Quarantining Chaeto

Cetus

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 26, 2020
Messages
208
Reaction score
66
Location
San Francisco
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
So, I'm considering getting a small bundle of chaeto and after reading about people getting Aiptasia, I think it'd be best to do some quarantining first. However, I would like to ask how I could deal with a potential outbreak of aiptasia in a QT tank if I'm already quarantining snails. My thought was letting the chaeto sit in RODI water for a while, introduce it to the QT tank, and then watch for aiptasia around a week or two. If it's clean, I would simply do another freshwater dip to kill any potential free swimmers then introduce to the QT.

However, if in this situation I do end up getting aiptasia, would that render all the snails now infected too? I don't know if aiptasia is like ich where if it springs up then the entire tank is potentially infected. Furthermore, would these snails then be considered permanently infected and must be discarded of afterwards? I know it's a low chance and I'd rather risk a few snails over my DT, but I do want to calculate the risks associated with it and ways I can deal with it in the worst case scenario. Or would a simple copper and RODI solution kill everything on the chaeto, including aiptasia, and then I can run it through a QT inspection period? Suggestions would be very much appreciated as I want to get a fuge up and running soon!
 

Brady4000

I just wanted a Mantis Shrimp.
View Badges
Joined
Oct 7, 2020
Messages
1,467
Reaction score
2,873
Location
Fiji
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I am not really sure what kills aiptasia... that you can dip the cheato in.

I dipped my cheato in Coral RX for 20 mins than freshwater dipped it for another 10 mins, rinsed it off with saltwater, and tossed it in the sump.

But I was not really scared of aiptasia, I ended up getting aiptasia from a frag. I tossed a few pepement shrimps in there and all the aiptasia was gone in a day.

I guess you can just drop in a few peppermint shrimps in the sump, if you end up getting aiptasia.

To be honest, I never hear of getting aiptasia from cheato. If your really scared of your cheato, why go through all the hassle? Just buy some clean cheato from algae barn.

FYI, there is going to be like 3 more post after this telling you to never trust non clean cheato, due to pest. Me, I rather just dip it.

To each there own.

Edit: I ending up getting aiptasia from a fragged dipped in Coral RX to be clear.
 

JuiceByCliff

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 31, 2018
Messages
86
Reaction score
57
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I am picking up some red Pom Pom today and was interested in something to dip in for bristle worms, pests, other undesirables. How did the coral RX work + RODI? Any problems? Any critters?
 

Brady4000

I just wanted a Mantis Shrimp.
View Badges
Joined
Oct 7, 2020
Messages
1,467
Reaction score
2,873
Location
Fiji
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I am picking up some red Pom Pom today and was interested in something to dip in for bristle worms, pests, other undesirables. How did the coral RX work + RODI? Any problems? Any critters?
No issues at all with my chaeto, I haven’t dipped any other macro.

As for pest, the Chaeto I bought from eBay was LOADED with worms. I don’t mind worms, I have them in my tank. But I definitely didn’t want them in my sump.

Long story short, after I dipped it, not a single worm survive and my sump has been bristle worm free ever since.

There were so many though, after I killed them, I had to rip apart the Chaeto to remove them.
 

JuiceByCliff

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 31, 2018
Messages
86
Reaction score
57
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
No issues at all with my chaeto, I haven’t dipped any other macro.

As for pest, the Chaeto I bought from eBay was LOADED with worms. I don’t mind worms, I have them in my tank. But I definitely didn’t want them in my sump.

Long story short, after I dipped it, not a single worm survive and my sump has been bristle worm free ever since.

There were so many though, after I killed them, I had to rip apart the Chaeto to remove them.
dang. That’s prob what I’ll do. I believe the prevention of the nasty critters is more Important than loss of potential pods. I have quite a few already. 20 min in coral Rx, then 10 min RODI?
 

Brady4000

I just wanted a Mantis Shrimp.
View Badges
Joined
Oct 7, 2020
Messages
1,467
Reaction score
2,873
Location
Fiji
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
dang. That’s prob what I’ll do. I believe the prevention of the nasty critters is more Important than loss of potential pods. I have quite a few already. 20 min in coral Rx, then 10 min RODI?
What I did.

