vermetid gastropod predator?

[crumbletop]

Does anyone know if there is a natural predator for vermatid gastropods. I have a few of these pesky things that came in on the back of some astrea snails:

They are starting to show up all over my LR. Are there any natural predators? I've seen tanks with them _all over_ and would like to avoid that. I have heard that some hermits may eat them.

Jack

 

[nam2212]

Superglue the top of the tube. It works like a charm.

 

[Anemonebuff]

Just break them off and pull them out.

 

[theop]

Put all your live rock through hypo.

 

[crumbletop]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7785961#post7785961 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by theop
Put all your live rock through hypo.

Dude, you're killing me :beer:

 

[crumbletop]

Anyone know of any natural predators? I'd like to either eliminate the vermetids or keep them in check.

 

[Peter Eichler]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7804141#post7804141 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by crumbletop
Anyone know of any natural predators? I'd like to either eliminate the vermetids or keep them in check.

Why though? They're not harmful and are simply a natural normally occuring part of the natural environment and live rock.

 

[crumbletop]

Because everything in nature has something to balance it out. I'd like to have that balance rather than a tank overrun with these things. Maybe I'm just paranoid because I saw a tank that was overrun with them.

 

[theop]

They are snails, so I would imagine that things that eat snails would keep them in check.

However, I can't really think of anything reef-safe that would fit the bill.

 

[Peter Eichler]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7804192#post7804192 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by crumbletop
Because everything in nature has something to balance it out. I'd like to have that balance rather than a tank overrun with these things. Maybe I'm just paranoid because I saw a tank that was overrun with them.

Just keep feeding in check in you will be fine. I've never seen a tank overrun with them, but even if one was they would do nothing but eat disolved organics and particulate matter in the water. Not everything has a natural predator, or at least not one that single handedly can keep things in check, sometimes nature has a way of keeping things in check in other ways. Your way to keep things in check will be to have fewer disolved organics and less particulate matter in your water....

 

[crumbletop]

Alright. I don't have many of them now -- I just don't want to get too many. My nutrient levels are very low. When I read an article by Ronald Shimek (http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rs/index.php) he said:

A few of these would be no real problem; however, this animal reproduces very well in marine aquaria. Left unchecked, it can reach populations of over several thousand in a few months. They prefer high current areas, and will infest and clog plumbing, significantly reducing water flow. In severe infestations they can clog and shut down pumps. The only solution in cases like these is physical removal of the animals using whatever method is easiest (a muriatic acid bath works well).

Fortunately, some fishes such as Copperband butterfly fishes, seem to eat them, and some hermit crabs will eat them as well. Eating these worm snails may well be the only truly beneficial effect of hermit crabs in aquaria.

He didn't say which kind of hermits, so I was just looking for some input...

 

[theop]

Blue-legged hermits are the most notorious snail-killers.

They killed a few ceriths in my tank before I moved, but never bothered astreas. If you don't have any other small snails, this would be something to try.

 

[crumbletop]

No luck with the blues I already have.

 

[Paintbug]

the only preditor i know of is my fingers . i smash them of the rock when they get in the way. they dont really pose any kind of threat to anything but i will say after moving a tank with those guys all over the LR sucks! they do a number on bare hands. i have witnessed a couple of my blue legs eat them but not often. i dont know how effective the copperband will be personally.

 

[Kent E]

These do replicate quickly and can be a problem. I might have to get another copperband, I had one years ago.

 

[crumbletop]

I noticed them proliferating after removal of a dwarf angel (pygmy) and a 6-line. I have just recently added another dwarf (a flame) and have noticed that he eats the threads the vermetids send out, and he also nips them from time to time while nipping at the LR. They seem to be receeding since the angel has been in the tank, so perhaps the flame will help keep things in balance. All in all, I don't really have a lot of these things -- but I've seen some bad outbreaks in other tanks and didn't want that to happen to me