Stomatella Invasion!

[RichardScottRice]

Does anyone know if there is a reef compatible fish that will eat stomatellas? Six-line wrasse or something? I have been siphoning the babies off the glass for a couple weeks now and I don't seem to be making much of a dent in the population. They only come out at night so I have to wait for a couple hours after the lights go out and then I use a piece of airline tubing and siphon them off the glass. But I think I'm loosing the battle, there are litterally hundreds of them. Its a shame because other than over populating they really are a excellent algae grazer to have in the tank. I started out with one large one that came on a piece of live rock. It was interesting and did a great job of mowing down algae, but they must carry both sets of sexual equipment because now I'm overloaded with them.

Thanks!

 

[luke33]

I think they are great since you only see them at night. I've noticed my pepermint shrimp love to eat them, which kinda ticks me off, but they do. Or an arrow crab may eat them. The problem with a 6line is they sleep at night so that wouldn't work. But arrow's and pep's are night owl's, maybe see if a coral banded will eat them as well.

 

[saltycreefer]

Sell some of them to other hobbyists.

 

[Neptune777]

Are they causing harm? I don't understand why you want to knock down their numbers.

One option is you can join Project Dibs and be a breeder....sounds like you could help a good cause.

 

[RichardScottRice]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11998308#post11998308 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Neptune777
Are they causing harm? I don't understand why you want to knock down their numbers.

I'm concerned about the bio load they place on the tank. If it were just a couple dozen it would be no biggie, but I'm not exagerating when I say there are hundreds of them.

Also, I have other herbivore inverts that may not be getting enough food

 

[shred5]

Yea sell some or trade some...

They do not harm to the tank and are a great grazer. As their food source disapears they will multiply less. Allot of critters populations will explode untill they exhaust their food source and then they level off..

Dave

 

[john rochon]

just leave them, there just another step in the food chain and are actually helping you out. they'll only keep there numbers up accordingly to the food supply. thats one snail I've never worried about.

 

[RichardScottRice]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11998371#post11998371 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by shred5
Yea sell some or trade some...

Anyone in the Atlanta area want any???

 

[seapug]

I had a pair of skunk cleaner shrimp that would go on rampages and murder dozens of stomatellas at a time. Didn't make me too happy so I put a flame hawkfish in the tank. No more skunks.

 

[Anemone]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11998598#post11998598 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by seapug
I had a pair of skunk cleaner shrimp that would go on rampages and murder dozens of stomatellas at a time. Didn't make me too happy so I put a flame hawkfish in the tank. No more skunks.

Yep, most shrimp can't resist mollusc on the half-shell.

I always had trouble keeping stomatellas in tanks that had cleaner shrimp.

Kevin

 

[RichardScottRice]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11998709#post11998709 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Anemone
Yep, most shrimp can't resist mollusc on the half-shell.

I always had trouble keeping stomatellas in tanks that had cleaner shrimp.

Kevin

Thats funny I have a pair of skunk cleaner shrimp. Stomatella must be on their "unclean" list or something because they don't even look twice at them.

 

[cardgenius]

Keep them, there free snails that multiply on there own. Cant really have it any eaiser if you ask me.

My cleaners and peppermints probably wiped out all mine, I havent seen one in quite a while.

 

[SDguy]

My only complaint with them is that their shells get stuck in my beckett injectors on occasion....

 

[Myka]

I use my Stomatellas as a telltale that I'm overfeeding. They eat the algae as fast as it's growing, so I know if my Stomatella population has an explosion I need to down the feeding, and up the waterchanges.