Last one, I swear...

[Lofty]

CBB.... I think anyone who has experianced the heartache will understand. My first was an ill though plan to get live rock for really cheap, around 100 lbs for 80 bucks to be exact.... now my costs to elimnate the problem that came with the live rock has far exceeded financial issue. The heaet ache that ensues after keeping one of these beautiful animals and losing them.

I'll be it, after the first or second, I should have strayed way... I have tried... aptaisia X is not enough, kliens butterflys are too agressive and go ater everything else in the reef... nudi brachs, peppermint shrimp... come on...

I really think the LFS just tries to get rid of them ASAP... so they don't die in thier hands. I highly doubt any LFS has the amout of clientel that the actually sell these to that do the proper research, have the proper set up and try every possible feeding set up they can.

I feel so horrible. It's like I just can't quit drinking and smoking... what else is there?

I have considered quitting.... I have quit once before. I do not wish to again. Please help...

I only keep 2 ocelaris and a blue green chromis... I need a crown jewel for my system... I also need some aiptaisia control.... suggestions?

Lofty

 

[nikon187]

How about buying new quality rock? BTW my copper band has been with me over 8mths now and eats any frozen food that hits the water. Where I work, we don't release any copperbands from QT until they are eating. What size tank do you have?

 

[down and outman]

Peppermint shrimp always do it for me.

 

[Playa-1]

I wouldn't add any more livestock for a while until you get things under control. I think you're making the whole Aptasia thing much more difficult then it needs to be. A bottle of lemon juice and a syringe. Occasionally one requires a second helping but most are done on the first injection. After you rid the tank of all that you can see then check the tank on a regular basis and inject any new ones that pop up. I get a few that pop up here and there and I will usually let several of them think they are getting away with something and then I nail them with some lemon juice. It's a chore that takes me about 5 minutes once every couple of months. My suggestion is to quit looking for a magic bullet and make this simple chore part of your regular maintenance routine and quit worrying about it. I have a few in spots that I can't get too so I doubt my tank will ever be totally free of Aptasia, but It's manageable with a little effort.

 

[JR719]

I've used Joe's Juice with success. I've also used kalk paste and lemon juice with close results. Peppermint shrimp did not work for me, some have had great success, wish I would have. When I get rock, I cook/cure it for a couple months to get rid of all the nasties. NOTE, you cannot cook a little at a time, all at once or nothing.

Whatever you do..... Don't give up drinking! toss the smoking, but for god's sake, don't give up drinking!

 

[Lofty]

They pop up in droves... I'm taking about like GSPs look when they are in really good health.... my problem far exceeds what a little lemon juice or aiptaisia X cn handle... you would literally be injecting multiple times daily... As for tank size its a 40... I have 100 LB of rock stacked and I have pods crwling all over the display when I fail to clean te glass and... shrimp sized pods in the sump...almost like a mushroom trip looking at them. The rock... was quality, and I thought I could save the rock and some dough.... cant afford to buy new... so what?... take it out... buy some small new pieces and dry the rest out... thought of even blow torching it... read that somewhere... There is reminance through out the system, in the overflow, in the sump, behind every nook and cranny... great if you have someone who eats it.

I have a 75 hex I want to move the system to later, but lighting, stand and other expense prohibits such a drastic change.

 

[Lofty]

Whatever you do..... Don't give up drinking! toss the smoking, but for god's sake, don't give up drinking!

Good words... I gave up smoking... probably cause I needed money for the reef.... or diapers... well i did quit smoking

What do you mean by cook the rock... like I said... blow torch?

 

[JR719]

Good words... I gave up smoking... probably cause I needed money for the reef.... or diapers... well i did quit smoking

Ha ha ha ha... I know the feeling..... If you give up drinking.... might as well eat a bullet!

Really though, cook the rock. While the rock is cooking, you'll see stuff starting to grow on the glass. Kill that stuff as soon as you see it. I'm not a big believer in cooking rock for months on end (although I cook it for about 2 months). Just make sure all the nasties are no longer in the tank. Be sure to keep the water changes going in your rock tank and a skimmer working overtime.

