Evil Snails

pco1988

Member
Well I am not such a newbie but have a question I need solved quickly so no more happens.
I have the tiny little white sps and zoo eating snails. They are ALL OVER my tank and don't know how to get rid of them. I have lots of sps and my whole entire zoo collection in the tank, and no place to relocate the collection.
Maybe I can buy a snail eating fish, invert, whatever and return it to the store when I am done. Please HELP me!!!!!
Philip
 

sea horse

Member
When I had zoo eating snails I just picked them of with tweezers and got rid of them. (I only had two snails though!) That might be difficult with a whole tank full of them! :scared:
 

pco1988

Member
Originally Posted by promisetbg
What size tank?
120 gal
Originally Posted by sea horse

When I had zoo eating snails I just picked them of with tweezers and got rid of them. (I only had two snails though!) That might be difficult with a whole tank full of them!
The tank is FULL of them.

Philip
 

pco1988

Member
Originally Posted by Bang Guy
I'm not familiar with a white coral eating snail. Do you have a pic? Have you actually seen damage?
No they are too small for me to get a pic. I do not have a good enough micro nikon lens to get a pic. Yes, I have seen a LOT of damage!
They have killed a orange cap, red digi, and a purple cap.
Can someone help?

Philip
 

promisetbg

Active Member
You are talking about montipora eating nudibranchs..hmm never personally had the problem. I can look up what you need to do if you like.
 

promisetbg

Active Member
Just looking quick I found this..it's a start:
A more recent nudibranch pest that affects SPS coral aquariums has recently become prevalent, and prefers to consume corals of the genus Montipora and Anacropora. These nudibranch are very small, attaining a maximum size only up to half of a centimeter, are pale white to tan in color, and have many branch-like appendages along their back. They are very damaging pests in a reef aquarium that can multiply and consume corals in a very short period of time.
Symptoms and signs: Corals that become infected with these pests will begin to show white spots where the nudibranchs have eaten away the tissue of the coral. The most vulnerable seem to be Montipora capricornis, also known as vase corals, as well as Montipora digitata, the branching form. Many times the nudibranch will begin feeding on the underside of the coral, and it will not become apparent to the hobbyist that the coral is being damaged until it can be seen in plain view on the top of the colony.
Treatment: Controlling outbreaks of these pests is difficult, and several different techniques are being experimented with. Removal of these pest is often performed manually with tweezers.
Natural predators of the nudibranch are butterflyfish of the Chaetodon genus, wrasse of the genus Thalassoma and Coris. Two species of Butterflyfish fish in particular that have been noted as being efficient predators are: Chaetodon semilarvatus, the Red Sea Butterfly and Chaetodon auriga, the Thread Fin Butterfly. Be advised that these fish will also consume worms, such as feather dusters and those that inhabit live sand beds in the reef aquarium.
Chemical techniques have been used also, yielding varying results. Iodine dips using a concentrated Lugol's and aquarium water mixture will kill the nudibranch, but seems to have a limited success rate on the eggs. Another chemical called Levamisol has been used with a good deal of success. However, the development of this treatment along with specific dosages and treatment lengths, are in preliminary stages, and this medication is only available with a prescription from a licensed Veterinarian.
The problem that exists with chemical dips is that it will only kill the nudibranchs that are on the colony and the rock that the coral is attached to when treated. This nudibranch has been found to lay eggs within the rockwork of the aquarium, as well as on other coral colonies. Therefore, just treating the colony and its associated rock will not solve the problem. One answer to this is to remove all colonies of Montipora and Anacropora to a separate containment system for a few months, and to repeatedly treat the corals and its associated rock with an iodine dip. This will ensure that the nudibranch within the display aquarium are eradicated due to starvation. Also, you will be able to monitor the health of the infected colonies with greater ease in the smaller system.
 

promisetbg

Active Member
Research, saved info & articles,search engines{google} , Books,
. I love this stuff..live for it..so I absorb it like a sponge.
 

fishguy84

Member
You might want to look into getting a six lined wrasse... if there isn't anything else in there for him to get into trouble with. I've got a fireworm infestation, and that's about the only thing that really looks like it's going to work.
 
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