Reef Central Online Community - View Single Post - So, your new zoas/palys are on their way...

puter · 11/19/2009, 07:18 PM

... what do you do when they arrive?

Oftentimes the zoa/paly frags we receive come with a number of unwanted pest organisms (nudibranchs, flatworms, algae, aiptasia, etc.) that can be very detrimental to our tanks and can be very difficult to get rid of. While I strongly encourage the use of a quarantine tank and a vigilant waiting period before anything "wet" is introduced into an established reef tank, I recognize that is not a practical option for many.

So, via this thread, I figured I'd share what I do when new frags arrive, in the hope it might be helpful to others who haven't yet established a routine for processing newly arrived frags. I don't claim that "my way" is any better (or much different) than the dips and routines that have been described in this forum many times before. But, it's been "tested" on (literally) hundreds of frags over the last ten years so I'm confident that it is both safe and effective.

So, the routine:

First, you need to have a very limited number of treatments on hand:

For zoa/palys I use Lugol's Solution almost exclusively.

When the zoas arrive, I float them in the sump/tank, with the bags still sealed, for about 10-15 minutes to temperature acclimate them.

I then open the bag and put the frag along with a 50/50 mix of of the water it came with and tank water into a small plastic container:

Then it's time to grab the tweezers and try to clean up the frag. Here's what some typical frags might look like when they arrive:

Note the aiptasia. A quick slice now can save a world of trouble later. Small aiptasia anemones can be very difficult to spot. If you don't catch them now, you'll see them later, when it's much more difficult to do something about them:

Here's a challenging frag:

Note the algae and the flatworm. Here's another case where putting the frag directly into the tank, without treating it first, could unleash a flatworm or algae plague.

It can be very difficult to get all the algae off without damaging the frag. Frankly, even after pulling off all the algae I could get to, I wouldn't put this frag in a display tank. Going into a quarantine tank would be fine. But, if this frag had to go directly into a display tank I'd risk prying up the glue it's mounted to and remounting it.

One other thing to look for at this point are nudibranch egg sacks.

Once the frag has been cleaned, I put a couple drops of Lugol's in the water right over the frag:

Using a pipette or turkey baster I blow the Lugol's Solution all arround the frag and into all the nooks and crannies. If you've never done this before you'll be amazed at how many critters (amphipods, spiders, etc.) come out of hiding when you do this.

I leave the frag in the Lugol's Solution for a minute or two (no longer), rinse it in some fresh tank water and then it's ready to go in the tank.

That's it. Certainly nothing here that's very complicated, difficult or new. Just a little work up front can make a dramatic difference in your success at keeping zoas/palys.

Enjoy the addiction...

Cheers,

Mark

11/19/2009, 07:18 PM	#1
puter Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 1,549	So, your new zoas/palys are on their way... ... what do you do when they arrive? Oftentimes the zoa/paly frags we receive come with a number of unwanted pest organisms (nudibranchs, flatworms, algae, aiptasia, etc.) that can be very detrimental to our tanks and can be very difficult to get rid of. While I strongly encourage the use of a quarantine tank and a vigilant waiting period before anything "wet" is introduced into an established reef tank, I recognize that is not a practical option for many. So, via this thread, I figured I'd share what I do when new frags arrive, in the hope it might be helpful to others who haven't yet established a routine for processing newly arrived frags. I don't claim that "my way" is any better (or much different) than the dips and routines that have been described in this forum many times before. But, it's been "tested" on (literally) hundreds of frags over the last ten years so I'm confident that it is both safe and effective. So, the routine: First, you need to have a very limited number of treatments on hand: For zoa/palys I use Lugol's Solution almost exclusively. When the zoas arrive, I float them in the sump/tank, with the bags still sealed, for about 10-15 minutes to temperature acclimate them. I then open the bag and put the frag along with a 50/50 mix of of the water it came with and tank water into a small plastic container: Then it's time to grab the tweezers and try to clean up the frag. Here's what some typical frags might look like when they arrive: Note the aiptasia. A quick slice now can save a world of trouble later. Small aiptasia anemones can be very difficult to spot. If you don't catch them now, you'll see them later, when it's much more difficult to do something about them: Here's a challenging frag: Note the algae and the flatworm. Here's another case where putting the frag directly into the tank, without treating it first, could unleash a flatworm or algae plague. It can be very difficult to get all the algae off without damaging the frag. Frankly, even after pulling off all the algae I could get to, I wouldn't put this frag in a display tank. Going into a quarantine tank would be fine. But, if this frag had to go directly into a display tank I'd risk prying up the glue it's mounted to and remounting it. One other thing to look for at this point are nudibranch egg sacks. Once the frag has been cleaned, I put a couple drops of Lugol's in the water right over the frag: Using a pipette or turkey baster I blow the Lugol's Solution all arround the frag and into all the nooks and crannies. If you've never done this before you'll be amazed at how many critters (amphipods, spiders, etc.) come out of hiding when you do this. I leave the frag in the Lugol's Solution for a minute or two (no longer), rinse it in some fresh tank water and then it's ready to go in the tank. That's it. Certainly nothing here that's very complicated, difficult or new. Just a little work up front can make a dramatic difference in your success at keeping zoas/palys. Enjoy the addiction... Cheers, Mark Last edited by puter; 11/19/2009 at 07:24 PM.