How to kill pests in tank move!

[Felixc395]

I'm upgrading from a 37 gallon to a new 75 gallon aquarium relatively soon. One thing I want for the new tank is for it to be as pest free as possible. In my current 37, I have quite a bit of starfish and annoying little snails (I forgot the name, sorry) and I'm sure bristleworms in the rock. I definitely don't want these nuisances in my new tank. So when I transfer my rock, should I dip it in freshwater and iodine? and if so then for how long? Will this be harmful to any bacteria on the rock? I'm willing to cycle again if needed.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!!! thanks everyone!

 

[chalice]

I am actually going to be going through the same process in May and I too am undecided in how I wanted to do it! I was debating on just buying a bunch of bulk rock from Marco Rocks and re doing my tank and also buying new live sand! Unfortunately I will lose alot of my beneficial bacteria and such. I will tag along and hopefully someone will have a better solution!

 

[zachfishman]

Bristle worms are detritivores that are a beneficial part of your natural CUC. If you find that you are overrun with them, I'd evaluate how much you're feeding to see how much is being left uneaten. If you're still overrun, an arrow crab will do the job.

As for small snails and stars I don't know. If you're referring to Asterina stars you could always just pluck off ones that make heir way onto the glass. Some people consider them a risk to corals, but I have tons in my 120 (busily eating algae off my walls) and have never seen any predate my coral.

 

[Felixc395]

Yes, I do have a myriad of asterina's. As well as a snail that's supposedly harmless and is a cousin/looks a lot like a sundail snail (can't remember the name!) and they're very bothersome to me. I've heard bristle worms help, but I really don't like the idea of a large worm growing up to a foot or two crawling around in my tank!

 

[sslak]

The only way would be to start with dry dead rock and never add anything live...at which point you defeat the purpose of having a reef tank.

The critters you want to get rid of are beneficial and you should be happy to have them. They are all part of a healthy balanced ecosystem.

I have hundreds of tiny snails and probably thousands of asterina stars and they have been in my tank for years and they have never caused a problem.

If you don't want critters you need to go with a fish only tank and build it around dead rock. You can seed with purchased bacteria.

 

[Felixc395]

Well I understand the bristleworms, but the snails are sooo annoying! Is there anything I can do to kill them off? I believe they're called colonistas, and I've seen a few sundials here and there so I just don't want my new tank to start off on the wrong foot.

 

[Frogmanx82]

I think there are some wrasses that eat them. I agree though you're fighting a losing battle. Get your first coral and you never know what comes with it. I like the biodiversity.

 

[SGH360]

If you want to fight off those pest natural predators is the way to go. Everyone have pest but have them under control using natural predators and manual labor. I have many of those pesky algae that never grows do to the fact i have many live that eats it. Sterile tanks are not really an option on a reef tank unless you want to do all of the work

 

[zachfishman]

I think there are some wrasses that eat them. I agree though you're fighting a losing battle. Get your first coral and you never know what comes with it. I like the biodiversity.

I believe sixline wrasses eat sundials. Maybe they'll eat your colonistas too.