Vermetid Shells without Living Snails?

[EricR]

My live rock has a handful of vermetid snail tubes sticking out of it but I've never seen any evidence of life from them, meaning, I've never seen any of the feeding web/net part of the organism coming out, even late at night when the lights are off.

Is it possible that they're actually dead and just the shells are left? Maybe I should ask -- how likely is that? (Live rock went right from the store aquarium, into water-filled bag, then right into my full tank)

When I bought the live rock, I knew "nuthin 'bout nuthin" and just started learning about stuff on this site after that.

It's been 5 months and they're not causing any problems. Just curious.

I'll probably start breaking them off at some point and just see if they grow back (unless that's stupid for some reason???)

 

[ying yang]

Everything that lives will or can die so it's a possibility just empty shells and rock was out of water at one point, some other snails or fish ate them or whatever

 

[Hugo’s_Reef]

In my opinion it’s highly likely. My tank has some vermited snails but haven’t had any issues with them . Either my melanaurus wrasse or my bumble bee snails get to them before they bother anything.

i have tons of empty shells.

i believe the reason they keep reproducing is because my snails and wrasse can’t get to the vermited snails in my plumbing.

 

[bevo5]

Man alive...I went through a vermited explosion a few months ago. Literally every single surface of live rock now looks like a porcupine. I don't really mind it, as they blend in - but I was also just thinking that I never see the webs from more than a few at a time.

I gave up the fight and gave up caring about it - really liberating!

 

[NowGlazeIT]

My wrasses eats them and sometimes he leaves the shells behind.

 

[EricR]

If I just start breaking off the tubes with pliers (just for cosmetic reasons), is there any big concern I should be aware of first?

Like -- NOOO... that'll cause them to spread their spores ... or NOOO... that'll infect the water with some deadly neurotoxin
(((exaggerating but just making sure there's not a problem I don't know about with breaking them off)))

 

[NowGlazeIT]

If I just start breaking off the tubes with pliers (just for cosmetic reasons), is there any big concern I should be aware of first?

Like -- NOOO... that'll cause them to spread their spores ... or NOOO... that'll infect the water with some deadly neurotoxin
(((exaggerating but just making sure there's not a problem I don't know about with breaking them off)))

Their going to try and burrow towards the base and regrow but not mass produce over it

 

[EricR]

Their going try and burrow towards the base and regrow but not mass produce over it

Thanks, maybe I'll start with just a couple and see what happens.

If I do that, any guess as to roughly how long it would normally take them to get to a point where I start seeing the tube poke out again (if they're even alive)?

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Thanks, maybe I'll start with just a couple and see what happens.

If I do that, any guess as to roughly how long it would normally take them to get to a point where I start seeing the tube poke out again (if they're even alive)?

I haven’t kept track but if I was to guess, I would say a week or two

 

[EricR]

I haven’t kept track but if I was to guess, I would say a week or two

Cool. Will try a couple during my next water change.
Thanks again...