Vermetid snails

Diana A · 04/09/2019, 07:18 AM

Purchased 4 large live rocks for my upgrade. There are too many vermetid snails on it to pop off or glue. Will a soak in RODI water

kill them? If yes, how long of a soak is good enough?

Thanks so much!

pisanoal · 04/09/2019, 09:35 AM

Are you wanting to keep them live? Im not sure anything you could do that would keep the rocks "live" would kill vermetids. Soak in 10:1 muriatic acid if you want to be sure.

48 hour freshwater soak might do it. Never tried anything other than acid though. Benefit to acid is the shells are gone too.

2000se · 04/09/2019, 10:59 AM

Don’t put those rocks anywhere near your main tank! I got one frag with few on it. I thought I removed every one of them. Nope! They took over. Was so p-sed off. Ended up breaking the tank down to do a full clean. IMO, I would do the acid bath or maybe a long term chlorine soak followed by a good sun dry. Personally I thinking of trying “cleaning vinegar” at 30% strength. That seems to be a fairly high acid content. This might be a tad safer than the Muriatic Acid.

Live rock or not I don’t care. I’m not putting vermatid snails in. I’ll nuke the rock before.

Diana A · 04/09/2019, 12:13 PM

I have a tank full of Reef Ready rocks that are 6 years old. Those rocks came directly from the manufacturer which was pest free. I am upgrading and needed more rocks. LFS has them in his tank. I took 4 large ones. Those went into my QT as all things alive do two weeks ago. No pests were visible. Well there are approximately 40 Vermetid snails on each now. Too many to burn with a lighter, and the possibility i could miss one. I was hoping hoping plain water would kill them all. Guess I will be pulling out the chemicals.

Thanks!

2000se · 04/10/2019, 08:42 AM

I just did an experiment and regular vinegar (5%) doesn’t even touch the rock. It bubbles a little but no real results. I even left the rock in there over night. Notta.

However I took a piece of plastic out of the tank and soaked overnight in the same strength vinegar and the shells of the snails dissolved totally. I would guess once dried the snails would die.

Plastic, vinegar works ok. Especially after drying.
Rock, wouldn’t trust it.

pisanoal · 04/10/2019, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2000se

I just did an experiment and regular vinegar (5%) doesn’t even touch the rock. It bubbles a little but no real results. I even left the rock in there over night. Notta.

However I took a piece of plastic out of the tank and soaked overnight in the same strength vinegar and the shells of the snails dissolved totally. I would guess once dried the snails would die.

Plastic, vinegar works ok. Especially after drying.
Rock, wouldn’t trust it.

Yeah, the loe acidity of the vinegar gets consumed too quickly. The rock and vermetids snail shells are both carbonate based.

That said, a 24hr vinegar soak will kill the vermetids if that's all you are after, shells may remain. Muriatic will ensure you never knew they were there.

Hypothetically, if you were quick, you might even be able to maintain some live bacteria on the interior by doing a quick 15-30 second dip in pure or 1:1 muriatic. Then a
Into fresh saltwater to soak. Just wear gloves and goggles and don't splash it.

And yes, a simple air dry will kill them. Just not 100% positive on time. I'd probably do at least 48 hrs to be safe.

04/09/2019, 07:18 AM	#1
Diana A Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: New Jersey Posts: 682	Vermetid snails Purchased 4 large live rocks for my upgrade. There are too many vermetid snails on it to pop off or glue. Will a soak in RODI water kill them? If yes, how long of a soak is good enough? Thanks so much! __________________ diana

04/09/2019, 09:35 AM	#2
pisanoal Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 705	Are you wanting to keep them live? Im not sure anything you could do that would keep the rocks "live" would kill vermetids. Soak in 10:1 muriatic acid if you want to be sure. 48 hour freshwater soak might do it. Never tried anything other than acid though. Benefit to acid is the shells are gone too. __________________ Tony

04/09/2019, 12:13 PM	#4
Diana A Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: New Jersey Posts: 682	I have a tank full of Reef Ready rocks that are 6 years old. Those rocks came directly from the manufacturer which was pest free. I am upgrading and needed more rocks. LFS has them in his tank. I took 4 large ones. Those went into my QT as all things alive do two weeks ago. No pests were visible. Well there are approximately 40 Vermetid snails on each now. Too many to burn with a lighter, and the possibility i could miss one. I was hoping hoping plain water would kill them all. Guess I will be pulling out the chemicals. Thanks! __________________ diana

04/09/2019, 10:59 AM	#3
2000se Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: charlotte Posts: 532	Don’t put those rocks anywhere near your main tank! I got one frag with few on it. I thought I removed every one of them. Nope! They took over. Was so p-sed off. Ended up breaking the tank down to do a full clean. IMO, I would do the acid bath or maybe a long term chlorine soak followed by a good sun dry. Personally I thinking of trying “cleaning vinegar” at 30% strength. That seems to be a fairly high acid content. This might be a tad safer than the Muriatic Acid. Live rock or not I don’t care. I’m not putting vermatid snails in. I’ll nuke the rock before.

04/10/2019, 08:42 AM	#5
2000se Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: charlotte Posts: 532	I just did an experiment and regular vinegar (5%) doesn’t even touch the rock. It bubbles a little but no real results. I even left the rock in there over night. Notta. However I took a piece of plastic out of the tank and soaked overnight in the same strength vinegar and the shells of the snails dissolved totally. I would guess once dried the snails would die. Plastic, vinegar works ok. Especially after drying. Rock, wouldn’t trust it.