Snail explosion (Vermetid snail/ spionid snail?)

[RedFrog211]

When I started up my tank a while ago, I ignored these guys, thinking they were harmless feather dusters. Yesterday I happened upon a thread where someone ID’d them, and everyone was saying to get rid of it. Went home and noticed just how many there were- they are quite prolific, and are everywhere. Is there something I can buy, perhaps a bumblebee snail, that would eat them?

 

[Mikedawg]

I think the "evidence" on bumblebee snails as a natural predator is sketchy at best; reducing food in the tank works to some degree or, as you know, breaking them off/gluing over them is effective on individuals. Of course, you can just consider them part of the tank's diversity which is a good thing. Personally, I've never seen a vermetid or spionid worm harm a coral and they seem to come and go in my tanks.

 

[DanConnor]

I think these are spirorbid worms rather than vermetids. I have them covering many surfaces, along with other species in my reef. I consider them harmless.

 

[Vette67]

Those are spirorbid worms. Harmless. And there really isn’t much you can do about them. I have them in m tank all over the place. I must have tens of thousands of them in my sump. They even grow on my clams shell. But they are harmless feather duster worms and won’t hurt anything.

 

[RedFrog211]

Thank you all for the replies! I thought I saw something about how they can burrow into corals and damage them, but I guess that vermitids. I really appreciate it!

 

[Vette67]

If you really want to get rid of them, some asterina starfish will eat them. But you would need a LOT of asterinas to put a dent in their population. Here’s a picture of one of mine eating a spirorbid worm in my refugium.