Any known predators for Vermetid snails?

[Jaffo_botz]

Hi Dr....
I've read your articles on Vermitid snails. specificly the one at: http://www.aquarium.net/0897/0897_8.shtml

These are a 'plague' in my tank (my cut-up hands are proof)...as well as periodic 'scratches' my fish show up with.

Any known predators that would be safe introductions to a captive tank? Or is manual removal the only way.

I literally have to clean the glass of my tank weekly to rub off the 'babies' that have adhered.

Thanks in advance....

[rshimek]

Hi,

I don't specifically know of any natural predators.

Now that having been said, I have a copper band butterfly fish in my lagoonal reef to control Aiptasia. In addition to eating the anemones, feather duster worms, and sensory tentacles of the grazing snails, this fish appears to nip at the small vermetids that are common in the tank. It doesn't get them all, by any means - but has kept the population at a much lower level than it was previously.

Some crabs and perhaps larger hermit crabs should also eat them, but I suspect the same crabs would have a generalized desire to eat all snails, so's your other snails might be at risk. However, I don't know of any data specifically saying that one crab or the other actually does this.

[sculpin]

Oddly enough, I just found a 0.5 cm vermetid in my tank the other day. I couldn't figure out what coral was producing all that slime until I saw it reeled in. Pretty neat little guy.

[Jaffo_botz]

Thanks for the response Ron.

There is no way I could intro a copperband to my tank to even see if it would help (due to tankmates)...but it is good to know nevertheless that they have a potential appetite.

Sculpin: I thought they were cool too initially....then they took over... :(