Green Branching Briareum's gotta go

[Integral9]

I'm prepping my 55 for a move prior to my 135 going in and I want this stuff gone. I'm probably only going to use the rocks in my 55 as base rock so I don't really care of the condition of the rocks anymore. I've tried pulling it off the rocks (it just grows back). I've also pulled it off the rocks and soaked it in aiptaisia killer (it still grows back). I've tried to sell it a couple of times, but nobody wants it or has too much of it already. So I'm either going to put the rocks out in the sun or boil them in the lobster pot in my kitchen when my wife's out of the house. (ssshhhh....)

 

I kinda feel bad about purposely killing coral... even if it is a GSP...

 

But before I do that, anyone know a predator that will eat GSP? What else does it eat?

[Jon Lazar]

There are nudibranchs that eat some GSP, but they're not available in the hobby.

 

I wouldn't boil any reef stuff indoors. All sorts of nasty toxins will be vaporized in the steam and you'll wind up inhaling them.

 

If you really want to kill it all off, I would leave the rock out of water and let it dry out.

[flowerseller]

 

If you really want to kill it all off, I would leave the rock out of water and let it dry out.

But.....

I've had rock in a trash can but out of water for more than a year and when I put some of it back in water, it grew some known brown star polyp again.

[Jon Lazar]

I still wouldn't boil the rock.

[treesprite]

Liverock should come with a warning label.

 

So, how bad is the GSP in your tank? Is it taking over everything?

[Integral9]

Well with the newborn i guess I shouldn't boil it. How about a BBQ? I BBQ cave-man style with a charcoal grill.

 

I had a red monticap overgrow some brown buttons on my 30g. They were completely shaded for over a year and after I sold off the mother colony, they started to grow back. Very hardy little guys. Fortunately, not very aggressive.

 

The GSP is basically taking over everything except the Green Hammer that sits above them and other things that haven't gotten a hold of yet. You may not remember, but when you came over to pick my xenia you probably noticed it. It's taken over about the center 1/3 of the 55g we picked the Xenia out of.

 

Here is a link to a pic of it from September last year. It's grown probably a 2-3 inches in all directions since then.

http://picasaweb.goo...feat=directlink

I'll see if I can get a new pic up tonight.

Edited August 3, 2010 by Integral9

[Jan]

You can put it in the sun to kill it. Then instead of boiling try placing the dead rock in a bucket with water and bleach for a couple of days. Then rinse with regular water and let it dry in the sun. It's safer than boiling and you get the same results. Chlorine evaporates when it dries. When you're ready to use it again just soak the in RO/DI or used tank water and start to cycle it again.

 

Oh, and scrape as much of it off before you dry the rock out. Then scrape again with a wire brush when it's dry.

Edited August 4, 2010 by Jan

[darkcirca]

GSP is relentless. When we moved, I had a few rocks that had GSP, as well as other things. I left them out of water, sitting outside (this was April) for a good month before I tried using them. Still grew back.... No idea how, considering the rocks were as dry as can be.

[Integral9]

Sorry, no new pics today. Went to bed around 8pm last night. Was completely exhausted. I'll try again tonight.

 

A couple of WAMASers have stepped up to trade it for bare rock. Thanks guys.

 

I think the BBQ method is a bust too. Literally, as it could cause the rocks to explode like when you toss a river rock into a camp fire.

 

GSP is relentless.

Yeah it is. I have a small peice in my Mantis tank that I've been trying to get rid of for 6 months by leaving the lights off. While it has receded significantly, I can still see the base and it still opens up from time to time.

[davelin315]

Try a trigger or a proven polyp eating angel fish or butterfly. I can't get the stuff to survive in the tanks at school because of what I mix in with them...

[Integral9]

I pulled the rocks out so you all can get a better look at them. Pics are here: http://picasaweb.google.com/forrestd991/RemovingGSP#

 

THere are some additional pics here so:

GSP rocks available are in the first two pics (same rock) and the pic of the rocks in the tub. be sure to click the magnifying glass in the top right corner to see the pics at full resolution.

 

1 large rock (first two pics)

rocks in tub:

4 medium / small rocks

what looks like one large rock is really 1 medium rock and 2 small rocks. the gsp is so encrusted on them that I didn't want to tear it apart.