New tank start help preventing cross contamination

[mcdrichj]

I am starting a new tank and I'm looking for some advice. I am moving my 15gal into a 75gal aquarium. Very exciting!!!! So I need some advice because I have vermetid snails, bristle worms and hair algae. The bristle worms and hair algae arnt really a concern but the snails are a very big concern. Whatever species I have spread like wild fire and my rocks look like something out of hellreaiser. I have already moved my 2 paired clowns to the new tank I moved with a net to a bucket then another bucket then to the new tank. My questions are

1 - I have 2 MP10s on the old tank (I know super overkill they are barely on I was looking to the future) and a larger DC return pump that I all want to move to the new tank. How long should I soak in citric acid to nuke everything on the equipment or should I soak in something else?

2 - I have a toadstool coral that I'm fond of and its on a plug. I will have to remove the coral from the plug but can I just dunk that in a couple of different buckets and transfer it into the new tank?

 

[blaxsun]

1. A few hours in hot water and citric acid will kill anything.
2. I'd just re-dip the coral in something like Reef Primer or CoralRX.

 

[ariellemermaid]

I’ve been in a similar situation. I had a 20g reef QT with lots of vermitids and a 40g DT that was clean. Despite being super careful with everything I added to the DT it still got completely seeded. With a hellraiser level problem it might be worth it to try and cut the numbers down (new rock vs. “bleaching” your old rock). However, don’t think for a second you’re going to eradicate vermitids. The only thing that’s really gotten them under control for me is just getting to a point where nutrients are very low. In other words just reducing the conditions they thrive in. But it’s just not going to be possible to keep them out of the tank entirely.

 

[UnderseaOddities]

People over due it sometimes


The main thing is dipping like @blaxun said whether peroxide, revive, rx, iodine or kfc dip all have differnt applications peroxide for algae , revive for dying/ sick coral, rx for pests and hitchhikers and cell health, iodine for injures or tears in fleshy polyps mostly used to heal cuts or damaged tissue... KFC for bacterias and unknown sludge from the deep and bacteria and protozoan based pollutant to corals immune system


All have tgeyre purpose and use different ingredients know the how and y


And for cleaning westside of equipment I use white vinegar as it yields 5% hcl by volume and add cap full of peroxide and dilute 50% water and put wetside of equipment

Muriatic or citric acid is nice but is extra money and is unnecessary unless you're a flexer or a chemist enthusiast

A gallon of vinegar only cost a couple of dollars and is way more available as u can pick it up at any grocery store

 

[UnderseaOddities]

And having utility fish and cuc will save you when it comes to pest inverts things like emerald crabs will eat and crush vermetid snails, worms, unknowns barnacle, get damsels in smaller systems, medium system wrasse, large system herbivores like tangs and rabbitfish

 

[UnderseaOddities]

I would say get a blue jewel puffer(Fiji blue dot) they munch vermetid snails I have had one for 5 years hes wn awesome fish super friendly and reef safe like Valentini and wont pickob snails or shrimp along as you keep fed

 

[UnderseaOddities]

Or maybe a few emerald crabs and a couple wrasse