Any Snail Eating Fish?

[jonboyb]

I have about 4 billion micro snails running around the glass in my cube. Is there a reef safe fish that likes to eat these buggers?

 

[ericmcj31]

are they snails or flatworms?? I was advised earlier if it was flatworms, that a milaranus (~spelling) would be excellent

 

[jonboyb]

Nope, tiny snails. About 33% Stomatella Varias, 33% tiny Sundials, and what appears to be 33% Trochus or similar. The final 1% is undetermined:thumbs:

And the 4 billion statement is only a SLIGHT exaggeration. I've spent countless hours picking them out, but it's a losing battle and they continue to increase. Most are maybe 1mm or so.

 

[FutureInterest]

How big is the cube?

 

[ericmcj31]

why do you want to get rid of them?? they're beneficial

 

[jonboyb]

It's a 28 cube. I have lots of snails that were purchased to clean my tank. THere are so many of these free-bees on the glass my tank is embarrasing.

ANd it's not sundials. It's the other one that looks like them but doesn't munch zoas.

 

[jonboyb]

Collinista snails.....I knew I'd remember eventually...LOL.

 

[FutureInterest]

Several wrasses will destroy em for yah if you like. I could recommend some for you... but I would instead urge you to grow em out. Most snails we have in our tanks are planktonic as larvae so its not common for them to grow to maturity. You could trade em for frags or whatever. I'd be willing to trade some nice frags for a mere hundred or so .

Edit:
Collonistas are not planktonic though. I've got a few million as well . They don't come out during the day though as the 16 wrasses snack on em when they see em.

 

[todd03blown]

are flatworms bad for your tank? I ask because I saw one the other night gliding on my rocks and have no clue.

 

[ericmcj31]

sapposedly no, as long as they'r enot where a coral is/taking light from a particluar coral. I am no expert, I just got filled in on them the other day-so I'm sure some others have input-and I'm sure that some of them are bad, mine aren't, they're kinda beneficial

 

[FutureInterest]

There are a few different types of flatworms in our tanks. The clearish ones are predatory and feed on microfauna like pods. The rusty-red colored ones are photosynthetic I believe and don't hurt anything but can grow to plague proportions and become a pest as they reproduce crazy fast.

 

[jonboyb]

Bring your tweezers...you can have as many as you like...no frags needed

I wouldn't mind rearing them, but in a 28 there's just no way to support this many to adulthood. Honestly, any given time a 4"x4" square of glass could have 20+ on it. Not pretty

 

[todd03blown]

thanks guys - it was kind translucent/light grey color and about 3/4" long. I will keep my eye open for it.

 

[jonboyb]

So Jin, give me the low down on reef safe, 30 gallon wrasses. Would just the simple (and cheap) 6 Line eat snails?

 

[FutureInterest]

The 6line won't be large enough to eat the larger collonistas but it should be able to get the small ones or the larval versions pretty easily. That will help curb their population at least as the adults don't seem to live very long anyways.

Make sure that's your only wrasse though if you go with a 6line. I would also recommend a canary (yellow coris) to do the job especially if you need the bright yellow coloration.