Vermetid Snail Reproduction? - moving from one tank to another.

[rhizo]

I have a pico jar that's been up and running for about a year. It's done very well, but some vermetid snails that came in on the live rock have become pretty established. They don't bother anything in the tank, and I'll be getting a bumblebee snail or two to take their population down a notch.

Just recently my wife and I started a 20Long build (build thread to come) and I want to move some of the sand, inverts, and corals from the jar to the 20Long but don't want the vermetid snails coming along. For the corals and inverts I plan on inspecting plugs and shells to scrape any that I find off, but I'm not sure about the sand. I was wondering how exactly vermetid snails reproduce and if even bringing a scoop of sand from the jar to the new tank is enough to introduce them. Advice appreciated!

 

[ying yang]

What ive read long ago from Google is they use their mucus nets they send out to feed and to reproduce,each snail has both set organs and one sends out ( cant remember correct name ) so let's say sperm hey then another snail catches it with the mucus net and draws it in and fertilises it.
If the ( sperm) can lay dormant or attach to sand or anything idk.
Probably best I try find a article lol

 

[ying yang]

The Detailed Guide to Vermetid Snails and Their Removal

One issue that comes up in an aquarium is the appearance of Vermetid Snails, you will want to check our guide to help you effectively deal with their removal.

www.fishkeepingworld.com

Here's one,first one that popped up in Google search,just read number 4 again and says males and females,sure I read got both organs but need another snail to fertilise as cant fertilise themselves but maybe remember wrongly ( more than likely ) but read a few to see if all say same ^_^

Good luck with move

 

[ying yang]

Vermetid snails Profile. How to remove them - Shrimp and Snail Breeder

Vermetid snails: that they are, how they get in our tanks, what they can do to the reef tanks and, how to remove them from the tanks.

aquariumbreeder.com

Says settlement usually occurs within a day but they can postpone for several days if want

 

[rhizo]

Thank you so much for the info! This is exactly what I was looking for. I think I will use the bumblebee snails to get the population in check before trying to move anything over.

I imagine "suitable substrate" would be rock and not sand? Moving over sand still risks transferring over young snails still looking for a spot to attach to. I wonder how long the young snails can survive without being attached to something!

 

[ying yang]

Thank you so much for the info! This is exactly what I was looking for. I think I will use the bumblebee snails to get the population in check before trying to move anything over.

I imagine "suitable substrate" would be rock and not sand? Moving over sand still risks transferring over young snails still looking for a spot to attach to. I wonder how long the young snails can survive without being attached to something!

Very much welcome and yeah suitable substrate would mean something solid that doesn't move.
I've never owned a pico jar reef but what I would off thought is that be same no matter the size off system and that's rinse your old sand thoroughly when transferring to a new tank.
Some dont do this and all is well but I've read alot that have big problems.
Yeah you will loose the beneficial organisms in the sand but if transferring rocks and corals,they will be on there and re-populate.
There's lots of threads on r2r on rinsing sand.
Maybe take a quick read and see what you think, can't harm having bit more Information.
But guess all depends how " dirty/gunked up " your existing sand is.

Also from what I've read alot on pico reefs,I've seen mentioned alot that on water changes are 100% and basically do full rip clean.
@brandon429 has pico jars/vases still I believe and one off starters off threads I was on about on rinsing sand when transferring tanks,maybe he can give you better insight on pros and cons and maybe knows some info on vermitteds and sand who knows.

Good luck and any pictures off this pico jar ?
Don't want set one up but they do amaze me with being so small ^_^

 

[rhizo]

Very much welcome and yeah suitable substrate would mean something solid that doesn't move.
I've never owned a pico jar reef but what I would off thought is that be same no matter the size off system and that's rinse your old sand thoroughly when transferring to a new tank.
Some dont do this and all is well but I've read alot that have big problems.
Yeah you will loose the beneficial organisms in the sand but if transferring rocks and corals,they will be on there and re-populate.
There's lots of threads on r2r on rinsing sand.
Maybe take a quick read and see what you think, can't harm having bit more Information.
But guess all depends how " dirty/gunked up " your existing sand is.

Also from what I've read alot on pico reefs,I've seen mentioned alot that on water changes are 100% and basically do full rip clean.
@brandon429 has pico jars/vases still I believe and one off starters off threads I was on about on rinsing sand when transferring tanks,maybe he can give you better insight on pros and cons and maybe knows some info on vermitteds and sand who knows.

Good luck and any pictures off this pico jar ?
Don't want set one up but they do amaze me with being so small ^_^

I'll have to read through the articles on rinsing sand. My hope was to bring some bacteria and pods along to the new tank with just a scoop of the sand, but with the risk of the vermetids I may just say not do it. I do plan to keep the pico up and running too. We may move it from a jar to a similar sized cube sometime next year though. My wife doesn't like the curvature of the glass on the jar. Here are some pictures! I'm trying to become more active on the site so I was going to do a write-up on it in the nano tank forum.

I'm a big fan of KISS for this thing, and I've only ever tested salinity on it, no other parameters. I do a 100% water change every 1-3 weeks depending on how stuff looks. I think I've let it go over a month without a change before and it did okay too. It runs on a crappy aqueon reef light and aquarium pump. I used to have a heater on it, but it broke so I don't even heat it anymore actually. It sits around 73-76 most days and does fine with it. Seems pretty healthy! I target feed mysis to the corals and the hermit when I feel like it.

1 sexy shrimp
1 blue leg hermit crab
5 rock flowers
1 duncan (started as 1 head)
1 acan (started as 1 head)
1 goni
1 xenia
1 GSP
2 random zoa frags
some macro algae that I regret putting in.
tons of pods and brine shrimp and other tiny guys

 

[ying yang]

Thanks for photos,especially like the rock flowers,when I finally get around to going to lfs again,will pick one or 2 up if they have some which sure they should have ^_^

 

[rhizo]

Thanks for photos,especially like the rock flowers,when I finally get around to going to lfs again,will pick one or 2 up if they have some which sure they should have ^_^

I'm a big fan of the rock flowers. One came in as a hitch hiker on the live rock when we set it up, and we just had to get more. The most colorful one isn't really visible in the pictures above. They've really found ways to dig themselves into the rock work. They must be happy because I've seen them spawn about 3 times over the last year!

 

[Rick's Reviews]

If you are transferring/using the rocks from your old aquarium to new then I think you will be transferring the same problem in regards to vermited snails into your new system/ aquarium.

As hard as you try to remove beforehand with scrubbing/glueing etc, you will not remove all and I'm sure these will eventually will grow back eventually.

'just my thoughts'
.

 

[rhizo]

If you are transferring/using the rocks from your old aquarium to new then I think you will be transferring the same problem in regards to vermited snails into your new system/ aquarium.

As hard as you try to remove beforehand with scrubbing/glueing etc, you will not remove all and I'm sure these will eventually will grow back eventually.

'just my thoughts'
.

Oh definitely. There’s way too many on my rock to even consider moving them over. I could spend days looking in all the crevices and not get them all!
I was hoping to transfer over a scoop of sand, but looking at how they reproduce I don’t even think I feel comfortable with that knowing juveniles could be in there waiting to find a rock.

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Oh definitely. There’s way too many on my rock to even consider moving them over. I could spend days looking in all the crevices and not get them all!
I was hoping to transfer over a scoop of sand, but looking at how they reproduce I don’t even think I feel comfortable with that knowing juveniles could be in there waiting to find a rock.

Yes, I agree.
Good luck though