liverock without aiptasia/bubble algae?

Twan013 · 07-26-2007, 01:17 AM

hey guys, are there any places that sells liverock that can guarantee that i won't get aiptasia or bubble algae? all i've been able to find is GARF, but they don't sell liverock... they make their own rock, and sell you the "grunge" stuff that seeds the rock... but yeah, they claim that you won't find any aiptasia or any "bad stuff" for that matter, because the grunge is from systems that they've had setup for years and years (from what i remember reading anyway...i could go the cheap route and make my own rock using the same techniques as GARF, but i don't have the right equipment, time, or artistic ability..

i know there are ways to rid my tank of aiptasia and bubble algae and other stuff, some that involves adding the right shrimp or crab, using chemicals, or taking the rock out and chiseling the baddy out... adding shrimp/crabs, i've been told that its never guaranteed that it will work, maybe like a 50/50 chance or something... and then i've been told that chemicals could mess up water parameters... and i'm afraid to take the rock out because i'm afraid it will dry out and i'll lose some good stuff... ok, i know that it won't take THAT long to chisel out a small area, but still, i just don't like doing stuff like that...

coral reefer · 07-26-2007, 01:54 AM

Unfortunately, I don't know of any place that guarantees live rock that doesn't contain aiptasia and bubble algae. You could get rock that doesn't seem to have those nuisances on it initially, but the chances of those showing up eventually or other types of algae can be fairly certain.
The thing to do is to find ways of controlling these from developing once in your tank through, limiting excess nutrients in your water, efficient skimming and frequent water changes.

APC · 07-26-2007, 04:45 AM

I agree with coral reefer. Unfortuately I think it is impossible to guarantee none of these issues. I think it is the nature of Live Rock. The thing to remember is in the ocean, these "pests" serve a purpose. Of course that does not mean we have to like them in our tanks :-)

amcarrig · 07-26-2007, 05:25 AM

We used 100% dead base rock in our 180 and we still have some bubble algae. Spores can come in on just about any piece of rock that we put in our tanks, including rock that coral is attached to when we buy it. It can also come in on live sand from an existing setup.

Tangster · 07-26-2007, 05:35 AM

I have about 1.500 lbs of totaly aquacultured L/R that is coralline encrusted and has nothing on in but that coralline and bacteria (: Maybe a few buttons of some type or green stars.

omard · 07-26-2007, 07:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tangster

I have about 1.500 lbs of totaly aquacultured L/R that is coralline encrusted and has nothing on in but that coralline and bacteria (: Maybe a few buttons of some type or green stars.

Hey Tangster...give him a phone #.

Twan013 · 07-27-2007, 08:39 PM

oh well... guess i'll just have to deal with it huh? i know i've seen some people on here that have the idea that "if its welcome in the ocean, its welcome in my tank"... i haven't a clue as to who said that but i think that was a direct quote...

IBMGeek · 07-27-2007, 10:25 PM

I started out with 100% base rock, but thats no guarantee. I bought some xenia a week ago and i can see some bubble algae on it, ill try to take it out this weekend but you can put all kinds of things in your tank from the things you buy.

ziggy222 · 07-27-2007, 10:50 PM

the algae in live rock can stay dormant for like 7 yrs.so no,if you alow your water quality to go bad and or don't have a good clean up crew,there is no live rock you can garantee no algae on.if you get live rock from an established tank that someone has gotten rid of the aiptasia from.you can have aiptasia free rock.once aiptasia is gone,its gone ,at least till you put something new in the tank that its hitch hiking on.

Twan013 · 07-27-2007, 10:54 PM

IBMGeek, did you ever have any problems before the addition of the xenia? that's something i was thinking about... i know there's a chance if you buy rock with several things on it or whatever, but what about buying some on frag plugs? or is that just wishful thinking? is it absolutely inevitable? i wouldn't have a problem with aiptasia, if the stuff i use is guaranteed to work without messing with water parameters.. i used joes juice that was given to me, and the aiptasia came back once, so i shot it again, and then i had 3 in its place... and the bubble algae... i tried and tried to remove it (the wrong way of course)... knocked it off with my scraper, trying not to pop the bubbles, and it seemed to work a pretty good bit, none of the bubbles popped, started floating around, and i'd grab them up with the net or my hand... but it still spread pretty bad...oh well, i guess if it is unavoidable, i'll have to deal with it...

