esacjack Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 So over the last few days I noticed my frag tank had some zoa's closed. Usually I dont panic, as they grow pretty fast in there, and sometimes they close before they grow. However, this time i noticed hydroid stalks coming up from around the irritated zoas. I'd initially thought it was a bacterial infection, and had dipped in lugols and furan2. Ive already lost about 2 frags because of it. It seemed to start with one frag, then poof! overnight it spread to about 12 different frags. Ive heard pepp's do a fair job of clean up combined with wet skimming. Does anyone else have any ideas ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckyuv Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 Panacur is the only way I have heard of killing them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esacjack Posted December 17, 2013 Author Share Posted December 17, 2013 to my knowledge you cant use panacur on soft corals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 I've got some mebendazole left over. I dont know if i'd do a full tank treatment, but youre welcome to some if you want to go nuclear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esacjack Posted December 17, 2013 Author Share Posted December 17, 2013 (edited) mebendazole can't be used on softies either to my knowledge. :/ Also just noticed theres a small bit of them on my skimmer inlet. I've also read increased flow helps. So my plan of action is to; Pluck the ones off the zoas and skimmer. Perform two or three 10'ers. Crank up the flow Crank up the skimmer. Toss in some pepps to keep the issue at bay.. Per my research, its a crap shoot as to whether they'll eat them or not. The goal is to strip the nutrients from the water column and make it real inhospitable. Any other predators or treatments anyone has tried that doesnt impact soft corals? Edited December 17, 2013 by esacjack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph.Ruelle Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 Fenbendazole dip will work, in a very mild solution. Rinsing the specimen after treatment is key. < .05 ml in a 5 gallon solution for 15-20 min, followed by a dip/rinse in PH-adjusted freshwater for 10 min. I would even rinse 2x in a separate solution for good measure. The bottle will have directions on it.Caution is advisable as it is notorious for staining, leaching from containers. I have had some luck with mild dips in uncanny solutions. On-Guard has a set of essential oils that I dip various coral in. While unorthodox, a dip in their citrus blend-- 2 drops/1Liter saltwater solution; 2X daily-- saved a 15 head torch coral from brown jelly disease... maybe something to consider? You could always use tweezers to damage the pest underwater, then let the frag sit out of water for 10-15 min., or more. Zoas are pretty hardy. A hermit crab might pick at it, but... he may also eat your zoa. Hope you get it figured! Happy reefing! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestep Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 Kalk paste if you have them on non-coral areas. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsea Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 mebendazole can't be used on softies either to my knowledge. :/ Also just noticed theres a small bit of them on my skimmer inlet. I've also read increased flow helps. So my plan of action is to; Pluck the ones off the zoas and skimmer. Perform two or three 10'ers. Crank up the flow Crank up the skimmer. Toss in some pepps to keep the issue at bay.. Per my research, its a crap shoot as to whether they'll eat them or not. The goal is to strip the nutrients from the water column and make it real inhospitable. Any other predators or treatments anyone has tried that doesnt impact soft corals? You may consider using UV sterilization. If you have a large interconnected system, you may wish to be proactive to prevent spreading. Patrick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 Would a zapper do the trick? One of those things they use to kill the bad anenomes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esacjack Posted December 18, 2013 Author Share Posted December 18, 2013 mebendazole can't be used on softies either to my knowledge. :/ Also just noticed theres a small bit of them on my skimmer inlet. I've also read increased flow helps. So my plan of action is to; Pluck the ones off the zoas and skimmer. Perform two or three 10'ers. Crank up the flow Crank up the skimmer. Toss in some pepps to keep the issue at bay.. Per my research, its a crap shoot as to whether they'll eat them or not. The goal is to strip the nutrients from the water column and make it real inhospitable. Any other predators or treatments anyone has tried that doesnt impact soft corals? You may consider using UV sterilization. If you have a large interconnected system, you may wish to be proactive to prevent spreading. Patrick Thats a good idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esacjack Posted December 18, 2013 Author Share Posted December 18, 2013 Would a zapper do the trick? One of those things they use to kill the bad anenomes. I did beam one with an actinic LED earlier, and it didnt seem to like it at all. I may try a laser pointer or the aiptasia zapper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramsey Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 I have those same hydroids in my tank. For whatever reason, they only grow in low light or darkness. At least, the type I have do which look identical. The laser pointer's an awesome idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckyuv Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 Have you seen the laser pointer for killing aiptasia? I remember seein one online a while back but never seen it in person lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 Didn't know they had laser pointers that could kill stuff in your tank. Interesting idea. So you can just point it through your glass and remotely kill them? Sounds like something that definitely needs to stay out of a child's reach! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mFrame Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 Didn't know they had laser pointers that could kill stuff in your tank. Interesting idea. So you can just point it through your glass and remotely kill them? Sounds like something that definitely needs to stay out of a child's reach! There are a few videos about using high power laser pointers to kill Aiptasia, but they come with a severe warning. The glass and water in your tank can cause reflection and or refraction of the beam. This poses not only a thread to your livestock but to your eyes. Before anyone tries this PLEASE read up on proper eye protection and make sure you do it in very controlled circumstances. The other less dangerous option is the use of a Majano Wand. We'll be talking more on the subject at our January meeting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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