Any thoughts on how to remove encrusting pavona?

Oldreeferman · 10/31/2020, 01:32 PM

Hello, I have Pavona that mainly grows out & upward but has also encrusted on my main arch rock & i have Monti Cap encrusting on it and also attaching to other rocks, so i can not remove the arch to chisel off the left over encrusting Pavona left from removing the main mother colony. This coral is frustrating, i mean its almost impossible to kill if happy.........LOL. I want to place a large frag of Punkin patch Lepto in this location as its out grown my frag holder. Im open to any ideas anyone may have that does not look bad as this is dead nuts in the center of the DT. I was considering a strong laser maybe to kill it off a bit at a time? Otherwise im stumped as its pretty agressive as corals go. There are too many spots to coat with CA or putty and trying to pry it off is not an option so if i could kill it then allow coralline to take hold id be good to go. It also slims bad when you start chiseling away at it and the other corals were not enthused by that action so i stopped. Sigh..........Anyway, thanks in advance to any new ideas.

Vinny Kreyling · 10/31/2020, 04:53 PM

Slowly putting peroxide on the skin with a syringe?

Oldreeferman · 11/01/2020, 12:13 PM

Wish it was that easy, peroxide is somewhat coral safe for short periods like dipping etc, done that in the past it works great on tuff algaes. I did consider really scalding RO water squirted in small amounts but my hypos are all plastic im concerned it would damage them so have not yet tried that idea. Pavona can thrive in almost dark so covering it for an extended period shielding light is pointless also. This stuff is worse then GSP...............I have considered using a stiff brush & scrub it to submission a bit at a time, filter out slime & gunk & do again & again but i'm concerned that idea could very well spread it thru out my entire DT so i've refrained from that so far. If it was a beautiful Blue or Orange or Gold etc id leave it be its so healthy but its a drab camo green.........boring.

Vinny Kreyling · 11/01/2020, 12:18 PM

Vinegar or Kalkwasser paste?

Oldreeferman · 11/02/2020, 10:00 AM

Hi, thanks for input worth considering.
I experimented using really scalding hot water from micro then sucked it into a 5ml test kit syringe and quickly applied it on several areas about size of my thumbnail. It worked super, no sliming at all, no pcs to possibly regrow anywhere & it killed the encrusting coral ....YAY! Did not seem to hurt the syringe at all either. So this rout seems the easiest & safest way to go if multiple small areas needs to be removed over time. I'm going to do it every day and looks like in about 2 weeks it all is history. Nice to know that over growth is a prob verses corals struggling so im not complaining i'm happy!

Vinny Kreyling · 11/02/2020, 10:03 AM

Another thing to store in the back of my brain!

Oldreeferman · 11/08/2020, 12:04 PM

Well this went quicker then thought, a week is not bad. Ea. session was about 5min. tops probably could have done more at one time since im actually cooking the coral & so it did not seem to pollute the DT at all but just figured safer to do in stages just incase. Anyway this really works swell for anyone with an encrusting issue you want to resolve and can not remove the DT rockwork, just be 100% certain you have no Zoos or especially Palys in that area, i have a safe tank no zoos or Palys ever so was a non issue to do.

10/31/2020, 01:32 PM	#1
Oldreeferman Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: NW Indiana Valparaiso Posts: 505	Any thoughts on how to remove encrusting pavona? Hello, I have Pavona that mainly grows out & upward but has also encrusted on my main arch rock & i have Monti Cap encrusting on it and also attaching to other rocks, so i can not remove the arch to chisel off the left over encrusting Pavona left from removing the main mother colony. This coral is frustrating, i mean its almost impossible to kill if happy.........LOL. I want to place a large frag of Punkin patch Lepto in this location as its out grown my frag holder. Im open to any ideas anyone may have that does not look bad as this is dead nuts in the center of the DT. I was considering a strong laser maybe to kill it off a bit at a time? Otherwise im stumped as its pretty agressive as corals go. There are too many spots to coat with CA or putty and trying to pry it off is not an option so if i could kill it then allow coralline to take hold id be good to go. It also slims bad when you start chiseling away at it and the other corals were not enthused by that action so i stopped. Sigh..........Anyway, thanks in advance to any new ideas. __________________ Montipora Digitas, Cyphastrea, Blastos, different Leptoseris, Green Stylo, GSP, gorgonions, Ricordea mushrooms, psammocoras, Birdsnest coral, Clownfish, Watchman goby, Royal gamma. Current Tank Info: Nano Reef tank

10/31/2020, 04:53 PM	#2
Vinny Kreyling Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Miller Place, NY Posts: 7,206	Slowly putting peroxide on the skin with a syringe? __________________ 250 gallon mixed reef, 2 Reefbreeder's Photon V 2, Deepwater BLDC 12, DAS EX-3 Skimmer, MTC mini cal, 2-3/4" Sea Swirls, Aquacontroller & 6 Tunze pumps.