JR

 

[Lofty]

Really though, cook the rock. While the rock is cooking, you'll see stuff starting to grow on the glass. Kill that stuff as soon as you see it. I'm not a big believer in cooking rock for months on end (although I cook it for about 2 months). Just make sure all the nasties are no longer in the tank. Be sure to keep the water changes going in your rock tank and a skimmer working overtime.

JR

Ok... you are really going to have to explain this...because I am lost... I thought about taking it our... geting my propane torch out... blasting it with flame and letting it sit for a month or so in the sun.... yeah it i'll be beached but it will be a freash start... in the meantime. my clowns and chromis will get some excersize in the open tank.... what about the sand and all the other equip... jeeze... i should just wait til i can afford to get the 75 hex up and going.

 

[Playa-1]

my problem far exceeds what a little lemon juice or aiptaisia X cn handle... you would literally be injecting multiple times daily.

Nobody said a little. I'm sure it will be a lot of work at first because it has gotten out of hand. Nobody said it would be easy. Just do it, lemon juice is cheap. I don't know that you have much choice unless you want to pull all the rock.

 

[Lofty]

Actually, The chain of events goes.... bought a Kliens Butterfly from LFS... he ate everything... then started on the zoas and shrooms... then traded back to the LFS for partial credit... and got the CBB... hoping that if he had not aptaisia and her was eating mysis (so they said at the LFS) then he would only be interested in mysis... tried running brine, mysis, marine cuisine, and cylopees and no avail... today came home to a all to familiar nest looking ball of decaying fish.... nasty... anyways...I would love to keep a kliens but I think I will end up tearing apart my rocks to tak him back to the LFS every time....

So... now that I have very little aiptaisia... lemon juice concentrate from the store... with the aiptaisia X applicator... sounds like a plan until I decide to go Med Evil on the rock.

So... the questions remains... It is obvious I like the CBB and the likes and I would like to get someone easy to take care of that will thrive in my system, somthing similar to, shape, color, stripes tec a CBB...

Any good ideas?

 

[JR719]

PM sent

 

[Lofty]

got the PM... still confused... looked up cooking rock on RC... got even more confused

 

[jenjen]

If you currently have very little aiptasia and you already have a bottle of lemon juice, just start killing them at first sight and they'll stay under control. As for another fish, I'd personally forget the CBB and pick another fish which will work in your system. What size is your tank?

 

[jenjen]

Just for interest sake, how much lemon juice would you say is ok to use in a tank before it starts to affect water chemistry?

 

[JR719]

Hopefully last PM helped... If not, shoot me your email and I'll send you a nice long step by step process.

 

[JR719]

jenjen,

I would shoot about a dozen aiptasia and let the tank settle for about half an hour. Then check your levels. Your looking for PH level as the lemon juice is acidic. If your levels are in parameters, keep shooting, if they are getting high stop. Be very careful though, depending on your tank size, it could swing very quickly and could affect everything.

 

[jenjen]

jenjen,

I would shoot about a dozen aiptasia and let the tank settle for about half an hour. Then check your levels. Your looking for PH level as the lemon juice is acidic. If your levels are in parameters, keep shooting, if they are getting high stop. Be very careful though, depending on your tank size, it could swing very quickly and could affect everything.

Good to know, thanks!

 

[VacavilleFC3S]

real peppermint shrimp will handle the problem completely and permanently

 

[thebanker]

So my buddy and I are buying a 60 gal from a guy and parting it out. The aiptasia is out of control. Now I'm completely freaked out since I've had virtually none in my tank save for one teeny little brown guy I watch like a hawk.

I think I'll call the seller and see if I can go over there and start nuking the aiptasia before we disassemble the tank on sunday.

Playa-1, good to see someone in laguna niguel, thats where I live too.

Lofty - you're freakin me out man, with your anemone issues! Have you ever lived in laguna beach? i know a guy named lofty that used to live around here.



edit: woohooo! 100 posts, now noobs have to listen to my half baked reefing opinions!