Vermetid Snails Taken Over

[lewis19]

Hey,

After any help! Tank has been overun with vermetid snails and hoping to eradicate somehow. I was thinking of taking out rock and potentially replacing (although worried about bioload without it). Don't have many corals at the moment only 2 clowns and a damsel. Any other ideas would be appreciated or any insight on whether replacing rock is a good idea or not...

 

[D'sreef]

Depending on the tank size adding a predator could be a reasonable option. 6 line wrasse, some gobies, arrow crabs, bumblebee snails could all be options.

 

[EnterName]

I don't know how bad the current issue is but many tanks experience "outbreaks" of different things throughout their lifetime.

First it's the ugly phase with diatoms and green hair algae, often accompanied or followed by cyano or dinoflagellates. Then you notice digitate hydroids which usually vanish on their own over time, then spirobid worms will cover the rocks and vermetid snails as well as feather dusters grow. With more and more filter feeders in the water (and growing corals) each one of those organisms reaches a population limit sooner or later.

For manually getting rid of them glueing their tip shut works. Breaking off their tubes only works if you get the actual Vermetid snail which will be at the very bottom when you mess with its tube.

If manual removal is too tedious or simply impossible due to the sheer number of vermetid snails you might need some predator in your tank to get rid of them.

 

[Damage12]

You can take the rock, if you don’t want to part with it, and place it in a brute trash can covered in the dark for a couple of months in saltwater and powerhead and should eradicate them due to no food source. You can scrape the rest off the inside of your tank and manually remove the remaining Vermetid snails.

Maybe leave 1 or two small rocks in the tank for biodiversity. I think your fish will be fine, just watch parameters. Best of luck.

 

[Bruttall]

I had a outbreak of vermatids, I still have them but I added a bunch of bumblebee snails, and use a small toothbrush sized wire brush to wreck the tubes, the snails do the rest. It takes time though, this was not a fast fix in a weeks time, this process has been on going for over 1.5 years, but you have to really look under the rocks in my DT to see them now.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Exactly what @Bruttall said, bumblebee snails will eat the vermatids, but they can't get the vermatids in the big tubes, so you ave to go around smashing the tubes, then bumblebee snails can get to the worm. I just use a butter knife and 'shave' the rock to break all the tubes. As he mentioned it takes time and you have to keep at it.

 

[lewis19]

Exactly what @Bruttall said, bumblebee snails will eat the vermatids, but they can't get the vermatids in the big tubes, so you ave to go around smashing the tubes, then bumblebee snails can get to the worm. I just use a butter knife and 'shave' the rock to break all the tubes. As he mentioned it takes time and you have to keep at it.

I had an outbreak of vermatids, I still have them but I added a bunch of bumblebee snails, and use a small toothbrush sized wire brush to wreck the tubes, the snails do the rest. It takes time though, this was not a fast fix in a weeks time, this process has been on going for over 1.5 years, but you have to really look under the rocks in my DT to see them now.

Unfortunately bubblebees are off the table as not allowed in Australia :(

 

[lewis19]

Depending on the tank size adding a predator could be a reasonable option. 6 line wrasse, some gobies, arrow crabs, bumblebee snails could all be options.

Probably close to max amount of fish that I want I’ve got a 30g. Could potentially add a 6 line but might cause issues. Do they eat the snails?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Bumblebee snails were my savior. They work slowly but eventually clean house

 

[bobnicaragua]

You can dose coral snow. It’s supposed to reduce the number of vermatids. I dosed it for a while and it seemed to help.

I like to keep my nutrients on the low side. There’s no point feeding the pests.

 

[Mongo1.0]

Hey,

After any help! Tank has been overun with vermetid snails and hoping to eradicate somehow. I was thinking of taking out rock and potentially replacing (although worried about bioload without it). Don't have many corals at the moment only 2 clowns and a damsel. Any other ideas would be appreciated or any insight on whether replacing rock is a good idea or not...

I added bumblebee snails to my tank. It seems to have really made a difference in my tank.

 

[D'sreef]

Exactly what @Bruttall said, bumblebee snails will eat the vermatids, but they can't get the vermatids in the big tubes, so you ave to go around smashing the tubes, then bumblebee snails can get to the worm. I just use a butter knife and 'shave' the rock to break all the tubes. As he mentioned it takes time and you have to keep at it.

I had an outbreak of vermatids, I still have them but I added a bunch of bumblebee snails, and use a small toothbrush sized wire brush to wreck the tubes, the snails do the rest. It takes time though, this was not a fast fix in a weeks time, this process has been on going for over 1.5 years, but you have to really look under the rocks in my DT to see them now.

Unfortunately bubblebees are off the table as not allowed in Australia :(

6 lines will eat snails especially small ones, shrimp, crabs, most inverts.

 

[Bruttall]

Unfortunately bubblebees are off the table as not allowed in Australia :(

being that close to the GBR, maybe harvest your own? I mean there must be some options, ya all got the largest reef in the world off your coast line.