Unwanted Hitchhikers

MUCHO REEF · 02-12-2011, 10:06 AM

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

Photo by bpoore89 on RC

Mucho Reef

jimsflies · 02-12-2011, 10:28 AM

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.

MUCHO REEF · 02-13-2011, 08:21 AM

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 · 02-13-2011, 08:40 AM

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.

Chris · 02-13-2011, 09:41 AM

Let see.... Bryopsis, that came on a free frag starting out, spread and suffocated the 1st grand or so of zoa's/ paly's I ever bought, before I picked up an urchin that finally took it out, guy told me oh no big deal its just a little GHA, a couple little snails can take care of that LOL. Then there was red bugs, killed 17 different colored sticks before I finally figured out what was doing it.

Hey Chris, Ive had good luck with peppermint shrimp knocking out the aptasia, but then my triggers knocked out the shrimp one day, good thing the shrimp had everything cleaned up 1st

MUCHO REEF · 06:56 AM

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 · 02-13-2011, 12:22 PM

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?