Scrubbing away clove polyps

specialk · Mar 27, 2015

Hey all ...

So I posted and looked around before about getting rid of those weeds, aka; blue clove polyps, and there were many methods and treatments that I thought about. BUT I am in the process of moving so that means I will be breaking the tank down and relocating it. SO ... I will be taking each rock out and will be able just scrub the pesky things away.

Just wondering if anyone has done this before, all be it a pretty simple job it seems like, but I thought I remembered someone saying to use a thicker brush when scrubbing them away and really making sure they are all gone ... something along those lines and someone offered a tip but I could not seem to find it.

I just wanted to make sure i was thorough and took care of everything the right way this time so I don't have to go thru all of this again.

DMan · Mar 27, 2015

I like to use a barbeque brush. Never before used on a BBQ grill of course

ritter6788 · Mar 27, 2015

Might work. Especially if you can keep the rock out of light for a while after scrubbing.

I had them bad. Fluke tabs is the only way to remove them 100%. Scrubbing with a brush in the tank spreads them.

specialk · Mar 27, 2015

ritter6788 said:
Might work. Especially if you can keep the rock out of light for a while after scrubbing.

I had them bad. Fluke tabs is the only way to remove them 100%. Scrubbing with a brush in the tank spreads them.

yah I dug all over looking for fluke tabs and could not find them anywhere and no one had any left over.

I also was not going to scrub them in the tank water that I will be re using. I was going to set aside a separate container with some water in it and scrub them in there ..

BBQ brush sounds like a good idea .. I HATE THESE POLYPS WITH A PASSION

ritter6788 · Mar 27, 2015

I'm just guessing but if you scrub and move right back to the tank they will pop back up with force. If you keep them out of light for a while they may die off. If you could dry out the rock and re-cure would be ideal. I don't know if that's an option for you though.

specialk · Mar 27, 2015

Actually here is one that I did not think of and my LFS guy told me this .. he said when they get them they usually just put a coral like a hammer coral next to the rock and let the hammer coral sting the crap out of the polys until they are gone. Of course you have to make sure the entire rock gets "stung" but hey I never really thought about that. Also if the polyps are on a rock with other corals you have to be careful of the other corals getting stung .. but none the less not a bad idea.

specialk · Mar 27, 2015

ritter6788 said:
I'm just guessing but if you scrub and move right back to the tank they will pop back up with force. If you keep them out of light for a while they may die off. If you could dry out the rock and re-cure would be ideal. I don't know if that's an option for you though.

Well actually I am moving again in 2 months, so this may be an option. BUT alot of the rock that these polyps are on have corals and sps already attached to them.

specialk · Mar 27, 2015

Although will taking the rock out, putting it into a separate bin and keeping it with no light for say, a week, kill them off? I do have the option of doing that.

dbl · Mar 27, 2015

I had some on a rock. Removed the rock, scrubbed/scraped/picked them off and then took some super glue and spread it over the effected areas. Worked like a charm and they haven't returned on that rock. I only wish I had done it earlier before they jumped to a base rock that is impossible to remove without a complete redo!!!

specialk · Mar 27, 2015

dbl said:
I had some on a rock. Removed the rock, scrubbed/scraped/picked them off and then took some super glue and spread it over the effected areas. Worked like a charm and they haven't returned on that rock. I only wish I had done it earlier before they jumped to a base rock that is impossible to remove without a complete redo!!!

Putting the super glue on there didn't hinder the corraline growth on the rock or have any negative effects on that rock at all? ...