How to save the Stars?

[KathyC]

I've been slowly moving all of the corals out of my 33g Cube since my RBTA has grown so large...gigantic might be a better word. He rearranged himself awhile back when I was at work and did a fair amount of damage to my rics..so he's going to get the tank all to himself...his fish buddies of course!

Here's the 1st issue..this is the tank that has flatworms. I'd love to finally get rid of them. I've bombed this tank (using the method Russ suggests) and still have them. I have a couple of buckets of LR that have been 'curing' for more than 6 months and could probably switch out the rocks entirely in the tank and then treat it again with the FWE and be done with it (what do ya think?)...
btw..the corals were treated umpteen times to be sure they were flatworm free before moving them!!


..here's my 2nd issue. I have a hard enough time killing bristleworms (remember that 12" one, I actually put back into my tank on my last upgrade?), this time my issue is with the micro brittle stars. I have hundreds and hundreds of them in this tank. :starfish:
I don't want them to die..and FWE does kill them.:dead1:
I took out a small rock tonight (roughly hand sized)..and pulled 30+ micro stars off of it. There are more still inside, and this is a small rock!

Anyone have any ideas aside from hand picking, and swooshing the rock through water to dislodge them so I can cook the rocks I take out of the tank?

 

[House of Laughter]

kathy,

get a wrasse that will eat them both - you'll never have them again.

House

 

[masterswimmer]

Kathy, hand pick the visible ones and cook the rock. Unfortunately you'll lose the hidden ones, but there'll be no other way to get all of them off the rock.

My procedure for eliminating FW's failed? :sad2: That's a first :banghead: Did you use a powerhead held in your hand to blow the treated water (FWE in it) into all the nooks and crannies, holes and crevices, tunnels and overhangs, caves and 'impossible' to reach areas? I'm dismayed.

R

 

[jhale]

if you keep the rock out of the water the stars should crawl out. I see that happen when I take any small rocks out of my tank. one rock at a time place them on egg crate over a bucket of water and wait. you could try some fresh water to motivate them.

 

[KathyC]

kathy,

get a wrasse that will eat them both - you'll never have them again.

House

I don't want the :starfish:'s :eat:Jim!
What's the smallest fish I could add that eats flatworms?
I'd be pushing then envelope adding another fish to that tank..and it will weigh about 6 pounds by the time it's finished!

My procedure for eliminating FW's failed? :sad2: That's a first :banghead: Did you use a powerhead held in your hand to blow the treated water (FWE in it) into all the nooks and crannies, holes and crevices, tunnels and overhangs, caves and 'impossible' to reach areas? I'm dismayed.

R

Nevermind the ones hidden in the nooks & crannies..the ones still out in the open didn't have the decency to die!
Beginning to think my bottle of FWE is no good, even in a pint container of water (where I start to treat the frags I've removed, it taken about 20 drops to get them to die....I'd need a gallon at that rate to kill the ones in the tank :sigh:
Do you think there is any truth to the rumor that they become immune to the stuff? I had tried twice before with only the suggested dose.

if you keep the rock out of the water the stars should crawl out. I see that happen when I take any small rocks out of my tank. one rock at a time place them on egg crate over a bucket of water and wait. you could try some fresh water to motivate them.

Hmmm, interesting idea with the eggcrate (don't tell Rocco!) Flat out FW, or do you think a lower salinity would work or at least be slightly less deadly?

Thanks guys!!

 

[Wes]

FWE kills micro brittle stars? this is good news, i am infested with the things and want them out...

 

[KathyC]

FWE kills micro brittle stars? this is good news, i am infested with the things and want them out...

Sigh...poor little stars..:sad2:

 

[bad coffee]

take the rocks out, and put them in a tub o saltwater. Put a filter sock with some food in it a couple of inches from the rocks and wait.

the stars will climb over to get the food, and get tangled in the sock.

and remember, food supply dictates population. so when you put them back in the tank (after you've treated,) they'll breed back up to the level they are at now.

B

 

[jhale]

FWE kills micro brittle stars? this is good news, i am infested with the things and want them out...

why? they are a good thing.

:redstarfish:

 

[Wes]

why? they are a good thing.

:redstarfish:

they are a nuissance at the level i have them...crawling all over and living inside sps branches, stealing food from acans, etc.

my rocks have so many legs coming out of them it looks like they can stand up and walk away. I havn't lost any corals because of them, but they are annoying.

micro brittle stars and tube worms are "good" things that have become my nemesis.

 

[jhale]

fwiw when I had a hog fish in my tank there were no mini stars to be found. that fish ate them all. he would stick his head into zoa colonies and come out with them.