Proper way to pull rock?

[superclown]

Never did this before and I don't want to but I'm thinking in the long run to get rid of my aptasia I'm just going to cut coral off my rock pull it boil it and put it back in but I don't want to throw my tank parameters into chaos while doing so. I hate I'm going to loose all my nice coraline but I'm over the aptasia and I can't seem to get rid of it

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[jef4y]

That is a REAL drastic measure. May be worth the $100 to get a majano wand and zap the buggers.

Boiling the rock will kill everything on it, you're gong to have to recycle your tank, and there's no guarantee that you don't miss a couple in the sand bed that you can't see, or attached to a coral, etc.

 

[superclown]

Yah... I really don't wanna do this but I'm tired of looking at it.

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[midas]

Not sure how big the tank is, but for $100 you could do one of the following:

A) Buy 20 (or more) peppermint shrimp
B) Buy 4 or 5 filefish
C) Buy 2 Copperband Butterfly

Tearing up the tank will damage some coral, so taking a risk on the fish damaging coral is no worse. If any of the above is successful you won't lose your corraline algae - and you'll have some cool additions for your tank.

 

[superclown]

Tank is only 30g cube purchased 10 peppermint shrimp last week now they are all mia.

As far as money I would rather spend 100.00 towards more rock and new setup before I buy a wand.

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[superclown]

Another thought maybe I can pull one rock at a time/ ?

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[jef4y]

Try the filefish first. They're cheap and small. One rock at a time will not work IMHO because you will end up with aiptasia on the fresh rocks from the old ones.

Just me, but boiling is absolute last resort and should be done in conjunction with tearing the tank down 100% and starting over.


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[superclown]

I will give it one more week and see if I can locate a file fish I was thinking bout getting one yesterday but had a schedule conflict and didn't allow.a chance to get one

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[ripped tide]

If you do end up boiling the rock, be very sure that all Zoas are removed. If they are boiled, they release palytoxin vapors.

 

[superclown]

Ya thanks for looking out I remember the story that was posted a while back about that

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[ripped tide]

No prob. A lot of folks have been having issues with palytoxin, and I don't want to see another added to the list.

 

[frantz]

I thought my peppermint shrimp went MIA but they eventually turned up. I have a very healthy aptasia population in my sump, but I never see any in the display now.

 

[superclown]

Well I have 1 rock in my tank that was perfect for them to hide under and that's where they went to and when others couldn't find them I could but I has 10 and its been about 4 days now since I have saw one and I have looked every spot I can and they don't seem to be in there.

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[reef coffee & curly hair]

If your aiptasias are the size of a quarter or larger than they are large enough to eat the peppermints. I've seen this. There are also two species of peppermints; L. Wurdemani and L. Rathbunae. Wurdemani is the one you want bc the latter will generally ignore aiptasias. However I have both and they all go crazy anytime one pops up on a new frag. *Only time I see them come out during the photoperiod. The one that may not eat aiptasias have a black tailfin and the ones that do have a tailfin that matches the color and pattern of the rest of its body. Boiling your rocks will upset your bioload. No telling how bad it will until you do it. Regardless, the time it will take to boil and rotate the rocks you may give the aiptasias a chance to repopulate that piece of rock therefore wasting your time and possibly stressing out your tank and yourself for no reason. It takes just few cells to regenerate an aiptasia.

Note: I also thought I had no peppermint shrimp till one evening I couldn't sleep and went downstairs with a flashlight three hours after lights out and noticed I had twenty floating everywhere. This may not be the case in every system, but they have done a great job for me over the past few years and I know many many fellow reefers that have had great success with no issues. Hope this helps and good luck.

 

[superclown]

Thanks. im really thinking my aptasia just had an expensive snack. the pepperments are kind of small and I do have some that are quarter size disk and a lot of dime sized. I tried turning the lights out for a few hours tonight and then snooped around a bit with a flash light and didn't see any.

 

[reef coffee & curly hair]

You will have to aiptasia-x the bigger ones then add the right species of peppermint shrimp and hopefully that will be the end of it. I haven't had aiptasia (knock on wood) going on two years except for new random frag growths that would last all of that day. If you are having a hard time finding the correct ones at a decent price let me know and I'll get the guys at Marine Designs to contact/order/ship them to you whenever available. Good luck on whatever you end up doing.

 

[mvm]

I would replace the rocks, then soak your existing rocks in muriatic acid and keep or sell them. Safer than boiling the rocks (if you plan to actually boil them), IMO. You have to be careful with the MA, but it will burn the last layer off of the rocks removing everything. Boiling rocks are mentioned can be dangerous. If you do go that route, do it outside with a turkey fryer. I think the problem is that there will still be nasties on the rock that will cause an ammonia spike, not to mention that you'll be killing all of the beneficial bacteria. Another option would be to cycle the new rock in a tub for about a month, then replace it all at once.

 

[superclown]

I think I may just get me some new rock and put in a sump and cycle it pull the old and go that route seems easier and less trouble.

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[KrisDeitz]

If you put it in the sump the aptaisa could be in their too and you're back to we're you started. Needs to be separate

 

[superclown]

I know ima set up a new tank

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