Vermetid Snails?? Get a wrasse.

[DeniableArc]

Just wanted to share some success I've had with eradicating vermetid snails. I have a 2 tanks, a 40 AIO and a 20 AIO. The 40 is over a year old and the 20 is fairly new. I've always had the occasional vermetid snail in the 40 but they never spread and always just disappeared when one would pop up. I never thought anything of it until I set up my 20 gallon. I used some rock from my 40 to help with the cycle. After about a month the new tank was infested with vermetid snails. It kinda clicked that the snails never took off in my 40 gallon because I have a sixline in it. So I added a yellow banded possum wrasse to my 20. 2 weeks later, snails are gone. This may be common knowledge, but I wanted to share my success, incase someone is battling these pests in their tank.

My sixline goes to work on my vermetid snails and is a bristle worm boss!

 

[Micro-Reefs Aquarium]

My sixline goes to work on my vermetid snails and is a bristle worm boss!

Not having any luck with my Possum Wrasse, he is hunting other micro-fauna for sure, but he is tiny about 1 inch if that. Will buying another wrasse cause me problems with the current Possum wrasse I have? I only have a Swiss Guard Bassalet in there with him and they get along great. I just would like to get another team member to go on the vermetid snails. Thinking the bumble bee snails is worth a try?

 

[Clo]

Not having any luck with my Possum Wrasse, he is hunting other micro-fauna for sure, but he is tiny about 1 inch if that. Will buying another wrasse cause me problems with the current Possum wrasse I have? I only have a Swiss Guard Bassalet in there with him and they get along great. I just would like to get another team member to go on the vermetid snails. Thinking the bumble bee snails is worth a try?

I think a 6line would beat up your possum. Possum wrasse are pretty docile.

could try bbs but I read they only eat certain kind of vermetid snail

 

[Drao05]

My Yellow Coris and melanurus wrasse never helped with vermetid snails. My rockwork in my 120 Gallon was completely infested and covered in them. I added 20 bumblebee snails and they took care of them all within 2 weeks.

 

[JayStro81]

Not having any luck with my Possum Wrasse, he is hunting other micro-fauna for sure, but he is tiny about 1 inch if that. Will buying another wrasse cause me problems with the current Possum wrasse I have? I only have a Swiss Guard Bassalet in there with him and they get along great. I just would like to get another team member to go on the vermetid snails. Thinking the bumble bee snails is worth a try?

Like any natural pest control options, it's hit or miss. Each animal does thier own thing. Bumble bee snails may work great, they may not even make a dent. It's worth a try tho. It's all about getting the right mix of livestock for your personal tank. Best of luck

 

[Goaway]

My wrasse keeps my tank clean! I’m a firm believer when stocking a reef tank I always make sure there’s a worker tang and worker wrasse. They tag team the live rock clean!

Sadly, some tangs become monsters. While most stay reef model citizens. And most 6 lines become monsters where a small % get to wear the model citizen of the year badge.

 

[Micro-Reefs Aquarium]

I think a 6line would beat up your possum. Possum wrasse are pretty docile.

could try bbs but I read they only eat certain kind of vermetid snail

They had the 6 line wrasse at the LFS, but they gave me a great deal on the Possum so I went with that, but he is hunting other stuff in my tank, that is okay, I will not add the 6 line based on your feedback thanks!

 

[Micro-Reefs Aquarium]

Like any natural pest control options, it's hit or miss. Each animal does thier own thing. Bumble bee snails may work great, they may not even make a dent. It's worth a try tho. It's all about getting the right mix of livestock for your personal tank. Best of luck

Going to give the bumble bees a try, do they kill Astrea and Cerith snails? Reason I ask is that I have them in my 30 gallon that has the vermetid snails, they are cleaning up the rock and doing a really good job.

 

[7akata]

Like any natural pest control options, it's hit or miss. Each animal does thier own thing. Bumble bee snails may work great, they may not even make a dent. It's worth a try tho. It's all about getting the right mix of livestock for your personal tank. Best of luck

I had a pink streaked that didn't touch any of them. I'm deciding between just leaving the vermatids there, because they dont really ever seem to be doing much bothering of any sps, or going for broke and trying the bumble bee snails.

 

[JayStro81]

They had the 6 line wrasse at the LFS, but they gave me a great deal on the Possum so I went with that, but he is hunting other stuff in my tank, that is okay, I will not add the 6 line based on your feedback thanks!

