menaces that aren't such a big deal

Sk8r · 03/03/2007, 09:20 PM

Advanced aquarium keepers make a big fuss about certain items because we're a bit perfectionist. It's easy for the newbie who just has a little manifestation of the problem to panic on such info and assume his tank is doomed because he has an aiptasia.

So I thought I'd provide a little sense of perspective on some of the dreaded plagues.

Understand---in nature and in your tank, peculiar situations can cause a 'bloom' of a particular species, a racketing overpopulation that can be a threat because of 2 factors: 1. crowding other things out of the foodchain and 2. they were born together and may die off en masse, causing ammonia and nitrate. If you get a bloom of anything animal, stand by with carbon when it dies off.

Part I: Things that aren't as much threat as you might think:

1. aiptasia. I don't know about majano [the ball-tipped] anemones, but these are mostly a pest. A peppermint shrimp will reduce the numbers by eating the baby ones [that look like a grain of clear rice] and keep them in check. No, you don't want one touching your prize acropora, but a mushroom can fight back against them, and as long as you don't have a lot, heck, just set a specimen rock on the worst cluster and they'll be discouraged. Just don't panic unless they start gaining on you.

2. various worms. The one to watch is the eunice worm: it has four 'tentacles' on its head and looks pretty distinctive. Your ordinary bristleworms are not bad guys: they're good for the tank. That pretty well goes to the whole raft of worms that come and go in our tanks, peanut, spaghetti, the whole lot. All ok.

3. asterina starfish: I didn't like what I'd read about these guys, either, but all I've ever observed them do is nosh a bit of coralline. As long as they don't multiply bigtime, I'm just letting mine be.

4. various algaes. Most, an urchin or fish will eat...with a few notable exceptions that I would recommend against letting into your tank. 1. halimeda: a stony sort that nothing seems to eat. If it gets out of hand, it's a PITA. 2. caulerpa of any type: if it roots into your rockwork, it's hard to get it out, it reproduces from the tiniest fragment, it's toxic to most sea creatures [which is why not many creatures can eat it] and most that can eat it are too large for little tanks. There are a handful of others that are extremely tough to eradicate. In general, the ordinary cycle of hair to bubble to film algae and back again is innocuous. Macroalgaes are the ones that are a pest, in my own opinion, and I just don't let them in.

5. bacteria. Notably cyano. The red slime with bubbles in it. A little isn't going to hurt. It's a sign you need to radically increase the water movement in your tank, maybe even double it, plus keep sunlight away from your tank. This stuff helped pull the planet out of the Permian Extinction, reoxygenating the planet, but it's a PITA in our tanks. What it covers is not going to be stained: when you get rid of it, it will be as pristine as ever when the cyano goes away. Beware of chemical cures for this! A lot of new tanks will crash to soupy death during treatment, because it takes out good bacteria as well as bad. You're a lot better off treating the low-flow problem.

Part II: things that are a bigger PITA than you'd think:

1. mushrooms and buttons can multiply to plague proportions, and it's never the pricey ricordias that do it.

2. green star polyps and xenia: keep these numbers isolated on an 'island' rock that doesn't touch anything else: this can spread very wide.

3. cleaner shrimp, cleaner gobies: they're not an ich cure, and putting one into too small a tank may make your fish crazy, like a favorite dotty aunt who's obsessed with combing your hair---after a while, it hurts.

4. sandsifting gobies other than the yellow watchman: are way much for any tank under 50g, and that's pushing it. They move sand, all right, from under your rocks, and raise dust.

5. big fleshy invertebrates like cucumbers and anemones: if one of these dies in your tank, it's instantly foul and smells bad beyond belief: it's got to get out of there. If you own one of these, have carbon handy at all times. Note: some cucumbers can take out a tank with their poison when they demise. Sea apples are also not for a new tank or a small tank. They're like watery little hand grenades.

HTH.

cowboyswife · 03/03/2007, 09:30 PM

Sk8r, that was all very well said, and much needed info. Thanks for the post!!

