Why are many people such control freaks?

[alexander_ktn]

A few minutes ago I answered a thread with an identification question. I just looked at the images provided and confirmed the id, but then I read the OP and it was something along the lines of: "please help me id this so I can get rid of it". Before the poster even knew what it was...

And it actually made me sad. I mean a reef tank is a very complex system with tons of critters that we never purposely put in. There are probably thousands of creatures in each of our tanks that started out as hitchhikers. Most of them benign or even beneficial. Only very few things can become pests or problems. So why do so many people want to actually kill these animals? Is it just because they were unplanned? Or are they so afraid of getting a pest?

It's the same with crabs or bristle worms - there are tons of those that will never harm anything in a reef tank. I have a huge (2-3" carapace) black crab in one of my tanks that just grazes on algae and leaves everybody alone. If it would start munching on stuff, then I'd relocate it.

It's different with animals that are confirmed predators or otherwise harmful. But even those can in many cases be relocated to the refugium or given away to fellow hobbyists (e.g. in the case of mantis shrimp).

/rant

 

[E Rosewater]

I'm still fairly new to the saltwater hobby but from what I've read on here is that there really seems to be a really big push to go with full dry rock set-ups in the attempt to avoid hitchhikers.

I did a mostly dry rock that I seeded with some live rock when I set up my tank, but that was mostly a money/environmental decision. I have a LFS that usually cures base rock with a little live rock and sells it for $2/lb, so I was able to pick up some life from that, and pieces of rock with coral.

I have a lot of fun looking at the tank at night with a flashlight to see all the weird little creatures that come out when the lights are off.

 

[Reeferz412]

Sometimes people are not so lucky. They take a chance and keep the hitchhiker and it ends up taking out their corals or infesting the tank. I don't blame people for being extra cautious when they spend a lot of money on corals, fish, and a pest free environment for the fish they intentionally want. I completely understand where you are coming from, but I guess that is why people ask to ID.... but also jump the gun and immediately think the HH is a plague, which IMO is only natural.

 

[E Rosewater]

Many people will pay extra for piece of mind, in this case they can pay less for it. I understand why it is tempting.

 

[alexander_ktn]

I understand that, but it still makes me sad - not only for the animals but also because the people miss a large part of what a reef tank can offer...

 

[KafudaFish]

Ever notice if it is something that is "ugly" or "dull" it is often considered a pest and people sometimes go through extremes to remove it only to find out it is beneficial to their system?

On the other side, look at mantis shrimp. For years they were considered a worthless pest and some would still consider them a pest but they can make a great species only tank.

Different people want different aspects in a reef aquarium.

Some just want a location to cram as many corals as possible while others like to see their tanks evolve or time. Ever have something just pop up one day and gone soon after?

Neither way is superior to the other but each people has to make that call.

 

[alexander_ktn]

Many people will pay extra for piece of mind, in this case they can pay less for it. I understand why it is tempting.

True...

 

[alexander_ktn]

Ever notice if it is something that is "ugly" or "dull" it is often considered a pest and people sometimes go through extremes to remove it only to find out it is beneficial to their system?

You're right - that may play a big part.

 

[matty0206]

My newest tank was started with mostly dry rock and I hate how sterile and bland it looked for the first few months. I like finding the odd little creatures that pop up from time to time. Night time with a flashlight is good times! I did use a few old peices from my previous tank so I do get some critters but nothing like when I started my first tank with all fresh live rock.
People are to quick to kill everything they don't understand. Some creatures should be removed but not all and even the ones that do should not be killed or flushed. I keep a mantis and can honestly say it is the most fascinating creatures I have ever owned.

 

[Bigtown]

... others like to see their tanks evolve or time. Ever have something just pop up one day and gone soon after?

In my opinion, this is one of the most rewarding aspects of owning a reef tank. I'll take my mound of not-very-aquascaped rocks teeming with life over the sterile beauty of a meticulously groomed to house only the most rare and desirable corals any day. It is absolutely amazing and a great lesson about the environments we ostensibly are seeking to recreate to see the cycle of life evolve over and over again inside our ecosystems.

My current fascination is with random sponges. Over the past few months they've been popping up everywhere in my tank. None of my rock is less than two years old - where were these guys hiding out! A little spore here and there, something growing in the system that gets it rolling, and bam. It boggles my mind to think of the probably hundreds of species of critters living in my tank that I may never even be aware exist.

One thing the hitchhiker debate always makes me think of is the American tendency to live in ultra-sterile environments ourselves, filled with antimicrobial soaps, germ-killing chemicals, and tendency to define anything that isn't hermetically sealed as "unclean". A generation of raising kids who've been intentionally removed from exposure to illnesses and colds has resulted in a generation of kids who have no immunity to anything. I think tanks are often the same way. Certainly if you get some giant monster that's ripping apart your denizens and breaking your tank walls, you've got to find him a new home, but a lot of the "undesirables" that have the potential to cause trouble are actually kept in check effectively by the very nature of the uncontrolled complexity of a reef ecosystem that's allowed to find it's own course.

