Controlling/Eradicating Vermetid Snails

[SLUF681]

Anybody have any success? How? I read an article saying a yellow coris wrasse could/would help. A yellow coris wrasse is supposedly not reef safe, due to them eating feather dusters and fan worms. If that's as bad as they are, I'm okay with that. Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Engloid]

I have a yellow coris, and he doesn't show any interest in any corals, but I don't have any feather dusters. My copperband keeps those little white tube worms wiped out. I have seen the yellow coris eat a bristle worm though, which I was glad to see. I don't mind a few of them, but don't want to be overrun with them.

The yellow coris gets along well with everything else in the tank, doesn't chase anything and doesn't get picked on either. I haven't noticed any vermetid snails in the tank, but I do know I have a few in my frag tank, and they're that big ones, not the little bitty ones. I've even tried auirting vinegar into the tube with a syringe and it doesn't seem to do anything to them. I'm about ready to just go smash their shells and get rid of them that way.

 

[Dave3112]

Best way to get rid of them is to put a drop of superglue over the end of the tubes. That's how I got rid of mine.

 

[SLUF681]

Super glue works on the ones you can see/get to, but doesn't actually solve the problem. Also, I'm not sure I could afford that much super glue!

 

[Singlefin]

I have two yellow coris wrasses in a 40b. They also get rid of monti and zoa eating nudibranches and pyramid snails that eat clams. Haven't seen them eat any corals. Need a sandbed for them to sleep in.

 

[Rob.D]

My old 75 was overrun with them and after researching the most popular opinion was they multiply when there is a ample food source i.e.... Over feeding. I use to feed phyto and other small micron type foods. After I cut back the number of vermetid snails diminished.


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[NanaReefer]

My old 75 was overrun with them and after researching the most popular opinion was they multiply when there is a ample food source i.e.... Over feeding. I use to feed phyto and other small micron type foods. After I cut back the number of vermetid snails diminished.


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Great advice! Exactly what I did as well and their numbers dwindled. Target feeding instead of feeding the whole tank helps a lot also.

 

[SLUF681]

I feed my 40 breeder every third day,only what my 2 clowns will eat. I am still overrun.

 

[Rob.D]

I feed my 40 breeder every third day,only what my 2 clowns will eat. I am still overrun.

Try just feeding rinsed mysis and hold off on your homemade brew?


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[SLUF681]

I trust my DIY food by far over any purchased food. I bought all my ingredients fresh, not frozen, so I'm not concerned with phosphates, etc.I also alternate between my DIY food and SA hatchery feed.

 

[k2parkstar]

I trust my DIY food by far over any purchased food. I bought all my ingredients fresh, not frozen, so I'm not concerned with phosphates, etc.I also alternate between my DIY food and SA hatchery feed.

He's not referring to phosphates. What he's saying is that in your homebrew you have micro particles. These snails are filter feeders. You put whole food in there they can't feed on that. Reduced feeding and larger food particles are your best bet.

 

[SLUF681]

There has to be something that is a natural predator of these things. With me feeding the super small amount that I am every 3 days, there has to be another answer other than food size. The DIY food is only being fed every 6th day, otherwise it's the SA hatchery diet pellets.

 

[Engloid]

I can't say I'm an expert on vermetid snails, but I'd suspect they will pretty much always find somethng to eat, unless you feed your fish in another tank....and might still find food. I'm betting it's like trying to starve out a feather duster.

Don't copper bands eat stuff like the little feather dusters (tube worms)? Mayb the actual vermetid snails never come out of their tube and can't be grabbed and eaten though. I know the big ones I have...When I stir up a lot of crap in my frag tank, they put out spider web looking strings, but I never seen them out of their shells.

Ever consider taking rocks out of the tank one at a time, soaking in RO water (no salt) for a while, then putting it back in the tank? It won't kill the coarlline algae that quick.

 

[SLUF681]

Um going to try the yellow coris wrasse. I know it's hit or miss from fish to fish but it's a good looking fish anyway.

 

[JMSKI333]

I had a an invasion of these guys for about a year last year. What I used to do is get a pair of hemostats and squeeze the base of them and they would pop like pop corn.

You need to break the base, if you only break the tube they will rebuild it.

I finally got rid of them sort of by accident because I unfortunately neglected my tank over the summer with the exception of top off water. (Not proud). My tank is beautiful now and I just realized after seeing your thread that I no longer have these snails.

 

[Engloid]

Um going to try the yellow coris wrasse. I know it's hit or miss from fish to fish but it's a good looking fish anyway.

It's beena petty good addition to my tank. I don't much like the yellow tangs due to temperment, and the yellow wrasse allows a nice pretty fish that's not aggressive towards others. Mine is about 3.5in, an I'm not sure that they get much bigger in captivity. I've read about 6 at most, but don't think I've ever seen one that big.

 

[dRsLy]

I had tons of vermetid snails in my 75g when I first set it up... Super glue did the trick!


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[SLUF681]

I put 2 emerald crabs in my 120 Thursday and have been keeping an eye on the to make sure they're behaving. I watched one of them eat 5 vermetid snails in about 2 minutes yesterday. Works for me!

 

[Engloid]

I put 2 emerald crabs in my 120 Thursday and have been keeping an eye on the to make sure they're behaving. I watched one of them eat 5 vermetid snails in about 2 minutes yesterday. Works for me!

It's been a long time since I had any emerald crabs. Don't they eat hermits and snails sometimes?

how do they get the vermetids out of their shells?

 

[SLUF681]

All I've seen them do in my 40 AND my 120 is pick off the rocks. After looking this morning, it looks like the vermetid snails are disappearing in my 40 too. As far as HOW the one was eating them, it just grabbed the shell and busted it open.