Killing Live Rock

Mr. Fish · 09/26/2010, 06:25 PM

My live rock is covered in hair algae and aiptasia and if I try killing the aiptasia it just makes more of them. If I take my live rock out and put it in freshwater would that kill everything and could I add the rock back to my tank once the stuff was dead or would I have to cure it?

jonbry123 · 09/26/2010, 06:29 PM

if you're mainly concerned about the anemones try joes juice it works great unless their everywhere. If you put the live rock in water you will definitely kill all the beneficial bacteria as well. There are a number of animals that will eat the algae such as lawn mower blennies and sea hares are really great too.

Mr. Fish · 09/26/2010, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonbry123

if you're mainly concerned about the anemones try joes juice it works great unless their everywhere. If you put the live rock in water you will definitely kill all the beneficial bacteria as well. There are a number of animals that will eat the algae such as lawn mower blennies and sea hares are really great too.

They are all over the place and I used something similar to Joe's Juice and that's what caused the massive amounts; maybe I have a super strong kind of aiptasia. My tank is over 5 years old, so its got a lot of good bacteria in the sand and stuff, so I wouldn't lose all my bacteria if I took the rocks out. How can I get all the dead stuff off the rocks before I put it back in the tank; I heard something about using vinegar.

Bcollins111900 · 09/26/2010, 07:10 PM

Peppermint Shrimp. I have a 220 and had some aptasia running wild about 6 months ago, always thought yeah right small shrimp in a 220 doesnt stand a chance... 3 of them cleared it out in a matter of a week!

aleonn · 09/26/2010, 07:57 PM

Haven't tried Joe's Juice, but Aiptasia-X works great for me.

Mr. Fish · 09/26/2010, 08:47 PM

Do you think a dottyback would eat a peppermint shrimp or would it be safe? Also aren't sea hare's poisonous if scared?

shifty51008 · 09/26/2010, 08:52 PM

if you dip the rock in fresh water to kill everything you will need to re cure it there will be allot of die off and a big ammonia spike.

peppermint shrimp are a hit or miss and most of the time they will only eat the small aptasia. sea hare's are great but be ready to transfer them out of the tank when they are finished as they will starve to death otherwise. lowering your PO4 and nitrates will kill off the GHA with time. also turbo snails do a great job of eating it.

I never had aptasia (knock on wood) so I really can't help on ways to get rd of them.

R_Hudson · 09/26/2010, 09:32 PM

The shrimp will be safe with the fish listed. They are cheap if I were you I'd pick up a couple of them and give them a couple weeks. If you don't want to go that route you can use joes juice, aptasia x, lemon juice concentrate, aptasia eating file fish also work, and so will copperband butterflies but please don't get the butterfly unless you know how to care for them. As far as the hair algae goes turbo snails and a lawnmower blenny should eat it. But I would get something to control your phosphates like phosban, or another good GFO. The animals will eat it but it will continue to grow until you find and eleminate the source

Mr. Fish · 09/26/2010, 11:13 PM

Are there certain types of sea hare that are better at eating algae, or are they all the same?

shifty51008 · 09/26/2010, 11:51 PM

the Lettuce Sea Slug will be your best bet for GHA

nd31male · 09/27/2010, 12:03 AM

death to apatasia

Mr. Fish · 09/27/2010, 12:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shifty51008

the Lettuce Sea Slug will be your best bet for GHA

It says here http://www.bluezooaquatics.com/produ...pid=1212&did=2 that they don't eat hair algae.

rocride · 09/27/2010, 01:19 AM

i have used boiling water ....8" piece of rigid tube,2'-3'airline and a 20ml syringe....put it all together and pull some water into it,sneak up on the aptasia cause they will pull into the rock and in one motion stick it with the tube and unload the syringe into it,you need to be stealthy and quick cause the water has to be hot and cools off quick

aptasia-0
you-1

only do a couple at a time,every other day

shifty51008 · 09/27/2010, 01:38 AM

these are the places I read about them eating hair algae

http://www.reefland.com/forum/reef-a...ing-algae.html

http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/f6...lugs-3980.html

wtildens · 09/27/2010, 06:39 AM

I have a bit of the same problem with aptasia. I'm going to have to move in a few months. If i dry my rock out on the move, will it kill all the aptasia.

Mr. Fish · 09/27/2010, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wtildens

I have a bit of the same problem with aptasia. I'm going to have to move in a few months. If i dry my rock out on the move, will it kill all the aptasia.

I think if it is completely dry, there is no way it can survive.

