Aiptasia Anemones are common hitchhikers found on Live Rock. To the novice hobbyists, these anemones can be an exciting surprise, but can quickly become their worst nightmare. Aiptasia can grow out of control spreading to surrounding live rock and glass. Aiptasia Anemones are considered pests because they can sting corals, passing fish and even you. Clownfish are also unlikely to host in Aiptasia.

Fortunately, there are natural predators and commercial products used to treat Aiptasia. The most common predator of Aiptasia is the Peppermint Shrimp These shrimp are reef safe and a majority of them will eat small Aiptasia Anemones. Peppermint Shrimp are available at most Saltwater Fish Specialty Stores, and should not be confused with the similar looking, but not reef safe Camel Shrimp. Approximately one to two Peppermint Shrimp per 25 gallons can be used to treat and prevent small Aiptasia Anemones.

For larger Aiptasia, commercial treatments may be necessary. Commonly available products include Red Sea Aiptasia-X, Joe’s Juice and Tropic Marin Elimi-Aiptas. All of these products have mixed reviews on how effectively they eliminate Aiptasia. One nice feature of these products is they do not affect water parameters like pH and can be used daily to treat Aiptasia.

Kalkwasser is another product commonly used to add calcium and alkalinity into the aquarium, but can also be used to treat Aiptasia. By mixing Kalkwasser with water to form a paste, it can be shot near the Aiptasia with a plastic syringe or turkey baster. Although Kalkwasser is extremely effective, it cannot be used in high volumes because it will alter calcium, alkalinity and pH. Be sure to monitor these levels before and after treating with Kalkwasser to prevent an overdose. Kalkwasser should never land directly on any coral as it will burn it.

In summary, continued diligence with a combination of Peppermint Shrimp, Commercial Products and Kalkwasser is an effective way to eliminate Aiptasia from your aquarium. When using Kalkwasser remember to test Calcium, Alkalinity and pH levels before and after treatment.

Are you tired of looking at your boring white Live Rock and just want coralline algae to grow? Coralline Algae is an encrusting algae and the most common color varieties are purple, pink, green and orange. One advantage of Coralline Algae is it makes it difficult for Green Hair Algae to grow on the live rock. Some aquarists love Coralline Algae, others hate it because it is difficult to remove from the aquarium walls, especially in acrylic tanks.

How Do I Get Coralline Algae to Grow?

1. There are many competing theories, but you will need some live rock with Coralline Algae growing on it to seed your aquarium. This can be purchased online or from your local fish store.

2. One method of spreading Coralline Algae is to scrub the algae with a toothbrush. This will release spores into the water that will attach on live rock and aquarium walls.

3. Many hobbyists swear that Coralline Algae grows better in low light and under Actinic Blue Bulbs.

4. Elevated Calcium, Alkalinity and Magnesium levels seem to make Coralline Algae explode! These chemicals are increased through dosing, but remember to test Calcium, Alkalinity and Magnesium levels to maintain the proper balance.

Within a few weeks or even several days, Coralline Algae should begin to appear on the aquarium walls and live rock. It will typically grow where you dose the alkalinity supplement.

This article probably is not good news for most hobbyists, but it is something you should know. Whenever you buy a new coral, you should treat it with a coral conditioner to kill any pests that tag along with the coral. If you have not been treating your corals, you are most likely infected with flatworms or some other pest. Treating with conditioners can help prevent red flatworms, acropora eating flatworms, montipora eating nudibranchs, zoanthid eating nudibranchs, little red bugs, sundial snails and sea spiders.

Signs of pest infestation include brownish red or yellow worms on the glass, zoanthid polyps no longer opening, and acroporas and montiporas receding from the base.

1. Acclimate your coral as you normally would and then place it into a clean bucket of saltwater from your aquarium.

2. In this demonstration, ReVive Coral Cleaner is used. Other popular cleaners include Seachem Reef Dip and Tropic Marin Pro Coral Cure. Read the directions and add the necessary amount of treatment to the water. Do not overdose. Let the coral sit in the dip for the specified time.

3. Shake the coral to remove any debris and then place it into the aquarium. The dip should have killed 99% of the pests, including some flatworms. You should notice little critters falling off the coral. If you have a coral quarantine system, place the coral in this system and monitor for at least one month.

Help, I Have Already Been Infected:

If you have been in the hobby for a while, there is a good chance that you have already been infected but do not even know it. The most common pest is red/brown flatworms. They look like little brown specs on the glass and move quite rapidly. Flatworms should not be confused with clear amphipods or copepods, which are actually beneficial to your aquarium. Other common pests include acropora eating flatworms, zoanthid eating nudibranchs, montipora eating nudibranchs, little red bugs, sundial snails, sea spiders and pyramid snails. The Six Line Wrasse and Melanurus/ Hoeven’s Wrasse have been known to eat flatworms and are also good prevention against other pest infestations. In general, the best in-tank treatment against flatworms is Salifert Flatworm Exit.

ReVive Coral Cleaner:

ReVive Coral Cleaner is a product developed by Julian Sprung, author of The Reef Aquarium. ReVive is relatively inexpensive to buy. Think of ReVive as an insurance policy. If you are already spending hundreds of dollars on coral, what is a few extra dollars to prevent pests from ruining your aquarium? ReVive can also be used to treat corals that were damaged during routine maintenance, accidentally fell onto another coral or appear to be receding.

