What's something that grew out of control in your reef tank?

[Frizzy reefnewb]

What kind?

No idea what kind but I was told they are poisonous...I swear when I bought them they looked way nicer no idea what happened ...

 

[Frizzy reefnewb]

Brown Palys growing up the glass. I still have them and Im not sure how to get rid of them. These that I have are toxic and made me sick once.

I get a headache everytime I pick them away from my scoly so I feel your pain....haven’t died yet but I’ll keep you posted on that one ...

 

[Garf]

Bryopsis, bought a figi bicolour.

 

[Tabbers920]

No idea what kind but I was told they are poisonous...I swear when I bought them they looked way nicer no idea what happened ...

Looks like Captain jerks.. But hard to see with lights. I had those.. Im sensitive to the toxin, took them all OUT.

 

[wolfthefallen]

I've had to major out breaks of things.

First was GHA, it was still early in the tank cycle like 2-3 months in so it was expected, and boy oh boy did it go.. got my Clean up crew reinforced and scrubbed away for about 3 weeks before it dead off. But dang it was ugly!

Second is aiptasia.. I've gotten it cleaned out of the display, but my HOB Overflow is heavy with these guys and there is a good amount in my sump at this point. So I've just chased it to a new area in the system F-aiptasia Is my new best friend!!!!

 

[Frizzy reefnewb]

I've had to major out breaks of things.

First was GHA, it was still early in the tank cycle like 2-3 months in so it was expected, and boy oh boy did it go.. got my Clean up crew reinforced and scrubbed away for about 3 weeks before it dead off. But dang it was ugly!

Second is aiptasia.. I've gotten it cleaned out of the display, but my HOB Overflow is heavy with these guys and there is a good amount in my sump at this point. So I've just chased it to a new area in the system F-aiptasia Is my new best friend!!!!

I feel your pain...like I said the first year of my tank they did look very purtyyyy...but now I cannot control them and they obviously changed colors like I said every time I pick them I definitely 100% get a headache....I Can’t stop the growth.

 

[mich2599]

BTA. Started with one now have like 13.

 

[Idoc]

Dinos then Cyano then more dinos then more cyano... beat those and now GHA.

It's always something...

 

[Frizzy reefnewb]

Looks like Captain jerks.. But hard to see with lights. I had those.. Im sensitive to the toxin, took them all OUT.

Would love to know how?? Without dying ?!I only pluck a few and my head is pounding ...I think if I try to kill the colony I’ll legit go to the er

 

[Billdogg]

What happened to teach you all about palytoxins? This is the main reason I got rid of my zoas

While in the process of tearing down my 60 cube after 22 years, I was repeatedly brushing against the texas trash (green) palys that had covered pretty much every square inch of available rock. I thought nothing of it, but after 15 or 20 minutes I could feel what seemed like a moderate sunburn on my arm. I had a short discussion with my wife about what steps to take should I lose consciousness, and continued with the task at hand. I washed well after, and we went to dinner where the sunburn sting got worse but was still tolerable. Went to bed without issue.

The pain woke me up about 4AM. I went into the bathroom flipped on the lights and realized that I would be visiting the Urgent Care as soon as it opened (Easter morning).

When they opened, after explaining the problem to the triage nurse I was taken back to an exam room where I was seen in record time. The Dr called poison control on speaker, who asked if the patient was alive. I assured them that I was, indeed, still with the living. High dose steroids and pain meds were all that could be done by then.

The next day I followed up with my PCP, a friend since grade school. After reminding me what a idiot I can sometimes be, he took a tissue sample to culture for any infection. This was done with no lidocaine (I think he just wanted to reinforce the "You're an idiot" thing ) He wrapped me up, gave me a note for the week off - I work in a busy Electrophysiology Lab assisting with surgeries so scrubbing was out until the arm healed.

All's well that ends well. I have another set of scars to go with the rest. No other long term effects. Others have had it worse - one of the reasons that boiling your rocks is a HORRIBLE idea btw!

 

[reefer024]

The Dr called poison control on speaker, who asked if the patient was alive.

They asked if you were still alive, well that's scary. The photo is crazy, happy you got better. I'm happy I don't have a single paly/zoa

 

[ajm83]

Wait, mushrooms sting?! Or is it more of a chemical warfare? I have many kinds of shrooms and nervous about them overtaking..

Not sure if it's from stingers as such, or if there's something in their slime but anyway - where the mushroom touches the other coral, it gets tissue necrosis

 

[MPERL]

I have Majano all over our tank.

 

[1Matthew]

Today let's talk about all those living things that can get "out of control" in our tanks if we let them! I'm talking about xenia, aiptasia, sponge, flatworms, shrooms, monti caps etc. They can be good and bad things but one thing they have in common is they can get out of control if we let them. What say ye?

1. What's something that grew out of control in your reef tank that you wish you would have addressed sooner? (pics would be awesome)

2. What are some tips for getting an "out of control" pest or coral back into control? Does it take a whole tank tear down?

bristleworm image via @Jay Z

Where I live (I like to fish) I take these things and use them for bait and catch even larger fish!

 

[Shazbop07]

Vermetids. Just done a whole reset and in process of moving my fish back in slowly

 

[dactylo]

My bubble tip anemones are out of control. I have now 20 from the 3 original ones. Before I moved my tank to a new house, they would stay on the same spot. Now they are everywhere. They are beautiful but too many. I'm now searching "how to remove BTAs"

 

[CK Amstutz]

Pulsing Xenia! So much a problem I flush it after I cut it off rocks.

 

[Reefbuds]

Blue Cespitularia. Just keeps going and going and going and going

 

[GillMeister]

Easy. GHA and valonia. They grow where you can't eliminate them.

 

[glb]

Cyano and aptasia. The cyano problems are in the past and the aptasia is under control now, but I have to be on the constant watch. I had this brown furry stuff once that looked like fur and covered all my rocks. I think it might have been crisophytes (spelling?). I’ll try to find a pic.