[Gideon1]

Good morning reefers,

I am in the process of breaking down my 75 gallon life rock and mostly softies tank because Aiptasia completely took over my tank. I have been trying to hit the tank under control by using X-Aiptasia which seemed to make it worse, would not recommend this to anyone it seems to multiply the Aptasia. So I decided to upgrade to a 120gal 4x2x2x dual overflow reef ready tank with new lR and DR that has been curing for about two weeks now. I just received my tank Friday and I am waiting for the stand and canopy by next week. Don't want to use LR from 75 gallon due to break out on sand bed, I seen some aptaisa growing there too. I have 180 pounds of Tropical Eden Reeflakes and Mini Reeflakes (1:2) ratio waiting. I am concerned about the posible spike in ammonia as I am using new rock in sand, I will be using as much of the old salt water from 75 gallon as I can, along with 2 250ml bottles of BIO-Spira Saltwater Aquarium Bacteria to minimize spikes. Well the curing life rock be enough to sustain bioload? once break-down is complete and the new tank set up? you think I should take the chance with a cup of seeking sand from a spot that seems clear and free of aptisa? have I missed anything? thank you for your help.

 

[Modulus]

seems like a whole lot of effort to even chance introducing Aiptasia again.

 

[Gideon1]

seems like a whole lot of effort to even chance introducing Aiptasia again.

Thanks for your reply, my thoughts exactly, the seediing from the infested tank:beer:will not happen, just wanted to speedup cycle process. So without seeding, and just using the new live and dry rock and that's been curing for about 2-1/2 weeks, and when a new tank is set up add the bio spire I should be okay... of course, I will continue to check parameters before introducing fishies into the new system, any other helpful tips out:doh: there!!! thanks.

 

[Modulus]

I honestly wouldn't even use the water from the old tank... it is not going to help with the cycle and you might suck up some aiptasia spores in it. Your live rock should be enough to get the cycle going. Dont rush it... only bad things happen quick

 

[ska d]

Aptasia are tricky buggers. It takes some practice when using any product for aptasia control. If its not done properly (and to be honest I'm not really sure what that means), the aptasia send out spores as a self defence. This is probably why you saw an increase after treating them. I find if I get the syringe tip in close enough without disturbing it ( very difficult) then the aptasia x does work. But I've also missed a few. I think the only thing keeping them from spreading is my peppermint shrimp. But even the shrimp won't touch the bigger ones.

 

[Modulus]

Aptasia are tricky buggers. It takes some practice when using any product for aptasia control. If its not done properly (and to be honest I'm not really sure what that means), the aptasia send out spores as a self defence. This is probably why you saw an increase after treating them. I find if I get the syringe tip in close enough without disturbing it ( very difficult) then the aptasia x does work. But I've also missed a few. I think the only thing keeping them from spreading is my peppermint shrimp. But even the shrimp won't touch the bigger ones.

I was going to say this too. I have used Aiptasia X with great success. I could never totally get rid of them, but kept it very manageable. If you touch the disc of the aiptasia with the syringe you started the defensive part. You have to turn off all powerheads and squirt just above the disk and let the aiptasia x fall right on top making sure it covers the whole dish. Not a bad product and it does what it is supposed to... aiptasia is just a PITA

 

[Gideon1]

Thanks for your help with this, i'm concern about the corals and fishes sitting in buckets in freshly made SW for too long, will this hurt them? how long can I keep them there with a PH and Heater, the new LR/DR been curing for about 2 1/2 weeks will that be good enough with the bio sphire? it's all new stuff going in the 120gal, can't even use the old tank water as Modulus points out....thanks

 

[Gideon1]

would it be safe to just house the fishes and corals, inverts in the old tank water in ind buckets until tank is ready net the fishes out then rid SW? is there a better way to do this?

 

[Modulus]

would it be safe to just house the fishes and corals, inverts in the old tank water in ind buckets until tank is ready net the fishes out then rid SW? is there a better way to do this?

This is what I would do... just keep the 75 up while the 120 cycles completely. Bio Spira may help... I use it and it seems to help the cycle move along, but that bacteria still needs food... it isnt really an 'instant cycle'. It is a debatable product I guess. You should be able to transfer the fish with little to no risk of bringing aiptasia with them... I would just closely inspect the coral before transfer and maybe even QT them for a few weeks just to make sure there isn't a baby aiptasia that you dont see right away.

