Hypo or Hypersalinity Dip for Live Rock to expel and evaluate hitchhikers?

[Tired]

The lid should contain it, though it might get out the holes. I did have a big flatworm (looked like a polyclad but was shrinking, so evidently nothing in my tank was edible to it) escape from a cup I put it in. I floated the cup in the tank to keep the temperature stable so it wouldn't die, because I wanted to possibly rehome it, and it got right out.

 

[dochow]

How about this flatworm?

good or bad?

 

[Tired]

If it's definitely a flatworm, probably either bad or doomed. Most of the flatworms you're likely to find either eat things you want, or eat such a specific diet that they'll inevitably starve in a reef tank once they run out. Like nudibranchs.

 

[fishface NJ]

I still have my rock in QT. Did a water change yesterday morning.

How did you find the flatworm? Was it on the rock?

 

[dochow]

I still have my rock in QT. Did a water change yesterday morning.

How did you find the flatworm? Was it on the rock?

I’m looking every night after lights go off. I check an hour or so after and then a few hours after. Most action seems to happen quite some after light goes off.

Most of the flatworms are on the rocks so I have a flash light to find them.

all types of stuff coming out of rocks at night.

Getting bearded fireworm out probably most important.

im not hearing much snapping anymore, not sure if something died. Still no ammonia. I bought a mantis trap since my bottle trap not catching anything. Will try for a few more nights with Mantis trap and check rock to another week then probably ready for DT.

 

[fishface NJ]

Are you just running heater and powerhead? Wondering if I should put a HOB filter on the QT

 

[Tired]

A HOB filter would probably be good (though not mandatory), specifically so you could run some carbon in it. Just in case anything releases any weird substances.

 

[dochow]

Are you just running heater and powerhead? Wondering if I should put a HOB filter on the QT

I have my rocks in a Waterbox 10 gallon all in one. Filter floss, no carbon and an LED light.

 

[dochow]

I should probably drop some carbon in there

 

[Righteous]

I forgot where I learned this trick but... Perrier into the rock holes... 2 mantis shrimp caught that way. They flee pretty quick. Do it over a bucket or something so they don’t run back in another rock. They’re super fast.

 

[dochow]

Just tried this overnight no luck. Not hearing any snapping anymore either. Not sure what happened. Someone ate someone in there.

 

[dochow]

I forgot where I learned this trick but... Perrier into the rock holes... 2 mantis shrimp caught that way. They flee pretty quick. Do it over a bucket or something so they don’t run back in another rock. They’re super fast.

I’m just a little worried I lose biological life. I don’t want to keep trying for something that is not there but also if there is a Mantis and it goes into display I’m in trouble

 

[Tired]

You might not be in the worst trouble, actually. Just your snails. A mantis that makes a loud snapping noise is a smasher, and smashers generally don't target fish. Obviously you don't want your snails getting picked off, but there are worse problems.

Are there any snails in there? Snails can make a loud noise sometimes. They do this twisting thing with their shells sometimes, and if they're near the glass, can rap against it.

 

[dochow]

You might not be in the worst trouble, actually. Just your snails. A mantis that makes a loud snapping noise is a smasher, and smashers generally don't target fish. Obviously you don't want your snails getting picked off, but there are worse problems.

Are there any snails in there? Snails can make a loud noise sometimes. They do this twisting thing with their shells sometimes, and if they're near the glass, can rap against it.

No snails in there. Can’t catch whatever is in there if there is anything. There used to be something that snapped and no longer. No snapping over 3 days.

have tried trapping now for 5 days in a row including tonight. No luck.

No more worms coming out.

I think I have to try and flush the rock at this point. Maybe a fresh water flush?

 

[dochow]

This could all be in vain. Likely scenario is small pistol shrimp died and rock doesn’t have any more predators. That’s my intuition. Who knows though.

 

[dochow]

Ok I’m using some Perrier carbonated water warmed up to 78 and flushing each rock.

starting with smallest rock and moving on up. Will do a couple a day until all moved over to DT.

already think I flushed out a cirolanid isopod from the first smallest rock.

lots of not good stuff in this rock, Several flat worms, fire worm, cirolanid isopod! There is also some amazing stuff on this rock from several colors or coralline to good algae’s, to sponges, worms, feather dusters and more.

also the snapping is back tonight! Can’t wait to flush this critter out. Hopping just pistol shrimp and move him to DT. Great character.

 

[dochow]

At LEAST 6 pistol shrimp came out of rocks. Some did not make it. Others fine.

all rock in DT now

 

[Tired]

Wow, that's a lot of snappers!

May be worth trying to ID them. Plenty of pistol shrimps are small as adults, and would be fun to have in the tank. There are a few that get big and dangerous, but mostly they're fairly safe to have. Any pretty ones in there?

 

[dochow]

Most we red and a few red and white striped. Very cool! I knew there was a lot of snapping going on, but had no idea there were soo many.

the carbonated mineral water trick worked well, a little too well on flushing out some inverts.

the last few rocks I actually dipped them in the “cooler” water for a few seconds that I had drained from tank earlier and then back into the tank. Doing this a couple times as opposed to shooting in the mineral water also got the inverts to come out of the rock when back in the tank.

Allowed me to identify before putting in DT.

hopefully I didn’t kill anything else on the rock by doing the carbonated mineral water flush. I just used bulb syringe to shoot in the holes and then put the rock back in their salt water.

 

[dochow]

DT with LR finally. A lot else going on. Not final aquascape but finally getting there