Vermetid Snails forcing a Reboot - Help

[R1skyBiz]

Hey everyone!

I have recently decided to reboot my SCA 50g cube after it has been completely overrun with Vermetid snails. My question is: What steps do I need to take in order to completely wipe them out in the overflow area, pumps etc. I plan on removing the fish next week and might try to remove them from some of my euphyllia that but it might be a lost cause and I don't want to infect any of my friends tanks. I've heard of running acids but not exactly sure what types and or how much. And should I just get new rock and completely start over?

Would love to get some input on this so I can gameplan a little.

Thanks in advance!

-Matt

 

[DanConnor]

What about running it without fish for a while. Possibly they will die off?

 

[Gareth elliott]

You could try refilling in freshwater after all the live stock is out for the equipment part.

For the rock grab a bucket of salt water and scrub them with something like a stiff bristle nylon brush. While wearing gloves, lie winter gloves over some rubber ones. Will let you be less careful about scrubbing. Vermitids snail husks will rip up your hands.

Take no more than 5-10 per rock before putting in the bucket.

Make another bucket of saltwater to rinse when done.

 

[Leadfooted]

Hey everyone!

I have recently decided to reboot my SCA 50g cube after it has been completely overrun with Vermetid snails. My question is: What steps do I need to take in order to completely wipe them out in the overflow area, pumps etc. I plan on removing the fish next week and might try to remove them from some of my euphyllia that but it might be a lost cause and I don't want to infect any of my friends tanks. I've heard of running acids but not exactly sure what types and or how much. And should I just get new rock and completely start over?

Would love to get some input on this so I can gameplan a little.

Thanks in advance!

-Matt

Wonder if you could kill by hot water. Either crank up the heater or heat up some display water and return with syphon to allow you to pinpoint areas? Cook’em???

 

[Sweetaz]

I started with dry rock and bayer dipped and inspected everything that went in my tank and I still ended up with vermitids. No plans to break the tank down because of them when I might just end up with them again.

 

[Just_Pete]

Had a similar issue with mine. Luckily I moved so the tank was in storage for 3+ months dry and all of them died even in my overflow.

Obviously you might not have the time but I put new rock in and vinegar washed all my equipment. Bought 5 gallons of it and soaked everything before setting up the tank again.

 

[R1skyBiz]

Thanks for the quick responses! I find it pretty insane that there isn't a natural predator for them. Some people say Coris wrasse, some people say bumblebee snails but I haven't seen anything that actually wipes them out. Might try to plug up the drains in the and run a muriatic solution to be sure they aren't still alive in the small space around the edges of the overflow. Will definitely be washing all equipment with vinegar etc. and letting it dry out for a week or so to ensure nothing lives.

What if I cooked the rock in a big pot? Thats gotta work right?

 

[Brad Waddell Wrath's Reef]

Thanks for the quick responses! I find it pretty insane that there isn't a natural predator for them. Some people say Coris wrasse, some people say bumblebee snails but I haven't seen anything that actually wipes them out. Might try to plug up the drains in the and run a muriatic solution to be sure they aren't still alive in the small space around the edges of the overflow. Will definitely be washing all equipment with vinegar etc. and letting it dry out for a week or so to ensure nothing lives.

What if I cooked the rock in a big pot? Thats gotta work right?

If you have zoas or palys at any time, DON NOT boil rock. You will only be going to the ER.

 

[Osaurus]

Have you tried bumble bee snails yet?

 

[Magellan]

Thanks for the quick responses! I find it pretty insane that there isn't a natural predator for them. Some people say Coris wrasse, some people say bumblebee snails but I haven't seen anything that actually wipes them out. Might try to plug up the drains in the and run a muriatic solution to be sure they aren't still alive in the small space around the edges of the overflow. Will definitely be washing all equipment with vinegar etc. and letting it dry out for a week or so to ensure nothing lives.

What if I cooked the rock in a big pot? Thats gotta work right?

I can’t verify this, but I put a frag of burnin banana in my tank that attempted to give my tank aids. Had bryopsis and vermitids on it. (I nuked that with Fluconazole after I noticed it popping up). The little tubes are still there, but they haven’t appeared anywhere else and nothing ever comes out of them. I think my 6 line ate them somehow? Nothing else that could possibly have done it, unless my tuxedo or cleaner shrimp did something incredibly useful.

 

[Gareth elliott]

I found they die very fast if you do nothing about a bubble algae outbreak and let it cover every surface in your tank. Yes not saying do this

My bubble bee snails are still around, never saw them eat one. Did watch one eat a trochus snail.
In the ocean parrot fish probably control these a lot.

 

[Bfragale]

These are the bane of my existence.... seems no matter what I do they are there. I have a 18-20 bumble bee snails still in the tank. I’ve never seen them eat them, but it does seem the numbers are going down.

I also try to break/chip off any I can reach. I try to break the base completely off not just the tube that sticks out.
Luckily I don’t have any in the over flow or sump, but I always run filter sock in sump and a sponge filter on the Over flow.
I have removed any rock that I can easily remove and manually removed 100’s over the last few months.
I added bumble snails about a month ago and so far it seems to have slowed it down but has not eliminated them.

I dip frags and closely inspect and they still got in there somehow. I think for the time being I’ll just have to live with them.

 

[Dabcrusher]

Thanks for the quick responses! I find it pretty insane that there isn't a natural predator for them. Some people say Coris wrasse, some people say bumblebee snails but I haven't seen anything that actually wipes them out. Might try to plug up the drains in the and run a muriatic solution to be sure they aren't still alive in the small space around the edges of the overflow. Will definitely be washing all equipment with vinegar etc. and letting it dry out for a week or so to ensure nothing lives.

What if I cooked the rock in a big pot? Thats gotta work right?

Bumblebee bee snail eat them

 

[maevepotter]

Why does anyone even care about these? They don't look bad. Just makes it look like an actual reef. Show me what you consider overrun... I consider them free filtration.

 

[Bfragale]

Why does anyone even care about these? They don't look bad. Just makes it look like an actual reef. Show me what you consider overrun... I consider them free filtration.

This is not my tank, (google) but this is what I would like to avoid lol

 

[willieboy240]

Any one have a laser to kill aiptasia. I wonder it that would work.

 

[Cory]

Probably some.sort of dewormer medication would kill them all. But would also kill bristle worms and feather dusters. Ammonia might spike too so some prime and or bacteria in a bottle would help.oh never mind they are snails.

 

[Dabcrusher]

This is not my tank, (google) but this is what I would like to avoid lol

Oh snap. You need a bumblebee hive of them snails. Take tweezers and pop the off and suck them out with a turkey baster and throw the snails in to get the rest

 

[Hermie]

I actually have a number of vermetid snails developing in my tank now, about 7 total that I have spotted and removed. I have a 1" Green Spotted Puffer that I want to train to eat the vermetid snails, but I haven't had a lot of opportunity yet. I know that the puffer has the capacity to hunt and kill the snails, but I need to train the puffer to identify the white vermetid shell/tube with the scent of food. That's the tricky part. If anyone has any ideas I'm all ears.

It's actually kind of funny though, when I crushed the vermetid snails with metal tongs, the ghost shrimp ran over to gobble up the snail's remains. Ghost/grass shrimp are one of my favorite tank inhabitants.

 

[Daquan44]

I use to have them very bad in my system and then they just disappeared. I didn't do anything special to get rid of them.