Let's talk about pests....

[CindyKz]

Although nobody WANTS an aiptasia infestation, there seem to be a variety of levels of tolerance for some more common pests, as well as differing opinions as to how dangerous they really are to our tanks" inhabitants. Some of us just deal with pests, others tear down their tanks.


I'm curious to know what opinions are out there about the usual run of the mill ball anemones, snails, bristleworms, etc. My tank has flatworms (the acoel variety according to Lionfish Lair) and vermetid snails in abundance but nothing ever seems bothered by them, ( mixed reef with LPS and easier SPS) so I just ignore them. As far as I'm concerned the flatworms are free food for the wrasse

What other pests have you encountered and what was your reaction?

 

[Sailingeric]

They are not pests but I do have a lot of spaghetti worms. If I pull them out the sand my puffer loves to eat them.

 

[Hemmdog]

I get a few aiptasia from time to time.

https://www.marinedepot.com/Majano_...MI4aejsuCY4AIVnv_jBx15WAopEAQYASABEgJnY_D_BwE

Best investment ever for that. They literally melt into liquid and disappear.

My peppermint shrimp are lazy..

 

[jabberwock]

I have Colonista snails (not too many and they eat alage), bristle worms and micro brittle stars (good CUC), and vermited snails (the small variety, so not a big deal). All in all I have been fortunate. I started with dry rock, so these all came in on frags.

 

[PDR]

There are definitely some pests that are in a league of their own, but by and large, I think people tend to overreact big time when it comes to pests. Regular maintenance and proper livestock choices can help mitigate the vast majority of pest problems.

 

[CindyKz]

There are definitely some pests that are in a league of their own, but by and large, I think people tend to overreact big time when it comes to pests. Regular maintenance and proper livestock choices can help mitigate the vast majority of pest problems.

This is what I was getting at, indirectly. How do others reefers react? I don't find myslef reaching the level of upset that others seem to. I feel like its all just part of the package and wondering if I'm alone.

ETA: I think I forgot about the colonista snails.

 

[mort]

I think some pests only become a problem because of the person running the tank. I've seen people actively spread their pests by intervening, things like aiptasia, valonia etc where they would be less of a problem if they simply tried to ignore them.
People seem more inclined to attack the pest rather than the source of the pest. I've never understood why people don't deal with things before they actually reach the tank, rather than thinking they can add chemical or animals to rid it when it becomes a problem.

 

[A sea K]

I have a ton of spaghetti worms, a few very stubborn aiptasia that I just cant seem to get rid and a moderate amount of bristleworms. Thinking seriously about a sleeper goby for the worms, have no idea what to due about the remaining aiptasia and am not in the least concerned with the bristleworms.

 

[CindyKz]

I have a ton of spaghetti worms, a few very stubborn aiptasia that I just cant seem to get rid and a moderate amount of bristleworms. Thinking seriously about a sleeper goby for the worms, have no idea what to due about the remaining aiptasia and am not in the least concerned with the bristleworms.

Why are you worried about the spaghetti worms?

 

[CindyKz]

I get a few aiptasia from time to time.

https://www.marinedepot.com/Majano_...MI4aejsuCY4AIVnv_jBx15WAopEAQYASABEgJnY_D_BwE

Best investment ever for that. They literally melt into liquid and disappear.

My peppermint shrimp are lazy..

This just spread mine LOL

 

[CindyKz]

I've seen people actively spread their pests by intervening, things like aiptasia, valonia etc where they would be less of a problem if they simply tried to ignore them.
People seem more inclined to attack the pest rather than the source of the pest. I've never understood why people don't deal with things before they actually reach the tank, rather than thinking they can add chemical or animals to rid it when it becomes a problem.

I've done this with aiptasia , then I figured out I was doing more harm than good.

Not long ago I mentioned to another reefer that I had acoel flatworms and pulled up a picture to show her. Her response was "Those are really bad". Well, they have been there since the tank went up 3 years ago and it's doing pretty well, so I have yet to figure out what's so bad about them. I can only see them if I squint at the glass after I haven't cleaned it for a few days.

