Upgrading to bigger tank, how to avoid importing aiptasia?

[Billyreef-ita]

Hi everybody,
I’m moving from a 35g tank to a 80g tank. The new tank will be delivered in 15 days. The old tank has been running for three years with sps and lps and is managed with a dsb.
Only problem I have is a few small aiptasia from time to time, but they are promptly eaten by my tomentosus.
My doubt is: do I keep this rocks and sand and move them in the new tank? They are already colonized by good bacteria, but I could transfer also the aiptasia with them.

I would like to set up a new pest-free tank and I’m willing to buy synthetic rocks, new sand for achieving that, and also passing through a new “ugly phase”.
The point is that I will transfer the corals and the pumps in the new tank, do I risk to import aiptasia with them and the new rocks and sand be colonized again by pests?

I could dip the corals and clean carefully the pumps before moving them into the new tank but is this enough? Or sooner or later aiptasia will pop up again so it’s not worth to change all the substrate?
What’s your idea, experience on this? Thanks

 

[liddojunior]

I don’t think the dip will get rid of aptasia. I think aptasia is something you have to manage if it becomes a problem.

For half a year I’ve had a single aptasia that hasnt spread. I think they spread more when you mess with them.

I wouldn’t move the sand, always new substrate. Moving the rocks would be best since you get the cycle and corals growing on them moved “safely”

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi everybody,
I’m moving from a 35g tank to a 80g tank. The new tank will be delivered in 15 days. The old tank has been running for three years with sps and lps and is managed with a dsb.
Only problem I have is a few small aiptasia from time to time, but they are promptly eaten by my tomentosus.
My doubt is: do I keep this rocks and sand and move them in the new tank? They are already colonized by good bacteria, but I could transfer also the aiptasia with them.

I would like to set up a new pest-free tank and I’m willing to buy synthetic rocks, new sand for achieving that, and also passing through a new “ugly phase”.
The point is that I will transfer the corals and the pumps in the new tank, do I risk to import aiptasia with them and the new rocks and sand be colonized again by pests?

I could dip the corals and clean carefully the pumps before moving them into the new tank but is this enough? Or sooner or later aiptasia will pop up again so it’s not worth to change all the substrate?
What’s your idea, experience on this? Thanks

Dips in many cases will not affect aptasia. They are like roaches. . the get into crevices and holes of rock, under frag plugs and even in Bag water from LFS and suddenly appear. Often you get a stray and to keep it simple, if you see one or two, Using a syringe or pipette, inject either lemon juice or better yet. . kalkwasser powder mixed with tank water into a paste the consistency of toothpaste and inject into the very center core and it will melt away

 

[Viking_Reefing]

No point in fretting over aptasia. Even if you somehow manage to transfer the corals over to the new tank without any aptasia tagging along they will make it in to your system at some point down the line.
Like you said, they don’t cause an issue so why worry?

 

[Bruttall]

I had an Aiptasia breakout in my tank, saw over a dozen different glass nems, starting to spread. I had my LFS gets me 3 Berghia Nudibranchs, they arrived about 1cm in length. I added to my tank and they are eradicating my Aiptasia.

In a 300g tank I doubt very much I will ever notice them finishing off the Aiptasia, or dying off themselves.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Frag your corals, then put the frags in the new tank, its the only way.