03/03/2007, 09:20 PM	#1
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	menaces that aren't such a big deal Advanced aquarium keepers make a big fuss about certain items because we're a bit perfectionist. It's easy for the newbie who just has a little manifestation of the problem to panic on such info and assume his tank is doomed because he has an aiptasia. So I thought I'd provide a little sense of perspective on some of the dreaded plagues. Understand---in nature and in your tank, peculiar situations can cause a 'bloom' of a particular species, a racketing overpopulation that can be a threat because of 2 factors: 1. crowding other things out of the foodchain and 2. they were born together and may die off en masse, causing ammonia and nitrate. If you get a bloom of anything animal, stand by with carbon when it dies off. Part I: Things that aren't as much threat as you might think: 1. aiptasia. I don't know about majano [the ball-tipped] anemones, but these are mostly a pest. A peppermint shrimp will reduce the numbers by eating the baby ones [that look like a grain of clear rice] and keep them in check. No, you don't want one touching your prize acropora, but a mushroom can fight back against them, and as long as you don't have a lot, heck, just set a specimen rock on the worst cluster and they'll be discouraged. Just don't panic unless they start gaining on you. 2. various worms. The one to watch is the eunice worm: it has four 'tentacles' on its head and looks pretty distinctive. Your ordinary bristleworms are not bad guys: they're good for the tank. That pretty well goes to the whole raft of worms that come and go in our tanks, peanut, spaghetti, the whole lot. All ok. 3. asterina starfish: I didn't like what I'd read about these guys, either, but all I've ever observed them do is nosh a bit of coralline. As long as they don't multiply bigtime, I'm just letting mine be. 4. various algaes. Most, an urchin or fish will eat...with a few notable exceptions that I would recommend against letting into your tank. 1. halimeda: a stony sort that nothing seems to eat. If it gets out of hand, it's a PITA. 2. caulerpa of any type: if it roots into your rockwork, it's hard to get it out, it reproduces from the tiniest fragment, it's toxic to most sea creatures [which is why not many creatures can eat it] and most that can eat it are too large for little tanks. There are a handful of others that are extremely tough to eradicate. In general, the ordinary cycle of hair to bubble to film algae and back again is innocuous. Macroalgaes are the ones that are a pest, in my own opinion, and I just don't let them in. 5. bacteria. Notably cyano. The red slime with bubbles in it. A little isn't going to hurt. It's a sign you need to radically increase the water movement in your tank, maybe even double it, plus keep sunlight away from your tank. This stuff helped pull the planet out of the Permian Extinction, reoxygenating the planet, but it's a PITA in our tanks. What it covers is not going to be stained: when you get rid of it, it will be as pristine as ever when the cyano goes away. Beware of chemical cures for this! A lot of new tanks will crash to soupy death during treatment, because it takes out good bacteria as well as bad. You're a lot better off treating the low-flow problem. Part II: things that are a bigger PITA than you'd think: 1. mushrooms and buttons can multiply to plague proportions, and it's never the pricey ricordias that do it. 2. green star polyps and xenia: keep these numbers isolated on an 'island' rock that doesn't touch anything else: this can spread very wide. 3. cleaner shrimp, cleaner gobies: they're not an ich cure, and putting one into too small a tank may make your fish crazy, like a favorite dotty aunt who's obsessed with combing your hair---after a while, it hurts. 4. sandsifting gobies other than the yellow watchman: are way much for any tank under 50g, and that's pushing it. They move sand, all right, from under your rocks, and raise dust. 5. big fleshy invertebrates like cucumbers and anemones: if one of these dies in your tank, it's instantly foul and smells bad beyond belief: it's got to get out of there. If you own one of these, have carbon handy at all times. Note: some cucumbers can take out a tank with their poison when they demise. Sea apples are also not for a new tank or a small tank. They're like watery little hand grenades. HTH. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

03/03/2007, 09:30 PM	#2
cowboyswife Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Deltona FL Posts: 2,187	Sk8r, that was all very well said, and much needed info. Thanks for the post!! __________________ "The voice of the sea speaks to the soul." - Kate Chopin ~Becca Current Tank Info: Out of the hobby for the time being. But Im sticking around anyway!