07-26-2007, 01:17 AM	#1
Twan013 Skunk Shrimp Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 287 Skin: Mint Karma: 71	liverock without aiptasia/bubble algae? hey guys, are there any places that sells liverock that can guarantee that i won't get aiptasia or bubble algae? all i've been able to find is GARF, but they don't sell liverock... they make their own rock, and sell you the "grunge" stuff that seeds the rock... but yeah, they claim that you won't find any aiptasia or any "bad stuff" for that matter, because the grunge is from systems that they've had setup for years and years (from what i remember reading anyway...i could go the cheap route and make my own rock using the same techniques as GARF, but i don't have the right equipment, time, or artistic ability.. i know there are ways to rid my tank of aiptasia and bubble algae and other stuff, some that involves adding the right shrimp or crab, using chemicals, or taking the rock out and chiseling the baddy out... adding shrimp/crabs, i've been told that its never guaranteed that it will work, maybe like a 50/50 chance or something... and then i've been told that chemicals could mess up water parameters... and i'm afraid to take the rock out because i'm afraid it will dry out and i'll lose some good stuff... ok, i know that it won't take THAT long to chisel out a small area, but still, i just don't like doing stuff like that...

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07-26-2007, 01:54 AM	#2
coral reefer Giant Squid Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Wonderland Posts: 4,860 Skin: Dark Karma: 32681	Unfortunately, I don't know of any place that guarantees live rock that doesn't contain aiptasia and bubble algae. You could get rock that doesn't seem to have those nuisances on it initially, but the chances of those showing up eventually or other types of algae can be fairly certain. The thing to do is to find ways of controlling these from developing once in your tank through, limiting excess nutrients in your water, efficient skimming and frequent water changes.

07-26-2007, 04:45 AM	#3
APC Aiptasia Anemone Join Date: May 2005 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 551 Skin: Classic Karma: 22521	I agree with coral reefer. Unfortuately I think it is impossible to guarantee none of these issues. I think it is the nature of Live Rock. The thing to remember is in the ocean, these "pests" serve a purpose. Of course that does not mean we have to like them in our tanks :-)

07-26-2007, 05:25 AM	#4
amcarrig 3reef Moderator Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: CT Age: 42 Posts: 9,033 Skin: Classic Karma: 2396154	We used 100% dead base rock in our 180 and we still have some bubble algae. Spores can come in on just about any piece of rock that we put in our tanks, including rock that coral is attached to when we buy it. It can also come in on live sand from an existing setup.

07-26-2007, 05:35 AM	#5
Tangster 3reef Sponsor Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Va/Ct Posts: 5,646 Skin: Mint Karma: 40947	I have about 1.500 lbs of totaly aquacultured L/R that is coralline encrusted and has nothing on in but that coralline and bacteria (: Maybe a few buttons of some type or green stars.

07-27-2007, 08:39 PM	#7
Twan013 Skunk Shrimp Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 287 Skin: Mint Karma: 71	oh well... guess i'll just have to deal with it huh? i know i've seen some people on here that have the idea that "if its welcome in the ocean, its welcome in my tank"... i haven't a clue as to who said that but i think that was a direct quote...

07-27-2007, 10:25 PM	#8
IBMGeek Montipora Digitata Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Miami,Fl Age: 22 Posts: 1,054 Skin: Dark Karma: 1904	I started out with 100% base rock, but thats no guarantee. I bought some xenia a week ago and i can see some bubble algae on it, ill try to take it out this weekend but you can put all kinds of things in your tank from the things you buy.

07-27-2007, 10:50 PM	#9
ziggy222 Fire Goby Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: valencia,pa. Age: 38 Posts: 1,343 Skin: Mint Karma: 1213	the algae in live rock can stay dormant for like 7 yrs.so no,if you alow your water quality to go bad and or don't have a good clean up crew,there is no live rock you can garantee no algae on.if you get live rock from an established tank that someone has gotten rid of the aiptasia from.you can have aiptasia free rock.once aiptasia is gone,its gone ,at least till you put something new in the tank that its hitch hiking on.

07-27-2007, 10:54 PM	#10
Twan013 Skunk Shrimp Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 287 Skin: Mint Karma: 71	IBMGeek, did you ever have any problems before the addition of the xenia? that's something i was thinking about... i know there's a chance if you buy rock with several things on it or whatever, but what about buying some on frag plugs? or is that just wishful thinking? is it absolutely inevitable? i wouldn't have a problem with aiptasia, if the stuff i use is guaranteed to work without messing with water parameters.. i used joes juice that was given to me, and the aiptasia came back once, so i shot it again, and then i had 3 in its place... and the bubble algae... i tried and tried to remove it (the wrong way of course)... knocked it off with my scraper, trying not to pop the bubbles, and it seemed to work a pretty good bit, none of the bubbles popped, started floating around, and i'd grab them up with the net or my hand... but it still spread pretty bad...oh well, i guess if it is unavoidable, i'll have to deal with it...