- Joined
- Jun 6, 2014
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- 473
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- Location
- Huntsville, Alabama
I have been suffering through a massive vermetid worm infestation in my tank for the past year. It all started from one vermetid worm that sneaked in on a Monti frag. I have well over a hundred worm shells in my 65G and have tried everything to include gluing, forcep removal, reduced feeding, filefish, dog dewormer meds (Fenbendazole), etc. The dog meds and reduced feeding had the most successful impact but did not eradicate these pests for me. I think the population is down to around a dozen or more still living. However, this infestation all started from a single worm, and so I remain concerned if I don't eradicate this pest completely from my tank I will quickly be back in the same situation. I have seen the vermetid worms kill multiple Montis and Acros by covering them in their web, irritating the coral in spots at first and then killing the whole coral.
I am getting ready to tear down the tank and start it over again to get rid of these pests. However, I still have multiple healthy corals and a tankful of healthy fish. My current plan is to put some new live rock in my sump to gain a healthy bacteria population. Next, I would remove all existing live rock from my tank along with their vermetid worm population. Then I would nuke the existing live rock with hydrochloric or bleach and let it completely dry out with a thorough scrubbing to remove the worm population before replacing it back in the tank. Will this work? Can the vermetid worm go through a sump filter sock and infest my new rock in my sump? Any other strategies to make this work? Thank you!
I am getting ready to tear down the tank and start it over again to get rid of these pests. However, I still have multiple healthy corals and a tankful of healthy fish. My current plan is to put some new live rock in my sump to gain a healthy bacteria population. Next, I would remove all existing live rock from my tank along with their vermetid worm population. Then I would nuke the existing live rock with hydrochloric or bleach and let it completely dry out with a thorough scrubbing to remove the worm population before replacing it back in the tank. Will this work? Can the vermetid worm go through a sump filter sock and infest my new rock in my sump? Any other strategies to make this work? Thank you!