Stupid Blue Clove Polyps

[xrayrider]

I live in Boise, Idaho. Several of us have been trading the ATL Blue Clove Polyps, and we have all discovered that they are worse than zenia about taking over, and chocking out other corals. Those of us that put them in our tanks are having a hard time getting rid of them. They end up everywhere, and burning them with calcium chloride or Kalk paste, doesn't seem to work longterm. Are there any nudibranks, shrimp, fish, or any other natural preditors that might help? Do you have any ideas we haven't tried? Scrubbing them off with a toothbrush with a syphon next to it helps, but it would be impossible to get them all without tearing down the tank.

Thanks,
Robert

 

[gparr]

I've seen those things in a tank and, while they add a beautiful color, they were absolutely consuming every surface they could find. Sounds like a serious problem. I've not heard of any natural predator and have been keeping my eyes open since I saw that tank. I hope someone can offer a solution.
Gary

 

[revhtree]

I wonder if there are types of angels that will eat them maybe?

 

[FaviaFreak]

I've had them all over my tank for over 2 years, they don't sting corals and easily get out of the way of encroaching corals

 

[revhtree]

They grow on my palys and choke them out. I mean the polyps are actually growing on the stalk of palys, or they was. I just did surgery this week and saved all of my frags. I left blue covered rocks outside for a month, and will be clear of them fully in my new tank. Thye don't seem to bother sps at all.

 

[laskopyre]

They are kind of a pain, but you could always try to border them with mushrooms. A coral next to them that stings might keep them under control. I've seen it work with xenia.

 

[revhtree]

The problem with these blue clove polyps is that they seem to appear everywhere without encroaching. I would have 3 spots really dense and then I started finding little single polyps all over the tank that would produce to more rapidly.

 

[laskopyre]

Wow. I wonder if something was clipping the mat, and it floated in the water column to a new resting place. Just need a very small piece of the mat to rest somewhere for that to happen. They are kind of like dandelions of the reef. Just need one seed to take over.

 

[TritonsGarden]

They readily spawn in captivity. If they do, watch out, they'll cover a tank.

Jack

 

[revhtree]

Yes they will! I still have people that want them though. They love it and don't mind. Matter of fact I have a couple rocks that have a bunch of palys and zoas on them as well as blue cloves for sale! LOL!

 

[RaddReef319]

This is interesting, I had blue clove sansibia on a small rock that died off because of ricordea floridas touching them. They kept dieing back as the mushrooms expanded but eventually died off completely. Now, I do have brown sansibia and it doesn't grow on the tissue of the zoas like yellow parazoas can or like your saying with the blue sansibia, but rather grow among the polyps.

 

[thomasdo87]

hmm...this thread is interesting. I am suppose to buy a decent sized frag of blue cloves tomorrow but the whole taking over the tank I guess will have to be a risk that I will take. Hope there will be a resolution to control them by the time mine growout.

 

[xrayrider]

"I wonder if there are types of angels that will eat them maybe?"

I have a Bycolored angel and a Coral Beauty in the tank, so I at least know they won't eat them. I know I am not suppose to have them both in the same tank, but I put them and a few other fish in the tank all at once, after it cycled. I now know it was too many fish too fast, but I somehow got away with it, and the Angels don't fight. The clove polyps keep chocking out my zoos and palys, and you can't contain them with stinging corals, because they spread to areas clear across the tank from the mother colony. I really hate to tear down my tank, because I have started doing SPS, and some of the corals are encrusted onto more than one rock, especially my plating Monties.

 

[sly fox]

im sure there are some butterflies that will, but there'll eat everything else too

 

[xrayrider]

"I am suppose to buy a decent sized frag of blue cloves tomorrow but the whole taking over the tank I guess will have to be a risk that I will take".

The blue clove polyps seam like they are a little temprimental at first. My friend and I both had to introduce them 2 times, because they died off the first time. Once the colony became aclimated and happy, it exploded, and now my live rock looks like some one shot it up with a blue paintball gun. Don't buy them, trust me. They seam cute, and add nice color, but they are far worse than Aptasia once they get happy.
I don't know if there is more than one type, these were sold to the first person in this chain as ATL Blue Clove Polyps. If this is what you are buying tommorrow, don't do it! Everyone of us regret getting them. Please don't make this mistake. It is very hard to undo.

Robert

 

[Fishindude]

If you are careful with them, they are actually very nice and add color. I would put them in a spot where you can control them, not in a crevice or on a rock buried in other rocks. I've never had a problem with them as long as I kept an eye on them, but I can see someone tearing down their rock work to get rid of them.... once they catch on, they grow fast!

 

[xrayrider]

Wait until they spawn on you, and end up covering every exposed rock surface. I am not sure how being careful could prevent this. I have been scrubbing them off, while using a syphon tube to export them from the tank. Very slow tedious process, and I fully expect to not be able to get it all, and end up with it coming back, because I haven't tore down my rock work. I am sure I will miss some.

 

[sanddune600]

I almost got some of these glad I didnt thanks for the heads up