on a back wall or overflow too.

 

[Zane]

I used gel super glue underwater with success

This. A little squirt in the top of the tube will mess their day up.

 

[melev]

It looks better because it is more three dimensional now.

 

[melev]

I was braking them up from the base one day with a pair of twisters and my coral banded shrimp started eating the remains and started following me around will I did so. Now I have non that I can see. My only expansion is that my shrimp got a taste for them and finished the job

That is very normal, and what one should expect of that shrimp.

 

[goatcorals]

Now that you mention the melanaurus, I have one in my frag tank and the population of v-snails has been falling.

 

[melev]

I have a few large vermetids in my system that I've ignored, maybe 6. The melanurus wrasse hasn't even glanced their way, though.