How to reduce/wipe out vermetid snails?

[Shooter6]

Bumblebee snails are 100% effective in my experience. 6-8 in a 180gal display that had 5-10,000 vernithid snails. Took about 3-4 months but they removed every single one!
I see people saying they didnt work for them, but its possible they didnt get the same Bumblebee snails.

 

[zachturner]

Interesting, have you seen some nipping at the vermetids? I have an ornate leopard wrasse, but he doesn't touch them unfortunately.

I added a copperband butterflyfish to my tank about a month ago to get rid of a few aptasia I have. When I put it in the tank one of the first things I noticed it go after we’re the vermetid snails. I didn’t know what they were until I saw this post on ig and never knew they were bad for a tank. I always figured it was some type of worm. I’ve had a saltwater tank for a few years now and have always had them as far as I can remember but the copperband is the only fish I’ve seen eat them. The only other fish I’ve had that people recommend is a melenarus wrasse. I haven’t looked up whether copper bands are know for eating them or if I just got lucky. I don’t know if it’s fully killing them or if it’s just eating a little bit of them when they stick out of the shell but my copperband definitely likes them

 

[MD84]

I added a copperband butterflyfish to my tank about a month ago to get rid of a few aptasia I have. When I put it in the tank one of the first things I noticed it go after we’re the vermetid snails. I didn’t know what they were until I saw this post on ig and never knew they were bad for a tank. I always figured it was some type of worm. I’ve had a saltwater tank for a few years now and have always had them as far as I can remember but the copperband is the only fish I’ve seen eat them. The only other fish I’ve had that people recommend is a melenarus wrasse. I haven’t looked up whether copper bands are know for eating them or if I just got lucky. I don’t know if it’s fully killing them or if it’s just eating a little bit of them when they stick out of the shell but my copperband definitely likes them

Thank you for sharing that. We have some good info on this thread.

 

[TinyCoralReef]

The final method I've seen was adding coral snow to the tank. I haven't seen much people who didn't agree, but it hasn't been supported too much either. This makes me wonder how much of a solution this is.

How is the coral snow said to remedy this? What affect does it have?

 

[Lowlandreef]

Thank you for sharing that. We have some good info on this thread.

Eventually we will get there, with all the info in this thread!

 

[Lowlandreef]

How is the coral snow said to remedy this? What affect does it have?

Vermatids "throw" their net out when there are suspended particles in the water column. They do the same thing when you add coral snow to the tank. Some people say it irritates/poisons the vermatids.
I don't know the science behind it, and have no experience with it. But this is what I've read about it. Apparently some people have had succes with it...

 

[Reeferstin]

High flow, my tank is very high flow 2400 gph return and 2 2300 gph wave makers i only see vermetids in the over flow and in the dead spots inbetween rocks, use a acrylic stick and smash them boom dead, bumble bee snails eat them big time also

 

[Celestialreefer]

I had a 2 pretty big vermetid snails on a new acro I recently bought, I broke off as much of the shell as I could with bone cutters and used a pin needle to kill it and remove. The frag also had many vermetid snail eggs and I used the needle to remove them all. Overall it worked great

 

[Lowlandreef]

High flow, my tank is very high flow 2400 gph return and 2 2300 gph wave makers i only see vermetids in the over flow and in the dead spots inbetween rocks, use a acrylic stick and smash them boom dead, bumble bee snails eat them big time also

I have high flow as well, and some vermetids are directly in the stream of my powerhead...
I do think they prefer low flow areas, but it seems that it doesn't boter them too much.

 

[Midrats]

How is the coral snow said to remedy this? What affect does it have?

Fine calcium carbonate acts as a flocculant, or clarifying agent, which binds fine particulates into a floc, making them easier for filtration to remove. It essentially starves the vermetids out.

 

[Jeff Jarry reef]

Bumble bee snails for me there still working on them and have reduced them greatly.

 

[Lowlandreef]

Fine calcium carbonate acts as a flocculant, or clarifying agent, which binds fine particulates into a floc, making them easier for filtration to remove. It essentially starves the vermetids out.

Didn't know that. Very interesting, thanks for your input!

 

[tahoenano]

How about filling their tube with aptasia X?

 

[Acros]

I have vermitids I got from a torch. They were multiplying fast. I added 4 bumblebee snails and the snails have not increased in number since. I also have a 6-line wrasse and a yellow coris wrasse. It has only been a month since I added the snails and the fish.

 

[ApolloReef]

Coral Snow seems to help. The way I have found making it most effective is stirring up the sand bed and blowing off the rocks a few minutes before I add it. I think it messes with the nets the snails put out when there is something in the water column.

 

[Radman73]

Dogface puffer. If you're willing to sacrifice a coral or 3, and I was, it will spend the day eating vermetids. At least, mine has. A near last ditch effort to clear the thousands of these things I have out before going with a nuclear option which would be to store fish in bins while I acid wash and bleach all rock AND replace all plumbing. My plumbing runs through a wall so I've never reached that level of desperation.

My Melanarus has never touched them. Bumble bee snails will but when you have thousands they out pace the snails easily. I've never seen one of my emerald crabs touch them. The dogface was eating them within 5 minutes of being added to the tank. So, if you have an expendable coral collection and a large enough tank, go for it.

FWIW, it destroyed my zoas and has seemed fond of my acan enchinata. I've seen it nip a normal acan and a monti once but haven't seen it go back to them. It's ignored any other SPS I have and has ignored a large hammer as well.

I am extremely happy and consider a few zoas an easy trade for a vermetid snail predator.

I may give the coral snow a try, especially in my fuge.

 

[Shooter6]

No need to sacrifice corals, BUMBLEBEE SNAILS eat them. I literally hat thousands in my 180g. I put about 6 BUMBLEBEE snails in and within 3 months there wasn't a single vermid snail left. 3 years later and still none have returned.

 

[Shooter6]

Bumble Bee Snail: Saltwater Aquarium Invertebrates for Marine Aquariums

 

[Radman73]

No need to sacrifice corals, BUMBLEBEE SNAILS eat them. I literally hat thousands in my 180g. I put about 6 BUMBLEBEE snails in and within 3 months there wasn't a single vermid snail left. 3 years later and still none have returned.

I think this is a YMMV situation. I put a dozen in my 100 gal and the vermetid's were still multiplying like there was no tomorrow.

 

[ScottB]

Bumblebee snails are 100% effective in my experience. 6-8 in a 180gal display that had 5-10,000 vernithid snails. Took about 3-4 months but they removed every single one!
I see people saying they didnt work for them, but its possible they didnt get the same Bumblebee snails.

I hope I got the right ones for my infestation. I cannot keep up with these darn pests. I will take out a rock and user bone cutters on them but a month later they are back.

I just dropped 18 of them in my 120G display.