Myka's 20 gallon Zoa reef (pics Nov 15) - Page 2

Myka · #1 11-01-2010, 03:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bignose

any updates? pics?

It is being plagued by Valonia right now. I hooked up a TLF Phosban reactor to the tank in hopes it will help. I will do a water change tomorrow, and take some pics. Thanks for asking.

ElGuappo · #2 11-01-2010, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Myka

It is being plagued by Valonia right now. I hooked up a TLF Phosban reactor to the tank in hopes it will help. I will do a water change tomorrow, and take some pics. Thanks for asking.

sorry to hear it... its worse than aptasia... i hate it... nothing eats it and its sporus if the bubbles pop... i basically bought my bowfront when my 45 got over ran with valonia...

GOOD LUCK..... and dont add emerald mithrax crabs... sure they may eat it but they pop the bubbles.. at least they did in my tank... i only had a couple i couldnt reach so i added a couple emerals and like a month later i was over ran with valonia...

Delphinus · #3 11-01-2010, 03:20 PM

I found plenty of things that will decimate valonia ... they just don't fit in a small tank.

I shutdown my 20g zoanthid tank over it being a losing battle to valonia. Emeralds did nothing - I think once it gets to a certain point those little crabs can't touch the rate of spread of those things in the same way a ravenous tang can.

I have a similar problem with my 40g at the moment but instead of valonia only it's a mixture of valonia and caulerpa.

I rotate some of the rocks into my tank with tangs but for the ones I can't move easily I prune as much as I can with tweezers but it's like draining the ocean with an eyedropper.

I tried a few different urchins in the hopes that maybe that was an idea but so far no luck with that. However I haven't given up on the idea altogether just yet. In my other tank I have 2 green urchins that seem to go after valonia, I am hoping to find more of these but I don't know the species ID. If you google green urchin you can find some coldwater species that look sort of correct but I've had one of them for 5 years now easily so if it is a coldwater species, it seems to be one who can adapt to warmer temps but I suspect it's probably a different species.

Anyhow I nod very sympathetically in your direction Myka. Good luck!