Many aquarists struggle with a pest algae called Bryopsis. The hobbyists attempts to do everything in his or her power to including ripping out clumps and seeking advice from the local fish store. There are many species of Bryopsis, but it typically appears as a thick, green or brown algae and is often misidentified as Caulerpa or green hair algae. Bryopsis can take over a saltwater aquarium in a matter of days, and it is commonly found growing on Live Rock. Although it is easy to remove, the algae is fragile and may break into tiny pieces. If manual removal is attempted, you must use a siphon to suck up any free floating Bryopsis to keep it from reattaching to the live rock.

If it sounds like you may have Bryopsis, thankfully there is an easy solution! Raising the magnesium in your aquarium to 1600-1700ppm seems to melt Bryopsis away. Kent Marine Tech-M is the only magnesium product to consistently eliminate Bryopsis. The reasons why Kent Marine Tech-M is more successful than other magnesium additives is unknown.

What supplies will I need to kill Bryopsis?

1. A large enough bottle of Kent Marine Tech-M to raise your saltwater aquarium’s magnesium to 1600-1700ppm. The typical 55-75 gallon aquarium will need a 128 oz treatment of Kent Tech-M.

2. A quality Magnesium Test Kit, like Salifert, Elos or Seachem, to measure the magnesium levels in your aquarium.

3. A Gravel Vacuum/ Siphon and a bucket to remove any free floating Bryopsis.

Follow These Easy Steps to Kill Bryopsis:

1. Use your magnesium test kit to determine your aquarium’s magnesium level.

2. Read the instructions for Kent Marine Tech-M to determine how much will be needed to raise your aquarium’s magnesium to 1600-1700ppm.

3. Over 2-5 days elevate the magnesium levels and test a few hours after every dose. Magnesium can be raised safely 200-300ppm every day. If you happen to exceed 1700ppm, no ill effects have been reported up to 2000ppm. Remember to shake the bottle of Kent Marine Tech-M before use.

4. Once a magnesium level of 1600-1700ppm has been reached, the Bryopsis should begin to melt away within a matter of hours.

5. Prepare your gravel vacuum and a bucket and siphon out all the Bryopsis.

6. Replenish your lost saltwater with new saltwater to maintain your aquarium’s water level and salinity.

7. Monitor for signs of any new Bryopsis growth and siphon as necessary.

8. After the Bryopsis has been eliminated, you can allow your magnesium levels to naturally fall to normal levels.

In summary, to control and eliminate Bryopsis, use Kent Marine Tech-M to elevate your magnesium levels to 1600-1700ppm. When the Bryopsis begins to melt, remove it with a siphon.

For most, Bubble Algae is the plague of all algaes. This green, bubble shaped algae grows rapidly and thrives even in low nutrient environments. It is also difficult to remove and control in the home aquarium. Bubble Algae typically grows in the deep crevices and holes of Live Rock. It can appear without warning in new and well established aquariums and comes in many varieties, but the most famous is the family Valonia.

What can I do to prevent and outbreak of Bubble Algae?

1. Use Reverse Osmosis water to prevent the introduction of phosphates and nitrates. Typical tap and well water has a TDS, Total Dissolved Solids, of 250 to 500ppm. TDS is how much stuff is in your water. This includes copper, chlorine, phosphate, silicate, iron, zinc, lead and nitrate. After Reverse Osmosis purification the typical TDS is between 5 and 10ppm and after RO Deionization purification it is between 0 and 5ppm. As a result, algae has 25 to 50 times less nutrients that it can use to grow.

2. Reduce the frequency of feedings and the amount of food fed to the aquarium. Stop feeding flake and pellet food. Instead, use high quality frozen or live foods as they typically contain less phosphate and nitrate. See our Article, How to Feed Your Fish.

3. Examine all live rock and coral fragments for signs of bubble algae before introducing them into your aquarium.

4. Use a GFO, Granular Ferric Oxide, like Phosban to remove phosphate from the water.

I Have Bubble Algae, Now What?

1. Manual Removal is the easiest and fastest way to reduce the population of Bubble Algae in the aquarium. Start by removing the infected piece of live rock from the aquarium. Using your fingers or a tweezers, gently remove as many bubbles as you can from the rock without popping the bubbles. Next, siphon out a few gallons of aquarium water into a clean bucket. Now, begin removing the difficult bubbles by all means necessary, even if this means popping the bubbles. Once completed, swish the live rock in the bucket of saltwater to minimize the number of spores reentering your aquarium. Then re-add the piece of rock into the aquarium. There is a matter of debate about popping the spores and risking the spread of more algae, but if the bubbles are allowed to reach a mature size, they will eventually spread by releasing their spores into the water column.

2. Some of the most active Bubble Algae eaters are Emerald Mythrax Crabs. These crabs use their claws to pluck out and eat the bubble algae. About one crab per 25 gallons of water is recommended.

3. Some fish, like the Desjardini Sailfin Tang have been reported to eat Bubble Algae, but they require an aquarium 75 gallons or larger.

3. Add a Refugium and macroalgae to compete with the Bubble Algae for nutrients. Popular macroalgaes are Caulerpa and Chaetomorpha.

5. If the problem persists for many months, a full live rock treatment may be necessary. The first method consists of placing all of your live rock in the dark for several months to eliminate all of the bubble algae. You will need to filter the water and perform routine water changes. The second method consists of a one part muriatic acid to 100 part fresh water dip. This will essentially kill anything living on your live rock and will leave you with dead base rock, which will need to be rinsed and seeded with fresh live rock to repopulate the living organisms. Warning, muriatic acid is extremely dangerous and should be handled with care. Please read the products warning label for safety instructions.

In summary, the best way to treat an infected aquarium is to manually remove any Bubble Algae polyps and then use natural predators, like emerald crabs to reduce and finally eliminate the population. Without persistence, Bubble Algae will grow out of control and a full tank treatment will be required.