HYPERSALINITY and BLEACH TREATMENT TO ERADICATE Aiptasia - Reef Tank Reset

[Alchemy]

My reef tank is a Red Sea XL525 that has been running for just over 2 years. I have gone thru Dino and Cyano which I’ve finally got under control. The latest problem is Aiptasia which began about 6 months after start up. I have tried Aiptasia-X (8 bottles) but it has made matter’s worse. I tried about $250 worth of Berghia which the melanurus wrasse enjoyed snaking on. I have not tried File fish, CCB, and even a Scat but most all that I have read indicate that once the fish are gone the aiptasia come back. The rocks are covered with Aiptasia … and the rock looks like it has had a crew cut … hundreds. I have decided on a reset. I have attached my plan which has 16 steps and will take about 24 days. I welcome any suggestions as well as comments to a couple of questions I have. Thanks for all your input… it is appreciated. Questions I have are:

• What are thoughts on using Dr Tim’s, or Remediation, or Macrobacteria 7 or Macrobacteria Start XLM 15X to kick off Bio Filter after I add back Rock and fill with fresh Slat water - will be adding back into the sump the Marine Pure Block that has been in my sump for about 16 months.
• Do I need some kind of Reef Light for the soft corals in the 25 gallon QT or will the plain white Fresh Water tank light work – thinking about buying an inexpensive full spectrum Led reef light for about $75 for soft corals in 25 gallon QT.

 

[Jekyl]

@vetteguy53081

 

[Mellotang]

I’ve bleached rocks with aiptasia and they still came back

 

[saltybees]

How much rock are you dealing with? I’d personally just get new, you might cause more issues trying to reuse it..

 

[Sharlow]

How high are you planning to take your salinity? With my pest tank, I've had it run up to 1.060 and the Aiptasia never blinked. The only two things that really irritated it and made it stop extending was high Phos (1.0+) and stray voltage (Which actually melted most of the pest nems without bothering the other inverts\fish\softies. LPS and SPS took a hit though.)

 

[Mellotang]

What worked though is setting up a 40 gallon tank
Pulling a few rocks at a time from the display
Fill the 40 with Berghia , start with 30 if you’re heavily infested then just keep cycling the rocks

I had a similar problem with a few wrasse in the display

 

[Alchemy]

I’ve bleached rocks with aiptasia and they still came back

I tested the Bleach - it was strong on rock 8 x 4 inches with aip's and zoa's - supper white and nothing left ... it was clean

 

[Mellotang]

How Long did you wait after to
Decide if they were completely eliminated?

ive seen them Come Back up to 2 weeks after bleach

 

[Mellotang]

Aiptasia have there base so far in the rock it’s almost impossible to eliminate them
With bleach

 

[Alchemy]

How much rock are you dealing with? I’d personally just get new, you might cause more issues trying to reuse it..

It''s about 100 + Lbs - reason for the reset it to get the aip's in the overflow box and pipes and sump etc.

 

[Mellotang]

Before

 

[Mellotang]

after

 

[saltybees]

It''s about 100 + Lbs - reason for the reset it to get the aip's in the overflow box and pipes and sump etc.

I understand the cleaning of the tank etc but if you can afford new rock I’d get it instead of trying to bleach what you have.

 

[Alchemy]

How high are you planning to take your salinity? With my pest tank, I've had it run up to 1.060 and the Aiptasia never blinked. The only two things that really irritated it and made it stop extending was high Phos (1.0+) and stray voltage (Which actually melted most of the pest nems without bothering the other inverts\fish\softies. LPS and SPS took a hit though.)

I read an article that they used Hypersalinity at the Indy Zoo .. they took it to 77ppt .. I plan to go a little higher to at least 1.060 sg. for at least 3 days

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have your answer !
Get yourself a blueface (Must be Blueface) Kleini Butterfly. Theyre small, friendly, colorful and do not bother coral. They eat aptasia like candy and after aptasia are gone, they eat ALL frozen and dry foods offered. Theyre about $30 average.

 

[Mellotang]

If it’s only 100 lbs of rock
Why not Just remove the rock, catch the wrasse then put rock back n get berghia?

 

[Alchemy]

I understand the cleaning of the tank etc but if you can afford new rock I’d get it instead of trying to bleach what you have.

Yes that's an option but I'd like to re-use the rock and if I still have to clean out the tank, sump, pipes etc I figured I'd cook the rock.

 

[Alchemy]

I have your answer !
Get yourself a blueface (Must be Blueface) Kleini Butterfly. Theyre small, friendly, colorful and do not bother coral. They eat aptasia like candy and after aptasia are gone, they eat ALL frozen and dry foods offered. Theyre about $30 average.

Yes that was a consideration .. cool fish but all I've read say when the fish is gone the aip's return .... they may return after the re-set and then and then .. well and then

 

[Alchemy]

If it’s only 100 lbs of rock
Why not Just remove the rock, catch the wrasse then put rock back n get berghia?

Yes that is an option and I considered it but I am so sick of see the aip's I just want them gone NOW ....

 

[saltybees]

Yes that's an option but I'd like to re-use the rock and if I still have to clean out the tank, sump, pipes etc I figured I'd cook the rock.

For sure I can appreciate that, just worried that you might be opening yourself up to huge issues with what’s going to leach out of the rock when you add it again, unless you plan on doing a muriatic acid bath on it too I wouldn’t recommend it..I’d get new rock and throw that rock outside and leave it for a year or 2 and do a bleach cure on it if you want to use it again in the future