what eats GSP's?!!! KILLING MY SPS

[showjet98]

I made the mistake of putting a piece in when I first set my tank up and they are growing out of control and starting to cover rare zoanthids and some of my nicer sps...anyone know? THANKS!:)

[trueblackpercula]

whats the acro for GSP?
Michael

[showjet98]

oh sorry bout that:), ** Green Star Polyps**

[teen]

peel as much out with your fingers and cover the rest with epoxy. i got most of mine out with a knife, then just covered the rest with epoxy. i usually miss a polyp or two and in a month or 2 i have another little patch so i just try and cover it up again. hopefully this time i got rid of them for good.

[flyyyguy]

a blow torch takes no prisoners

torch them until they stop smoking.

Its the only thing that is 100% effective against gsp that I have used

[showjet98]

ok, so 1 helpful response:D

[flyyyguy]

ummmm..........I wasnt joking....unless you were referring to my solution as the one helpful response :D

It only kills the surface of your rock and it can be thrown right back in your tank

And it will be this really cool flourescent orange color where you torched for a couple of days before turning white and then of course covering right back up in coralline

And the gsp will NOT return :)

[showjet98]

haha ok, well I cant take my rocks w them on it out w/o completely destroying my tank, so thats out lol

[flyyyguy]

I havent personally used this method....but I did research it enough to find out it is no more dangerous than kalk paste(which has to be used within reason to not skew your water), but much more effective.

I have actualy coated GSP with kalk paste out of the water and left them covered in it for 15 minutes. They still showed back up a few months later which is why I eventually resorted to torching them to win.

you might want to try this

http://www.asira.org/killingaiptasiaxeniaetc

[showjet98]

thanks for that thread flyguy, but I have way too many nice sps to try that...it sounds kinda iffy, if it touches anything else its toast!
There has to be some sort of natural predator right

[flyyyguy]

there is no natural predator of gsp that I am aware of.

Kalk paste can be used perfectly safely in a sps tank. Ive used up to 10 ml a day of my homemeade pikcling lime death concoction in tanks with a couple hundred pretty nice sps. I have heard of much more being used but that much is surely safe and what I am comfotable with. You do of course need to turn off all flow, and dont just start shooting blindly. Even so, a few specks that may get on your healthy corals will just kill that tiny spot and they will grow right back over it in days.

Like i said, I havent used specifically the formula I linked, but plan on it next time I want to kill something I cant remove.

anyway...just trying to give you ideas and I assure you im not going to tell you to do something that is super dangerous, even if it may sound like it is at first glance

I thinkmost of us at one time or another regretted ever thinking tht GSP was kind of cool, at least not in the main reef structure anyway

[showjet98]

k cool, thanks for the input! I think Im just gonna try and cover certain areas w epoxy

[rharr21]

Some where, I read that this snail eats star polyps and gorgonia, but not sps. You might look into it more.

http://www.reefnews.com/reefnews/photos/flamtong.html

[dmbnpj]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11184258#post11184258 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by flyyyguy


you might want to try this

http://www.asira.org/killingaiptasiaxeniaetc

I read that because I have this same problem. Trying to rid the tank of crappy GSP. Where is NaOH (aka "lye") available? I already have kalk.

Or, really blow torch! Haven't thought of that. Great idea. Really work?

Thanks

[Konadog]

teen gave you the safest advice so far. Have you tried to peel anything off yet, it comes up pretty easily once you start. It will at least give you a fighting chance to save anything that it is trying to grow over.

[flyyyguy]

GSP peels easily of of some rocks, but others dependingon the surface there is no way you will truly get rid of it with anything but chemical or flame.

I dont like messing with things continually, i like to just get it done. Nothing I said was all that dangerous either unless you are wasted drunk and/or cant be trusted with a syringe or a blow torch without hurting yourself. :lol:

dmbnpj- im not sure where to get lye.

[dmbnpj]

hmmm, thanks for the input

i think im gonna try the blow torch method...im with you flyyyguy, im ready to get it done.......ive tried covering up with just kalk paste before and that doesnt work

anyone else know where i can get lye?

[flyyyguy]

That snail would be pretty neat if that ate it though. Its kind of a cool looking critter as it is

[Konadog]

flyyyguy, I'm just saying that some tanks cannot be broken down easily to use your method, pealing is easily done without removing the rock.

Now I can just imagine what my wife would say if she saw me taking a blow torch to my LR :D

[VAreefer]

Hey if your LFS can get you some of these Phyllodesmium briareum nudibranchs, I had GSP taking over my tank got 2 of these and within 3 months not a GSP left. That is all they eat and they look like a star polyp. Normally they are considered a pest and LFS throw them away if they come on a GSP shipment.

[acrylic_300]

When it's first getting established it peels of easy...after that (the kind I have) you can not get it off.

[Bax]

GSP is the devil's marine form.

If you try to peel it away in the tank every microscopic piece that lands somewhere will spread the beast.

I pulled out every piece of rock with even a smige on it and cooked it for months and some still returned.

Fastest surest fix. Pull out the infested rock and give it away, then run, and don't take any phone calls from who ever you pawned it off on, ever!!!

[Konadog]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11190173#post11190173 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Bax
GSP is the devil's marine form.

If you try to peel it away in the tank every microscopic piece that lands somewhere will spread the beast. What ever do you mean?

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/515/1075GSPTank.JPG
Photo by Anemone

God I love that photo! :D

[flyyyguy]

lol. I have that photo saved somewhere as well.

The one i have is the same tank but there is a poor blue crocea stuck in the middle of the field

[Bax]

That's a low maintenance tank for sure!

[xtm]

that is a nice tank... put a wavebox in it and watch em sway. I actually like that GSP infested tank..

[Rickyrooz1]

I just peeled off some of mine yesterday. It wasn't very hard to peel off either.

[showjet98]

well my rock that its on has a ton of crevices, nooks and crannies that its grown into and would not be able to get off unless its out of the tank...I would love to find either one of the snail or nudi to get it out naturally. Anyone wanna find me one and send it my way?:)

[kraash]

I agree with the torch, ( works great for aptasia and manjanos too) but I have used a stainless steel brush, about the size of a tooth brush and scrubbed the crap out them every couple of days on a rock that could not be removed under water. Just watch for polyps and hit that spot next. Worked well.

[dmbnpj]

kraash.....Great reefcentral screenname!

Also, pizza occupation? Must own dominos?

:)

[acrylic_300]

You can keep nuking it over and over with kalk....pick what you can out with the tip of a knife after nuking it. Melt a plastic knife to fit up under ledges. Dedicate a couple hours a week to killing it and torturing it to death. For the rest of your life.

[kraash]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11200075#post11200075 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dmbnpj
kraash.....Great reefcentral screenname!

Also, pizza occupation? Must own dominos?

:)

I wish I owned the place where I work, I would have my dream tank and pay someone to clean my glass:rollface:

[Helter Skilter]

Nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

[flyyyguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11200276#post11200276 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by acrylic_300
Dedicate a couple hours a week to killing it and torturing it to death. For the rest of your life.


:lol: