Reef tank - replace media in sump/aiptasia

[Carly Knight]

Hi

So I adopted an established reef tank a few months back.

I managed to get on top of an aiptasia issue in the display tank... But recently noticed there are a few in the back chamber on one of the filter media bags.

I'm worried if I remove it I'm gonna remove the beneficial bacteria. But if I don't remove it, I'm sure the aiptasia will make its way back to the main tank.

Any help would be appreciated!

 

[ReefReadyYouTube]

Hello and welcome to R2R
You can always buy a new media filter bag and throw the old one away and the put in some microbacter7 if your concerned about lose of bacteria.

 

[Carly Knight]

Hello and welcome to R2R
You can always buy a new media filter bag and throw the old one away and the put in some microbacter7 if your concerned about lose of bacteria.

Hey. Thanks so much for your speedy reply! Would you recommend a specific filter media bag also?

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

I have tossed out frags because of aiptasia much less a filter media bag. What are you doing to keep it at bay? I would toss the bad but as they say if you can see one then you have dozens.

 

[Carly Knight]

I have tossed out frags because of aiptasia much less a filter media bag. What are you doing to keep it at bay? I would toss the bad but as they say if you can see one then you have dozens.

I was just conscious of it knocking the water quality off, if I removed the bag that's all

I initially used Aiptasia X which worked well then peppermint shrimp

 

[lilkiwi930]

I was just conscious of it knocking the water quality off, if I removed the bag that's all

I initially used Aiptasia X which worked well then peppermint shrimp

How often would you use Aiptasia X? I am finally getting mine under control after 3 weeks. But I am curious if I am able to go in whenever I do see one and just get it, instead of waiting a couple days because I was not sure if it affected the water.

 

[Carly Knight]

How often would you use Aiptasia X? I am finally getting mine under control after 3 weeks. But I am curious if I am able to go in whenever I do see one and just get it, instead of waiting a couple days because I was not sure if it affected the water.

Honestly, I never had any issues with it affecting the water. I went in daily to get most of the large ones. I then took the decision to replace both the rock and sand... which thankfully cleared it up (sadly I forgot to check if there were any in the sump!)

I'd just go in at least once a day - it didn't affect my water at all... all was good

Hope this helps

 

[lilkiwi930]

Honestly, I never had any issues with it affecting the water. I went in daily to get most of the large ones. I then took the decision to replace both the rock and sand... which thankfully cleared it up (sadly I forgot to check if there were any in the sump!)

I'd just go in at least once a day - it didn't affect my water at all... all was good

Hope this helps

Awesome, thank you. I will try this to see if it clears up the last of the these annoying pests. lol

 

[brandon429]

Wanted to reveal a couple neat tricks regarding beneficial bacteria then you'll be very free in procedural options


if you were to remove the entire sump offline and not put it back


plus remove all your sand, instantly, and not put it back, and leave only your current live rocks to handle the fish prior adapted to all that extra surface area (extra, not critical)

the tank would not mini cycle.


this claim would sound insane were it not for the 36 page running thread doing exactly this lol (the official sand rinse thread)

in 100% of cases where a job is needing done, dont factor losing too many bacteria. factor in detritus

is what Im about to do about to upwell a bunch of half-rotten waste? proceed very carefully.
but you'll never remove enough reef material to leave too-few bacteria (bare glass not included)
we could even dose peroxide to your new tank water, a few mils per gallon minus all that prior surface area leaving only the rocks, and it still wouldnt be too few bac
(because peroxide doesnt harm insulated reef filter bac and we are never lacking surface area in reefing where live rocks are used)

in the sand rinse thread we routinely remove all the extra surface area to clean it, so that mini - cycles wont result from *releasing detritus*

what causes mini cycles and what prevents them is polar opposite of what we've been told in the hobby. you are free to remove that gear and clean it, or not even use it.

only live rocks are required for reefing, they dont take on more bacteria to handle removal of extra surface area, they have enough bacteria on their own. we know this to be fact because in the sr thread we remove instantly without giving any ramp up time, and take pictures of sharp awesome reefs just after, then with 5 month updates etc.