 

[Modulus]

Tell us more about your new live rock... where did you get it? How long was it out of the water until you started curing? Is it aquacultured, from the ocean, etc?

 

[Gideon1]

I will be putting up the new 4x2x2 tank in the same place as the infested 75 gal b/c my top off lines are ran behind the wall...lol. So i'm going to need to breack down and setup in a few hours...lol. nice thought though.

Its mostly DR from BRS Tonga Branch Dry Live Rock and about 35 pounds LR from Live RockNReef, was going get the Fish Head aquacultured rock but needed more info. on it, Plus i'm going to be bleach the 150 pounds that I have once I breakdown this 75 gal tank. I have a 20 gal QT that I can use for fishes, 2 yellow tail dams, 2 cardinals, 2 darts, and a Foxface, hope I can save them. As for the corals most seem engulfed by aiptaisa save some soft corals and a Toadstool mushroom, the inverts go in a bucket but maynot swa one or two carrying a baby apti on its back, the 75er is a gonna ...had it running good for about 2 1/2 years, now looking forward to my new build .... thanks for suggestions anymore?

 

[Yrahcaz]

So you're keeping your fish and corals in buckets until your new tank has cycled? I hope I've misunderstood something and that is not what you plan on doing. Most of your livestock will die or be extremely stressed, possibly leading to death. If you don't have anywhere other than a bucket(s) to store your livestock for as long as a month (don't count on the biopsora doing anything to speed up the cycle; this is a very unpredictable period), then put your livestock in a friend's tank temporarily or a LFS. What livestock do you have?

 

[wiredfish]

back when i had all fish, crabs, shrimp, and soft corals in buckets for three days with air stones and heaters, and only one fish died, a chromie.

 

[Holygral]

go and get a cheap kiddie pool and you can house everything in that for a few weeks, place heater in between some lr as not to melt the pool. When I upgraded, I used one for 3 weeks while my new set up went thru a small cycle, never lost anything

 

[Yrahcaz]

go and get a cheap kiddie pool and you can house everything in that for a few weeks, place heater in between some lr as not to melt the pool. When I upgraded, I used one for 3 weeks while my new set up went thru a small cycle, never lost anything

That sounds good.

 

[Gideon1]

So you're keeping your fish and corals in buckets until your new tank has cycled? I hope I've misunderstood something and that is not what you plan on doing. Most of your livestock will die or be extremely stressed, possibly leading to death. If you don't have anywhere other than a bucket(s) to store your livestock for as long as a month (don't count on the biopsora doing anything to speed up the cycle; this is a very unpredictable period), then put your livestock in a friend's tank temporarily or a LFS. What livestock do you have?

I do have a 20 gal QT tank I setup to house fishes and corals, I will need to frag some coral as aiptasia is on the rock of some corals. I think I can keep all in 20 gal after weeding down. Thought I could get away with 2 to 3 days in the bucket but seems like new tank needs at least 3 to 4 weeks before adding anything:lol:...thanks

 

[Gideon1]

Thanks for all the great feedback, this will be a challenge. The plan is to keep everything in the 20 gal tank until new 120gal cycles, 8 fishes and 10 small softies, crab and banded shrimp. I have about 150 pounds of LR on the 75 gal aiptasia infested tank, I'm going to bleach the buggers, ya thing that i'lll kill them?

 

[Modulus]

How exactly do you plan on bleaching them? When I had to do this because of aiptasia I just set them out in the sun for a month and then cured the rock after that.

 

[Gideon1]

How exactly do you plan on bleaching them? When I had to do this because of aiptasia I just set them out in the sun for a month and then cured the rock after that.

I read here that using 50/50 bleach regular Clorox for three days will kill everything on the LR, then put in regular tapwater for another 3 days, then power wash the LR, then sit out in the sun turning every day to drain all the water out the LR and let dry completely, then put LR in RO/DI saltwater to get the PO4 out, and seed with good LR. That's been the talk on the forum, have you heard of another method, i'm sure there's others you said just sitting out in the sun for a time worked for you, did you have the litter buggers come back? The only think I'm hearing for sure is this whole Acid bath treatment? ant thoughts? Thank, I need all the help I can get...:agree:

 

[Modulus]

I have had my tank up and running since doing it for about 6-7 months now with no return of the pest. I was asking how you were planning on doing it because I have heard of the bleaching... like actual bleaching with Clorox... I didn't want to do that because of all the cleansing that would be needed afterward and HOPE to get all of it out. I am curious if anyone else used this method and how it worked out.