I have a huge population of vermetid snails in my 90g reef... The past few weeks I have drastically cut back on feeding, and it seems to have helped somewhat - but I still have the little red stubs all over my rocks. Of course I could remove the aquascape and prune them all off - but who really wants to do that? I've read that yellow coris wrasses will eat vermetids - will they also consume the tubes? Does anyone know of a natural predator that will clean this up?
Vermetid help!
- Thread starter BigMack
- Start date
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vinnyvin
Active Member
Iv been looking into this the last day or so and it seems their is no actual chemical way of getting rid of these I have the same issue I was told my options are to leave them or to do the tedious task of removing rock and picking the off from the Base. I was considering changing all my live rock piece by piece. And also been told the chances of them being in the water colume is very great. So the rock change would be waste of time & money.
How old is your tank? These snails are actually quite common for new tanks. IME as long as you try to keep the nutrients low the population will decline over time.
Patience perhaps? GL.
Patience perhaps? GL.
I had a big boom of them at about 6 months. Now at almost a year and they're still there, but population has greatly slacked off.
Griff
Well-Known Member
I've have them in my tank but they never got out of control. When I would see one I would just break the tube with my finger nail. I do have a six line wrasse in the tank. Not sure if he's helping though. I feel like I read they eat them.
Chefbill
Active Member
I had success with 24 bb snails in my 90.
Had some in my display and on some corals I moved to my frag tank. I have a melanurus wrasse in the frag tank and now I don't have any on the corals I transferred. Not sure if it was a difference in nutrients or the melanirus wrasse, but no more V snails.
Chefbill
Active Member
Luke Humphrey above, I also have a Melanarius wrasse...and a yellow Coris wrasse...and 3 other fairy and flasher wrasses. All I know is i didn't notice a decline in v snails until after the bb snails.
Now I probably should have mentioned that the bb snails are unproven as far as bb snail infestation. But it makes sense to me since bb snails are snail eaters.
Now I probably should have mentioned that the bb snails are unproven as far as bb snail infestation. But it makes sense to me since bb snails are snail eaters.
tom reilly
Active Member
Bmezz
Active Member
I hate these vermetids especially when they land on coral rocks they can hurt them. I have tried so many things and maybe hopefully what someone said the tank being about 8 months old may just get past these pests. It's a 180 mixed reef I did add BB snails but only 6. I think I will add a bunch more. Everything is supposed to have a natural enemy so I hope to get rid of this problem. Yep I know less nutrients.... break them off. Gluing would be stupid too many...vibrant did not work at least yet. Thanks!
