Bumble Bee snails for pest control (Vermetid Snails)

[Mr. Thingdoer]

I bought a colony of Caulastrea last year that was plagued with vermetid snails. I tried to scrape them off about 5 separate times, making sure to get the tube, as well as the snail at the bottom. Never the less, they re-appeared each time and started to set up little stations around my tank. It hasn't really harmed anything, but I just don't like them.

A few months back I got 2 bumble bee snails. There's different types, but the kind I got are more of a gray and black, and not the single stripe ones. I always notice them sitting on colonies of vermetid snails, and when they leave the vermetids are GONE, tube and all! I don't really notice them on anything other than vermetid snails.

Anybody else have this experience?

 

[casualreefer]

Could u post a pic of the bumble bees u have. That's very interesting though.

 

[mystery_reef]

also interested in what kind they are and where you got em? how many vermetid's did only 2 take out?

 

[crooks]

Where can I find good pics of Vermetid Snails? I cant seem to find a good pic online but think I might have them from the descriptions I have read.

 

[afish70]

i think i have those Vermetid snails. also curious to pics of the snails you have and where you got them.

 

[Mr. Thingdoer]

I'll snap pictures of them tomorrow. I got them from LSA about 4 months ago. I haven't seen these there since.

 

[Mr. Thingdoer]

also interested in what kind they are and where you got em? how many vermetid's did only 2 take out?

at least 30 vermetids.

 

[mystery_reef]

how big were the vermetids they ate?

 

[Mr. Thingdoer]

a little bigger than the common red feather dusters

 

[madadi]

do they look like bublebee snails but just a bit bigger and only one yellow line in middle instead of 3????

can you take one out of the tank and get a close up pic or in tank pic also.

 

[bigevill1]

Man, I would pay a mint for a couple of those. No joke. If anybody knows where I can get some of those please shoot me a PM. I have those damn snails all over my tank.

 

[madadi]

same here. i hate when i feed and their feeding strings show up all over the place. ughhh

 

[Mr. Thingdoer]

These I can only see maybe 2 or three vermetids left. I just don't understand what mechanism in a snail will break down the calcerous tube that a vermetid lives in. I know some snails are venomous, so maybe it's an acid that dissolves it away.

 

[bigevill1]

I just read thier entry on LA and it says they eat worms, and will eat other snails if there isnt enough food for them to get otherwise. I am going to have to pick some up somewhere.....

 

[Mr. Thingdoer]

I just read thier entry on LA and it says they eat worms, and will eat other snails if there isnt enough food for them to get otherwise. I am going to have to pick some up somewhere.....

That's cool, I guess I'm not crazy. I could never find any useful information on them.

 

[Mr. Thingdoer]

do they look like bublebee snails but just a bit bigger and only one yellow line in middle instead of 3????

can you take one out of the tank and get a close up pic or in tank pic also.

I can't find them right now. They tend to hide. They aren't the ones with one stripe, and they're pretty small.

 

[mystery_reef]

i wonder if they prefer or how long it would take em to get to the vermetids if at all.

 

[BigRick]

Never got a pic?

 

[kaiserkid]

Where can I find good pics of Vermetid Snails? I cant seem to find a good pic online but think I might have them from the descriptions I have read.

Here is a pic of one that is hitchhiking on one of my turbo snails:

 

[vasilithegreek]

I have bumble bee snails with yellow stripes. They've been in my tank for about a year and haven't touched my Vermetid snail. I dont know what to do about it. I hate the film or net that comes out from it. One of these snails covers a quarter of my tank with its film. I'm about to take a tooth pick and stab it.