How to control barnacles

[Jeff_S]

The snails I added to my FO tank had barnacles on them. Now they are starting to cover everything in the tank. Is there anything that will control the spread of these critters. I do run a protein skimmer and a UV sterilizer. I assume they go thru some free swimming stage. Would a copper treatment kill them if I removed the snails first.

 

[chris_h]

I think barnacles are probaly filter feeders, so if you keep your water clean they should die.

 

[davelin315]

Once you add copper, you won't get it out. Don't ever add copper to anything that you will be keeping inverts in. You will be able to get it out of the water, but not out of the rocks. By the way, are you sure you have barnacles? I've never seen barnacles that lasted long or proliferated in a captive environment.

 

[SPC]

Barnacles spreading in an aquarium?

Steve

 

[lawndoctor]

They will starve and die. The barnacles that came with my live rock all gradually died within a couple of months. I was actually disappointed because they were cool to watch and they didn't hurt anything. In my boating days, we used to scrape barnacles off with a paint scraper. I'm not suggesting you take a paint scraper to your snails, but the barnacles can be removed if you want to go to the trouble. Come to think of it, after they die they won't just fall off. Their shells will still stick to whatever they were attached to, so if you really don't like them you might as well sterilize a paint scraper and go to work. Good luck.

 

[LINK]

I got a Galaxia at least 8 months ago that had 2 barnacles living on/in it. They have not multiplied nor have they died. They are very intresting to watch, and I quite enjoy them.

 

[Anonymous]

My thought exactly Tom. Either that or Vermitid snails

 

[Anonymous]

I think he's mistaking calcareous tube worms for barnacles.

 

[Anemone]

I, too, question barnacles reproducing in a home aquarium. We generally don't have enough planktonic food to even keep these critters alive long term (like more than a few months), much less have them reproduce and settle out.

Kevin

 

[Jeff_S]

If I can figure out how to post a picture of them I will add one. They do seem to have a slight spiral to them. Is that what the calcerous tube worms would look like? If so is there a good way to control their growth?

 

[esmithiii]

That is exactly what they look like (tube worms.) They are beneficial, but can be scraped off the glass with a razor scraper. I personally think they are cool looking, but try to keep them off the front glass.

E