Thank you RC Zoo forum!!!

[dmits41]

So I decided to check this forum out for the first time today, since I have grown to love zoos more than about anything else I can buy for my reef. Anyway, I had not heard about nudis or freshwater dipping or any of that. I had just been throwing zoos into the tank with no problems at all, except for one rock of greens that was wiped out by a crab...they came back when I removed him.

I went to the LFS today and found a beautiful rock with some reds and greens and decided to buy it. I had it ready to go in, but thought about dipping. I looked it over thru the bag and didn't see anything, so it almost went right in there. I thought better about it after remembering the few horror stores I'd read in here today and started the dip. Five minutes later, I have FOUR adult nudis floating dead in FW and countless egg swirls. I'm still tweezing them off (posting to give my back - spasm and all- a break!) and I won't put that rock in until I've inspected every last zoo!

Thanks for enlightening me everyone!

[justletmein]

Awesome success story!

[Speckled Grouper]

How big are the nudis? I am using two magnifying glasses ontop of each other (it sucks to get old....) and have yet to find anything that resembles a nudi. The sand grains keep freeking me out though! LOL

[dmits41]

I'd say that they were 1.5 to 2 millimeters long. They were easy to spot once they fell off the rock but they blended right in before that. They look just like the pictures, they were actually about the size of a closed zoo. The egg swirls were pretty easy to find once I knew what I was looking for.

I noticed that they fall right off after a few minutes in the freshwater and a good shake of the rock. I don't know if I could've seen any of them without the zoos being closed up.

I also found number 5 hiding after my original post.

[Speckled Grouper]

Yeah I know now too. Found about half a dozen in my dip water, but only one egg string. I don't know exactly what that means, since I only dipped the colonies I transferred into my zoo tank. Looks as if my magnifying glass will be working overtime....

[thrlride]

Did you just dip them in freshwater? How long do you leave it in the water?

[Speckled Grouper]

I follow the Mucho Reef recipe, RO/DI, Ph & temp adjust to tank, Flatworm Exit and Lugol's, about 2 drops per gallon.

[MUCHO REEF]

You can use a minimum of 4 drops of iodine per gallon as well.

Mooch

[bkiba]

I've mentioned before that I don't adjust pH or temp. My RODI water is usually in the 6.5-7.0 range and the temp is usually in the low 70's. I also add more iodine too, 10-20 drops per gallon. Once the zoos are closed they can handle the stress, the other soft bodied bastards can't so they die. Good luck getting those nudis off!

[Carl_in_Florida]

I have never dipped but this may make me change my ways. Do most of you find something in a dip?