vermatid snail infestation

[Biff0rz]

Sigh. I dealt with dino for over a year, now this. I tried to mitigate them by adding tons of bumblebee snails (~100+ of them) and they have still been able to grow all over the live rock, over flow, into certain pipes, and now in the sump all over certain equipment. ***. Is there ANY way to get rid of them??? I feel like I've tried everything. The only other thing I heard was to buy new live rocks and reset the tank. But wouldn't that mean starting over essentially?

 

[billyocean]

Wouldn't restart. I think the diy coral snow seemed to dwindle my population to a few straglers. Just happened to notice they were basically gone after a couple months of use a few times a week. I'm not 100% this was the reason..but others have experienced it as well. It's not why I was using it but rather a possible unintended benefit. Makes sense as it binds particulates in the water column...

 

[vetteguy53081]

Sigh. I dealt with dino for over a year, now this. I tried to mitigate them by adding tons of bumblebee snails (~100+ of them) and they have still been able to grow all over the live rock, over flow, into certain pipes, and now in the sump all over certain equipment. ***. Is there ANY way to get rid of them??? I feel like I've tried everything. The only other thing I heard was to buy new live rocks and reset the tank. But wouldn't that mean starting over essentially?

Bumble bees are SLOW to eradicate. Ive been placing coral putty over the holes of each one Ive found and it appears the numbers are approaching zero in population

 

[Biff0rz]

Bumble bees are SLOW to eradicate. Ive been placing coral putty over the holes of each one Ive found and it appears the numbers are approaching zero in population

Yea I've noticed they are slow but I feel like the vermatid are out pacing what I have.

I would estimate one of my rocks, the size of a softball, has probably 100-1000 of them... I'd have to put putty all over the rocks. This is not just a few on some rocks, they are everywhere.

 

[Biff0rz]

Wouldn't restart. I think the diy coral snow seemed to dwindle my population to a few straglers. Just happened to notice they were basically gone after a couple months of use a few times a week. I'm not 100% this was the reason..but others have experienced it as well. It's not why I was using it but rather a possible unintended benefit. Makes sense as it binds particulates in the water column...

Never heard of coral snow, going to research now, thanks.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Yea I've noticed they are slow but I feel like the vermatid are out pacing what I have.

I would estimate one of my rocks, the size of a softball, has probably 100-1000 of them... I'd have to put putty all over the rocks. This is not just a few on some rocks, they are everywhere.

Yikes. Ive seen this happen and out of control is an understatement

 

[billyocean]

Never heard of coral snow, going to research now, thanks.

Thread 'Extreme Water Clarity and Cyano Eradication, Made Easy!' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/extreme-water-clarity-and-cyano-eradication-made-easy.916381/

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

I threw 4 bumble bee snails in my tank. Then spent the next few weeks using a 3/16 black acrylic rod about 18 inches long as a tool to smoosh them with. I'd crush one and the bumble bees would eventually make their way over and clean up. They eradicated them eventually. But many people say not to crush them, that it causes them to spawn or some such thing. Didn't happen in my tank.

 

[billyocean]

Like I said..I'm not 100% on it. Try it because it's beneficial regardless

 

[Biff0rz]

Yikes. Ive seen this happen and out of control is an understatement

Examples

 

[Biff0rz]

I threw 4 bumble bee snails in my tank. Then spent the next few weeks using a 3/16 black acrylic rod about 18 inches long as a tool to smoosh them with. I'd crush one and the bumble bees would eventually make their way over and clean up. They eradicated them eventually. But many people say not to crush them, that it causes them to spawn or some such thing. Didn't happen in my tank.

I wish 4 were enough. I've been crushing these things for months now, not a whole lot of luck.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Examples

Looks like tube worms on my phone

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

I wish 4 were enough. I've been crushing these things for months now, not a whole lot of luck.

Oh my tank was tiny. 14 total, 9.5 display after displacement. 4 bumblebees per 10g. So if you have 100 gallons you would need 400 bumble bees to match me. I wouldn't want a bumblebee snail habitat if I were you either.

Edit, math error

 

[Biff0rz]

Looks like tube worms on my phone

They 'slime' when I disturb the sandbed near them. They have fat bases and when I knock a tube off, the little bugger goes back into the base unless I knock the base off.

 

[Biff0rz]

Oh my tank was tiny. 14 total, 9.5 display after displacement. 4 bumblebees per gallon. So if you have 100 gallons you would need 400 bumble bees to match me. I wouldn't want a bumblebee snail habitat if I were you either.

I'd need about 1100 @ 4/G

 

[Hugster78]

I hope this gives you a sense of all the remedies out there lol. They are there to stay. Just learn to deal with them.

 

[Stephen Glover]

Starve them out. They must be getting excess food from somewhere.

 

[Biff0rz]

Starve them out. They must be getting excess food from somewhere.

I used to have high no3 (40-60) - I have since done many large water changes, regimented measured feeding, ect to get them under control. No3 is currently 10 and po4 is 0.12

 

[Stephen Glover]

I used to have high no3 (40-60) - I have since done many large water changes, regimented measured feeding, ect to get them under control. No3 is currently 10 and po4 is 0.12

They are a pain, but this is a winnable war. I haven’t seen one in years In my tank.

 

[Biff0rz]

They are a pain, but this is a winnable war. I haven’t seen one in years In my tank.

Thanks, this gives me hope lol. If dino taught me anything, it's patience... Almost 2yrs dealing w that bs.