Vermetid Snail Extermination

G’sReef · Mar 27, 2022

What’s up everyone am looking for some advise/suggestions. My tank has a Vermetid snails infestation beyond manageable! My scape consist of two large rock structures that can be removed individually. If I remove each rock one at a time and physically remove the snails and scrub the rocks, can I put them back in my tank immediately or do I need to wait? What will be the negative effects of this plan? Thanks in Advance!!

JumboShrimp · Mar 27, 2022

Fortunately, since you can take the rocks out, it will be a great way to handle a problem.

Get a pair of needle-nose pliers. Take the rock out and crush them real good at their very base with the pliers— big ones will kind of look like pudding is squirting out.

Look everywhere around the rock 360-degrees, and be careful not to miss busting up even the tiny ones, hidden in holes an crevices.

No problem putting the rock right back into the tank— although you should probably give the rock a good rinse in salt water first.

monkeyCmonkeyDo · Mar 28, 2022

I nvr thought they were that bad. Their webs are effecting coral?
D

JumboShrimp · Mar 28, 2022

Yeah, I never really freaked out about a few— especially when you don’t see webs. And I do believe bumblebee snails will do a good number on them. But I have seen a lot of people like the OP talk about a full blown “infestation”, and I suppose it’s easiest not to let it get to that point when you can just lift the rock out at the first sign and bust them up.

monkeyCmonkeyDo · Mar 28, 2022

Ya I've never had infestestations...maybd add bumble bee snails and see?
D

G’sReef · Mar 28, 2022

Am just hoping to get it to a manageable level. Any chance of dealing with a lot of die off?

G’sReef · Mar 28, 2022

I dont have any of my corals mounted yet. Want to take care of this issue first.

monkeyCmonkeyDo said:
I nvr thought they were that bad. Their webs are effecting coral?
D

G’sReef · Mar 28, 2022

monkeyCmonkeyDo said:
Ya I've never had infestestations...maybd add bumble bee snails and see?
D

I only have about 10 in now but I never see them. Plan on adding more with emerald craps and wrasses.

nightmarepl · Mar 28, 2022

G’sReef said:
I dont have any of my corals mounted yet. Want to take care of this issue first.

ive basically killed the infestation in my tank completely
i order 20 bubble bee snails took all my rock out crushed all the snails heavily
ordered that reef snow stuff kept the rock in a buck for about a week with a small wave maker checked the rock again to see if any grew back
used the reef snow twice added the bubble bee snails onto the rock for about 3-5 days more then added back into the tank more no more snails

make sure to take out ALL sponges filters are exchanged, all equioment is scrubbed aswell i even had snails inside my motor of the return pump. heater, wavemakers deep inside the motors so make sure your basically down to sand and water

G’sReef · Mar 28, 2022

nightmarepl said:
ive basically killed the infestation in my tank completely
i order 20 bubble bee snails took all my rock out crushed all the snails heavily
ordered that reef snow stuff kept the rock in a buck for about a week with a small wave maker checked the rock again to see if any grew back
used the reef snow twice added the bubble bee snails onto the rock for about 3-5 days more then added back into the tank more no more snails

make sure to take out ALL sponges filters are exchanged, all equioment is scrubbed aswell i even had snails inside my motor of the return pump. heater, wavemakers deep inside the motors so make sure your basically down to sand and water

So you didn’t have a explosion of them while they were in the bucket? I’ve heard other do they same thing but the snails just exploded

nightmarepl · Mar 29, 2022

G’sReef said:
So you didn’t have a explosion of them while they were in the bucket? I’ve heard other do they same thing but the snails just exploded

nah nothing they ate basically any of the snails that tried to form again just make sure to rip what ever you can from the surface remember they form even inside the holes in the rocks so just cause you cant see them doesnt mean they arent there...
have to literally kill it all deny them light and any food source basically cooking your rock like you would to seed the tank
have the bubbles bees in there just to starve out and finally attack the verms only way itll work really

ninjamyst · Mar 29, 2022

Even if one survives, they will come back. It's hard to get rid of them. Good luck.

wmo168 · Mar 29, 2022

I do that too, i got tons of new rock, they spread like wildfire and infected the whole tank after it came in with some bad frag plug.. each rocks has 10 of them on there,... each time I do bi weekly water change, I take out the rock and use a screwdriver and plug them off and rise with RO water.. I wash them with sink water first.. it is fine if you do it in a minute.

