Fluke tabs and GSP/Xenia

[mojoreefer]

Hey all, I am still on my first tank (65gal) and my second tank (whenever that will be) will have some things done it I wished would of been done on my current tank.

Like I won't add any GSP or Xenia or at least not how I did with this tank. I will attempt to remove as much as I can manually but for the rest that I cannot remove I was hoping that a little bit of a fluke tab would help me take care of the rest.

I know that once this is done I'll pretty much never be able to grow GSP and Xenia but I'm fine with that.

My concern is that whatever GSP/Xenia is left melting will cause water chemistry issues and or issues with any other corals in the tank. The tank has a mix of LPS and SPS.

Are my concerns valid?

 

[lmorejon]

tagging along...

 

[CoRPS]

mojo, I've removed both xenia and gsp with tweezers VERY easily. Shouldn't leave anything left over and takes almost no time at all.

 

[ReefWreak]

In my limited experience, it will cause a rapid nutrient bloom as the xenia/gsp melt away, so you'll have to do frequent water changes until it's all gone, or the green hair algae will uptake the nutrients and explode in growth. Other corals shouldn't be effected, unless the nutrient level gets too high or they get grown over by algae, which is what happened when I did this in a 24g nanocube.

Your concerns are definitely valid, you've got to do it carefully. The best approach is to just lop off any and all GSP and xenia stalks that you can, and rely on the fluke tabs to get whatever (hopefully small) pieces were left, to limit the amount of nutrient bounceback you get from the dieoff.

 

[jtemple42000]

I have read that the fluke tab method will kill shrimp. How about sea cucumbers? Will it kill them as well?

 

[GatorWPB]

I just went through this a few months ago, and people said the same thing about nutrient issues when they die. But I did not have any problems. It just depends on how well your tank handles nutrients. I have lots of rock and run zeovit, so I didnt notice a difference other than no more xenia or gsp. I had bought some fluke tabs that ended up being expired, so I actually had to use a decent amount. I dont think it effects anything other than flukes and xenia/gsp

But I have pics of the results Now there is absolutely nothing left but clean rock...

 

[mojoreefer]

I dont think it effects anything other than flukes and xenia/gsp

But I have pics of the results Now there is absolutely nothing left but clean rock...

I'm sure it had some other effects like on any crustaceans you might of had like, shrimps copepods?

 

[GatorWPB]

Not that I could tell. I run a fuge and didnt notice any fewer pods. I have one cleaner shrimp and one peppermint and they both survived.
Flatworms are single cell very small critters. The more complex the animal, I would think the less they would be affected by the fluke tab.