11/01/2020, 12:13 PM	#3
Oldreeferman Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: NW Indiana Valparaiso Posts: 505	Wish it was that easy, peroxide is somewhat coral safe for short periods like dipping etc, done that in the past it works great on tuff algaes. I did consider really scalding RO water squirted in small amounts but my hypos are all plastic im concerned it would damage them so have not yet tried that idea. Pavona can thrive in almost dark so covering it for an extended period shielding light is pointless also. This stuff is worse then GSP...............I have considered using a stiff brush & scrub it to submission a bit at a time, filter out slime & gunk & do again & again but i'm concerned that idea could very well spread it thru out my entire DT so i've refrained from that so far. If it was a beautiful Blue or Orange or Gold etc id leave it be its so healthy but its a drab camo green.........boring. __________________ Montipora Digitas, Cyphastrea, Blastos, different Leptoseris, Green Stylo, GSP, gorgonions, Ricordea mushrooms, psammocoras, Birdsnest coral, Clownfish, Watchman goby, Royal gamma. Current Tank Info: Nano Reef tank

11/01/2020, 12:18 PM	#4
Vinny Kreyling Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Miller Place, NY Posts: 7,206	Vinegar or Kalkwasser paste? __________________ 250 gallon mixed reef, 2 Reefbreeder's Photon V 2, Deepwater BLDC 12, DAS EX-3 Skimmer, MTC mini cal, 2-3/4" Sea Swirls, Aquacontroller & 6 Tunze pumps.

11/02/2020, 10:00 AM	#5
Oldreeferman Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: NW Indiana Valparaiso Posts: 505	Hi, thanks for input worth considering. I experimented using really scalding hot water from micro then sucked it into a 5ml test kit syringe and quickly applied it on several areas about size of my thumbnail. It worked super, no sliming at all, no pcs to possibly regrow anywhere & it killed the encrusting coral ....YAY! Did not seem to hurt the syringe at all either. So this rout seems the easiest & safest way to go if multiple small areas needs to be removed over time. I'm going to do it every day and looks like in about 2 weeks it all is history. Nice to know that over growth is a prob verses corals struggling so im not complaining i'm happy! __________________ Montipora Digitas, Cyphastrea, Blastos, different Leptoseris, Green Stylo, GSP, gorgonions, Ricordea mushrooms, psammocoras, Birdsnest coral, Clownfish, Watchman goby, Royal gamma. Current Tank Info: Nano Reef tank

11/02/2020, 10:03 AM	#6
Vinny Kreyling Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Miller Place, NY Posts: 7,206	Another thing to store in the back of my brain! __________________ 250 gallon mixed reef, 2 Reefbreeder's Photon V 2, Deepwater BLDC 12, DAS EX-3 Skimmer, MTC mini cal, 2-3/4" Sea Swirls, Aquacontroller & 6 Tunze pumps.

11/08/2020, 12:04 PM	#7
Oldreeferman Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: NW Indiana Valparaiso Posts: 505	Well this went quicker then thought, a week is not bad. Ea. session was about 5min. tops probably could have done more at one time since im actually cooking the coral & so it did not seem to pollute the DT at all but just figured safer to do in stages just incase. Anyway this really works swell for anyone with an encrusting issue you want to resolve and can not remove the DT rockwork, just be 100% certain you have no Zoos or especially Palys in that area, i have a safe tank no zoos or Palys ever so was a non issue to do. __________________ Montipora Digitas, Cyphastrea, Blastos, different Leptoseris, Green Stylo, GSP, gorgonions, Ricordea mushrooms, psammocoras, Birdsnest coral, Clownfish, Watchman goby, Royal gamma. Current Tank Info: Nano Reef tank