Bi-Weekly Discussion of the Week: Favorite biological controls for Tank ?

[Geoff]

Here is another suggestion from the trenches.

What kind of critters do you use to keep those unwanted critters in check? Which work, which do not? Is this a good way to control pests, or are we just creating more problems?

keep them coming, if you have any ideas you would like to see discussed just send me a PM.

G~

[kwjones]

I know peppermint shrimp took care of my aptasia problem.

[Rob_Reef_Keeper]

Emerald (mithrax) crabs work for removing Valonia (bubble algae)

[photobarry]

Astreas (~1/gal) will take care of bryopsis and other hair algaes.

[kwjones]

I'm convinced the LFS is selling me mentally deficient astrea snails. They always fall on their back and the fish eat them.

[yardboy]

Yea, what's up with that.? I think I spend more time flipping astrea's than any other maintenance chore in my tank.

Originally Posted by kwjones

I'm convinced the LFS is selling me mentally deficient astrea snails. They always fall on their back and the fish eat them.

[tims]

I like using turbos ( for hair) peppermint shrimp and Mith's as a normal clean up critters..Althouh i do not have any mithrax's now..
i think they make a good show of keeping the unwanted away..BUt man the turbos sure poop a lot!but that is easy to remove during water changes.. i guess it is a give and take thing.. used turbos when Too many fingers were feeding and Nutri's were high..now have snail poop to remove..ummm maybe the lesser of two evil's?

[125G's]

Racoon Butterfly for controlling aptasia.

Foxface for the dreaded bubble algae.

[Geoff]

Originally Posted by 125G's

Racoon Butterfly for controlling aptasia.

Foxface for the dreaded bubble algae.

ahh, speaking of Racoon Butterflies. what other corals do you have in the tank? do you have any other corals in the tank. the reason why i am asking is my wife's predator tank has aptasia. we can not put peps in their because of the eel and the grouper. to make things a little more difficult is the fact that the tank is nothing but zoas. are Butterflies capable of eating zoas? she would kill me if i put in a fish that ate all her zoas.

G~

[125G's]

Not many corals and no zoa's as yet. 2 Softies, a "Cats Paw" (scientific name escapes me at the moment), GSP's and a few mushrooms are all that I have. He showed some interest in the GSP's but they grow so fast that would be a blessing. Little bugger doubled his size, 1.5" to 3", in 2 months cleaning out the aptasia in my tank. He's now accepted a mix of frozen foods and seems quite content. Sorry not much help to you on eating the zoa's. All I know is that they have been known to eat "corals".

The nice thing is that I participated in the "Rent a Racoon Butterfly" program at my LFS. You buy a small one for $20.00, let it eat your aptasia and then return the big one a few months later for $15.00 in store credit. I still have mine and as long as he behaves I will likely keep him.

[Fish Lips]

I was told the foxface would handle bristle (fire) worms. But haven't noticed any change. Will 2 peps be able too keep up with a 125g with a major Aptasia outbreak? Or, will they stuff themselves too death?

[tims]

hmmm only 2 in a 125g.. that might be a bit too few.. if the apitasia is spreading badly then you should get 10 more or so i would think...i have never seen my foxFace go after bristle worms at all, he will pick at some green algae...Isn't it Arrow crabs and BC Shrimp that go after the bistle worms?

[kwjones]

Originally Posted by yardboy

Yea, what's up with that.? I think I spend more time flipping astrea's than any other maintenance chore in my tank.

And don't forget Mr. Murphy and his law..."If the snail is going to flip over, it will be in the most inaccessible spot, usually under or behind a rock that you can't reach even when using the handle on your fish net. They will also flip over in areas that are not easily observed, thereby guaranteeing the death of the snail."

My wife thinks clean up crews are too expensive and a waste of money because they keep getting eaten or commit suicide. I partly agree with her...especially about the being eaten by fish part. I think that's why I like my conch so much...he may sleep a lot and not eat much, but he never gets flipped over and if he does, he can right himself.

[kwjones]

Originally Posted by Fish Lips

I was told the foxface would handle bristle (fire) worms. But haven't noticed any change. Will 2 peps be able too keep up with a 125g with a major Aptasia outbreak? Or, will they stuff themselves too death?

2 will take a while depending on how bad your infestation is. I had 2 in my 75, but I only had 10 aptasia that I could actually see, which were gone in less than a week after putting the peppermint shrimp in. They also wiped out my glass anemones. 2 or 3 should clear your tank up relatively quickly.

[Reefdude5]

Definitly Astreas for Byropis(sp?) and Derbesia. And about that Aptasia problem, i'm getting worried. There are about 6 good sized ones that i can see, but they are spreading all over the tank rapidly. I have a 120g. How many should i add, i have lots of rockwork, but will the other two skunk cleaner shrimps crowd them, as they are huge. Thanks