Reef Central Online Community

Go Back   Reef Central Online Community > Coral Forums > Zoanthids
Blogs FAQ Calendar Mark Forums Read

Notices

User Tag List

Reply
Thread Tools
Unread 12/18/2014, 01:11 PM   #1
MMM33732
Registered Member
 
MMM33732's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: ohio
Posts: 690
Killing Paly's without releasing palytoxin

I need to kill off a few heads of paly's that are starting to touch some of my SPS. These things grow like weeds. No way to take the rocks out. What would be the best way (if there is one) to kill off the ones I need so they don't release any palytoxin into the tank? I've come across a story or so in the past of someone cutting some off a rock, putting the rock back in which resulted in his tank completely crashing (at least corals). Would aptasia-x be a good choice or do they release the toxin any time they die?


MMM33732 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 12/18/2014, 01:54 PM   #2
650-IS350
Registered Member
 
650-IS350's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Bay Area
Posts: 14,555
I sometimes would kalk paste a couple at a time.

Turn off all flow in tank, kalk paste a couple heads, leave on for 10 mins or so. Then turn on all pumps and skimmers back on.

I wear these as sometimes you don't know you have a cut or allergic.



__________________
*** RETIRED FROM REEFING ***

Just enjoying the box of water from afar
650-IS350 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 12/18/2014, 02:23 PM   #3
MMM33732
Registered Member
 
MMM33732's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: ohio
Posts: 690
I'm not too worried about myself as I am other corals being effected. I've had my hand in there and touched them plenty of times. Actually bare handed fragged/cut them numerous times before I knew better. Anyways, this time I don't intend on cutting them or even touching them if not necessary. I'd rather just nuke them with some kalk or better yet aptasia-x (easier). My fear is that they may possibly release toxin as they die in turn effecting the other corals. In the past I cut them with scissors while siphoning out the cut polyp and surrounding water to prune them. Problem with that is both my fear or cutting them in tank causing any release as well as the fact that they grow back a new head from anything left in a matter of days. I do run carbon as well as ozone, so hopefully any release wouldn't be an issue but none the less, anyone know if there is an issue killing them in the display tank via nuking method?


MMM33732 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 12/25/2014, 09:41 PM   #4
ilyad
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 367
I would imagine the most effective way (without removing it) would be to starve out a polyp. Keep in mind I haven't tried this myself, but what I would do is touch the polyp to make it close, then put a drop of crazy glue/frag glue on it so the polyp cannot open up. It would take some time but Id imagine the guy would melt away if it can't get any food or light...

Edit: wait and see if anyone else can chime in on this idea though before you give it a shot.


ilyad is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 12/27/2014, 10:44 PM   #5
no1bubba
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Lancaster PA
Posts: 405
I tried that with aiptasia and gluing them shut did not work.. I did however clear out a patch of GSP with glue and in 2 weeks my tubbs blue had covered over the glued area.


no1bubba is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 12/28/2014, 05:49 AM   #6
justthewife
Registered Member
 
justthewife's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Endicott, NY
Posts: 909
Is there a way you could actually cut or chip away the rock underneath them? What kind of SPS are you talking about? My Sunset Monti and my war coral took mine out themselves in no time at all.


__________________
90 gallon Fish only tank

Current Tank Info: 90 gal tank AquaMax skimmer LED EchoTech Gen 3 lights Gyre150 RO/DI water
justthewife is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 12/30/2014, 05:20 AM   #7
ilyad
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 367
Quote:
Originally Posted by no1bubba View Post
I tried that with aiptasia and gluing them shut did not work.. I did however clear out a patch of GSP with glue and in 2 weeks my tubbs blue had covered over the glued area.

I've actually had luck gluing aptesia and at one point got rid of a lot of guys in my tank. I had to make sure to put a lot of glue though and quickly before it had a chance to shoot out spores. Since zoas don't spore, I'd imagine it would be easier than aptesia


ilyad is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 01/02/2015, 08:51 AM   #8
scoot15638
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Strongsville, OH
Posts: 98
Why not try aiptasia X? do a couple of heads every couple of days. Run carbon.


scoot15638 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 01/02/2015, 07:34 PM   #9
rogersb
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: white haven
Posts: 1,135
I recently took my wife's good tweazers and yanked lots of over grown zoas. The key is to wait until your wife is out of the house, then get to work I grabbed them by the base and pulled. A lot I reglued to rubble to sell/trade, and some didn't make it. Either way, I cleared the area I wanted for other coral.


rogersb is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 01/03/2015, 09:41 AM   #10
snorvich
Team RC member
 
snorvich's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Outlander
Posts: 40,953
Blog Entries: 46
Quote:
Originally Posted by rogersb View Post
The key is to wait until your wife is out of the house, then get to work
This is key to many tank operations.


__________________
Warmest regards,
~Steve~
snorvich is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 01/06/2015, 11:21 PM   #11
DasCamel
Registered Member
 
DasCamel's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Kenmore, WA
Posts: 1,542
Quote:
Originally Posted by snorvich View Post
This is key to many tank operations.
Ninja protocol.


