- Joined
- Nov 27, 2016
- Messages
- 452
- Reaction score
- 448
- Location
- Illinois, NW Suburbs
- What state or country do you live in
- Illinois
I’ve had my 45g rimless JBJ AIO up and running for about 2 years now after upgrading. Things have been going well for the most part until the last month or so, and I’m debating about tearing it down and starting over.
Back story - I had a random aptasia here and there in my original tank that I would always take care of and it was never a big deal. After moving everything over to the AIO, I started noticing aptasia popping up in the overflow and I would take care of them as best I could. Fast forward to about a year ago, and my overflow is COVERED. There wasn’t much that could be done without draining the tank completely. I figured as long as they were in the overflow and not the display, I’d just have to live with it.
Another 6 months go by, and now I’m seeing them in the display. I tried lemon juice, kalk paste, etc which didn’t even slow it down so I moved on to peppermint shrimp, then berghia nudibranchs (after the shrimp died), and even a filefish. Nothing has helped.
After 2 years of blood, sweat, and tears with my tank, I’m about ready to throw in the towel. I love my fish, I love my coral, but I HATE my tank. I’m almost too embarrassed to show these photos, but I can’t think of any other way to show everyone what I’m dealing with.
So where do I go from here and how do I do it while doing my best to save my fish and coral? Do I move everything to a very simple 30g spare tank (no sump or overflow) I’ve got and then try to bleach the 45g and bring it back up before the spare tank crashes? Do I leave it until I can afford to upgrade to a larger tank, but then still have to wait until that’s cycled?
I don’t see a way to handle this that without picking up a bunch of dry rock, curing it, cycling a tank, fragging and quarantining ALL of my coral. I’m ok with fragging and QTing, but I’m scared of losing my coral and/or fish. I’m lost and so depressed as reefing is my one outlet for my stress. I know it’s my own fault for not QTing my rock/coral in the very first tank I had, but it still just plain sucks.
I’m stuck in the forest here and can’t see my way out...help?
Display:
Overflow:

Back story - I had a random aptasia here and there in my original tank that I would always take care of and it was never a big deal. After moving everything over to the AIO, I started noticing aptasia popping up in the overflow and I would take care of them as best I could. Fast forward to about a year ago, and my overflow is COVERED. There wasn’t much that could be done without draining the tank completely. I figured as long as they were in the overflow and not the display, I’d just have to live with it.
Another 6 months go by, and now I’m seeing them in the display. I tried lemon juice, kalk paste, etc which didn’t even slow it down so I moved on to peppermint shrimp, then berghia nudibranchs (after the shrimp died), and even a filefish. Nothing has helped.
After 2 years of blood, sweat, and tears with my tank, I’m about ready to throw in the towel. I love my fish, I love my coral, but I HATE my tank. I’m almost too embarrassed to show these photos, but I can’t think of any other way to show everyone what I’m dealing with.
So where do I go from here and how do I do it while doing my best to save my fish and coral? Do I move everything to a very simple 30g spare tank (no sump or overflow) I’ve got and then try to bleach the 45g and bring it back up before the spare tank crashes? Do I leave it until I can afford to upgrade to a larger tank, but then still have to wait until that’s cycled?
I don’t see a way to handle this that without picking up a bunch of dry rock, curing it, cycling a tank, fragging and quarantining ALL of my coral. I’m ok with fragging and QTing, but I’m scared of losing my coral and/or fish. I’m lost and so depressed as reefing is my one outlet for my stress. I know it’s my own fault for not QTing my rock/coral in the very first tank I had, but it still just plain sucks.
I’m stuck in the forest here and can’t see my way out...help?
Display:
Overflow:




That could be a whole new dept. of my business! Thinking kind of like a Ghostbusters style uniform and theme song for when the van rolls up? Perhaps trained Aiptasia Eating Filefish with sunglasses and side mounted laser guns and AiptasiaX grenades? HAHA!

