Purple Cloves taking over

[KJAG]

Made the mistake of gluing a frag of cloves to my rock awhile back.Now theyre creeping up in random areas, have lost a few polyps, and in one of the photos the Setosa can be seen to have been smoked out in a couple spots due to some wayward cloves.Theyre cool when isolated, but are starting to infiltrate my rock.Would like to utilize some of the bare spots in the LR with some frags on the sandbed, but first the cloves need to go. Any advice on getting rid of these things is appreciated.

 

[CJO]

You could try some kalkwasser paste (or Joe's Juice, Aiptasia-X, etc.) Get it while you can, it can spread very quickly!

CJ

 

[Jake1]

you can try to cut into the rock and trade it in at the LFS for other frags or dry goods

 

[KJAG]

Not a bad idea, have you used these specifically on clove polyps? Id be concerned about too much excess in the tank since Id have to use quite a bit more than an aiptasia treatment.

 

[KJAG]

You could try some kalkwasser paste (or Joe's Juice, Aiptasia-X, etc.) Get it while you can, it can spread very quickly!

CJ

Sorry forgot to quote: Not a bad idea, have you used these specifically on clove polyps? Id be concerned about too much excess in the tank since Id have to use quite a bit more than an aiptasia treatment.

 

[Ian]

try grabbing them from the mat they lay down and peel them up...

 

[KJAG]

try grabbing them from the mat they lay down and peel them up...

Didnt even think of manual removal. Ill give it a shot. Thanks Ian. BTW, Insane stock you currently have. Ill keep an eye on your site for those Scolys.

 

[Ian]

Right on man, hope you and the Misses had a good time in SB

 

[KJAG]

We did. Ill be back up shortly.

 

[CJO]

Sorry forgot to quote: Not a bad idea, have you used these specifically on clove polyps? Id be concerned about too much excess in the tank since Id have to use quite a bit more than an aiptasia treatment.

I have, but I only did a small section at a time.

CJ

 

[cdness]

Kalk paste can work, but go slowly. Treat an area then wait a few days before doing another area. Watch your parameters during this time to make sure you don't spike your alk or ca too high with the Kalk.

If it is possible, pull the rock and cut the chunk off with the cloves. You will have a higher success rate for removal and may be able to get some credit at the LFS for something cooler. Just an idea and honestly your best bet for 100% removal of them from the rock.

I have heard horror stories from local club members about cloves, specifically the blue cloves. They had a small rock of them, then they took over the tank and they have yet to get rid of all of them. One person actually took all the rock out and got new rock to get rid of the cloves. They are almost as bad of a pest as aiptasia, green star polyps, hair algae, and xenia. If they are not controlled, the pretty coral will become a nightmare.

 

[dakotasreef]

My sps tank is covered in them. Once they have taken hold in your tank, forget it. They don't grow on my glass, but the inside of my overflow and rocks are pretty much covered.

If they become stressed, they will spawn. I've tried everything and nothing has gotten rid of them. They don't hurt anything and everything grows over them. So I just let them be, everyone who comes over likes them.

 

[KJAG]

Thanks for replies. Was able to get a small amount by ripping them off the rock, but theres still a bunch in cracks/ underneath SPS etc. that I couldnt get to. Would just pull the rock out and chop it up but I dont have a wet saw. Ill try Kalk or Aiptasia X next. Dakotasreef: what methods have you tried to get rid of them? Aiptasia solutions/kalk paste didnt do it? As far as these being harmless, my polyp colonies sure seem to be agitated by them, and my Setosa has some tissue recession in the spots where it makes contact with the cloves.The birdsnest seems to be the only SPS I have that is unfazed by them.

 

[Zombie]

I take the rock out and use a metal punch and a hammer to chip off a frag with a pice of rock. Don't kill them! You can get other frags with them or money. The fast growers make fast money.:wink:

 

[CalmSeasQuest]

It's a bit of an investment with a significant learning curve - but a laser makes quick work of them (along with virtually any other aggressive coral or pest.)

 

[KJAG]

It's a bit of an investment with a significant learning curve - but a laser makes quick work of them (along with virtually any other aggressive coral or pest.)

