New vermited worm treatment?

[justinkdenny]

So I was watching a ReefDudes YouTube live video where he was interviewing Mike Paletta. and someone asked him about his DIY reef snow. I know nothing about this but he said he stirs up his tank with a turkey baster, and then when the vermiteds come out, he uses reef snow. He says he does it every day for a month and it really knocks them back for a while until the ones inside the rock he cant get to reproduce.

Has anyone heard of this or tried it? I don't really know what reef snow is and what effects it would have on a tank dosing it everyday.

Long video but he discusses the topic at about the 35 minute mark.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Very interesting! Mike's talk about C02 has me thinking about running a air line outside during those months!

Thanks for posting it!

 

[justinkdenny]

Very interesting! Mike's talk about C02 has me thinking about running a air line outside during those months!

Thanks for posting it!

Yeah, I also have concerns about ph but don't have an easy way to run tubing and I don't use a skimmer so I'm thinking about dripping Kalkwasser.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Yeah, I also have concerns about ph but don't have an easy way to run tubing and I don't use a skimmer so I'm thinking about dripping Kalkwasser.

I've used kalkwasser since my beginning in the hobby back in 93.

 

[ScubaFish802]

I'm about to watch the video myself, but my initial thoughts would be that reef snow would feed them . . isn't the whole idea of reef snow to be a filter feeders food? It states for Anemones, Corals, Dusters etc.. right on the bottle

 

[ScottB]

I'm about to watch the video myself, but my initial thoughts would be that reef snow would feed them . . isn't the whole idea of reef snow to be a filter feeders food? It states for Anemones, Corals, Dusters etc.. right on the bottle

That puzzled me as well. However he explains that "Reef Snow" is really just a calcium carbonate solution, not a Julian Sprung version.

 

[ScubaFish802]

That puzzled me as well. However he explains that "Reef Snow" is really just a calcium carbonate solution, not a Julian Sprung version.

I just hit that section myself, very interesting.

 

[Jseimo]

I’ve actually been using this method. I don’t dose it every day but once a week. The idea of how it works is you stir up the tank so the lil buggers start eating, add the diy snow and they eat that and choke on it and die

 

[ScottB]

My thanks also for this link. I have struggled immensely to get my vermetid population under control. Even to the point of removing reef rocks in order to crush them.

What other chemistry side effects should we expect ? Will it raise/lower pH, alkalinity, calcium?

@Jseimo can you share your solution concentration and any other side effects to monitor?

 

[ScottB]

I’ve actually been using this method. I don’t dose it every day but once a week. The idea of how it works is you stir up the tank so the lil buggers start eating, add the diy snow and they eat that and choke on it and die

Die! Die! Die! I hate those things.

 

[moz71]

Yes please share you diy snow!!! My tank is so overrun. I shave them growing on snails clam etc

 

[ScubaFish802]

He also mentions that he is waiting to see what Coral Magazine released in an article last weekend on killing Ver. Snails as well. Does anyone here have a subscription to them and want to report back?

 

[Jseimo]

My thanks also for this link. I have struggled immensely to get my vermetid population under control. Even to the point of removing reef rocks in order to crush them.

What other chemistry side effects should we expect ? Will it raise/lower pH, alkalinity, calcium?

@Jseimo can you share your solution concentration and any other side effects to monitor?

From what I understand there is no way to overdose the stuff. I take about a tablespoon of calcium carbonate and mix well with rodi water. Dump it in my return chamber of my sump at lights off. In the morning tank is clear and the skimmer has pulled out a bunch of junk. Nice thing about the stuff, it cleans the water column too

 

[ScubaFish802]

From what I understand there is no way to overdose the stuff. I take about a tablespoon of calcium carbonate and mix well with rodi water. Dump it in my return chamber of my sump at lights off. In the morning tank is clear and the skimmer has pulled out a bunch of junk. Nice thing about the stuff, it cleans the water column too

I take it this also has no ill effect on the other filter feeders in the tank for whatever reason?

 

[Jseimo]

I take it this also has no ill effect on the other filter feeders in the tank for whatever reason?

My sump if full of feather dusters and no effect. Doesn’t bother my clam either. No effect on sponges or coral. Just vermitids

 

[ScottB]

He also mentions that he is waiting to see what Coral Magazine released in an article last weekend on killing Ver. Snails as well. Does anyone here have a subscription to them and want to report back?

I just thumbed through it and did not see anything on vermetids. Not a cover-to-cover read. The cover story is VERMES or Reef Worms, but I could not find anything on vermetids.

 

[AKReef]

Here is an old thread on the subject: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/diy-kz-coral-snow-with-97-purity.211722/

 

[Ligershark]

Bumblebee snails worked well for me. I dont like adding any additives to the tank if I dont have to. @ScottB @Jseimo @justinkdenny

 

[moz71]

@Ligershark where did you get your bumblebee snails? I thought I read some where there are slightly different variations and only one kind proved successful.

 

[Shadows Reef]

I just got bumblebee snail today to take care of my problem, lost three torches to these vermitids, time to battle back