🐚 Vermetid Snails

Vermetid snails are sessile (non-moving) snails that build irregular, worm-like tubes on rocks and coral skeletons. They capture food by casting sticky mucus nets into the water column. While a few are harmless, large populations can irritate corals with their mucus strings and compete for food and space.

📋 Quick Facts

🔍 Identification

Vermetid snails have distinctive characteristics:

• Irregular tubes - White, tan, or pink worm-like tubes
• Mucus nets - Cast sticky strings to catch food particles
• Cemented in place - Don't move once settled
• Tube opening - Small round opening where snail lives
• Found on hard surfaces - Rocks, coral bases, glass
• Cluster growth - Often found in groups

Often Confused With

• Serpulid worms - Feather duster tubes (beneficial)
• Spirorbid worms - Tiny coiled tubes (harmless)
• Tube anemones - Soft, flexible tubes

⚠️ Why They're Problematic

• Mucus irritation - Sticky nets land on and irritate corals
• Coral tissue damage - Prolonged contact causes tissue recession
• Food competition - Intercept food meant for corals
• Unsightly appearance - Tubes and mucus detract from aesthetics
• Rapid reproduction - Can quickly colonize tank
• Grow on corals - Can embed in coral skeleton

💊 Treatment Options

1. Manual Removal

Most effective method:

• Use bone cutters or needle-nose pliers
• Crush the tube at the opening
• Or physically break off the tube
• Superglue over opening to seal
• Best done outside tank for thorough removal
• Check frag plugs carefully

2. Superglue Method

• Apply gel superglue directly over tube opening
• Seals snail inside, preventing feeding
• Snail dies within days
• Works well for tubes on coral or glass
• Reef-safe cyanoacrylate glue

3. Coral Dipping

• Won't kill snails but may help identify them
• Snails retract during dip, revealing tube locations
• Remove tubes while coral is out of tank

4. Natural Predators

Limited options but some fish may help:

• Bumblebee snails - Reported to eat vermetids
• Some wrasses - May pick at exposed snails
• Yellow Coris Wrasse - Occasionally eats them
• No reliable biological control exists

🛡️ Prevention

• Inspect coral frags - Check bases and plugs carefully
• Remove before adding - Crush visible tubes on new additions
• Quarantine corals - Observe for snail activity
• Check live rock - Inspect before adding to display
• Act early - Remove when spotted before spreading

❌ Common Mistakes

• Ignoring small populations (they multiply)
• Not checking coral frag plugs
• Incomplete removal leaving snail alive
• Blaming coral stress on other factors

📚 Summary

Vermetid snails are a nuisance pest that's best controlled through vigilant manual removal. While they won't devastate a tank, their mucus nets irritate corals and their tubes are unsightly. The superglue method is effective for sealing them in place. Prevention through inspection of new additions is the best long-term strategy. Unlike many pests, there's no reliable biological control, so manual intervention is necessary.