Anyone use a laser to kill aiptasia?

S

setsail4mexico

New member
I have one lonely aiptasia that must have hitched a ride in on a coral... Anyway I've read before about someone using a high powered laser to burn it off from outside the aquarium. Wondering if anyone has tried and what the results were because I have a 3.5 watt blue laser that can almost instantly start fires and etch items, etc and I believe the one I seen them using was only a 2 watt.
 
I tried it. Didn't work out well for me. one visible piece may mean many many more in crevices where you cant see.

The burning of the aiptasia also appears to clip off the pedals (tentacles) - which seems to allow them to reproduce.
 
 
I would remove/quarentine the rock if you can and watch for more. Never tried lasers but I tried all the "OTC" cures with little success. Eventually there were enough of them to justify getting some berghia nudibranchs and within a few months they were ALL gone.
 
Anyone use a laser to kill aiptasia?

I had a laser. Not the most effective. Berghia coming Thursday. But they will die off with no food so one or two aptesia in tank I wouldn't get. Maybe a peppermint shrimp but issues there also :-0. I have plenty for them to feed on!
 
Ted_C said:
a list of those of us who have tried lasers and it didn't work:

Ron Reefman: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=20589491&postcount=368

A better Ron Reefman: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=20800858&postcount=14

Dapg8gt: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=21645737&postcount=14

ReefKimberly: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=21505525&postcount=9

ReefKeeper64: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=21470804&postcount=14

Me: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=21467832&postcount=12
Click to expand...


Thanks for the links!
I was just thinking I have not played with this expensive toy in a long time! Desperate to find a good use for it!

I may try and video results since there is only one. Had some about 3 or so years ago and between scraping them off, boing water w/turkey baster etc I got rid of them! That was an experience!
 
janes_mw said:
I had a laser. Not the most effective. Berghia coming Thursday. But they will die off with no food so one or two aptesia in tank I wouldn't get. Maybe a peppermint shrimp but issues there also :-0. I have plenty for them to feed on!
Click to expand...

Where did you order the berghias from? I need some desperately for my 90.
 
oh yea - one other thing - even though my thread says kalk paste worked - they came back with a vengenance. The only way I solved my outbreak was to bleach and acid treat all of the rock and change out sumps. I found filter socks also seemed to stop the proliferation into the sump.

I tried:
True peppermint shrimpo (from Live Aquaria)
Bergia Nudibranch
Copperband Butterfly
Kalk paste
Lasers

Some of the measures worked for a bit - but the natural methods - the fish and shrimp eventually got a taste for regular food instead of the aiptasia. The bergia didn't work well in a high flow environment.
 
janes_mw said:
I had a laser. Not the most effective. Berghia coming Thursday. But they will die off with no food so one or two aptesia in tank I wouldn't get. Maybe a peppermint shrimp but issues there also :-0. I have plenty for them to feed on!
Click to expand...

Did you get Berghias? Did they work for you?

Thanks
 
ganjero said:
Did you get Berghias? Did they work for you?

Thanks
Click to expand...

I got the Berghias. They did work on the rock that I placed them on (during the night). I had a wrasse that I think likes them also (the berghias). Since then I put a copper banded butterfly in. The Aiptasia are disappearing, but not sure if solely the CBB, or berghais and CBB.... The Berghias are nocturnal so you never see (expensive no-see-ums :) )
 
Ted_C said:
a list of those of us who have tried lasers and it didn't work:

Ron Reefman: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=20589491&postcount=368

A better Ron Reefman: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=20800858&postcount=14

Dapg8gt: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=21645737&postcount=14

ReefKimberly: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=21505525&postcount=9

ReefKeeper64: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=21470804&postcount=14

Me: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=21467832&postcount=12
Click to expand...



add me to the list.
ended up tearing all my rock out and sitting on a picnic table for 2 weeks. every couple of days would dump hot vinegar water on it.
After a month it worked and tank has been going a year w/no aiptasia
 
For me bergias cleaned an invasion of gigantic proportions. You just need to give them time. Mine cleaned about 200lbs of rock in about one month and a half.
 
If you only see one or a few. Use some epoxy putty and cover them with a little. As you see more do the same. If you don't have a lot of them you may be able to kill them all.
 
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