Rookie mistake

Oxymoron · #1 04-15-2009, 04:46 PM

I placed GSP in my display tank on a piece of live rock. It has since spread from the frag plug and began to cover my live rock.
I have since removed the frag plug and placed it in the sand bed but now I need to know how to take out the GSP from the main rock.
After researching a bit more it seems that GSP can slowly take over a tank if not dealt with and should probably be kept in the sand bed away from the main display rock.
Does anyone have any tips or tricks to kill off GSP. Im thinking of pulling the affected piece and using a propane torch to burn it off. Any input would be helpful.
Thanks

sharuq1 · #2 04-15-2009, 04:55 PM

You could just make the part of the affected LR a little island of its own so that it cannot reach the rest of your rock. (which is what I do, gsp is pretty when contained) You could trade the rock for another unaffacted rock. You could sell the rock. You could try peeling it off carefully. That might have mixed results unless you also kill the leftover bits with a chemical or fw.

Or if you really must kill it you could put kalk paste all over it or super glue, or soak it in fresh water for a bit. That last will kill much of the rock, and a torch would definitely kill most of the rock. If you go with the destructo method, don't put it back in your display until it goes back through the ammonia/trite/trate cycle somewhere else (bucket or tank with sw, heater and a PH)

Myka · #3 04-15-2009, 05:06 PM

+1 what he ^ said.

Personally, I'd just make an island of it, which is how I have mine in my tank, but mine got all over the rocks before I made the island. The whole left half of the tank. I have a short polyped specie though, not the typical GSP, so it's not as obtrusive, although I have noticed it does bother my Blastos and Acans if it touches them.

Oxymoron · #4 04-15-2009, 05:12 PM

Thanks for the suggestions.
Would Joe's Juice work? Has anyone had any succes with this? Does the purple "skeleton" of the GSP remain after eliminating with kalk paste?
Thanks again.

sharuq1 · #5 04-15-2009, 05:23 PM

Skeleton? GSP is a soft coral. If it has a true hard skeleton you may have pipe organ. If you kill it with JJ it will likely melt away. I also had accidental success killing it with a 10 minute FW "dip"

, the polyps pretty much exploded, the purple part eventually turned black and melted away. Who says mistakes aren't useful, eh?

Personally I think you should peel it off and give it away then kill then remnants if you don't want it. Up to you, I just hate to kill things unless is aptasia or something.....

Haloreef · #6 04-15-2009, 06:53 PM

Could you remove the rock from your display and with a hammer and chissel, remove the affected area? You could then trade it to some one who would like it. (Not me, I hate the stuff.)
Pealing it off is labour intensive and not very effective. Any small pieces left stand a very good chance of returning. Pieces that may get away from you may start other colonies.
Like I said I hate the stuff. Yes it's "pretty" but it ain't SPS!
Good luck.