Big Dog
Member
I just returned to the hobby by purchasing a established 90 gallon that was infested with aiptasia and majanos. Prior to moving the tank home I read everything I could on how to eliminate these pest so what you're about to read is a culmination of what I've done to eradicate these pest. I have no idea on what I'm doing is right or wrong nor the effect it will have on the rock but it seems to be working.
Before I moved the tank I purchased a 40 breeder to quarantine the original rock and purchased cured rock for the tank setup. I placed some sand from the original tank in the breeder just to minimize cycling. The DT is up and running and so far so good. It's been up one month and with 5 25% water changes, all stock is doing wonderful. It appears I went threw a mini cycle as a few members indicated on one of my previous threads. I'm currently at 0 ammonia, 0 nitrates and 20 on nitrates (the tank has a heavy fish population, I'm going to thin them when the 40 comes available).
On to the pest ........... After putting the 100+ pounds of the original rock in the 40 I realized I was in for a big project. The first week I hit it with Aip-X hard and ordered one of PaulB's zappers. Patience not being one of my virtues, I thought of the suggestion BigAl gave in another thread about cooking the rock by isolation sooooo after my 3rd water change of the DT tank I put the removed water in a heavy duty sterilite type container and put the rock in it with pumps and heater. I then covered the rock with a few ceramic tiles in the water and placed the lid on the sterilite. I left a few of the rock in the breeder that had minimal infestation on them and worked those rock with aip-X and the zapper.
During the first week I rinsed off the tile every day, every day each of the three tile had 20 or more pest on them. By the end of the first week aiptasia was floating in the water. On my next DT water change, I replaced the water and continued the rinsing of the tile, every day I got fewer aiptasia. I also noticed that I could easily flick the majanos off the rock. Messing with the rock also gave me the opportunity to save lives (snails and crabs).
On my most recent DT water change and before I placed the rock in it I brushed it. I couldn't believe how easy the majanos and aip came off the rock with just a flick of the wrist. I feel confident I've removed 90% of the pest. The rock that I left in the breeder has no visible pest, the aip-X and zapper seem to have done the job although I look every day. I'm currently taking a piece at a time from the sterilite and placing it in the 40 to be eliminated with the X and zapper. The rock in the sterilite has minimal weed and I will continue the process until it's gone.
My hope is to use some of the rock in the DT, I could use a little more in it. I really don't have the room in a 40 and a 20 (currently a QT, yeah I know no rock in a QT but I'll remove if needed for quarantine) for all this rock. I'll keep you updated and when I find the pics from when I purchased the tank, I'll post them up with pics of the rock now.
Dawg
P.S. - If there is something I'm not thinking of or detrimental in the process please let me know. In my short stint here I realize there are some exceptional marine hobbyist here ........ Thank You!
Before I moved the tank I purchased a 40 breeder to quarantine the original rock and purchased cured rock for the tank setup. I placed some sand from the original tank in the breeder just to minimize cycling. The DT is up and running and so far so good. It's been up one month and with 5 25% water changes, all stock is doing wonderful. It appears I went threw a mini cycle as a few members indicated on one of my previous threads. I'm currently at 0 ammonia, 0 nitrates and 20 on nitrates (the tank has a heavy fish population, I'm going to thin them when the 40 comes available).
On to the pest ........... After putting the 100+ pounds of the original rock in the 40 I realized I was in for a big project. The first week I hit it with Aip-X hard and ordered one of PaulB's zappers. Patience not being one of my virtues, I thought of the suggestion BigAl gave in another thread about cooking the rock by isolation sooooo after my 3rd water change of the DT tank I put the removed water in a heavy duty sterilite type container and put the rock in it with pumps and heater. I then covered the rock with a few ceramic tiles in the water and placed the lid on the sterilite. I left a few of the rock in the breeder that had minimal infestation on them and worked those rock with aip-X and the zapper.
During the first week I rinsed off the tile every day, every day each of the three tile had 20 or more pest on them. By the end of the first week aiptasia was floating in the water. On my next DT water change, I replaced the water and continued the rinsing of the tile, every day I got fewer aiptasia. I also noticed that I could easily flick the majanos off the rock. Messing with the rock also gave me the opportunity to save lives (snails and crabs).
On my most recent DT water change and before I placed the rock in it I brushed it. I couldn't believe how easy the majanos and aip came off the rock with just a flick of the wrist. I feel confident I've removed 90% of the pest. The rock that I left in the breeder has no visible pest, the aip-X and zapper seem to have done the job although I look every day. I'm currently taking a piece at a time from the sterilite and placing it in the 40 to be eliminated with the X and zapper. The rock in the sterilite has minimal weed and I will continue the process until it's gone.
My hope is to use some of the rock in the DT, I could use a little more in it. I really don't have the room in a 40 and a 20 (currently a QT, yeah I know no rock in a QT but I'll remove if needed for quarantine) for all this rock. I'll keep you updated and when I find the pics from when I purchased the tank, I'll post them up with pics of the rock now.
Dawg
P.S. - If there is something I'm not thinking of or detrimental in the process please let me know. In my short stint here I realize there are some exceptional marine hobbyist here ........ Thank You!