Back for help from the Saltwater Gods

[Spanky]

heres the deal this time i got my 24 gallon nano cube been up an running since december since march every month i been finding new stuff in tank an usually turns out ok except for the aptasia i got which still trying to erradicate tried paper towel an rubbing it out didn't work tried pepermint shrimp they got ate even tried aptasia x which made things much worse went from 1 aptasia to a farm of aptasia after the 1 exploded or melted or whatever it did but it disappeared 3 weeks later 4 in that same area an quite a few others in area now. So today lfs advised me to add a copper banded butterfly fish to my 24 which after adding it an looking it up online i see 2 issues they said i wouldnt have 1st issue when fish grows needs bigger tank lfssaid fish stayed under 4 inches wrong so now i gotta get a 180 gallon tank lol which is cool but hope i got time to save for it i love my tanks so bigger be awesome. 2nd issue found online they might eat aptasia but wont erradicate it but said a nubi something will some type of sea slug from sounds of it. So any ideas on this issue with the aptasia be greatly appreciated.

2nd issue i have is about 1000 tiny white bugs in my sandbed i cant get a good pic of see them every morning all over the sand bed what cursed issue is these things an how do i kill them or are they actually beneficial? i'd ask the lfs but after yesterday they hit strike 3 think bout baseball they struck out always giving me bad advice. however i got a online store which i ordered through b4 which seemed to give e good answers when getting fish an not seemed to stir me wrong yet use the 1 site they got for monthly supplies an then ordered a blenny from their other 1.

3rd issue i have is i got a sandshifting starfish bout 2 months ago at a different lfs they said no special attention needed said he or she be just fine in my tank hermit crabs seem to be eating his legs what do i do bout this? at 1st the star used to be barely seen now he always out in about in open.

 

[54seaweed]

most of the time if a star fish is on the sand bed rather than under it means there hungry looking for food
as for tiny bugs most likely pods
copper band in 24g noway that fish needs to go back to store asap
hermit crabs eating star fish is because the star fish is slowly dieing of starvation would be my guess

 

[Sniperhank]

Sand sifting starfish have a hard time living in our aquariums as they consume tons of food from the sandbed. It usually requires a large tank to supply a sufficient amount of food, which a 24 just won't cut it. The hermit crabs are eating the legs because it is dying most likely.

In terms of the aiptasia, I would use the aiptasia-x again. I have used it with success by not only squirting it into its mouth but then covering it with the product. Turning off the powerheads helps with this. Using livestock to remove the issue is too hit or miss, and like you stated sometimes requires a large tank.

 

[Spanky]

Thanks you guys for the info kind of confirmed what i was already thinking but i wanted to be sure. the bugs or copeds i really had no clue on so thanks for clearing that up was afraid star was dying. i'll try aptasia x again hope it don't make things worse like last time. as for taking the fish back after calling them telling them i did research an that said 24 was too small for the butterfly an needed to bring him back cause he gets bigger then the 4 inches they said he would they said sorry we will not take him back because we are experts an your tank is fine for him so looks like i got mislead by them an now going to end up in a bigger jam. for lack of wanting to get band from forum i had to try an word the last sentence nicely. definetly done with the lfs here though.

 

[54seaweed]

that is the kind of shop that should not get anyone's business

print this out and stick it in his face

and say Expert Huh !!

that really ticks me off to hear that

 

[Spanky]

thats exactly where i got my blenny from an where i went to look up size of the butterflyfish soon as i got home. trust me that lfs is not getting anymore of my buisness i'll be using the same place you showed the info on it from.

 

[Sniperhank]

I always use liveaquaria when i'm at my lfs'. Even if I know, or think I know, what something is.

 

[Spanky]

should've knew to avoid the lfs since last visit he tried to sale me 2 blue tangs said could put them both in my 24 or 20 or 1 in each i should have avoided him then cause i knew those tanks were 2 small for that. they were the fish i seen as a kid an wanted to do saltwater to begin with so those were first i researched an asked questions on.