Just inspect the rock each time top to bottom, inside the crack, it took me a few months before all the rocks are clear. Also check the frag plug, snail shell they always find a way to attach things and spread. Now my tank has 0 vermetid snail... i do look at the rock time to time to ensure there is none but you may find 1 or 2.. just repeat..

nightmarepl · Mar 29, 2022

wmo168 said:
I do that too, i got tons of new rock, they spread like wildfire and infected the whole tank after it came in with some bad frag plug.. each rocks has 10 of them on there,... each time I do bi weekly water change, I take out the rock and use a screwdriver and plug them off and rise with RO water.. I wash them with sink water first.. it is fine if you do it in a minute.

Just inspect the rock each time top to bottom, inside the crack, it took me a few months before all the rocks are clear. Also check the frag plug, snail shell they always find a way to attach things and spread. Now my tank has 0 vermetid snail... i do look at the rock time to time to ensure there is none but you may find 1 or 2.. just repeat..

yup literally only way itll work verms are literally a tank crasher if not caught early people swear they " live " with them yah ok... just like ich and tangs people swear they live with them till their tang dies after a year or so you have a problem you fix it period or itll consume time and money which is the worst part about reefing...
no one got time to sit there weekly scrubbing rock you also want the rock to fully mature and build a good eco system not getting wiped weekly

wmo168 · Mar 29, 2022

nightmarepl said:
yup literally only way itll work verms are literally a tank crasher if not caught early people swear they " live " with them yah ok... just like ich and tangs people swear they live with them till their tang dies after a year or so you have a problem you fix it period or itll consume time and money which is the worst part about reefing...
no one got time to sit there weekly scrubbing rock you also want the rock to fully mature and build a good eco system not getting wiped weekly

Lol I agree with you 100%, you WILL fine time if you really want to hate the vermetid snail. I hate it and it poke out.. luckily I have a frag tank and the rocks and scape is easy to remove and take out. Feel free to take the SPS out for 30 second if is attached to the rock. just make sure you rise with salt water and not sink water otherwise you will bleach them. you can rise with old tank water that you drain when you did water change.

1st inspect the tank and know which rock and where you want to work on,
2nd do water change to a 5 gallon bucket
3rd take the rock out, use a screwdriver plug the snail from the BASE and scrape the rock a few times.. and just rise in old tank water real quick ...
4th put it back the tank and work on next rock.
5th now I can't even find it growing anywhere in my tank.

It is very satisfying getting rid of this snail... lol

areefer01 · Mar 29, 2022

ninjamyst said:
Even if one survives, they will come back. It's hard to get rid of them. Good luck.

This is more or less it. If you have one I'd wager you have more you don't see that is in your plumbing or other areas of your system. Sump, refugium, overflow box, etc. Just have to manage it at this point. And the bumblebee snails are, well, questionable at best and/or anecdotal. They are also predators.

G’sReef · Mar 30, 2022

Thanks for all you guys input. A lot of different direction to go. I’ll try to pick the best for my situation. Thanks again!

sfin52 · Mar 30, 2022

G’sReef said:
What’s up everyone am looking for some advise/suggestions. My tank has a Vermetid snails infestation beyond manageable! My scape consist of two large rock structures that can be removed individually. If I remove each rock one at a time and physically remove the snails and scrub the rocks, can I put them back in my tank immediately or do I need to wait? What will be the negative effects of this plan? Thanks in Advance!!

Toby puffer

lisajulia · Apr 12, 2022

If you do a search there are some older/longer threads on these pests. It sounds like there's no sure way to eliminate them from established tanks w/o a do-over. Not fun.

Kongar · Apr 12, 2022

In my experience, they can't be eliminated. The type I have are the small ones. They multiply like crazy, and they live inside the crevices of the rock where you absolutely cannot get to. Once they are in, I think they are there forever. Maybe people with the larger ones are more successful since they can't hide as well - but ya, they are not easy to eradicate.