Pest & Solution - The definitive thread

[Darryl_V]

I think this is a great idea and hopefully it turns out informative enough to get sticky'd.

Pest & Solution - The definitive thread

The idea is basically to list a pest and provide a solution that has worked for you and your experience.  Please keep hearsay to a minimum.

 

[Darryl_V]

Cotton Candy Algae.....

Only solution I know is Mexican Turbos.  They are the only thing to eat this stuff from my research.  I also have first hand experience and they do work great.

 

[Darryl_V]

Aiptasia.......

Pesky anemone.  I have tried using copperband butterflys with no success (lack of eating anything) but others have reported success with these.  What I have used that has worked well is berghia nudibraches.  It is said that they only eat aiptasia.  They readily multiply in the aquarium.

Tips.  Make sure you have enough aiptasia to get the population of berghia eating and mulitplying.  This is not a good choice for those with a few aiptasia.  Also make sure to add enough berghia that they will find each other to "get it on".

 

[Darryl_V]

Bubble Algae.....valonia

No you dont have a nutrient problem.  This pesky algae will grow even in the most healthy tanks.  Considering the lack of animals that eat it, it can become a real pest.

What I have found over the years is that large tangs will often eat it.  All the naso's I have encountered have eaten this algae.  Bill at IA has had good success with a vlamingii tang....both of these are from the same family.  Down side to this solution is you need a fairly large tank.

 

[Darryl_V]

Lobophora.....leafy encrusting algae, often brown.

This stuff can become a pest in certain aquariums as well.  Again the solution that worked for me was a Naso tang.  These guys are the bomb when it comes to trouble algae.  If you have a big enough tank I definitely recommend one.

 

[Gietz]

Bubble Algae.....valonia

No you dont have a nutrient problem.  This pesky algae will grow even in the most healthy tanks.  Considering the lack of animals that eat it, it can become a real pest.

What I have found over the years is that large tangs will often eat it.  All the naso's I have encountered have eaten this algae.  Bill at IA has had good success with a vlamingii tang....both of these are from the same family.  Down side to this solution is you need a fairly large tank.

Fox face will eat as well

 

[Petercar (RIP Dec 2017)]

Give me some ..and I'll watch my aphasia zapper zap em to hell

 

[Poseidon]

i really like the idea... makes it handy to see what has worked for other people.... thumbs up

 

[reeffreak]

Great Idea Darryl_V

 

[reeffreak]

here a more common one most of us have probably seen

Flatworms .... Most likely intoduced to aquaruims via LR or  coral  . Can become huge in population if not eradicated when visible . There lots of threatments out there for these guys flatworm exit  is one . I used this stuff called Flatworm control made by Blue Life and I had great sucess getting rid of them , the treatment does not effect coral and fish but the toxics from dead flatworms will , siphon out all dead worms you see and do a 25% water change and you should be good to go .

Also other natural ways or ridin them would be a 6 line wrasse and im sure other wrasses aswell.

 

[pulpfiction1]

6 line all the way

Sent from my HTC Incredible S

 

[reeffreak]

6 line all the way

Sent from my HTC Incredible S

Its also hit and miss with six lines along with peppermint shrimp and aiptasia , butterfly fish and aiptasia ... but agree that naturel methods are better although not always an option . It wasnt an option to add more fish into my tank so I had to take another route .

 

[pulpfiction1]

keep em hungry he will eat it

Sent from my HTC Incredible S

 

[Darryl_V]

how do you keep um hungry with out starving the other fish?

 

[Bill@IA]

Colonial Hydroids. Messy looking and a nuisance around coral. Nettling characteristics.

After some research, Incredible Aquarium has imported and acclimated a solution.

YouTube video below shows a newly introduced SeaHare, Dolabella auricularia,  munching away at them within minutes. Stay tuned for before and after shots.

http://www.youtube.com/user/IncredibleAquarium?feature=watch

 

[Neopimp]

I had those... the only way to get rid of it that I found was a bleach dip
never thought of a sea hare.. but then I was really new to the hobby

 

[Darryl_V]

I believe its a special seahare neopimp.

that is great Bill.  Is this guy hard to get or expensive?  do you know if he will eat any polyps or such too?

 

[Bill@IA]

I believe its a special seahare neopimp.

that is great Bill.  Is this guy hard to get or expensive?  do you know if he will eat any polyps or such too?

  This little guy sells for $19.99 and isn't too hard to get from Jakarta. They are more well known for their voracious algae appetite. While waiting for duty in the SPS system they were eating a sheet of Nori every second night.
  I have just checked in on it, the tank is pitch black and it is still going at it. Currently, half of that Hydroid Colony has been eaten.
  Will pay close attention to our polyps.

Cheers!!

 

[reeffreak]

awsome !!! its cool to see you have found little creature that will eat it .

 

[chuckm]

My achilles tang loves valonia(bubble algae) sometimes it will grow in the overflow, i throw it in the display tank, and he goes to town. in the past, as mentioned earlier Naso tangs love the stuff.
As for aptasia- a little kalkwasser paste in a syringe does the trick every time!