problem with my tank

gthirty7s · 09/29/2014, 07:42 PM

hey guys i had my tank for about 8 months.
lately i things started to get bad
my thank got really dirty and i got this flowers growing on my live rock
and i have a lot of snails on my glass i keep removing them but they keep coming back more and more.

what should i do?
i do water changes every 2-3 weeks and i do have a skimmer.

please help here is a picture what are those things on my live rock?

Heisenreef · 09/30/2014, 02:44 PM

That rock looks to be infested with aiptasia. Use the search feature to look up countless threads on how to control them. GL

acabgd · 09/30/2014, 05:34 PM

Wow! Just wow!

BlindZide · 09/30/2014, 06:28 PM

That is probably the largest forest of Aipstasia I have ever seen. They can be handled but it will take some time. Good luck!

MinnFish · 09/30/2014, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlindZide

That is probably the largest forest of Aipstasia I have ever seen. They can be handled but it will take some time. Good luck!

I have seen far worse. But, there is a good side. Time to do a reset.

MinnFish · 09/30/2014, 07:55 PM

But, you came to the right place. Welcome to RC. Do you have a place to keep your livestock? QT or hospital tank? With the amount of infection of glass anemones, I would rip the tank. Acid wash the rocks, toss the sand and give all equipment a good brush/vinegar bath. Cure (reset) the rock, new sand and stay on top of maintenance. It going to take some time. But, don't throw in the towel. We (RC) can get you back on track. Happy reefing.
Dang, before I could finish. He ran off.

gthirty7s · 10/09/2014, 01:33 AM

thanks for the help guys i think im gonna start all over
i just dont know where to keep my 2 clown fishes

gthirty7s · 10/09/2014, 01:42 AM

is there any other way to do less water changes besides having a skimmer?

BlindZide · 10/09/2014, 05:21 AM

There are skimmerless and sumpless tanks on this forum. Do a search for them and see what they do. It is more work.

Paul B · 10/09/2014, 05:44 AM

You don't need to change water every two or three weeks, especially in a tank with that few fish. I would go twice as long for water changes. I change water every four months but my tank is very old, in your tank once a month is fine and you don't have to change to much either. 20% would be fine but many people will disagree with me.

thegrun · 10/09/2014, 06:50 AM

Your problem with Aipstasia is not related to water quality. They are a pest anemone that obviously can spread very quickly. If you see a single polyp it sould be removed quickly or it will spread.

hockusspockuss · 10/09/2014, 06:52 AM

What I did was I got myself a copperband and 12 peppermint shrimps from the gulf and they were gone in less than a week and I had more than you..people would say is a hit and missed but it works for me..good luck

OoooDRAGONoooo · 10/09/2014, 07:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heisenreef

That rock looks to be infested with aiptasia. Use the search feature to look up countless threads on how to control them. GL

Sorry,I'm new,where in the picture are the aiptasias,is it that purple stuff?i thought that was coralline algae,please advise what I should be focusing on ty

fishhuman · 10/09/2014, 08:00 AM

The little anemones are aptaisa, I think you called them flowers. They are not flowers they are bad for your tank and kill coral and sting fish.

fishhuman · 10/09/2014, 08:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hockusspockuss

What I did was I got myself a copperband and 12 peppermint shrimps from the gulf and they were gone in less than a week and I had more than you..people would say is a hit and missed but it works for me..good luck

Problem is his tank doesn't look big enough for a copperband, and they are expert level fish

Wryknow · 10/09/2014, 08:31 AM

The good news is that it's a small tank so while the infestation is dense I think it's still managemable. I would get some aptasia-x and start zapping 4-5 of them a day. Maybe get a pepperint shrimp or two to help keep them from spreading. It will take a while but I think you can kill them off.

gthirty7s · 10/11/2014, 11:18 PM

how about the snails that keep showing up more and more?
i have been removing 5-10 everyday they still show up??

Xavibear · 10/12/2014, 06:04 AM

What kind of snails? Can you post a picture?

I suspect colinista snails. They are harmless, but reproduce rapidly. If your tank got very dirty, there's a lot for them to eat. Get your water quality under control and their population should subside.

gthirty7s · 10/14/2014, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xavibear

What kind of snails? Can you post a picture?

I suspect colinista snails. They are harmless, but reproduce rapidly. If your tank got very dirty, there's a lot for them to eat. Get your water quality under control and their population should subside.

crawling junk · 10/14/2014, 09:06 PM

Get few aptesia eating nudibranch. They will take care of your problem within a month

JoelA7 · 10/15/2014, 01:06 AM

Hi. First off don't panic. Suggest you start by doing 3 things.

1. Keep your snails unless you identify them as harmful. Most are beneficial. My tank has a few dozen Stomatella now that all grew from eggs that were on my live rock.

2. Buy 2 real Peppermint Shrimp from a reputable source. Most folks will recommend Live Aquaria. I bought two from LA to wrap up the job on my tank, not as severe by far as yours, that was started by:

3. Berghia Nudibranchs. Buy however many are recommended by Lisa at Salty Underground. I'm guessing 6-8. And unfortunately they are not inexpensive. But they eat Aiptasia and nothing else.

If you do this your Aiptasia will slowly disappear. Naturally. Just be patient.

Your tank looks otherwise good. No cyano, modest algae. Water is probably pretty good so you're of to a good start.

Good luck.

09/29/2014, 07:42 PM	#1
gthirty7s Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 7	problem with my tank hey guys i had my tank for about 8 months. lately i things started to get bad my thank got really dirty and i got this flowers growing on my live rock and i have a lot of snails on my glass i keep removing them but they keep coming back more and more. what should i do? i do water changes every 2-3 weeks and i do have a skimmer. please help here is a picture what are those things on my live rock?

