Pruning back Palys

[mpderksen]

3 years ago: "a few green Palys would be a nice addition to the tank".
today: "Green Palys are taking over everything and I wish I had never added them".

So what to do now? They are over-growing dramatically. The tank is a 150, so there are THOUSANDS of them. I regularly scoop several hundred out of the sand bed, but the ones on the rocks are certainly hardy. And OF COURSE they are all over the lower rocks, so I'd have to tear it down to the bottom to replace the rocks....

Options?

Michael

 

[Ghost25]

Be careful. Some people will say palytoxin risk is overstated, but it really sucks. Palythoa release a lot of mucus when irritated, much more than zoas. The mucus has a lot of palytoxin and it can be absorbed through your fingers even if there are no cuts. Unpleasant flu like symptoms for 24-36 hours.

If you decide to prune them, wear plenty of protective gear. I got a mild/moderate palytoxin poisoning and personally I would consider throwing away rocks if they had literally thousands of palys.