Control Yellow Polyps

[44Tom]

Perhaps someone here has delt with this problem. Two years ago I out grew my 90 gal and moved everything into my current 180gal. I now have fields of yellow polyps in 5 different places that are quickly filling up any space they can. LPS are standing their ground, but several different button polyps are getting pushed back. Also a 4 year old Toadstool disconnected from its rock after having the polyps grow up its sides. I have since moved the Toadstool to a different location. I was thinking about using my elegance coral to sting the polyps. Would that harm the elegance? How long would I have to stay in contact with yellow polyps to have an effect? Any other ideas?

BTW I have been off and on posting/lurking for 5 years under other names which I can't quite recall now.

 

[wombat1]

I had the same problem with these guys. I got three of them as hitchhikers, and I fed them. Big mistake. Luckily I moved the rock they were on to the sand before they could spread to other rocks. They filled up the rock with maybe 30 polyps in about two months. They're beautiful if you can keep them away from other stuff, but they were melting my xenia, so they had to go. I don't know about the elegance coral, I would try eradicating them like aiptasia.

 

[44Tom]

Boy 30 would be awsome. I am in the multiple hundreds now. I had a huge head of Xenia that began to melt due to star polyps, but I can rip the matts off of the rock to control them. I am really starting to worry because YPs are heading up to several frags and clusters of SPS. Trying to inject each one with Kalk or the like will take FOREVER.

 

[Bill2]

I wouldn't even think about moving a healthy elegence coral. If you have a healthy one you are lucky.

I have 2 great ideas
1. Use xenia, trade one pest for another
2. Napalm might work

Seriously,
Any thing that sends out sweeper tentacles will sting the yellow polyps. I'm pretty sure they are low on the sting scale.

 

[Marrowbone]

Just an observation. It's the darndest thing.

I'm restocking my 75 after overhauling it months ago, I recently *cough* bought a few cheap yellow polyps and put them in. The last thing I expected happened - my PODS stared eating them. These pods are not the hunched over type of gammarus, they are flat and low to the ground, about 1/4" long. They are sucking the polyps dry like they are aphids. They haven't touched the Xenia or few other things I have in there. I only have one PJ cardinal who has only been in the tank for a few weeks, so theres still plenty of pods.

 

[44Tom]

Interesting. Nothing I have in my tank will touch them. If I had it to do all over again I would not put yellow polyps in my tank or I would isolate them on a piece of rock surrounded by sand. I am to the point I might have to start injecting each one. That will take forever and I am not sure how successful that will be.

 

[LFS42]

How 'bout pepermint shrimp.
The go after almost all polyps.
Then, you get a trigger to eat the shrimp.
Then, a shark to eat the trigger.

 

[wombat1]

Then, shark fin soup! Goes great with sweet and sour panda!

 

[reefkeeper]

Get yourself a Copper Banded Butterfly. He will eat em up.

 

[Anonymous]

How 'bout pepermint shrimp.
The go after almost all polyps.

True L. wurdmanni do not eat polyps, they rob them of food, but they aren't gonna harm them. Camel shrimp would likely devour them but they would also likely go after the other corals. The butterfly idea would likely work well but again you put other corals at risk.

 

[Toutouche]

The Copperband would be a good idea if it does actually eat them. My CB does not touch a single coral in my tank and I have many polyps. 4 types of buttons, Xenia, Kenya tree, many SPS's, and LPS's, Finger leather, etc... It is a very reef-safe fish. On the otherhand, it devoured every single Aiptasia, and tiny LR feather duster I had in 2 or 3 days. But that is fine, and the Aip's that is definitely a good thing!!

 

[esmithiii]

I have seen peppermint shrimp eating them. I have personally witnessed it, along with seeing them eat aptasia.

Ernie

 

[44Tom]

A butterfly in a Reef? I've been away from boards and mailing lists for a few years now and I didn't realize people were putting these into tanks with so many corals to munch on. How much of a risk do I run with one? I moved a 4 year old bubble coral (Grapefruit size) and placed it into the path of the biggest gowing mass of yellows. At night I can see its stingers coming out to do battle. We shall see. There are other patches that are working their way into some very nice purple rock with sps mounted on them that I fear I could loose. If I inject them should I mix some KW or use a store bought product? Any ideas?

 

[SeanT]

All my yellow polyps slowly whithered away.
What's your secret?
I like 'em.
Beautiful color to have in a tank.

 

[44Tom]

No secret believe me. I have never fed them directly. Maybe some flake food hits them. Otherwise if they are eating it is whatever is floating in the water column which at night is considerable when all the micro organisms, eggs, and other living stuff is floating around. After following the reef hobby for 10 years and having my own tanks for 6 I KISS. 4-6 week 20% water change. Warner's 2-part Ca/buff ever 2 or 3 days. Lots of current. Lots of light 2 400w 10K with reflectors plus VHO O3. Terrific Skimming (Aqua C EV 200 2 Mag 7s) Keep my hands out.

If the fields of the stuff I have would stay in place I would be perfectly happy. It's just that they are spreading onto stuff I don't want them too. I am still debating if I should add something that will eat them or place a few more LPS with big stingers. They won't mess with my Elegance or Brain Coral. They do grow into fields of polyps and over Toadstools and now that they are heading to some SPS I am getting worried.

 

[Syris]

44tom,

I thought i was the only one with this problem too. I have a sea (no pun) of yp sweeping across my tank. The only way i could stop them was to put my torch coral in the middle of my tank. This has done a good job of keeping them on the left side of my tank with no problems to the torch. Of course on my right side of the tank my xenia are taking over :roll:
And dont get me started on my green metallic mushrooms 8O

Good luck

 

[44Tom]

Unless the yellow polyps can be isolated some how I would never recommend them in tank. A rock surrounded by sand or isolated by placing LPSs near them is the only way to go. Other wise when they are happy they can turn into a plague. :x