Killing Vermetids?

[legrunt]

So what would happen if I clip off these little **s and let them float? Will they die off? Or will they reattach somewhere else?

 

[Acroporaguy]

So what would happen if I clip off these little **s and let them float? Will they die off? Or will they reattach somewhere else?

Often times when they sense danger, the worm retracts deep into the base. You need to destroy the base of the vermetid, rather than clip off the tube. If not, it'll just grow back.

 

[ReefingBliss]

I bought a pair of aluminum pliers (the kind fisherman use) and just crush them I just thru like 10 bumblebee bees in there too

 

[Just_Pete]

Either live with them or avoid them by quarantining new additions. Only thing to date that works is rebooting your tank if you want to get rid of them.

 

[Unholy_Rigatoni]

To let the bumblebees at em you need to squash to shell, then the bumbles will clean up the rest.

 

[legrunt]

So, as long as I get the base, they are killed? Not like #@$%&%*^ aiptasia where one single cell will grow into a new critter?

 

[Unholy_Rigatoni]

If you look at previous threads, they're pretty much impossible to avoid in a reef tank. In my own experience, I really hate vermetids so I used dry rock and started a new tank, scoured every new coral I got, but they still snuck in. I manually smash the ones I can see and my handful of bumblebees eat the leftovers (usually), but the theory is that even smashing them may release larvae or eggs. Peppermint cleaners will also eat the remains, though I don't personally have any of those.

I typically just smash the verms and leave it at that because removing the carcass is too disruptive - I'll end up knocking corals or the aquascape over.

So you gotta find a balance between destroying them and disruption. As far as I can tell, some people had success with wrasses eating them, but none of my fish or inverts ever bothered.

 

[BighohoReef]

I wish people that sold corals would take more care to protect against the pests. Not complaining as they are a part of the hobby so learning to deal with them when you find them is the start.

If you’ve caught these buggers early then do what most folks are saying break off as much of or as close to the base of the shell as possible. If you can put glue over the spot it’ll suffocate the worm if its burrowed into the rock or coral (I wouldn’t recommend this for SPS).

Don’t leave the remains in the water column, there is a possibility of resettling.

Bumblebee snails and a six line wrasse love to prey on these little buggers though I’ve read bubblebess with a lack of food can snack on corals though I haven’t experience that issue.

Last resort remove the live rock/plugs that are infested.

As some others have said QT is your safest bet to keep this frickers out of your tank. I’ll post some pictures of my ongoing war with them in my QT... though the bumblebees and wrasse have really done a number on them.

I did get them from a LFS live rock... that rock has been nuked with bleach and like you I’m now only ever putting dry cycled rock in my tank.

 

[Isiah1820]

Literally just seen some of these on 2 empty hermit crab shells I got yesterday. Just pulled em out the tank now. I did dip them. But I seen red little hairs coming out of one. And I did kill some worms with the first dip.

 

[hyprc]

Dip won't work 100%. Clipping them must include the entire curly base or you're just clipping a tube that'll regrow. I would remove from the tank completely but honestly, its REALLY hard to get all of them (most are on the bottoms of rocks out of sight, some get their overflows and plumbing infested with them too).

 

[jwshiver]

I had them BAD early on when I started my tank 4 1/2 years ago. I started dosing Coral Snow, https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/korallen-zucht-coral-snow.html, as I saw in other post that some reefers were having success eliminating them with this. It took several months but it did eliminate them from my system. Might be worth a try for you. Dose every night after the lights are out because it will significantly cloud the water for 4 - 5 hours. I would recommend to shut off your GAC for that same amount of time because it will quickly exhaust as it filters the Coral Snow. Keep the skimmer running but, you will need to clean the neck more frequently. Coral Snow is a flocculent so my guess is it removes their food source from the water column. Another reason it works could be they are negatively affect by filtering it out of the water. Again, just a guess, no proof. Because it is a flocculent you will notice improved clarity of your water and as a result an increase in PAR so watch your corals close. After 4 - 6 weeks smash as many as you can and see if they start growing back. It will work just be patient.

 

[wmo168]

dont smash it in the tank, whenever i see them i took the rock out or coral plug out and use a flat head screwdriver to pick them off and rinse them. if you dont keep them in check they will grow inside your overflow and piping, sump, pump then you will need to reboot your tank. they grow on snail shell and under rocks if you dont keep them in check.

 

[Isiah1820]

Dip won't work 100%. Clipping them must include the entire curly base or you're just clipping a tube that'll regrow. I would remove from the tank completely but honestly, its REALLY hard to get all of them (most are on the bottoms of rocks out of sight, some get their overflows and plumbing infested with them too).

They sat in dip all night I fell asleep lol. But I did try and knock the shells off as much as possible. It was one hanging out dead too.

 

[Wet Work]

Crush them! Use super glue gel to seal the tube if you can't access the tubes base.

The problem with these little buggers is they don't need light, so even if you murder every single on in your display, they're still going to be in your pipes, chiller, etc.

Minimize broadcast feedings, if possible. Regular broadcast feedings will guarantee their proliferation.

 

[hyprc]

Just a word of caution on the super glue method, some species are capable of branching/networking

 

[BighohoReef]

Here’s our healthy bubble coral that bares the glue scars of the vermited infestation. Its been in our QT for a few months now with no signs of v-snails.

 

[BighohoReef]

Literally just seen some of these on 2 empty hermit crab shells I got yesterday. Just pulled em out the tank now. I did dip them. But I seen red little hairs coming out of one. And I did kill some worms with the first dip.

Are you sure those aren’t fan worms? I haven’t found that dip kills vermited snails and we dip everything. I suppose if you can see the shell breaking and dipping might do the trick. Though I would never buy a piece that I saw a vermited on

 

[Isiah1820]

I could have been. I'm still new.