About a year ago I had the pleasure of a sudden eruption of hundreds of collonista snails appear out of nowhere, and they're still going strong today. Unfortunately at the same time a smaller group of pyramid snails came along for the ride, and after much knashing of teeth about what to do I just left them in there. I don't have clams but was worried about my turbos. Well, I have no idea what's doing it but something is keeping them in check...Maybe once a month I notice a turbo with enough of these guys on him to brush them off but there's never been enough to kill one of my big guys. I tend to feel that in a more intentionally sterile reef system these bad guys would explode in numbers very rapidly.

When something freaky turns up in my tank, my first reaction is to wig out and scour the internet for whatever emergency measures there are to solve the problem. Then I try to calm down and do nothing for a while and see what happens. Usually things work themselves out without my intervention. I think that's the wonder of a more complete ecosystem.

NOTE: None of the above applies to green hair algae. I want to wipe it from the earth.

Gotta go. Time to go watch the hundreds of feather dusters I discovered in the corner of my sump last month.

 

[Bigtown]

Ha - and how's this for timing. Posted that message, walked downstairs, and immediately saw the first asterina star I've ever had crawling on my tank glass. Is he good? Is he bad? Many say to err on the side of caution and kill him. I'm going to wait and see what happens.

 

[Mr. Bill]

Most Asterinas are not only harmless, but also beneficial in that they eat algae and leftover food. There are a couple of species that may munch on zoas, but it's rare to find them in the aquarium.

 

[SoLiD]

^^^ yup... most astrina starfish graze on all types of algae's... including coraline algae. For the most part they aren't bad to have, but they will multiply quick.

 

[Bigtown]

Hopefully they'll munch on the coralline algae I have to keep scraping off my tank walls and leave the stuff on the rocks alone.

 

[Mikesville510]

I don't understand on why y'all hating so much on being safe rather than being sorry. Including myself, I've seen way too many tanks crash or have to be dismantled because of ONE pest. I'm not saying you're all wrong, it's just a matter of preference.

Starting your tank with live rock, you just have to understand that you take the good with the bad, meaning pods, bubble algae, worms, crabs, aptasia and all. You can't have your cake and eat it too

If I can prevent the nasties from entering my tank, I will do everything I can to do so, even if it means a lesser biodiversity. Even though having a greater biodiversity is beneficial to a reef tank, that's not my end goal, my end goal is to have a beautiful tank full of healthy corals and fish. I get greater joy watching my fish and corals being happy and growing unimpeded by pests.

Just my two cents.

 

[SushiGirl]

I've seen very few tanks crash or be destroyed due to a pest. And those that have, 99% of them the pest came from a frag & not from live rock.

If your end goal is to have a beautiful tank full of healthy corals & fish, you're missing out by not having biodiversity.

The one piece of advice I absolutely hate to see on any reef tank forum, and usually from newbies, is "when in doubt, kill it."

 

[Mikesville510]

Even if a pest doesn't cause a tank to crash or make you break it down, I sure as hell don't ever want to deal with things like aptasia or bubble algae, or something unknown eating nipping my corals, or killing my fish.

In terms of getting something from a frag, shame on them. Someone who goes thru the dry rock route should know better in QTing or at the very least dip.

And I highly doubt a more limited biodiversity is going to prevent my corals and fish from doing well. It's not like I'm trying to keep a mandarin or creatures that depend on pods and things like that.

 

[Michigan Mike]

So what are the worst hitchhikers ?
My tank exploded with good Stomatella Varia snails, dwindled and exploded a bristleworm infestation, which is still healthy, in turn a huge explosion of tiny white brittle/serpant stars, then grey & red flatworms, and finally aiptasia.

The aiptasia bothers me the most but I won't sell or move coral into my other tanks because of the flatworms. The red flatworms have dwindled and I hardly ever notice one until sometimes a couple will be near the water line or something, o they bother me because I don't want to perpetuate them.

 

[SoLiD]

I have a friend who started a 340 Gallon Tank with 300 pounds of Dry Marco Rock. His tank is full of Red Flat Worms and Aiptasia. Case and Point, it's not the live rock, it's usually the corals that get put in.

 

[Mr. Bill]

I've seen very few tanks crash or be destroyed due to a pest. And those that have, 99% of them the pest came from a frag & not from live rock.

If your end goal is to have a beautiful tank full of healthy corals & fish, you're missing out by not having biodiversity.

The one piece of advice I absolutely hate to see on any reef tank forum, and usually from newbies, is "when in doubt, kill it."

Absolutely correct.

My current tank was started with all dry rock and substrate. The biodiversity I have came from the LR rubble on which my corals were attached (Not found anything bad either, BTW).

FTR, I've had far more trouble with alleged "reef safe" crustaceans that I added intentionally than anything else.