Vermitid snail control?

[mcarroll]

So is there any organism (SPS-safe) that will help control the population (preferrably reducing them to zero) of vermitid snails?

I've been picking them off by hand as much as possible, but they're outnumbering my ability to get to them....hoping for some help before my whole tank is a spikey nightmare.

Think having some live sponges in the tank would significantly help? Anything better?

Thanks!

-Matt

P.S. Think I should post in the SPS forum too?

 

[mscarpena]

Wow you must have alot of them. I would find out why they are reproducing so rapidly. I only had a few and just broke them and killed them. It took 5 minutes or less. You must have a high nutrient load or something. Check you nitrates and see what they are. I know of nothing that would eat them. Maybe some sort of shrimp, but not sure what type to point you towards.

 

[tatuvaaj]

I was just wondering why you would want to get rid of them?

 

[cloak]

I have a few growing on a montipora plug I got. I'm starting to think the "mucus" they send out is irritating the coral. A soon as I get some aquamend, I'm going to smother them the best I can.

 

[mcarroll]

Well, I will say that the mucous strands do not seem to irritate my corals. Monti caps and digis have both been "neighbors" with a vermitid spike - there's even one growing right out the middle of one of my red cap plates and the snail and monti seem as happy as they could be.

Similar non-reaction from my Pavona (tho it's a very stoic coral...hard to guage a lot of the time), Favia and Hydnophora. Of course the mushrooms don't care.

The only thing that worries me about them is their ability to multiply so fast.

I've been thinking of adding a fish (would be the first and only) lately - specifically a Red Scooter Dragonet. Wonder if their constant hunting and picking at the microlife on rocks would eliminate a significant number of the vermitids befer they can mature into spikes?

Tatu: I just don't want to have to worry about getting hand-stabbed every time I reach near a rock in the tank. There's not really any other reason I'm worried....I'm sure they'd do a bang up job at keeping the water clearer.

Thanks for any further thoughts!

-Matt

 

[mcarroll]

mscarpena: Unfortunately there's no mystery as to why they're multiplying...I feed my corals often and even with target feeding the vermitids benefit (see post above). I frequently broadcast feed as well though and have no plans to change the feeding regiment just for the snails. Will be happy if I can get some type of natural control on them, but it's not the end of the world if I don't.

Here's hoping!

-Matt

 

[tatuvaaj]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15295749#post15295749 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mcarroll
Tatu: I just don't want to have to worry about getting hand-stabbed every time I reach near a rock in the tank. There's not really any other reason I'm worried....I'm sure they'd do a bang up job at keeping the water clearer.

Matt,

I must have been stabbed hundreds of times by them I just try to promote as much life on my live rocks as possible so I try to learn to be more careful when working inside tank… I must admit I seem to be a slow learner

 

[mcarroll]

For posterity...

I did add a Six-line wrasse a few months back on the hopes that he'd prey on at least some of the baby vermitids while they're mobile, before they set shell.

I later found out that the baby vermitids (live, no eggs) usually leave mom's shell under cover at night - while the wrasse is asleep. It's a good thing the wrasse has other beneficial purposes and is a cool fish anyway! LOL

Since Peppermint Shrimp are noted for being at least somewhat (if not fully) noctural and I'd been thinking about adding them for a while, I added a trio of them a few weeks ago.

Although they too have other beneficial purposes and are cool in their own right, I have not been able to notice a difference so far in the population or spread of vermitids. At only "weeks" it could be too soon to pass judgement, so I'm not ready to give up or make any further changes.

One interesting thing I have noted regarding the peppermints vs. the vermitids is that the peppermints seem to like to get the "goods" from their slime webs if there's anything worth getting. Unfortunately the peppermints don't really spend a whole lot of time doing this, at least that I witness, so I'm assuming there will be little to no impact on the population or spread of the snails.

I am considering giving the vermitids - filter feeders that they are - a little competition for food in one or more Porcelain crabs. (Didn't know these guys are really a type of lobster and just look like a crab! Cool.)

Any feedback is apprectiated!
-Matt

 

[75pxatr]

vermitid

vermitid

Keep us posted. I have a huge infestation.