aptasia and manjanos

[marlinmero]

i currently have a 76 gallon corner tank and i had an aptasia out break awhile ago, got some berghia and they wiped it out, but did find one the other day and zapped it. i also have a good amount of manjanos.
I'm getting ready to upgrade that tank and would like to use the rock in the new tank to save money but i don't want a pest problem.
so my question is is there an east way to wipe the pests off? maybe soak them in a tub of RODI water or regular tap water for awhile? please any idea

 

[eartaker]

If you want to kill the rock and get rid of everything on the rock and all pests then yes. You can soak the rock in freshwater and abit of lemon juice. Also keep the rock in the dark and soak for 2 weeks. After that it will smell like death and you will need to cure the rock.

 

[marlinmero]

two weeks? is there any faster solutions? lol

 

[mfinn]

I bought a matted file fish from Barrier last year that completely solved my aptasia and majano problem..
There are a couple different butterfly fish that will do as well.

 

[senji]

put the rock on the bbq and bake or in the oven if the wife will allow.

 

[mfinn]

If your going to kill off the live rock and do a cycle from scratch route, I'd soak the rock in bleach water ( a cup per 5 gallons of rodi water), then do a muratic acid bath ( a cup per 5 gallons) to remove any phosphate that has soaked into the rock. I'd do the bleach bath for a day, scrub it with a wire brush a couple times. Do the muratic acid bath for a couple hours.
Then do the re-cycle thing. Should only take a month or so.

 

[mfinn]

I forgot a very important step.
After the bleach water soak, do another soak in a dechorlinator at 5-10 times the recommended dose.

 

[marlinmero]

i think im going to try my tazer thing and your fish idea. i dont have the room or time to have rock laying around for a month

 

[chickenofthesea]

Just keep in mind, if you don't take the time now, you may be fighting this problem again shortly with no real end in site. fish are a good way to keep them at bay but they cant get into every crevice where the aptasia like to grow from. I can appreciate the no time and space situation your in, happens to me all the time, but in this hobby short cuts almost always mean more work in the long run. Ultimately you have to do what will work for you just putting that out there. Good luck and a file fish is a pretty cool addition.

 

[mfinn]

IMO file fish are the perfect predetor for pest anemones. They have that small pointed nose that can get into the small cracks and crevices where they hide.
Not a short cut by any means and seems to me like a long term solution.

 

[marlinmero]

how would a file fish do with a couple small to medium sized lions, a a-hole grouper, and a couple eels?

 

[mfinn]

Probally be a quick meal

 

[kpiotrowski]

a muratic acid bath will help to disolve organic materials that would die anyway in freshwater soak, and then just breakdown later when you cycle your tank again leaving you with nutrient probs. so I aggree with the acid bath but for a shorter time dependining on the type of rock. lighter, porous rock disolves faster than denser stuff so I wouldn't gfo more than 30-45 min on light stuff or you are just melting rock.

 

[marlinmero]

instead of acid can i use vinegar?

 

[blk822822]

Won't acid break down the calcium in the rock....? Muradic acid is pretty strong.

 

[marlinmero]

yeah they said it would. but should only soak it for 30 minutes or so.
but im thinking vinegar overnight followed by a week or so in fresh ro water

 

[Holygral]

i think im going to try my tazer thing and your fish idea. i dont have the room or time to have rock laying around for a month

No short cuts in reefing, only thing you can do fast is mistakes

 

[pandora32]

I had alot of majono in my tank. If you havent killed your rock, but a matted file fish. I had one and it did wonders! Another option, boil up some of your rodi water. Carefully squirt the boiling water on the pest. Dont let the water touch any of your corals though. It will also kill the lil bit of coraline algae the water touches.

 

[seakingaquariums]

It's not really a way to 100% rid your tank of aiptasia/majanos, but I have a aiptasia wand at the shop if you would like to borrow it. I'll ask for a small deposit up front, and will return it in full once you return the wand. If you're interested, let me know.

 

[DTECH07]

I also have one you can borrow in a week once it gets back in from a fellow reefer, but +1 on "It's not really a way to 100% rid your tank of aiptasia/majanos, but I have a aiptasia wand at the shop if you would like to borrow it. I'll ask for a small deposit up front, and will return it in full once you return the wand. If you're interested, let me know".
There's a little more to be done in harmony with the wand.