Matt Smothers
Community Member
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2019
- Messages
- 85
- Reaction score
- 37
I have noticed that my reef is becoming a home to vermetid snails. What do you guys do to get rid of them?
Vermetid Snails
- Thread starter Matt Smothers
- Start date
- Tagged users None
OP
OP
Matt Smothers
Community Member
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2019
- Messages
- 85
- Reaction score
- 37
I have broken a few of the "shells" is that going to kill them, or will they just build a new one?
OP
OP
Matt Smothers
Community Member
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2019
- Messages
- 85
- Reaction score
- 37
Should I remove the rock that they are on as I do it
Scotty Buttons
Valuable Member
My tank was infested with them, I never tried removing them and eventually the natural balance of my mini ecosystem eradicated them. Keep your nutrients in check and just be patient. They won't harm anything and eventually they will more then likely die off.
Good luck
Good luck
OP
OP
Matt Smothers
Community Member
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2019
- Messages
- 85
- Reaction score
- 37
Kool, I like this plan! I don't like introducing chemicals, and think that nature knows how to take care of herself
w2inc
Active Member
I had a recent outbreak of them in a tank that has been running since 2017. The first time I saw one in there was about a year ago but I sealed it in superglue and have not seen another since then.
Now that I am having exponential amounts of them I have been replaying what has changed in the tank over the past 5 months because I am sure that something was eating them. If I didn't have clams in the tank I would try out a brackish water puffer or a dogface. I have a six line wrasse and he doesn't seem interested in them.
I had a green wrasse (Halichoeres chloropterus) that was outgrowing my tank so I traded him in. He ate tons of micro brittle stars an I would see him with an occasional small limpet in his mouth so I know he could scrape things off the rocks.
I had several emerald crabs. I got rid of them because I caught one eating a coral and they were big enough to take down fish. They spent plenty of time scraping down the rocks and I think the big males were strong enough to get baby snails off the rocks.
There was a lavender tang and a Red Sea sail fin . I am not sure the scientific name but they also spent the day scraping at rocks.
Finally some pin cushion sea urchins. They scrape the rocks pretty well. They would frag my Digi's and delicate corals at night so they had to go.
I am not sure that my tangs could scrape off a large snail, but I am sure they could get a newly forming one.
My food is given through an auto feeder that delivers pretty consistently and has been on the same food for many months. I cant really point a finger at that.
So those are my votes for potential vermetid eaters in that order. If anyone can offer me a second on any of those I would appreciate it. The snails are not damaging many of my corals but the Monti's seem to take the harassment pretty bad. I don't like the look of them and I worry about them clogging up my plumbing over the long run.
Now that I am having exponential amounts of them I have been replaying what has changed in the tank over the past 5 months because I am sure that something was eating them. If I didn't have clams in the tank I would try out a brackish water puffer or a dogface. I have a six line wrasse and he doesn't seem interested in them.
I had a green wrasse (Halichoeres chloropterus) that was outgrowing my tank so I traded him in. He ate tons of micro brittle stars an I would see him with an occasional small limpet in his mouth so I know he could scrape things off the rocks.
I had several emerald crabs. I got rid of them because I caught one eating a coral and they were big enough to take down fish. They spent plenty of time scraping down the rocks and I think the big males were strong enough to get baby snails off the rocks.
There was a lavender tang and a Red Sea sail fin . I am not sure the scientific name but they also spent the day scraping at rocks.
Finally some pin cushion sea urchins. They scrape the rocks pretty well. They would frag my Digi's and delicate corals at night so they had to go.
I am not sure that my tangs could scrape off a large snail, but I am sure they could get a newly forming one.
My food is given through an auto feeder that delivers pretty consistently and has been on the same food for many months. I cant really point a finger at that.
So those are my votes for potential vermetid eaters in that order. If anyone can offer me a second on any of those I would appreciate it. The snails are not damaging many of my corals but the Monti's seem to take the harassment pretty bad. I don't like the look of them and I worry about them clogging up my plumbing over the long run.