09/26/2010, 06:25 PM	#1
Mr. Fish Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 828	Killing Live Rock My live rock is covered in hair algae and aiptasia and if I try killing the aiptasia it just makes more of them. If I take my live rock out and put it in freshwater would that kill everything and could I add the rock back to my tank once the stuff was dead or would I have to cure it?

09/26/2010, 06:29 PM	#2
jonbry123 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: allentown, pa Posts: 581	if you're mainly concerned about the anemones try joes juice it works great unless their everywhere. If you put the live rock in water you will definitely kill all the beneficial bacteria as well. There are a number of animals that will eat the algae such as lawn mower blennies and sea hares are really great too. __________________ Bryan "You can swim all day in the Sea of Knowledge and still come out completely dry."-Norman Juster Current Tank Info: 300gl FOWLR/155glRT

09/26/2010, 07:10 PM	#4
Bcollins111900 Registered Member. Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Gahanna Ohio Posts: 3,853	Peppermint Shrimp. I have a 220 and had some aptasia running wild about 6 months ago, always thought yeah right small shrimp in a 220 doesnt stand a chance... 3 of them cleared it out in a matter of a week! __________________ I have some LE Super RARE Whisker Sunburst Brown Aptasia FS!!! Give me a flipping break people... Corals now days need to come with a birth cert. with a name on it... Current Tank Info: 285 Gal Display 500 gallons total, Reeflo Orca 250 Pro, GEO 624 Calc. Reactor, Dual GEO Reactors, Dual 400W Halides, LPS/Zoa Dominated

09/27/2010, 01:19 AM	#13
rocride Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Canada Posts: 162	i have used boiling water ....8" piece of rigid tube,2'-3'airline and a 20ml syringe....put it all together and pull some water into it,sneak up on the aptasia cause they will pull into the rock and in one motion stick it with the tube and unload the syringe into it,you need to be stealthy and quick cause the water has to be hot and cools off quick aptasia-0 you-1 only do a couple at a time,every other day __________________ 120g mixed

09/27/2010, 06:39 AM	#15
wtildens Registered Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Maryland Posts: 74	I have a bit of the same problem with aptasia. I'm going to have to move in a few months. If i dry my rock out on the move, will it kill all the aptasia. __________________ 40 breeder mixed reef, home made LED lighting. NEW! 180 Current Tank Info: 55G reef

09/26/2010, 07:57 PM	#5
aleonn Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 4,041	Haven't tried Joe's Juice, but Aiptasia-X works great for me.

09/26/2010, 08:47 PM	#6
Mr. Fish Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 828	Do you think a dottyback would eat a peppermint shrimp or would it be safe? Also aren't sea hare's poisonous if scared?

09/26/2010, 08:52 PM	#7
shifty51008 12-5 Chiefs record Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 10,134	if you dip the rock in fresh water to kill everything you will need to re cure it there will be allot of die off and a big ammonia spike. peppermint shrimp are a hit or miss and most of the time they will only eat the small aptasia. sea hare's are great but be ready to transfer them out of the tank when they are finished as they will starve to death otherwise. lowering your PO4 and nitrates will kill off the GHA with time. also turbo snails do a great job of eating it. I never had aptasia (knock on wood) so I really can't help on ways to get rd of them.

09/26/2010, 09:32 PM	#8
R_Hudson Just having fun Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Tulsa, Ok. Posts: 990	The shrimp will be safe with the fish listed. They are cheap if I were you I'd pick up a couple of them and give them a couple weeks. If you don't want to go that route you can use joes juice, aptasia x, lemon juice concentrate, aptasia eating file fish also work, and so will copperband butterflies but please don't get the butterfly unless you know how to care for them. As far as the hair algae goes turbo snails and a lawnmower blenny should eat it. But I would get something to control your phosphates like phosban, or another good GFO. The animals will eat it but it will continue to grow until you find and eleminate the source

09/26/2010, 11:13 PM	#9
Mr. Fish Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 828	Are there certain types of sea hare that are better at eating algae, or are they all the same?

09/26/2010, 11:51 PM	#10
shifty51008 12-5 Chiefs record Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 10,134	the Lettuce Sea Slug will be your best bet for GHA

09/27/2010, 12:03 AM	#11
nd31male Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 53	death to apatasia

09/27/2010, 01:38 AM	#14
shifty51008 12-5 Chiefs record Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 10,134	these are the places I read about them eating hair algae http://www.reefland.com/forum/reef-a...ing-algae.html http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/f6...lugs-3980.html

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