Major aiptasia and bubble algae issue

[FlowGod]

Hello everybody.
I haven't been on here for a while and that will also show with my tank. I have had the bubble algae issue for a long time. Probably 1 year with the aiptasia issue. I would go in and remove as much bubble algae and pulsing xenia as I could and I would forget about the tank again for months. I know this issue is due to my poor husbandry and neglect. Now its time for a come back. The bubble algae is covering every rock and now aiptasia is in-between the bubbles. Its puts me in a pickle because I don't want to remove more BA and then end up with a thousand more aiptasias. My plan was to leave the BA alone and go after as much aiptasia as I can with the pasty products (aiptasia x, joes juice, f aiptasia etc.). I have berghia coming soon so hopefully those little guys can offer some help also. I have tried vibrant and that didn't work to well for me. I am thinking good ole elbow grease and water changes is my go to. Let me know what you guys think. Anything you would do different?

P.S I know there are tons of threads about this but they are concerning the beginnings or just barely getting ap. and ba. My tank is far worse than any picture or post I have seen on here. Its pretty rough...

 

[Subsea]

Hello everybody.
I haven't been on here for a while and that will also show with my tank. I have had the bubble algae issue for a long time. Probably 1 year with the aiptasia issue. I would go in and remove as much bubble algae and pulsing xenia as I could and I would forget about the tank again for months. I know this issue is due to my poor husbandry and neglect. Now its time for a come back. The bubble algae is covering every rock and now aiptasia is in-between the bubbles. Its puts me in a pickle because I don't want to remove more BA and then end up with a thousand more aiptasias. My plan was to leave the BA alone and go after as much aiptasia as I can with the pasty products (aiptasia x, joes juice, f aiptasia etc.). I have berghia coming soon so hopefully those little guys can offer some help also. I have tried vibrant and that didn't work to well for me. I am thinking good ole elbow grease and water changes is my go to. Let me know what you guys think. Anything you would do different?

Seith,
Is this a new water box 100.3? How long set up? What was the source of sand & rock?

If your rock is able to be removed from the tank, I suggest removing one rock at a time and sanitize in a 5G bucket with a scrub brush. After scrub brush, use 3% hydrogen peroxide on a toothbrush and scrub away offending pest. Peroxide is a strong oxidizer. Prior to returning rock to tank, flush off for 30 seconds in fresh water bath.

 

[Subsea]

How about some pictures to see what is a major outbreak. Include full tank shot with white lights.

After elbow grease, I suggest two seperate strategies. Get Emerald Crabs for bubble algae. For advanced aptasia eradication, inject hydrogen peroxide into biomass of pest using a syringe.

 

[FlowGod]

Seith,
Is this a new water box 100.3? How long set up? What was the source of sand & rock?

If your rock is able to be removed from the tank, I suggest removing one rock at a time and sanitize in a 5G bucket with a scrub brush. After scrub brush, use 3% hydrogen peroxide on a toothbrush and scrub away offending pest. Peroxide is a strong oxidizer. Prior to returning rock to tank, flush off for 30 seconds in fresh water bath.

It has been set up and running for over 2 years. A lot of my rock is connected from my montipora growing on it. There are still quite a few rocks that I could take out and clean though. Great idea for 5 gal bucket clean! I think that will be another plan of attack to add to my list. Can I just buy the peroxide at a grocery store? Thank you so much for the reply!

 

[jabberwock]

Depending on the size of the rocks, a storage tub might be better for scrubbing than a bucket. I have heard that Berghia Nudibranchs are the total solution for aptasia eradication. I am interested to see how they work for you. I have several aptasia starting to pop up. Waiting for enough to sustain a Berghia colony for a little while.

 

[FlowGod]

How about some pictures to see what is a major outbreak. Include full tank shot with white lights.

After elbow grease, I suggest two seperate strategies. Get Emerald Crabs for bubble algae. For advanced aptasia eradication, inject hydrogen peroxide into biomass of pest using a syringe.

I will get some pictures in just a few hours I am currently at work. I don't have many current pictures because I am a bit ashamed of a dirty tank...
Hopefully the before and after pictures will be good!
Sounds good on the injections. I will try that out if the berghia don't get a handle on it.

More details of my build.
100.3 waterbox, 30 gallon fuji sump, t5 hybrid lighting (2 ATI blue plus, 2 ATI true actinic, 2 little kessils, 3 ai primes).
Bonded Maroon clown pair, lyretail anthia, mandarin goby, damsel fish

 

[jabberwock]

I will get some pictures in just a few hours I am currently at work. I don't have many current pictures because I am a bit ashamed of a dirty tank...
Hopefully the before and after pictures will be good!
Sounds good on the injections. I will try that out if the berghia don't get a handle on it.

More details of my build.
100.3 waterbox, 30 gallon fuji sump, t5 hybrid lighting (2 ATI blue plus, 2 ATI true actinic, 2 little kessils, 3 ai primes).
Bonded Maroon clown pair, lyretail anthia, mandarin goby, damsel fish

I hear the Berghia take about a month to get a colony of any size for you to start seeing a difference, so patience...

