Majanos - best thing to do in my new tank to keep from major problems later?

[AnnetteG]

Okay, so I'm setting up a new tank. I don't have a light yet, but I do have water in it and about 40 pounds of LR I bought from a local reefer. There are majanos on several of the rocks. There are also some mushrooms and a few zoas and even a bit of red monti plate stuff. I kindof hate to kill everything, but it seems that maybe the best thing to do right now would be to take all the rock out and scrub it in FW to keep from having huge problems down the road. I plan to buy dry rock to build the aquascape, but this guy here in town had listed his rocks for sale and it was a good deal, so I jumped on it. I actually have the tank sitting by a window in my living room (west side of house) and have been opening the blinds and the mushrooms and zoas have all opened up already with just the sun coming in on them!

What would you do? Thanks!
Annette

[ToeJam]

Well if you check out the information on the site about starting up a reef tank first time.... having live stock in the cycle process is not a very good idea...it more than likely will die...not because of lighting alone...(photosynthesis needed to feed)....the water chemistry will go crazy during a cycle... and that is fatal and stressful to livestock.

letting it sit with heater and water flow as it cycles things will die... I assume like the proper method of starting off...instead of raw shrimp/prawn to kick start the decay bacteria growth cycle process thingy! =p ....you have live stock on the rocks that will die and kick start the process ....

You may be better off getting a reply from ACE or Amp....

personally I would let it all die during cycle...if it survives through the process...fine..if not ...it's just food for the cycle process..... expect algae and cyano and all that other ugly stuff in the process ...don't panic ....

[AnnetteG]

well, I actually have had salt tanks before, so I actually do know how to start one and what to do to get this live rock through the first cycle. It's just the majanos I was wondering about. I think the mushrooms will be fine, but I'm not particularly attached to them, regardless, so it's no big deal to me. But thanks!

[ToeJam]

well, I actually have had salt tanks before, so I actually do know how to start one and what to do to get this live rock through the first cycle. It's just the majanos I was wondering about. I think the mushrooms will be fine, but I'm not particularly attached to them, regardless, so it's no big deal to me. But thanks!

then you probably already have a few ideas and wanted to see if any of us came up with the same ideas to reinforce some of your ideas.

Scratch that last thought:
How about having someone babysit them for you? Safe..cheap...

[AnnetteG]

babysit majanos? I don't think I could pay anyone to do that! :lol2: You're right though, I just wanted some ideas on how to kill them off so I don't have big problems with them later. ;)

[dorkfish]

Was the rock kept in tank (kept healthy, not sitting out dry) when you got it? Did you have it in water in a fairly short time after getting it (not several days)? If so the rock should already have most/all bacteria still on it, so there should be no nitrogen "cycle" to speak of... or at least an uneventful one (certain critters (not all), mainly sponges, will die if exposed to air). None of this mushroom apocalypse.

Buffers, PH, etc. all that crap I have little patience for, should not be affected by a cycle (I don't know where you got this idea from), ammonia, etc. obviously will be, but buffers are not used for these substances. Water changes should be done during live rock curing anyway - it helps stop future algae breakouts from all the crap that gets released in the water - and again, I don't believe much of a "curing" process will occur in this situation

Now - the majano's snipe them out with kalk paste, commercial aiptasia/majano paste, possibly mutilating them via sticking a wire brush in their mouths and twisting... (there was a thread on reefcentral about this - apparently the bits don't spread like aiptasia nems). Scrubbing in FW is honestly overkill, unless the rocks are carpeted with majanos, especially since it sounds like you've got live rock which is actually alive (hasn't sat around in wet newspaper for weeks during shipping.)

[AnnetteG]

thanks Julian! Yes, I picked up the rock from a local reefer who has upgraded his tank and was selling off what he didn't want to keep (he went with all TBS in his new setup). So this rock came from a tank that was up and running for a year. I also took about 15 gallons of his water and then made up the rest with my own water. So yeah, I really don't expect much of a cycle, if any. Haven't bothered with testing yet as we're still working out the particulars in our plumbing.

Who said anything about PH and buffers? I don't have time to worry with that stuff either. Regular water changes and I'm good.

That is what I needed to know about the Majanos. I did see a thread where one of the bigwigs, I forget which one, said to pull them with tweezers, so I'll give that a try now that I know they won't leave behind a bit that will regrow!

Thanks!

[dorkfish]

Who said anything about PH and buffers? I don't have time to worry with that stuff either. Regular water changes and I'm good.
\
That was in response to one of toejam's posts... just set a little red flag off in my head you know?

[xsdbs]

when I first started my tank I had it sitting across from a window and had the sunlight coming in on it. This caused a problem with hair algae and I had to move my tank away from the window. It had something to do with the light spectrum that was able to come thru the glass I think.

[AnnetteG]

oh normally, the blinds will be closed, I've just been enjoying looking at the mushrooms reaction to the sun right now while I don't have my good light yet!

[hmotorsol]

That is how i got rid of my mojano(i only had 4 on one rock). Just be careful when you pick them off the will squirt water or something when you squeeze them. I would recommend wearing safety glasses and some latex gloves just in case it is hazardous. Also setting a tank in sunlight is ok in my opinion algae grows not just because you have a lot of light but because you have nitrates and phosphates.

[xsdbs]

gotcha, just thought I would mention it though.



oh normally, the blinds will be closed, I've just been enjoying looking at the mushrooms reaction to the sun right now while I don't have my good light yet!

[ToeJam]

babysit majanos? I don't think I could pay anyone to do that! :lol2: You're right though, I just wanted some ideas on how to kill them off so I don't have big problems with them later. ;)

lol I was misreading then...I thought you wanted to keep them... =) Ive seen strange things so I figured just not ask why.:hitting:

[yardboy]

The only satisfactory method I've had with majano's is using a pair of diagonal pliers to cut them off with a bit of rock. They will grow back from bits of tissue. I am currently fighting an infestation of them in my large display and right now I'm trying a raccoon butterfly, but it required removing all my softies and lps, hopefully the butterfly won't eat the sps but right now he's getting his belly full of majano's. They are a real scourge and the things that work with aiptasia don't always work with majano's. Good luck. Knowing what I know now, if I were in your situation I'd not proceed with my tank plans until I knew they were eradicated. If the livestock on the rock is worth it, remove it and toss the rock, or do something to ensure the majano's are gone.
Good luck!

[rogersb]

I have never had mojanos and only a couple of aptasia, but here's what I do for xenia: I take Aquamend and blanket the area I see that's infested. I don't mash it on, just use it to cover the xenia. Leave it there a week or two and the tissue will be dead. I also don't think there will be a cycle. I have done the same thing as far as buying LR from locals and starting a tank with it instantly. I've never had any type of cycle, algae bloom, etc.