ReefStar Posted April 17, 2010 Share Posted April 17, 2010 I just bought a tank with about 200 pound of rock. The rock is about 10 yrs old ( that is what the seller said ) and full of coraline and some coral on it. The bad part is that it is also full of bubble algea and aptasia. Should I start over and boil the rock or is there other solutions? I got the rock because it was a package deal and it was a very good price. Thanks for the help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drunkreefer Posted April 17, 2010 Share Posted April 17, 2010 peppermint shrimp or a file fish! or joe's juice for the aptasia, matrix crabs for the bubble Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewisriverfisherman Posted April 17, 2010 Share Posted April 17, 2010 emerald crabs like bubble algae. a copper banded butter fly will eat aptasia also but will eat your corals and is not reef safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted April 17, 2010 Share Posted April 17, 2010 Peppermint shrimp if the aptasia isn't too big. (If you can get to each rock and do so you can also shoot the aptasia with a syringe full of calcium which I've found successful but it can be hard to get all of them if there is a lot) For bubble algae I've used emerald crabs. Both have their drawbacks though. For peppermint shrimp there are 2 species found in the stores and they are hard to tell apart. One will pick at corals and not eat the aptasia while the other does. They look so much the same that it is a coin toss until you have them in the tank. The emerald crabs can also be aggressive and usually only eat the bubble algae if there isn't an easier food supply. I had one big one that actually took a chunk out of a fish trying to catch it. The fish survived and the crab went back to the store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules Posted April 17, 2010 Share Posted April 17, 2010 The peppermint shrimp you are talking about Rick is "Lysmata wurdemanni" that is what I have and the LFS fed them aptasia, took care of any I had and haven't seen any since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted April 17, 2010 Share Posted April 17, 2010 The peppermint shrimp you are talking about Rick is "Lysmata wurdemanni" that is what I have and the LFS fed them aptasia' date=' took care of any I had and haven't seen any since.[/quote'] Thanks, I know the differences myself (though I would need to review them again if I went out to buy any today). I'll leave it to others to research the differences though as I don't want anyone going into the LFS and telling them Rick from the PNWMAS forum said they were not selling real peppermint shrimp. (I'm on a first name basis with most of the LFS and I would like it to stay that way) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael7979 Posted April 17, 2010 Share Posted April 17, 2010 It might be easier to just start over and 'cook' it. Do you need to use the rock ASAP? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emerald525 Posted April 17, 2010 Share Posted April 17, 2010 I didn't know there was two different peppermint shrimp. Good to know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate213 Posted April 17, 2010 Share Posted April 17, 2010 You have to be a little careful with the peppermints. I bought 5 small ones to take care of my aptasia problem. They ate all the aptasia in a hurry, but once it was all gone, they took a liking to my Duncans. Wouldnt touch anything else, but killed two Duncan frags. I guess Duncans taste like aptasia? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReefStar Posted April 17, 2010 Author Share Posted April 17, 2010 It might be easier to just start over and 'cook' it. Do you need to use the rock ASAP? I don't need the rock right away. There are too much bubble algea and aiptasia, I don't know if the emerald crab and peppermint shrimp will eat it all. Some of the aiptasia is half dollar size!:eek: When I came to buy the set up I thought he was growing bubble algea and aiptasia! The picture he sent me was totally different, it was a super nice tank when he took cared of it. I am leaning toward cooking it and starting over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coralreefer Posted April 17, 2010 Share Posted April 17, 2010 I will never own a reef tank that doesn't have a Klein's Butterflyfish in it...they are much hardier than Copperband, will adjust to regular fish feeding within a week, then will patrol tank at night and eat aiptasia. They will pick at coral for a couple days at first then go to work on aiptasia in the dark. If rock has trapped phosphates you might be sunk without cooking... DrMerle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules Posted April 17, 2010 Share Posted April 17, 2010 I don't need the rock right away. There are too much bubble algea and aiptasia, I don't know if the emerald crab and peppermint shrimp will eat it all. Some of the aiptasia is half dollar size!:eek: When I came to buy the set up I thought he was growing bubble algea and aiptasia! The picture he sent me was totally different, it was a super nice tank when he took cared of it. I am leaning toward cooking it and starting over. I was wondering if maybe since you don't need it you could place it in an unlit container or something that way you might be able to keep some of the good things that thrive on it. Maybe keep it heated and circulation going just no light? Just a thought I am new to all of this but am curious if keeping something on it might be beneficial in the long run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsoz Posted April 17, 2010 Share Posted April 17, 2010 I was wondering if maybe since you don't need it you could place it in an unlit container or something that way you might be able to keep some of the good things that thrive on it. Maybe keep it heated and circulation going just no light? Just a thought I am new to all of this but am curious if keeping something on it might be beneficial in the long run. That is called "cooking" the rock. It does not involve boiling or the oven in any way... Dsoz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules Posted April 17, 2010 Share Posted April 17, 2010 That is called "cooking" the rock. It does not involve boiling or the oven in any way... Dsoz DOH! Learn something new every day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emerald525 Posted April 17, 2010 Share Posted April 17, 2010 You actually may have to boil the rock. Our 150 FOWLR has a few aiptasia. We bought the tank used and the rock was stored in a dark bin for almost a year and there were still a few buds of aiptasia. I like the idea of getting a Klein's butterfly. Good idea coralreefer but how will it do in an agressive tank. Right now we have a baby clown trigger, puffer and juvenille formosa wrasse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy Posted April 17, 2010 Share Posted April 17, 2010 I'd try and salvage what coral I could by fragging, then scrub, then dry out the rock in the sun for a few weeks. Once I was sure it was completely dried out, I'd re-cure it in a trashcan of salt water for a month. Coralline, bacteria, etc will grow back a lot easier than getting rid of aiptasia once they're in your tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alterego Posted April 17, 2010 Share Posted April 17, 2010 I'd try and salvage what coral I could by fragging, then scrub, then dry out the rock in the sun for a few weeks. Once I was sure it was completely dried out, I'd re-cure it in a trashcan of salt water for a month. Coralline, bacteria, etc will grow back a lot easier than getting rid of aiptasia once they're in your tank. I 100% agree with Andy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabe Posted April 17, 2010 Share Posted April 17, 2010 I got some large pieces of rock from a friends sump a while back that was full of apt., but also was completely encrusted with coraline. (very nice rocks) I soaked them in fresh ro/di for a couple hours. That killed all but the biggest apt.. The coraline turned white, but started to regain color within a couple weeks of being back in the tank. Gabe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael7979 Posted April 18, 2010 Share Posted April 18, 2010 I don't need the rock right away. There are too much bubble algea and aiptasia, I don't know if the emerald crab and peppermint shrimp will eat it all. Some of the aiptasia is half dollar size!:eek: When I came to buy the set up I thought he was growing bubble algea and aiptasia! The picture he sent me was totally different, it was a super nice tank when he took cared of it. I am leaning toward cooking it and starting over. I have found that peepermints will not eat larger aiptasias Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsoz Posted April 18, 2010 Share Posted April 18, 2010 Have you looked into Berghia nudibranchs? The only thing they eat is supposed to be aptasia. 50 or so of them should take care of any aptasia problem of any size. Dsoz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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