limpet problem

[PTPuffers]

Hello I have a problem, I have chinaman's hat limpets taking over my tank. I was wondering if there is a safe way to get rid of then. They are eating away at my star polyps. I think they are also the reason I don't have zoo's any more, or Zenia. pretty much all my soft corals. they dont seem to bother the lps as they are all still thriving. Any suggestions on this would be great.

thanks in advance

Gary

 

[wrightme43]

Removal by hand.

 

[PTPuffers]

There are thousands of them, in places I cannot get.

 

[jlehigh]

It would seem to me limpets could make a tasty treat to a wrasse. You may be able to research the wrasse family and identify potential candidates that do well in captivity with preparred foods that also like sessil inverts like limpets..

 

[LarryB]

I thought limpets were harmless, and actually put a couple IN my tank on purpose. Should I get after them? I think they are kinda cool.

 

[wrightme43]

I have them and they do fine for me. If I were being over run with them I would remove what I could by hand for several days in a row, and go with JLEHIGH said finding a wrasse that would eat them. I would think though that it would be a short hop for the wrasse to start eating good sails and other inverts. Who knows.

 

[NaH2O]

It has been suggested in some reading I've done, that limpets may eat sponges and soft coral. My own personal experience with limpets, has not been negative. Other than manual removal, I'm not sure what will help rid them and be "reef safe". What size tank is this, and what are your inhabitants? I'll move this thread to Anthony's forum for his input...

 

[PTPuffers]

It is a 50 gal. tank. We have mushrooms, soft corals, cleaner shrimp and peppermint shrimp, along with fish and good snails. We were thinking of getting a small six line wrasse but we've seen them pick on shrimp at our lfs.