1- 20 min Coral RX mixed with salt water.
2- 10 min fresh RODI water.
3- saltwater rinse to make sure all the coral RX is out.

Then I tossed it in the sump, after manually removing all the dead worms.
 

JuiceByCliff

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 31, 2018
Messages
86
Reaction score
57
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
So I did this, and it was riddled with giant bristleworms and possibly even 2 small mantis shrimp.
I had to break it all apart, basically tearing it up and repeated the process. Was even shaking it in a big ziplock bag. Might have been a little aggressive or my light is too intense bc it’s looking pretty pale at the moment!
 

Brady4000

I just wanted a Mantis Shrimp.
View Badges
Joined
Oct 7, 2020
Messages
1,467
Reaction score
2,873
Location
Fiji
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
So I did this, and it was riddled with giant bristleworms and possibly even 2 small mantis shrimp.
I had to break it all apart, basically tearing it up and repeated the process. Was even shaking it in a big ziplock bag. Might have been a little aggressive or my light is too intense bc it’s looking pretty pale at the moment!
Wow, yea I ripped mine all apart as well to get the dead worms out. I would think it was the light, or prior die off. I never seen chaeto turn pale instantly.

So when you pulled it apart the worms lived through coral RX and the fresh water dip?

Did the mantis shrimp die? If they did too bad... I know people are always looking for some
 

JuiceByCliff

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 31, 2018
Messages
86
Reaction score
57
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
So the dip got a lot, but the big ones tight in the center seemed to be alive and well. Had to pluck them out manually. I believe they are mantis shrimp, they had crazy “gloves” and def looked different than any amphipods I have! The dip got them, poor things were struggling.
 

Attachments

  • 4789C994-0762-490A-A468-577B89F79BC8.jpeg
    4789C994-0762-490A-A468-577B89F79BC8.jpeg
    176.6 KB · Views: 70

Brady4000

I just wanted a Mantis Shrimp.
View Badges
Joined
Oct 7, 2020
Messages
1,467
Reaction score
2,873
Location
Fiji
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
So the dip got a lot, but the big ones tight in the center seemed to be alive and well. Had to pluck them out manually. I believe they are mantis shrimp, they had crazy “gloves” and def looked different than any amphipods I have! The dip got them, poor things were struggling.
Those look like large pods.
 

reefinatl

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 2, 2020
Messages
586
Reaction score
798
Location
North GA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
So the dip got a lot, but the big ones tight in the center seemed to be alive and well. Had to pluck them out manually. I believe they are mantis shrimp, they had crazy “gloves” and def looked different than any amphipods I have! The dip got them, poor things were struggling.
Those are amphipods. Not sure what the odds are of getting a mantis in chaeto but I'd bet powerball jackpot is the better bet.
 

Peter Houde

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 28, 2021
Messages
135
Reaction score
84
Location
New Mexico, USA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
So, I'm considering getting a small bundle of chaeto and after reading about people getting Aiptasia, I think it'd be best to do some quarantining first. However, I would like to ask how I could deal with a potential outbreak of aiptasia in a QT tank if I'm already quarantining snails. My thought was letting the chaeto sit in RODI water for a while, introduce it to the QT tank, and then watch for aiptasia around a week or two. If it's clean, I would simply do another freshwater dip to kill any potential free swimmers then introduce to the QT.

However, if in this situation I do end up getting aiptasia, would that render all the snails now infected too? I don't know if aiptasia is like ich where if it springs up then the entire tank is potentially infected. Furthermore, would these snails then be considered permanently infected and must be discarded of afterwards? I know it's a low chance and I'd rather risk a few snails over my DT, but I do want to calculate the risks associated with it and ways I can deal with it in the worst case scenario. Or would a simple copper and RODI solution kill everything on the chaeto, including aiptasia, and then I can run it through a QT inspection period? Suggestions would be very much appreciated as I want to get a fuge up and running soon!
Panacur C (fenbedazole). Zaps cnidarians and all manner of worms but is harmless to most snails, pods, algae.
 
Back
Top