Free live rock has lots of vermetid snails... Opinion needed

[SomeHappyFish]

I'm starting another system and I wanted live rock to cycle the tank.
These were free 2 year old rocks but they have lots of pest snails... what do you think ?

Pictutes coming soon... The rocks are in buckets.


EDIT:
Got a free pistol and blue watchman out of it...

 

[TheReefAddict]

FWIW, my current tank is infested with them. They are the reason I just bought a new tank and all new rock. I plan on quarantining everything going forward. If you’re in Southern California you can have all my old rock.

 

[ReefingDreams]

It's VERY hard to avoid vermetids. That said, I wouldn't want to start at infestation levels. Or any level, for that matter.

 

[zuri]

fwi a simple Reef Flux/Blue Life kills them also works well with colonial hydroids

 

[SomeHappyFish]

I trashed the two main big rocks who were covered in vermetid snails.

The other smalls, well some rocks have a few others nothing on them...

Would it be safe to use the small rocks (4"x4") who doesn't have any snails on them to "skip" cycle the 30G Cube with my dry structure?

I'm currently in the process of trying to save the Pistol shrimp and Blue Watchman goby...

 

[sfin52]

Your going to end up with them regardless how you start. Same with aptasia.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I trashed the two main big rocks who were covered in vermetid snails.

The other smalls, well some rocks have a few others nothing on them...

Would it be safe to use the small rocks (4"x4") who doesn't have any snails on them to "skip" cycle the 30G Cube with my dry structure?

I'm currently in the process of trying to save the Pistol shrimp and Blue Watchman goby...

I see sponge. Bumble bee snails will help although slowly with vermetids

 

[SomeHappyFish]

I see sponge. Bumble bee snails will help although slowly with vermetids

Bad or good sponge lol

 

[vetteguy53081]

Bad or good sponge lol

While you can call it good, it can grow and spread leaving you with a choice to make. I choose to eliminate

 

[SomeHappyFish]

While you can call it good, it can grow and spread leaving you with a choice to make. I choose to eliminate

Lets use the picture with the sponge has an example, if remove the starfish, remove the sponge and kill any visible vermetid snails by hand. Would this piece of rock be considered "safe" to use ? Or I should just bite the bullet and start with dry rock, and a piece of filter sponge from my main tank.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Lets use the picture with the sponge has an example, if remove the starfish, remove the sponge and kill any visible vermetid snails by hand. Would this piece of rock be considered "safe" to use ? Or I should just bite the bullet and start with dry rock, and a piece of filter sponge from my main tank.

Safe to use, yes but do expect a stray hitchhiker that may re-emerge

 

[SomeHappyFish]

Safe to use, yes but do expect a stray hitchhiker that may re-emerge

Would you use the rock knowing what you know now ?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Would you use the rock knowing what you know now ?

Tiy can especially if its live rock. However, how do you plan to rid it of pests?

 

[VintageReefer]

I had a outbreak of those snails also they arent as bad as you think. Mine mostly stayed on the underside of rocks and shelves. Bumblebee snails eat them and took care of them for me

 

[SomeHappyFish]

I had a outbreak of those snails also they arent as bad as you think. Mine mostly stayed on the underside of rocks and shelves. Bumblebee snails eat them and took care of them for me

They always seem to be sold out where I live.

Tiy can especially if its live rock. However, how do you plan to rid it of pests?

tweezers, brush, super glue and I don't know what else. Any tips?

Well its "used for 2 years" dry rock with lots of coralline algae on it. Red and Pink.

 

[DangerDave]

I don't mind the little ones, it's the big ones I have an issue with. The webs they put out to feed are just to big, and annoy corals. The little ones just get overgrown by coral eventually. Btw, for that starfish I wouldn't worry. I've had them for years without issue. It's been reported that there are types that eat coral, but I've never experience them.

Either way, it's your reef so your call. If you can live with them, do it (I would physically mash the majority and put them in). You could always run those rocks in fresh water, or freshwater with citric acid for a bit. Should kill most everything. If you use citirc acid, don't let it soak for too many days, it'll mush up your rocks (Like a calcium reactor would).

Good luck!

 

[VintageReefer]

You can ask your LFS to order bumblebee snails in their next shipment and they probably can or you can order them online

They aren’t a high demand item so they probably just don’t order them

 

[EricR]

Pests aside, the rocks look pretty nice.
I wonder if there's a way to deal with that since you have it in a separate bin anyway.
I dunno -- low or high salinity,,, to preserve the bacteria but eliminate most of the pests?
*no idea but I kinda cringed when I saw that you "trashed two big rocks" without trying something first

 

[SomeHappyFish]

Pests aside, the rocks look pretty nice.
I wonder if there's a way to deal with that since you have it in a separate bin anyway.
I dunno -- low or high salinity,,, to preserve the bacteria but eliminate most of the pests?
*no idea but I kinda cringed when I saw that you "trashed two big rocks" without trying something first

The rock almost looked like a Porcupine, aint no way its going in my tank.

Its in a bag and it will be brushed and clean and bleached if I need it.

 

[EricR]

The rock almost looked like a Porcupine, aint no way its going in my tank.

Its in a bag and it will be brushed and clean and bleached if I need it.

Porcupine -- I get it,,, fair enough.
I think I still might've gone with cheap (separate) bin and full on death mode experiment underwater, after aggressively smashing as many prickly tubes as I could.
...just cause I feel like a lot of bacterial strains would be likely to survive conditions that would easily kill all inverts (like vermetids)

*I say that now but if same situation ever faces me, I also might not really bother