How many limpets is too many?

deanerk

deanerk

Member
It was probably about 6 months ago when I started to notice a few limpets in my tank clinging to the glass near my powerheads and at the sand line. Now I'm guessing there are close to a hundred in my 37gal. They're not unsightly or anything. Their presence is just more obvious now. I've heard that they like to munch on coraline, but I'm not at all concerned about my coraline growth. My rock is nice and purple and some grows on the glass as well. So, do I need to be concerned about controlling their population? Can they become a nuisance? Any experiences?

As always, thanks in advance for any advice. :)
 
Curtswearing

Curtswearing

Active Member
Yes Dean,
They are horrible for your tank. I will help get rid of your nuisance. I'm pm'ing my address. :) :) :)

Several species of limpits are not good if you have an acrylic tank because they can chew right into the acrylic. They can have an impact on coralline algae but I don't really care too much about that.

Here's an interesting article. >>Grazing Snails<<
 
deanerk

deanerk

Member
Essmaker and wooddood, you are welcome hitchhikers. :)

Thanks for the link curt! You're making me a bit nervous now. They haven't really bothered my softies or polyps that I can tell and I don't think they've made any kind of a dent in my coraline. I'm not really sure which variety of limpet they are. I'll have to get a better look tonight when i get back home. Have you had a bad experience with them? I don't want to let them get out of control, so I guess I'll start pulling them out as I clean my glass and powerheads.

Anyone else have any advice or experience with them? Anyone have them get out of control? I'm a little frightened with the rate at which they reproduce.
 
Curtswearing

Curtswearing

Active Member
Even though the article mentions it, I have never seen them touch corals. In fact, I have never had any problems one way nor the other.

There are some species that are huge and look like footballs. I would just monitor yours and see what they are eating. A lot of them only eat algae and are great at it.
 
Craig Manoukian

Craig Manoukian

Well-Known Member
Deanerk,

I've got about 50 to 100 of these that came in my Caribbean LR. They are excellent algae grazers and never have bothered anything. They started as babies, but in two years the largest is no bigger in diameter than a quarter. Here is a picture that reefrunner posted and this is the identical species to what I have in my tank. HTH

9limpet.jpg


:) :D ;) :cool: :smirk:
 
deanerk

deanerk

Member
Yeah, I wouldn't say they are significant algae eaters in my tank, but they are kinda nice for removing it on the glass at the sand line and where my LR is near the glass and difficult to clean. The biggest ones I've seen are about half the size of my pinky fingernail. I didn't realize they got any bigger than that. Guess I'll monitor the situation and keep their population in check for now.
 
deanerk

deanerk

Member
Cool! Thanks for the response Craig. I'm amazed that a very young board like this already has such great reference sources! Hopefully this thread will now become a good resource. Thanks guys!
 
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