Green Goniopora Hitchhiker

[FishyReef]

Picked up a rock of zoanthids over the weekend that has about 13 small polyps of green goniopora on it. I'm guessing they have different needs from the zoos and am wondering where best to place them? I looked on LA and they said different things for different colored goni's. I've also heard the green ones tend to be more difficult than others. I think I can frag off the part of the rock that has the gonis on it so that I can move them to a different location if needed. The zoos are darth mauls. This particular rock had been placed under radions that were suspended about 8 in off the water running at 50%, and were placed about half-way up in the tank (55g I think) to the side getting good but not direct light. LFS owner hadn't noticed the goni until I asked him what it was. As an aside, there's also a tiny aptaisia on the rock - he thought he got it off at the LFS, but its back - should I use aptasia x for such a tiny one that is the only one in my tank? Thanks!!

 

[Kelz88]

KILL IT WHILE THERE IS ONLY ONE

Sorry, but its true ;)

 

[Bifferwine]

Definitely kill the aiptasia. It won't be tiny or alone for long -- they spread very quickly. Which is why they can be such a problem.

As for the goni, They require moderate light and flow. Not anything different from the zoas. They do require special feeding, though. They should be target fed something small like cyclopeeze once or twice a week.

 

[Reefs2go.com]

We recommend you get some peppermint shrimp to keep the aiptasia at bay!

 

[Kelz88]

methinks those shrimp wont last to long with fishy's wrasse ;)

 

[ZyberGoby]

We recommend you get some peppermint shrimp to keep the aiptasia at bay!

Also not all Peppermint shrimp will tend to an aiptasia issue. Just like many other critters that help with pests. It's really just 50/50 on them being any use to an issue of pests.

It took me months of super gluing them to get rid of them. I try not to use aiptasia-X because it will kill GSP and I for one love my GSP. So yeah some critter are slackers Fishy your best bet would be getting by any means you can before it becomes a plague

 

[FishyReef]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions! I'm considering injecting it with boiling water since it is only a single aptasia on a rock that I can take out of the tank. I'm also considering using aptasia x. I already have skunk cleaner shrimp in my tank and don't want to add peppermint shrimp at this point, but thank you for the suggestion! Anyone know if aptasia x harms zoanthids or goniopora? If not, maybe I'll just remove and treat that rock in a separate bucket rather than treating the whole tank. What do you guys think?

 

[Kelz88]

Injecting is alot harder then it sounds. They like to disappear when you tick them off.

 

[Bifferwine]

Aiptasia X is only harmful to the things you directly apply it to. It is a thick paste. You can use it on aiptasia that are growing amongst a zaoanthid colony, completely crowded and surrounded by the zoas, and not see any ill effects on the zoas as long as you don't apply it to the zoas. It is easy to use -- you do not treat the whole tank. It comes with a syringe, and you just squirt the paste directly on the aiptasia. Nothing else in the tank is affected by it. If you squirt the paste directly on your corals, yes, it will probably kill them. So don't do that! It's really easy to get only your target.

 

[FishyReef]

Awesome, thanks! I had no idea it was a paste and thought it was more of a liquid that you just added to the tank.

 

[Kelz88]

I dropped a drip of it on my mush, it happily ate it and it was fine. Im told you really have to screw up to kill a mush though. lol