sen5241b June 8, 2012 June 8, 2012 Got colonial hydroids (CHs) and my plan is to bring tank level down to 2 inches and blow torch the suckers off the rock. I estimate it will take no more than a minute to kill them off -the ones that I can see anyway. The trouble is the glass is very close to where the biggest bunch of CHs are. Is there something I can put between the glass and the blow torch to prevent heat transfer?
schudini June 8, 2012 June 8, 2012 I'm not implying that you haven't, but have you researched this technique? Whenever I read about it in the past, the recommendation was to remove the affected rock if possible and place in a different container with tank water to ensure that the decaying hydroids did not release anything nasty into the display tank (toxins, or things that would effect fish or corals, or just dump organic waste that would cause parameter spikes). Also wear safety glasses.
sen5241b June 8, 2012 Author June 8, 2012 (edited) I'm not implying that you haven't, but have you researched this technique? Whenever I read about it in the past, the recommendation was to remove the affected rock if possible and place in a different container with tank water to ensure that the decaying hydroids did not release anything nasty into the display tank (toxins, or things that would effect fish or corals, or just dump organic waste that would cause parameter spikes). Also wear safety glasses. All good info. I don't have that many CHs so I do not think there is a enough to cause a problem with toxins. A piece of wood sounds good -a dry piece I would think. Edited June 8, 2012 by sen5241b
sen5241b June 8, 2012 Author June 8, 2012 I once tried a blow torch on a lot of red turf algae and it caused a massive cycle (in a test tank) but I torched a lot of RTA. Even so I intend to minimize the amount of actual rock that will be torched. There is a risk.
icecool2 June 8, 2012 June 8, 2012 I recommend strongly against this. There was a guy from NCPARS who wound up in the hospital because he tried to remove palys from his tank improperly.
Almon June 8, 2012 June 8, 2012 A blow torch in your tank? There's probably a better way....You probably should not pour boiling water over it either. You might try simply drying out the rock in the sun for few days...
Origami June 8, 2012 June 8, 2012 A blow torch in your tank? There's probably a better way....You probably should not pour boiling water over it either. You might try simply drying out the rock in the sun for few days... +1 Remember, hyroids still have stinging cells that deliver toxin. Burning them off may vaporize these toxins to where you or others nearby may breath them. Steve Outlaw, a member here, wound up in the hospital when he tried to boil nuisance palys off of some rock and breathed in the vapor containing palytoxin. And others here (me included) have suffered from palytoxin exposure as well. Some of these toxins can kill. If you have enough biomass to where you're considering this technique. Just take the rock out and let it dry.
hypertech June 8, 2012 June 8, 2012 FWIW, I tried torching some and it didn't work. I just tried using a lighter though, I did not use a propane torch.
zygote2k June 8, 2012 June 8, 2012 why don't you simply scrub them off with a brush? or put something on top of them to smother them?
smallreef June 8, 2012 June 8, 2012 Super glue! If you can drain the tank enough to torch you can drain it enough to cover them in super glue...just sayin'
sen5241b June 8, 2012 Author June 8, 2012 Anyone who has done their research on these things has said that kalk, boiling water basted right on them and Aptasia killing solutions do not work. I tried these things. Superglue-ing them has limited success. One person said they came back stronger after superglue. The only way to truly eliminate them is to do a complete tank breakdown, boil, bake or dry out the rock; new sand, etc., and I am not willing to do all that. Tank breakdowns due to pest infestations risk killing your corals and you might as well build a whole new tank --costly and very, very time consuming. Transferring livestock to the new tank could then re-introduce the pest! I have a BC29 and my plan is to torch approximately 9 square inches of rock. The risks are heat damage to nearby corals, splitting rock (seen it happen), airborne poisonous toxins, a nasty cycle and heat damage to tank itself. If there were much more CHs then I have I would not do try this but the total biomass of them is rather small. Honestly I do not expect this to be a complete cure for the infestation but it should help a lot. I will hold my breath.
smallreef June 8, 2012 June 8, 2012 sounds like a plaan....just have enough water premade to do 2 changes if necessary...
magnetic1 June 9, 2012 June 9, 2012 Dunno about colonial hydroids, but I used to love blowtorching majanos w/ mapp gas
sen5241b June 9, 2012 Author June 9, 2012 Dunno about colonial hydroids, but I used to love blowtorching majanos w/ mapp gas "mapp gas"?
Origami June 9, 2012 June 9, 2012 "mapp gas"? Comes in a yellow cylinder. Burns hotter than propane. Good for sweating copper plumbing joints. Available at hardware stores.
Origami June 9, 2012 June 9, 2012 Burning them seems to have worked for some guys in this thread: http://www.michiganreefers.com/forums/reef-discussion/108166-how-get-rid-hydroids.html Just take precautions, ok? Eye protection, ventilation, etc.
sen5241b June 9, 2012 Author June 9, 2012 (edited) Again excellent info. Glad someone mentioned eye protection. Saw this comment from the other post: "Use Tech M magnesium and maintain at around 1450 to 1500 and they will go away. That's the only brand that works." Could this really work? We've seen mag kill algae but this might be a better way. Also, the pencil torch sounds more precise than what I was planning to use. Edited June 9, 2012 by sen5241b
Origami June 9, 2012 June 9, 2012 I saw the magnesium thing, too. It's the first I've ever seen this in the context of anything other than bryopsis.
countryboy June 10, 2012 June 10, 2012 You can go to a welding supply shop and by fire resistant material. I use it in my shop on some welding chores
sen5241b June 13, 2012 Author June 13, 2012 (edited) Ok so yesterday I drained the tank down to about 1 inch and blow torch the colonial hydroids (CHs) and in fact many were killed off but there were some problems. Everything appears to be fine 24 hours later. Using a larger blow torch was a problem. (I used the one below). This was too big and bulky. Next time I will try a pencil blow torch with an angled nozzle -this is important. When you put the torch in the tank, plan exactly how you will move the flame into and around the tank. You don't want to brush the flame over a coral, clam or Zoas risking killing the critter or yourself. Use strong light so you can really see what your are doing. Although I pin-pointed each spot where the CHs were in the tank, when I drained it they retracted and it was hard to recall each and every spot so some escaped the flame. Some retracted into holes in the rock and after the water was put back in and the CHs came back out I could see that I had only singed their heads off. If you torch CHs, take great care to insulate your livestock from the heat! Put some insulating material between the livestock and the flame. I'm going to check ammonia later and do another torching in a few days to kill the rest. Edited June 13, 2012 by sen5241b
Coral Hind June 13, 2012 June 13, 2012 This seems like a lot of work and risk to me. I have always just kalk pasted them under water. If you do drain the tank then use super glue to cover them up, no fear of heat and torching of corals.
Chad June 13, 2012 June 13, 2012 I'm torn on this one. my practical side agrees with CH. My impulsive and vindictive side, frustrated by the buggers, says
Integral9 June 13, 2012 June 13, 2012 I think a brulee torch would be easier to use. Besides being much smaller, you just point and click to burn and release when you are done.
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