__________________
375g DT 125g sump acrylic, Mixed SPS/LPS tank with anemones and fish.

Current Tank Info: 375g Build thread http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2608197
DasCamel is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 01/08/2015, 12:22 PM   #12
R_Mc
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 204
Hot lemon juice and a syringe works wonderfully - probably still releases palytoxin but if you run carbon and dont have any open cuts you should be fine.


R_Mc is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 01/08/2015, 01:41 PM   #13
djbonz97
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: oklahoma
Posts: 1
I pulled my rock out and out. Put on gloves and took a tooth brush and scrub them off and then rinsed them off in 3 other buckets of water. will this method work or will they come back.
thanks


djbonz97 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 08/08/2015, 12:00 PM   #14
woodnaquanut
Registered Member
 
woodnaquanut's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Santa Rosa, CA
Posts: 2,727
So what did you end up doing, MMM33732? Did you kill them? Did it kill your tank or you?


__________________
John
DT 120G. mixed reef w/ lots of automation + assorted FW and SW tanks.
woodnaquanut is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 01/09/2021, 02:48 PM   #15
marcusbacus
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Belo Horizonte/Brazil
Posts: 118
Sorry to revive an old topic, but I am having the same problem. I want to remove this rock (and maybe return it later when it's clean) that has over 50 polyps of green palys (2 different kinds, no other coral on it) and it is impossible to remove them manually all at once mostly with the rock still in the tank. Once I tried to pull some that were growing on the back glass but they didn't get out and were releasing some sort of a green goo which scared me and I gave up. I thought about placing the rock in a bucket with fresh water (or with some kalk added) but I'm afraid that they can release something anyway and contaminate the bucket making it unusable forever. Can the palytoxin be neutralized after some time, like letting the polyps dry and die just letting the rock outside the tank? It's not my favourite option though. I could try removing them all with tweezers or scissors but that green goo scared me and I can't tell if it will be dangerous if it's released with the cutting when and if I return the rock to the tank. I thought also about bleaching the rock with the polyps still there, but I have no idea if this will also release the toxins.


marcusbacus is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 01/12/2021, 06:30 PM   #16
Sk8r
RC Mod
 
Sk8r's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Spokane WA
Posts: 34,628
Blog Entries: 55
I had a similar problem with a massive rock with purple mushrooms---and found it quite profitable to trade it to the LFS. It might be the easier solution. You could replace it with conditioned rock.


__________________
Sk8r

Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low.

Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.
Sk8r is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 01/13/2021, 09:52 AM   #17
max6297
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 38
Make a mat of reef epoxy putty and cover the area that you want to kill off.


max6297 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 01/14/2021, 03:47 PM   #18
marcusbacus
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Belo Horizonte/Brazil
Posts: 118
It might be a good idea to trade it in the LFS (I can even try to find a more useable rock, format wise) but the pandemic makes it a bit complicated right now...
It's too big to use putty, and I'm not sure if it can work as this same colony survived a massive crash about 3 years ago (my last one) and all they did was bleach a little... I really wanted to kill most of them and clean the rock as easily as possible without risks.


marcusbacus is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 01/15/2021, 11:06 PM   #19
Sk8r
RC Mod
 
Sk8r's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Spokane WA
Posts: 34,628
Blog Entries: 55
There is such serious danger from messing with palytoxins (and every workable method I can think of would expose you to danger if there were a slip-up) tha I would really, really suggest you consign that rock to the garden and get a new rock, if you cannot trade it.


__________________
Sk8r

Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low.

Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.
Sk8r is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 01/27/2021, 01:44 PM   #20
marcusbacus
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Belo Horizonte/Brazil
Posts: 118
The rock in terms of aquascaping isn't that important (I have 5 or 6 rocks like that that I've removed from the tank over time), and I even suspect it might be good to remove it anyway as I think some of my rocks are leaking phosphate back into the water. This uncertainty about if some of the palytoxin will leak at some point or remain somewhere as you said even with all the precautions isn't worth the risk. If only there was a way to know the rock is safe and "neutralized" after the palys are killed...


marcusbacus is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 02/04/2021, 11:37 AM   #21
Oldreeferman
Registered Member
 
Oldreeferman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: NW Indiana Valparaiso
Posts: 505
Palytoxin can be neutralized, all it requires is removing said rock carefully and placing in a large bucket or plastic bin with a 20% bleach to 80% water mix and let soak for a few days.
Then power wash off rocks with cold water.
Wear eye & hand protection obviously always.
Hot water & no bleach have been the issues in the past............
You can google the info that professionals use to neutralize palytoxin after emergencies to clean up after a toxin issue related to this issue.
If money is a non issue i agree just dispose of the rock covered palys & buy new rock.


__________________
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
Oldreeferman is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 04:04 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Powered by Searchlight © 2024 Axivo Inc.
Use of this web site is subject to the terms and conditions described in the user agreement.
Reef CentralTM Reef Central, LLC. Copyright ©1999-2022
User Alert System provided by Advanced User Tagging v3.3.0 (Pro) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.