 

[FlowGod]

Depending on the size of the rocks, a storage tub might be better for scrubbing than a bucket. I have heard that Berghia Nudibranchs are the total solution for aptasia eradication. I am interested to see how they work for you. I have several aptasia starting to pop up. Waiting for enough to sustain a Berghia colony for a little while.

I have heard tons about berghia. I finally just bit the bullet and got some. I hope I can sustain a little population of them for a long time, it is kind of sad that they pass away when all the aiptasia is gone... But that is the reason we put them in there. I will keep updating this thread though. If I am able to pull this off it will be a pretty big transformation.

Will do! I will be patient with the little guys

 

[vetteguy53081]

If you have an abundance of Aptasia- You cant beat a Kleini Butterfly BUT must be the bluehead- NOT the yellow version. The yellow will go after coral too but bluehead as pictured will eat aptasia like candy, then eat all dry and frozen food offered, colorful, friendly and stays small.

 

[damsels are not mean]

Alright something I see a lot of people do that I think is a mistake is to just remove pests an then do nothing. Removing weeds from a garden and then leaving the soil bare is just planting a new generation of weeds. Nature hates bare substrates. Nature will cover those rocks once again. When you start removing algae, replace that algae with corals, "plants", sponges, whatever. Just don't stay in an endless cycle of removing algae and then waiting for the algae to grow again and removing it. You will do this forever if you do not replace them with something you want to be there.

 

[FlowGod]

Seith,
Is this a new water box 100.3? How long set up? What was the source of sand & rock?

If your rock is able to be removed from the tank, I suggest removing one rock at a time and sanitize in a 5G bucket with a scrub brush. After scrub brush, use 3% hydrogen peroxide on a toothbrush and scrub away offending pest. Peroxide is a strong oxidizer. Prior to returning rock to tank, flush off for 30 seconds in fresh water bath.

Another quick question. If I have a piece of rockwork with coral growing on it, will it be ok to do the peroxide scrub on that particular piece? I am guessing no but just wanted to ask.

 

[FlowGod]

If you have an abundance of Aptasia- You cant beat a Kleini Butterfly BUT must be the bluehead- NOT the yellow version. The yellow will go after coral too but bluehead as pictured will eat aptasia like candy, then eat all dry and frozen food offered, colorful, friendly and stays small.

What a gorgeous fish!

 

[FlowGod]

Alright something I see a lot of people do that I think is a mistake is to just remove pests an then do nothing. Removing weeds from a garden and then leaving the soil bare is just planting a new generation of weeds. Nature hates bare substrates. Nature will cover those rocks once again. When you start removing algae, replace that algae with corals, "plants", sponges, whatever. Just don't stay in an endless cycle of removing algae and then waiting for the algae to grow again and removing it. You will do this forever if you do not replace them with something you want to be there.

Very true. I guess I gotta get some more frags now!

 

[Subsea]

3% hydrogen peroxide available at all grocery stores. When it was available I have used 32%. H202.

I have scrubbed rock with encrusting corals, depends on the coral and extent of pest. For algae pest on rock that can be removed, I use a 10 minute bath in a 10% solution of 3% H202. Coral slime coat will protect coral, this includes Aptasia, from peroxide.

I have used peroxide in tank with injection needle and tooth brush

 

[Cell]

Berghia and peppermint shrimp have both been effective for me dealing with aptasia.

 

[anthonygf]

I have been battling aiptasia for a couple years with File Fish, F-aiptasia, aiptasia-x, I also have a lasor and a majano wand, those methods work but just makes them multiply. Try using micro-bubbles in your tank at night when lights are off, my skimmer was injecting a ton of micro-bubbles but I only run my skimmer at night so I was in no rush to take care of it. After about six months or so I noticed a reduction in aiptasia population, the ones my File fish cannot get to also disappearing. I went from a couple dozen in my 75 to maybe 2 or 3 that I can see.

Try it, get an air pump and a wooden air diffuser to put in the sump. Do this at night when lights are off. The air bubbles may be toxic to aiptasia but it does control them pretty well. If you have anemones I am not sure if it will harm them, you will need to observe them if you try this. Does not harm my corals or fish. Good luck.
Anthony

 

[FlowGod]

 

[Subsea]

Get the elbow grease to work. You have very nice live stock in this tank.

 

[anthonygf]

This was at the start of my infestation, 10 months after my transfer from 47 gallon bowfront to 75. My clam I had for a couple years died soon after picture taken. If you look closely you will see some aiptasia. I am still trying to get my recent photos to transfer to my computer so I can upload them. Now I am battling a red slime and brown algae outbreak, The troubles never end. But now my tank is mostly aiptasia free, may have 2 or 3 but they are not spreading.

 

[FlowGod]

Update.
I ended up removing pounds and pounds of bubble algae and xenia. I was originally going to go after the Ap. initially, but just found out most the Ap. was connected to the BA. So I went after the xenia, BA, and Ap. After the removal I used F aiptasia to kill as many as I could find. I did a water change at the end of the removal process. I didn’t take any rocks out to try and deep clean but may need to do that soon. Took me all day but was worth the hard work.
My berghia are in coming today so I hope they are healthy and ready to eat.
(Some progress photos too.)