My sixline has been the perfect fish. Had him over a year. He was actually the first fish I had in my 40g. He's never shown any agression. I'm either the luckiest guy in the hobby or I'm doing something right, (probably lucky) because when I tell you what my 40g is stocked with you're gonna laugh. I have a sixline, an azure damsel, a pair of clowns, an orchid dottyback, a midas blenny, and a pygmy hawkfish. Every fish gets along in perfect harmony, even during feeding. I'll actually catch the sixline cleaning the damsel from time to time, lol. Just like with pest control, agression is different with each individual fish. I know people that have had the complete opposite result with a sixline, where it terrorized the thier tank.

 

[Micro-Reefs Aquarium]

My sixline has been the perfect fish. Had him over a year. He was actually the first fish I had in my 40g. He's never shown any agression. I'm either the luckiest guy in the hobby or I'm doing something right, (probably lucky) because when I tell you what my 40g is stocked with you're gonna laugh. I have a sixline, an azure damsel, a pair of clowns, an orchid dottyback, a midas blenny, and a pygmy hawkfish. Every fish gets along in perfect harmony, even during feeding. I'll actually catch the sixline cleaning the damsel from time to time, lol. Just like with pest control, agression is different with each individual fish. I know people that have had the complete opposite result with a sixline, where it terrorized the thier tank.

I am looking to adding 4 more fish to my 30 gallon for more nutrients to build up, any recommendations?

 

[KenO]

Will yellow wrasse or flasher wrasse deal with them do you know or melaranus

My melaranus wrasse deals with mine. I have a few big snails left. I have one wrasse in each of my 3 tanks.

 

[KenO]

I highly doubt wrasse is able to break through the shells of big vermetaid snails...

My melanarus wrasse sucks them out of the tubes. They also did away with all of my tiny feather dusters too. Just waits for the snail to get high in the tube and sucks them out.

 

[moz71]

I had an infestation of V snails for 2 years. I have a large melanurus and leapord that doesn’t touch them. I added bumble bee snails a year ago and still have an infestation. I seem to get all the non working ones! Lol. Just letting them go as I ran out of options. Just part of my tank now!

 

[JayStro81]

I am looking to adding 4 more fish to my 30 gallon for more nutrients to build up, any recommendations?

Honestly, that's completely up to you. I personally like an assortment of colors so all my fish are different looking. Designer clowns are awesome. The pygmy hawk I have is really cool, but you just cant keep small inverts. My midas blenny is by far my favorite fish. Royal gramma's are beautiful. Then there are nano fish that will work for you. Most blenny's will help with algae. Blue spotted jaw fish are pretty cool as well. I can go on, there are so many awesome fish that can work in a 30g. It's really up to you.

 

[mrlavalamp]

Bumblebee snails didn't work for me. tried multiple batches.

I'd like to try a wrasse though.

Glue is tedious, but crushing them is fun. I gave up some time ago and they have really filled in some areas.

If I could find a predator that worked, they'd be set for life.

This is just one part of the tank, they are all through the shelves and caves so short of changing out my rocks completely, eradication by hand would be impossible.

 

[NDIrish]

My yellow just looks at the snails and swims on.
My bumble bees hasn't even made a dent in them either.
I just let vs go and when they get close to my corals I smash them.

 

[Low Tech Reefer]

Believe it or not, my sixline isn't aggressive at all. It was the first fish in my 40g and has never shown aggression to any of the fish added after.

Neither is mine. In fact, it lets the cleaner wrasse clean him!
I've also had CB butterfly fish make short work of vermetid snails.

 

[Low Tech Reefer]

Bumblebee snails didn't work for me. tried multiple batches.

I'd like to try a wrasse though.

Glue is tedious, but crushing them is fun. I gave up some time ago and they have really filled in some areas.

If I could find a predator that worked, they'd be set for life.

This is just one part of the tank, they are all through the shelves and caves so short of changing out my rocks completely, eradication by hand would be impossible.

My tank looked like that, just as covered with VS. Then added a copper band butterfly fish and a year and a half or so later, there's hardly any left. I've seen my six line wrasse nip at a few also.

 

[Mick51]

Will yellow wrasse or flasher wrasse deal with them do you know or melaranus

Melaranus will along with anything else it can eat including peppermint shrimp, crabs snails that fall upside down… but no bugs kinda catch 22 but no one wants flatworms or acro eating worms