Help me out here.

[tim the toolman]

So I am having issues with vermetted snails all over my rock and it has started to effect the happiness of my corals and the like. I am considering pulling all the live rock out of my tank and scrubbing the buggers off and giving the rock a quick rinse.
My question is. Does this help or hurt my system
Will I get a new cycle from removing the rock and giving it a scrub/rinse
Am I going to stress my fish out way too much. (I will remove the rock in sections not all at once)
I am already started at this so any help asap would be appreciated

[Proteus]

Take a chisel and break them Off at the base. Or fill syringe with boiling water and squeeze into tube

[Proteus]

You have peppermint shrimp

[tim the toolman]

I have peppermints but they don't touch em
Were talking about several thousand of these buggers on like 200+ lbs of live rock

[tim the toolman]

I just want to know if pulling my live rock out for a scrubbing will make my tank re cycle

[reefwars]

I just want to know if pulling my live rock out for a scrubbing will make my tank re cycle


no it wont if its not out of water long, just keep a bucket or 2 of tank water to dunk and rinse it in:):)


however scrubbing them isnt going to do it they need to be broke at the base as they retract into there sells:)

[reefwars]

i epoxy mine in, feeding less goes a long way as does keeping your liverock debris free, the less amount of stuff in the water column for them to feed the better:)

[tim the toolman]

Thanks for the response. I am trying to get the base of them as best I can with a knife. Then I am using a brush to scrub them dead. Then a quick rinse and on to the next piece. I even boiled a piece that was too porous to get inside of

[Proteus]

The Boiled piece needs to be cured again. But I feed only every other day and blow off rocks twice a week mine have since dissapered for the most part

[MrGoodbytes]

You really have to plug up the tube with something. If you break it they can simply regenerate their tube. It might be tedious given the amount of rock you have and you probably won't get them all at once, but a little ball of putty or superglue gel on each one you find will probably be better for everyone (you, fish, bacteria).

[subman]

I was just researching them as I saw a couple (only 2 lol) in my tank and read some people had CBB and six lines eat them but no real consensus on their effectiveness.

[whatcaneyedo]

They grow all over my rock and the coral in my tank just encrust over top of them without showing any signs of irritation. I've probably got 5-10 of them for every square inch of exposed live rock so I'm honestly having a hard time believing that this is a real problem for you.

[tim the toolman]

Why do the boiled ones need to be re cycled. I just dipped them quickly in a boiling vat

[subman]

Why do the boiled ones need to be re cycled. I just dipped them quickly in a boiling vat

because the boiling water killed most of the beneficial Bactria

[tim the toolman]

They grow all over my rock and the coral in my tank just encrust over top of them without showing any signs of irritation. I've probably got 5-10 of them for every square inch of exposed live rock so I'm honestly having a hard time believing that this is a real problem for you.

I'm talking more about my Lps, anemone, and acans, which all show signs of irritation and stay closed almost all the time since they have started growing amongst them. Also they are into my frogspawn quite a lot which is keeping it about 50% closed up all the time. Though I do appreciate you not adding anything helpful to this thread, as I am stopping to read posts while I scrape my rock free of thousands of them. There is also documented cases of them over filtering the tank resulting in the death of some of my more desired filter feeders such as my cucumber

[whatcaneyedo]

There is a sebae anemone, 4 acans, 1 frogspawn, 1 hammer, 1 caulastrea, 3 trachyphyllia, 2 elegance, 1 lobophyllia, 3 chalice, 1 duncan, 1 platygyra and a tiger tail cucumber in my tank. All of these have been in there for 3-8 years growing amount the vermetid without incident. Could you provide a reference or link to the cases that you're talking about? Or even some pictures of what you are talking about in your own tank? What species of holothuroid do you have? I thought you bought a tiger tail but those aren't filter feeders.

[tim the toolman]

Yes I bought a tiger tail last week. But I had a large pink filter feeding cucumber in my system for quite some time. I will try and find a reference to the cuke dying off as I have read through piles of info over the last week or so. Also I am not interested in comparing notes as I do not have to convince you that I am having issues with them. I am about half way through the removal of them which I'm sure won't rid me of them entirely but it should make it easier to starve them out now.

[tim the toolman]

This also concerns me.

violet. The animal forms a small, calcareous shell mound and then sends up a short, three to five millimeter long, vertical stalk. The upper edge of this tube may be razor sharp, and may inflict rather nasty cuts. 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).

From http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rs/index.php

[tim the toolman]

Vermetid Snail
Image: Classification: Comments: Status:
Vermetidae This group of snails have forgone their mobility by attaching their "shell" to the substrate and converting it into a calcerous tube. They release a mucus web out into the water, which they then reel back in and consume, eating the food particles caught in it. Their presence is a sign of a healthy system and don't typically cause any problems. The exception is if the mucus net irritates a neighbouring coral, which can lead to death of the polyps that it is irritating.
Fromhttp://www.masa.asn.au/masawiki/index.php/Hitchhikers_Guide_to_the_Reef_Tank

[reefwars]

A six line wont touch them , there is however a wrasse that is supposed to can't remember the name.

[naesco]

So I am having issues with vermetted snails all over my rock and it has started to effect the happiness of my corals and the like. I am considering pulling all the live rock out of my tank and scrubbing the buggers off and giving the rock a quick rinse.
My question is. Does this help or hurt my system
Will I get a new cycle from removing the rock and giving it a scrub/rinse
Am I going to stress my fish out way too much. (I will remove the rock in sections not all at once)
I am already started at this so any help asap would be appreciated

I would remove them by hand near the corals that are effective.

Removal of the rock risks damaging the other critters on the rock which are beneficial.
In addition, you will risk stressing out the fish too much.
The more you stick your hands in the tank and the more disruption the higher risk of creating serious conditions.

Wayne

[tim the toolman]

Yah I got about half way through and called it quits. Too much stress and disruption.