Unwanted Hitchhikers

[MUCHO REEF]

What are some of the most notorious unwanted hitchhikers you have unknowingly imported into your system?

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c251/MUCHOREEF9000/smg7lz.jpg

Photo by bpoore89 on RC


Mucho Reef

[jimsflies]

I like the hitchhiker on the right better. :)

Just realized that I have flat worms the other day. Not sure how I got them as I have been very careful about dipping all corals with CoralRx. I'm thinking they came on the tube worms I purchased and didn't dip since I figured they wouldn't take to dipping well. :mad:

[MUCHO REEF]

I had the a pair of pistol shrimp about 8 years ago. Drove me crazy. I broke down the entire system just to get rid of them, and it worked.


Mucho

[Sir Patrick]

I had 3 zoanthid eating nudi get past me one time. Good thing I caught it quick!

I had a sundail snail cruising in my tank for a loooong time too, way back when I thought it was just a cool snail! Couldnt figure out where all my blue zoas were dissapearing to.

Mojanos- still a pain in my rear end. By far the toughest hitchiker to get rid of to date- knock on wood!

And last, but not least, aptasia. Ive gotten used to this one though. Its now just a minor inconveniance to deal with.

[MUCHO REEF]

Was having a discussion once on another site, and I shared how nothing goes into my tank without dipping, QTing, close inspection of every single thing on the rock, every nook and crany all with a magnifying glass. Yes, I'm very serious here. Followed by anything in and on the rock, if I can't identify it, I remove it, then I plug up any suspicous holes. He blew up and said basically I was too anal and my tank was simply too sterile for him or too sterile to be considered a true reef tank. I replied, I have never crashed a tank, haven't had nudis, bugs, unwanted crabs, pistols etc since I began dong this. I just feel that it's better to keep it out, then to try and remove it. I'd much rather be extremely proactive, than regretably reactive. This works very well for me.


Mucho Reef

[Wy Renegade]

Well now lets see,

Apitasia (I'm sure everyone has dealt with this at one time or another). Finally got some good Peppermint shrimp that are keeping it under control.

A pistol shrimp; still have it, but its now in a dedicated tank at school - students love to watch it come out and eat.

Numerous types of nuisance hair algaes - its a constant battle.

And finally, like Jim, I recently discovered a large outbreak of orange flatworms in my system. Any good recommended methods for removing these large scale from a system?

[MizTanks]

A Xanthid crab-it came in on a new zoa frag-yes it got into my tank-yes I was able to catch it-yes it went to the LFS :)

[Sir Patrick]

Due to the subject matter- I just have to share!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoX1-dFppYQ

[MizTanks]

That was a neat video Sir :) glad I ordered some-I'm making none of the mistakes I made the first time around.