What polyps are these and how to I eradicate them?

[4FordFamily]

Looks like green button polyps which grow like weeds

Tell me about it man lol

I’ve had brown button polyps for years without any issue but this is nuts

 

[92Miata]

Before you start kalking them and such, it looks like a lot of them are on the sand. I'd just wear gloves and pull those out. They should come up in sheets basically. It looks like you also have aiptasia - some peppermints/filefish/etc or something might help - and if they eat the palys too? awesome.

 

[JumboShrimp]

I have viewed a LOT of tank photos on R2R and elsewhere and have NEVER seen a blight like that! My condolences

I like your idea of keeping just what you want to keep, and otherwise starting over. Best wishes!!

 

[User1]

On the kalk paste remember that it could bump up your pH if you do a lot in one setting. Probably already know that but figured I'd toss it out there just in case.

Edit: here are some of mine that I'm trying to clear...

 

[Saltyreef]

Would these be your suggestion?

Yes! Or something similar
Youll want either coated or stainless so they dont rust on you down the road.

I use insemination gloves for my tank so coupled with a long pair of foreceps, you wont have to worry about paly toxin.

Just throw them straight into the toilet, dont scrub the rock either because these types of polyps are more dangerous in regards to palytoxin IME.

 

[4FordFamily]

I have viewed a LOT of tank photos on R2R and elsewhere and have NEVER seen a blight like that! My condolences

I like your idea of keeping just what you want to keep, and otherwise starting over. Best wishes!!

Yeah it’s rough lol

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Eh beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Your tank still looks good to me

 

[RVA REEF]

a large angelfish should eat them and your aiptasia

 

[fish farmer]

Tell me about it man lol

I’ve had brown button polyps for years without any issue but this is nuts

Texas trash palys. I had a couple hitch hike on some brown palys a couple years ago. I should have never given them any light. Luckily they grow over an area of red algae so I can peel them off to keep them from spreading too much. They overgrew the brown palys I had bought with them. I'm trying to see if red people eater palys will mingle with them, just to get some color in the area. They overgrew green dragon eye zoas which for me grew fast, but not fast enough.

The LFS I got them from has a similar sized tank with the same type of infestation.

 

[Wolf89]

Can you not just add a large angel or a foxface to eat them? Seems to be the easiest. I don't know how killing tons of paly's could affect your water and the rest of your corals and fish.

 

[sfin52]

Be very careful these are said to contain a nasty form of palytoxin

 

[DeniseAndy]

These are a beast to get rid of. I had a bad infestation in my 210g with them. Luckily all on rock. I would try to pull them periodically with tweezers to cull them a bit. I tried all the kalk and paste, etc. Never worked for me.

However, in the end, I took all rocks infested (most of them) and took them outside to dry, get sun dried and baked, then actually did an acid bath like a year later on them. It worked. Not seen any since and do use the rock in new tanks.

Now the bad, these contain the palytoxin. It sucks to get exposed. Happened twice to me. Lost vision in eyes for days, pain for weeks. I was lucky. No hospital or lung issues. Be very careful handling these and any of the rocks or sand that have them on it.

I worked with these at our local public aquarium too. I warned the staff to not mess in the coral qt tank without me there to direct. I had seen the palys. But, typical, the volunteer would not know much. They let an intern come in and clean the qt tank and they ended up being rushed to the hospital. I think they were fine eventually. These are no joke.

 

[DaneGer21]

I literally just tore out about 100+ of these yesterday! Still have about a thousand left!

 

[Brit’s Fish]

Not that this is the most helpful suggestion but I have a bunch of neon green palys that I didn’t like after they started taking over. Once my Kenya trees started dropping branches on them, they’ve wiped quite a few of those palys out. Now I just have to deal with all the dang Kenya Trees!

 

[carmodpg]

It may be worth taking a shot at some bumblebee snails. I can tell you that the 3 I bought to help tame some vermetid snails turned their attention to zoas instead and were unfortunately very effective at eradicating half of a colony before I banished them to the sump.

 

[MERKEY]

Ok this is a long shot but dropping the salinity may do the trick....it may mess with the leathers as well but definitely eradicated zoas and palys when kept at low salinity in our QT frag tank.

Just a shot in the dark as this seems to be a rip clean and redo if you don't find a solution...

Best of luck!

 

[4FordFamily]

a large angelfish should eat them and your aiptasia

I have several to spare, just not sure which one to bring up lol

 

[4FordFamily]

I literally just tore out about 100+ of these yesterday! Still have about a thousand left!

Yuck! How did you do it?

 

[DaneGer21]

Yuck! How did you do it?

For the few I tackled on rocks I used a razor blade and lots of time haha Although I’d say half of mine were on the sand as well. I was able to just lift the whole mat of them at once!...and in the trash they went!

 

[4FordFamily]

These are a beast to get rid of. I had a bad infestation in my 210g with them. Luckily all on rock. I would try to pull them periodically with tweezers to cull them a bit. I tried all the kalk and paste, etc. Never worked for me.

However, in the end, I took all rocks infested (most of them) and took them outside to dry, get sun dried and baked, then actually did an acid bath like a year later on them. It worked. Not seen any since and do use the rock in new tanks.

Now the bad, these contain the palytoxin. It sucks to get exposed. Happened twice to me. Lost vision in eyes for days, pain for weeks. I was lucky. No hospital or lung issues. Be very careful handling these and any of the rocks or sand that have them on it.

I worked with these at our local public aquarium too. I warned the staff to not mess in the coral qt tank without me there to direct. I had seen the palys. But, typical, the volunteer would not know much. They let an intern come in and clean the qt tank and they ended up being rushed to the hospital. I think they were fine eventually. These are no joke.

Thanks everyone for the advice, and this advice about the toxin I will pay close attention to.

I wish I knew which angel ate these.

I am thinking that I need to place some in my 500G and watch intently which Angel does it.