This is a discussion board, so how about it.
Thoughts?
This is a discussion board, so how about it.
Thoughts?
I know some people think they’re pests, but it never got out of control for me to be call pests, like those pictured in reefbuilders. I have several small ones in my tank now and they do shoot web of filliment to capture food, they love it when I stir up the sand. Maybe if they are larger size they might be pests, like the one that was in Paul’s tank. If it gets to that point I think I would just pluck them off the rocks and ditch them.
I’ve inherited all of Paul’s (Moliken) Vermetids when I purchased his LR. They’re multiplying pretty rapidly and growing out their snake like homes pretty quick. So to me, they’re pests. They’re also pretty ugly.
Current plan is when my DIY LR fully cures and I jump in to do some final aquascape i’ll be hunting as many of them as I can down and removing them…hopefully knocking them back a few years as I’m sure its impossible to get them all.
In my opinion I think it appears as if Jake is saying throw crabs in your tank to handle Vermetid snails. Sure the read should add some of their own experience and do a little more research and not just run into any LFS and buy one of each crab they have. But most “Crabs” will do a LOT more harm they any vermetid.
If you are worried about the growth rates in a coral propagation system for example and you add what is the perfect species hermit crab that will never eat a single coral polyp or damage any flesh. Such an animal may not exist as they are all opportunistic, but lets just say there is to simplify things. If the snails reduced the population of vermetids by 99%.(as I agree with Faralon it would be almost impossible to get them all)
Here is where you traded one issue for another. The crabs will have to walk on the coral. The crabs body will shade that part of the coral as it does and likely 60-100% of the polyps will retract when the crab is walking on it. When the polyps are retracted they are 95% less likely to capture food, and receive 40% less light.(huge guesstimate)
So the net increase in growth rate is? I would venture to guess the growth rates would slow.
The article also shows images of very large vermetids which in my opinion are not very likely to reproduce in mass numbers in the aquarium.
I think for now I will continue with what I currently do. If one happens to be out in the open and easy to get to when I am working on the tank and have some free time I may smash it. I don’t believe it would be worth the time to completely eradicate them. I still hold that my aquariums both display and propagation are 100% pest free. If I somehow crushed all of these snails with out bothering any other animal or bacteria in the tank I may have a .05% growth rate increase, but that isn’t going to happen.
Oh Vermetidae is a fairly diverse family. Stating that Vermetids bother corals is like stating angelfish will not bother corals. 2% of angelfish may not bother corals, but 98% likely will at some point during their life. It is possible 2% of Vermetids bother corals significantly and 98% don’t… (random massive guesstimated opinionated numbers)
I’m getting these snails now too. A few do spin the web and they are ugly. My question is if you cut them off will the worm still live? Or do you kill it when you cut it? I figured if you cut it off with coral cutters it would just float somewhere else and grow
That is indeed a very good question. I have cut some off or rocks when I have cutters already in hand, but typically I just smush them with my finger, a rock, or up against the glass. I will say a couple of times when I’ve gone at them with my finger the shell has ended up embedded in my skin…
My theory has always been if you squish them enough they are not coming back, but cutting off may be enough or it could be that neither will make a difference.(they’ll still live) It has to take some time and energy to make such a hard shell so if nothing else we’re slowing them down and reducing the odds they’ll reproduce any time soon.(I think…)