09/30/2014, 06:28 PM	#4
BlindZide Registered Member Join Date: May 2013 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 1,273	That is probably the largest forest of Aipstasia I have ever seen. They can be handled but it will take some time. Good luck! __________________ ~Trent Biocube 14 Mixed Reef 75G LPS Reef

09/30/2014, 07:55 PM	#6
MinnFish Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Home of 10,000 lakes Posts: 917	But, you came to the right place. Welcome to RC. Do you have a place to keep your livestock? QT or hospital tank? With the amount of infection of glass anemones, I would rip the tank. Acid wash the rocks, toss the sand and give all equipment a good brush/vinegar bath. Cure (reset) the rock, new sand and stay on top of maintenance. It going to take some time. But, don't throw in the towel. We (RC) can get you back on track. Happy reefing. Dang, before I could finish. He ran off. __________________ 33G Long, 4x54 watt T5, Tunze 6025, Tunze Osmolator ATO, Tunze Streamfilter 3163 Posts about moving an oversized fish to a bigger tank. Is like hearing every stripper is just working to pay for colle

10/09/2014, 05:21 AM	#9
BlindZide Registered Member Join Date: May 2013 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 1,273	There are skimmerless and sumpless tanks on this forum. Do a search for them and see what they do. It is more work. __________________ ~Trent Biocube 14 Mixed Reef 75G LPS Reef

10/09/2014, 05:44 AM	#10
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	You don't need to change water every two or three weeks, especially in a tank with that few fish. I would go twice as long for water changes. I change water every four months but my tank is very old, in your tank once a month is fine and you don't have to change to much either. 20% would be fine but many people will disagree with me. __________________ I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead. Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971

09/30/2014, 02:44 PM	#2
Heisenreef Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 62	That rock looks to be infested with aiptasia. Use the search feature to look up countless threads on how to control them. GL

09/30/2014, 05:34 PM	#3
acabgd Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Belgrade Posts: 1,086	Wow! Just wow!

10/09/2014, 01:33 AM	#7
gthirty7s Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 7	thanks for the help guys i think im gonna start all over i just dont know where to keep my 2 clown fishes

10/09/2014, 01:42 AM	#8
gthirty7s Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 7	is there any other way to do less water changes besides having a skimmer?

10/09/2014, 06:50 AM	#11
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	Your problem with Aipstasia is not related to water quality. They are a pest anemone that obviously can spread very quickly. If you see a single polyp it sould be removed quickly or it will spread.

10/09/2014, 06:52 AM	#12
hockusspockuss Registered Member Join Date: May 2013 Location: Dunedin Posts: 81	What I did was I got myself a copperband and 12 peppermint shrimps from the gulf and they were gone in less than a week and I had more than you..people would say is a hit and missed but it works for me..good luck

10/09/2014, 08:00 AM	#14
fishhuman Registered Member Join Date: May 2014 Location: LA california Posts: 647	The little anemones are aptaisa, I think you called them flowers. They are not flowers they are bad for your tank and kill coral and sting fish.

10/09/2014, 08:31 AM	#16
Wryknow Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 1,203	The good news is that it's a small tank so while the infestation is dense I think it's still managemable. I would get some aptasia-x and start zapping 4-5 of them a day. Maybe get a pepperint shrimp or two to help keep them from spreading. It will take a while but I think you can kill them off. __________________ You cannot use reason to change the opinion of a person that did not use reason to form their opinion in the first place. Current Tank Info: 65 G RR, w/ 50 G sump/refugium, DIY LED lighting, AquaMaxx CO-1 skimmer, Tunze 1073.050 return

10/11/2014, 11:18 PM	#17
gthirty7s Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 7	how about the snails that keep showing up more and more? i have been removing 5-10 everyday they still show up??

10/12/2014, 06:04 AM	#18
Xavibear Crazy Prophet Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Worcester, MA Posts: 1,008	What kind of snails? Can you post a picture? I suspect colinista snails. They are harmless, but reproduce rapidly. If your tank got very dirty, there's a lot for them to eat. Get your water quality under control and their population should subside. __________________ 36g bowfront Current Tank Info: Pair of Occellaris clowns, Royal gramma, Yellow Watchman Goby/Tiger Pistol Shrimp, Blue tuxedo urchin, Fire shrimp, Trochus snails, Cerith snails, Nassarius snails, Ricordea mushroom, Kenya tree, Acan brain & Frogspawn

10/14/2014, 09:06 PM	#20
crawling junk Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 88	Get few aptesia eating nudibranch. They will take care of your problem within a month

10/15/2014, 01:06 AM	#21
JoelA7 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Brookline, MA Posts: 1,056	Hi. First off don't panic. Suggest you start by doing 3 things. 1. Keep your snails unless you identify them as harmful. Most are beneficial. My tank has a few dozen Stomatella now that all grew from eggs that were on my live rock. 2. Buy 2 real Peppermint Shrimp from a reputable source. Most folks will recommend Live Aquaria. I bought two from LA to wrap up the job on my tank, not as severe by far as yours, that was started by: 3. Berghia Nudibranchs. Buy however many are recommended by Lisa at Salty Underground. I'm guessing 6-8. And unfortunately they are not inexpensive. But they eat Aiptasia and nothing else. If you do this your Aiptasia will slowly disappear. Naturally. Just be patient. Your tank looks otherwise good. No cyano, modest algae. Water is probably pretty good so you're of to a good start. Good luck. __________________ New 48x24x26.25 w Precision Marine R30 sump, Vertex Omega 150 skimmer, 2@Vertex 1.5L reactors for carbon & phosban, GEO Ca reactor w Aquarium Plants regulator. 2 MP40's 2@Radions. #120 live rock & #12