Vermetid Snail Predator?

[Lionfish Lair]

Their webs can be irritating to nearby corals as it's constantly dragged over them. I hate the look of them when there is too many. A few are cool and the big ones can be interesting, but ai yi yi, all the small ones drive me crazy.

 

[Jaag]

Regarding the vermetid Snail, my tank has literally been taken over by them. I am absolutely convinced that by smashing them it causing them to spread more because thats how it seemed for me. I started off with a few, crushed them, and then the following week had double. I absolutely hate these guys.. They are literally growing on everything from rock, to the glass, powerheads, frag racks, on all my zoa plugs, and even my darn snail and hermit crab shells. What is the big deal with these vermetid snails anyway? Do they do any harm to anything? I have so many in my tank that when i finish my next tank build I will probably not transfer ANY coral or anything else over to that tank in fear i might introduce them.

I would suspect that there is absolutely no known natural predator for these guys because they have a crazy hard shell.

I think smashing them helps them spread also.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

I've actually never gone through the process, so maybe some else can better answer that for us.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

I think smashing them helps them spread also.

I never smashed mine and they still went everywhere.

 

[FDAWG]

Worst pest ever! Had 5 on a rock a few months ago and now I got over 500 thru out my whole reef. These snails are quick to compete for space and will attach to almost anything. My only option now is to break down my tank and start from scratch.

 

[Triggreef]

Worst pest ever! Had 5 on a rock a few months ago and now I got over 500 thru out my whole reef. These snails are quick to compete for space and will attach to almost anything. My only option now is to break down my tank and start from scratch.

Doubt you can keep them out though. They won't be killed by the general dips for corals. Pretty sure they even laugh at Bayer.

This is the first I heard that bumblebee snails eat them. Aren't bumblebee snails not reef safe though?

 

[a49panhead]

I started crushing them and my coral banned shrimp was eating the corps behind me. Soon they were no more. I suppose he got a taste for them.

 

[seaplane]

I too, am plagued by theses spawns of the devil. I also think crushing tubes only makes them mad and multiply for spite. My tank has been fallow for 40+ days and I was only feeding some Coral frenzy 2-3x a week, but stopped that with hopes of starving out the little so in so's , seems only the corals are now starving. I took out the one and only little piece of live rock that I started the tank with that was the source of this gift that keeps on giving, and soaked it in peroxide!! Killed the coralline algae, snails not so much. For my mental health I am now just going to learn to love them as another amazing wonder from the ocean.

 

[Robink]

bumble bee snails are reef safe. They eat detritus, sand dwelling worms, bristleworms. However if they can't find any food they will eat other snails. There's always plenty of food , bristleworms and vermetids in my tank.
I also had a great melanarus wrasse that got rid of flatworms and vermetids. Sorry I took him back when he was done. I just didn't like that he would put sand on my corals....
When I got the melanarus my tank was infested with vermetids and flatworms. He completely eradicated the population.

 

[94Roarge]

I haven't experienced these yet, but as a possible predator, with the only problem being that mine picks at any snails or bristle worm arms it sees, the Matted Filefish! I got it under a false id from a supplier, and it has eaten any "pests" that were in my tank. Which is sad for me [emoji14]

 

[Ezeke1]

I use coral cutters to cut open the vermetid shells and I do my best to cut up the snails to a million pieces. On many occasions my cleaner shrimps snatch up the snail chunks for food. Unfortunately I havent read of any natural predators but the best way to keep them under control is to kill them as soon as you see them.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

I haven't experienced these yet, but as a possible predator, with the only problem being that mine picks at any snails or bristle worm arms it sees, the Matted Filefish! I got it under a false id from a supplier, and it has eaten any "pests" that were in my tank. Which is sad for me [emoji14]

My matted also "sampled" everything. I can see them chewing on a vermetid or two. They certainly tried everything else!

 

[94Roarge]

My matted also "sampled" everything. I can see them chewing on a vermetid or two. They certainly tried everything else!

They are greedy fish for sure! I recenly picked up 3 strombs with a clown for free and they now have no eyes [emoji23]

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Lol! My friend had one that sampled her stingfish.

 

[Leslie Tabor]

I use a flat head screw driver and make sure I crush the base of the tube...the snails little hideout...seems to kill them just fine.

 

[94Roarge]

Lol! My friend had one that sampled her stingfish.

 

[94Roarge]

Lol! My friend had one that sampled her stingfish.

 

[94Roarge]

Lol! My friend had one that sampled her stingfish.

 

[themadman]

I never smashed mine and they still went everywhere.

Anyone ever figure anything out with these little guys? I've got quite a few myself I would like to get rid of!

 

[jelazar]

I came across a thread here on R2R that talked about the possibility of fenbendazole being effective against vermetid snails.