The same goes for vermetid snails. I was on a reefing Facebook page reading a discussion about them. Several people talked about how bad they are, irritating corals and scratching fish. I have tons of them and the only time I see their webs is if I stir up the sand a lot. Otherwise I don't even notice them.

I am upgrading to a 180 gal (from a 75 gal) this summer and plan to just move all of my rock and corals. I've considered starting fresh to get rid of the pests but I am a fan of live rock so I feel like I'll just have them back anyway.

 

[Poseidon03]

My first tank I got was plagued with majano anemones... I should have passed on it, lol.

 

[A sea K]

I've seen people actively spread their pests by intervening, things like aiptasia, valonia etc where they would be less of a problem if they simply tried to ignore them.

I don't think ignoring either aiptasia or valonia would be a good idea. It does not take long and either one of those could quickly dominate a tank. While valonia may not be directly harmful aiptasia certainly can be and I dont think it would be very prudent to let either go unchecked.

 

[A sea K]

Why are you worried about the spaghetti worms?

Not too concerned with them really. I do like to stir my sand and those things are everywhere when I do. Besides, I've always wanted a sandsifter and there are plenty of worms to feed one long enough to allow me to get him transitioned to accepting preparred foods.

 

[CindyKz]

I don't think ignoring either aiptasia or valonia would be a good idea. It does not take long and either one of those could quickly dominate a tank. While valonia may not be directly harmful aiptasia certainly can be and I dont think it would be very prudent to let either go unchecked.

No I wouldnt suggest ignoring aiptasia either. I'v had better luck with peppermint shrimp and filefish than I did with any commercial product, wand or kalk paste though - all of those methods spread the aiptasia rather than killing it.

 

[CindyKz]

By valonia I am guessing everyone is talking abput bubble algae. I have that in abundance also lol. I pull out what out what I can reach, ignore it if I can't reach it. I added emerald crabs only to never see them again.

 

[A sea K]

By valonia I am guessing everyone is talking abput bubble algae. I have that in abundance also lol. I pull out what out what I can reach, ignore it if I can't reach it. I added emerald crabs only to never see them again.

Yes bubble algae. I dont know how large your system is but foxface rabbitfish have a pretty good track record on valonia. IME I have found aggressive manual removal and implementing both a foxface and emerald crabs will eventually get rid of it. I have never had success with outcompeting it or stripping the tank of nutrients.

 

[mort]

I don't think ignoring either aiptasia or valonia would be a good idea. It does not take long and either one of those could quickly dominate a tank. While valonia may not be directly harmful aiptasia certainly can be and I dont think it would be very prudent to let either go unchecked.

I ran a lfs for a few years and most of my experience is based by how my customers tanks faired when they intervened. Aiptasia was worst, most people started with one or two and attacked them with chemicals, which normally turned the few into a plague. I know some of the chemicals work but after a demonstration by our red sea rep where using his own product spread them massively I prefer the hands off approach. In my tank I had a single aip for years, it never spread because I kept nutrients low and I know that in well maintained tanks they often don't become a real issue. That's not to say I didn't take the chance to remove it when I could.
Valonia had similar results. People tried to manually remove them and ended up spreading them. I know you can't really control them with nutrients and natural removal is possible if your lucky with predators but they don't work for everybody. My preferred option is to do everything outside of the tank and scrub the rocks clear.

I guess my point is that we are trying to keep a mini ecosystem and I think often people are too clinical about the way they run their tanks. A natural system allows for a balance of both the good and the bad, if you attack one part then normally something else proliferates to use the excess nutrients. If we adopt a more laid back approach and allow a little of the uglys, we can maintain a healthy balance where nothing gets a stranglehold and we get a healthy balance. The caveat is that it won't work for everyone, if we run our tanks on a knife edge where nutrients are higher than disirable or we have a large fish population then things can quickly escalate and we run into massive problems.

 

[oldpaddy]

Aiptasia, mantis shrimp and gorilla crabs are the only real pests that I've come across. The rest I let be. I never had luck with traps for the shrimp and crabs. I pretty much had to wait them out until they died or got lucky and caught them by chance. Aiptasia I solve by using peppermint shrimp.

 

[ZoWhat]