Any pics/ info on this laser that you speak of?

 

[dakotasreef]

The only problems that I run into with sps is where they shade the bases. Where it does this, my bases lose color.

As far as elimination, kalk paste will work. If they are not in plague proportions. I have heard of flame angels eating them, did not work for me. Longspine urchin and tiger cowries can eat them, but it also is hit or miss. There is a possibility they will also eat other softies. I have also heard of people covering the with some epoxy.

The urchins do eat them. I have 4 very large ones in my 120. They just can't keep up with them.

My alk dropped to 7 the other day and they spawned again. They seem to prefer cleaner water and bright light from what I can tell.

 

[CalmSeasQuest]

Any pics/ info on this laser that you speak of?

Here's an entire thread with videos. The laser completely eliminates Clove polyps, Aiptasia, Xenia, Valonia...pretty much any aggressive coral or pest.

https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/reef-discussion/74420-use-lasers-controlling-pest-algae-corals.html

 

[KJAG]

Here's an entire thread with videos. The laser completely eliminates Clove polyps, Aiptasia, Xenia, Valonia...pretty much any aggressive coral or pest.

https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/reef-discussion/74420-use-lasers-controlling-pest-algae-corals.html

Gnarly.Pretty cool, but not sure if I can justify that $ on a reef laser.Would be a hard one to explain to the lady. Going to attempt epoxy and see how that goes.Thnx for the feedback

 

[thereefranch]

For what its worth:

I have battled the blue snow flake polyps for 2+ years now.

2 years ago, I bought all new rock (220g). I sold about 90% of the corals I had since all of them were coated with the polyps. I only kept a few, but even they had them on them. I lost a bunch of corals from them. Whoever said they don't kill corals is wrong. It didn't do much to the SPS or LPS that have stinging tenacles. But it will implode your Doughnuts, Blastos and micromussa, weed through and collapse your zoos, suffocate clams, and basically grow everywhere. :cry: It doesn't kill them quickly, it takes several months to crowd them out.

They do suck up excess nutrients like a sponge. So if your not fully up on your phosphate remover, they grow much faster. They are very much light driven as well.

Since I kept a few corals from then, it didn't take long to re-spread to the new rock. I mean like 8-10 months max.

This year, I did a completely different approach. I acid dipped all the rock. I used ~10% muratic acid and dipped all rocks for 10-15 minutes. I felt like Hitler as all the pods swam off and died. But in the end, I got them. The rock has been ro water washed. Then soaked for a week in fresh saltwater and then back in the tank. I sold almost every coral this time and kept just a handful. I use super glue to glue them in place on the corals I kept. It works very well. They are incased in glue and will not spread or float off. I tried epoxy, but it takes much more and sometimes the epoxy breaks off the rock or plug and re-exposes the surface.

Its been about 2 months since I acid dipped and I routinely search for polyps. I have found a few on the corals as they must have been too small to see before. So I glue them immediately. I have found a few individuals on the rock work, but I either chip them off, or glue them in place. It is tricky, but if you hold a glue bottle upside down, you can submerge it and glue them underwater. Just don't unsqueeze the bottle before you bring it back up. (basically don't draw water in the glue bottle.)

As far as I'm concerned, there should be a complete ban on these polyps. I help a ton of peeps in Houston, Tx with their tanks, and they are a plague here. I have lost count of how many tanks I have seen or talked to the owner who have the blue polyp problem. A lot of lost corals, but more over, many have torn their tanks down due to them. It only takes a few polyps, and everything goes crazy. Here in Houston, even the LFS have them......so its impossible to buy corals here and not get them. ( not good for the LFS economy). If there is any way to notify ALL the members of this forum, I would HIGHLY suggest it. Knowledge is very powerful and it would really save some people from certain frustration.

I don't post very often, but this is very important information. I have been in reefkeeping 25 years and this is by far the worst (coral) epidemic problem I have run into.

Good Luck Shores805...... take the issue very serious, or you will be like I was a year ago........very frustrated and tired from the battle.....and a lighter wallet!:neutral:

P.S. I'm not a big fan of the sterile rock idea, but this was the last resort before I completely tear a 220g down and start over. Who wants to do that??