Whats everyones opinion on aptaisia removal. What was used to remove them that worked and didnt cause them to come back in a few days with 3 times as many? I have a few in my tank and really need to find something to actually get rid of them before they spread. Wont spores from the anemones be released when you place stuff like joes juice kalk and aptasia -x on them?
Aptasia Removal!!
- Thread starter john90009
- Start date
macdad2718
New member
I just used lemon juice on three large ones in my tank. Took a 1cc syringe with a 23 gauge needle loaded with lemon juice, poked it into the aiptasia and let it have it. They withered instantly and have not come back. That was 3 weeks ago. Seems to have worked perfectly...
When you put the lemon juice into the aiptasia, how did the anemone not retract back into its hole? ( i find how some directions say to inject the anemone through the mouth, but that would scare the crap out of them) I have peppermint shrimp but they go no where near the anemones.
hamiltonguy
New member
Just stick with your peppermint shrimp, eventually they'll find it and devour that badboy. Or the aiptasia just might move closer to the shrimps. As long as it's small and it's not moving around stinging other corals I'm sure the peppermints will get to it sooner or later.
fireman676
Premium Member
I've used aiptasia-x and boiling water with about the same amount of success. So needless to say I save my money now. I bought a bag of diabetic syringes from the pharmacy to use. I fill it with boiling water, stab the little *expletive deleted* and blast away. These things are like dandelions in your yard. You arent going to get rid of them all at once. Just keep at it and eventually you will be rid of them.
cveverly
New member
If you can remove the rock hit them with a butane torch lighter. I did this on a couple I had and I never have seen another. After the pest is cooked to well done, scrape away the crust and torch it one more time. Not only does it work but it makes YOU feel better. :lol:
Don't try one of the wussy match lighters, get a good torch lighter.
Don't try one of the wussy match lighters, get a good torch lighter.
96GTRagTop
New member
i had a rock that started to get it pretty bad about a year ago that i made the mistake of buying at a LFS that within a month of my purchase, broke out in a rather hellish epidemic of it.
i was able to shimmy the rock out its place in the tank and soaked it in fresh water for 3 or 4 days, changing the water 2x a day.
i was able to shimmy the rock out its place in the tank and soaked it in fresh water for 3 or 4 days, changing the water 2x a day.
billdogg
Well-known member
using boiling water literally cooks them in place. they cannot come back from that. I have been using that method exclusively for 20+ years on a "as needed" basis. tip: look over ALL rocks you get from your lfs. also look very closely at the tank (or system of tanks) they come from. If you see any, assume whatever you just bought has them as well. then just keep a close eye on it and boil as needed.
tspors
New member
I mix 50% water and 50% sodium hydroxide (drano). I use .5ml in a syringe and inject the base. If they pull into the rock needle follows in and inject. This is safe, no chunks of kalk floating around. This is safe and a sure fire no return of Aps.
2004 Post:
OK, here is my sure fire way, 100% success rate, never to return again method.
Use a saturated solution of Sodium Hydroxide (Drain Away, Draino, whatever you like to call it) and water. Using a syringe, squirt about 0.5 mL into the mouth of each aiptasia. This will kill even the stubborn foot tissue.
I initially used kalk paste like pies, by found that the success rate wasn't that great. Sodium Hydroxide is much more soluble than Calcium Hydroxide, and is more alkaline, completely nuking the aiptasia.
Again don't dose too much at one time. It is not harmful to your reef, unless you directly squirt it onto corals. Just a warning that Sodium Hydroxide will cause sever chemical burns if handled, you can tell if you have it on your hands 'cause they will feel "soapy" and slippery. If you feel your hands becoming slippery, wash with a LOT of cold water. Preferably wear gloves when handling.
As dangerous as the chemical sounds, it is really quite safe for your reef.
Draino is surprisingly pure sodium hydroxide, and is really no more dangerous to your tank than calcium hydroxide (kalk). Any tank with a reasonable alkalinity (greater than 2.6) should have no problems adding it. The hydroxide ion reacts relativly quickly with dissolved carbon dioxide producing, there are also other mechanisms for the neutralisation of the free hydroxide. Which reaction is most significant is determined by the pH.
2(OH)- + 2CO2 ---> H20 + 2(CO3)2-
The only difference between this and the kalk method is the spectator ion (Ca2+ as opposed to Na+).
Kalk will do the same thing to your hand as sodium hydroxide, at a much much slower rate.
If anything this method is easier on the fish, I had problems with fish eating, or trying to eat the white kalk paste. I for one wouldn't like a mouth full of kalk. The sodium hydroxide method is much safer in that it is completely soluble, such that any solution which doesn't make it into the aiptasia, is quikly netralised by surrounding water by the above reaction, and no solid remains to be eaten by fish.
2004 Post:
OK, here is my sure fire way, 100% success rate, never to return again method.
Use a saturated solution of Sodium Hydroxide (Drain Away, Draino, whatever you like to call it) and water. Using a syringe, squirt about 0.5 mL into the mouth of each aiptasia. This will kill even the stubborn foot tissue.
I initially used kalk paste like pies, by found that the success rate wasn't that great. Sodium Hydroxide is much more soluble than Calcium Hydroxide, and is more alkaline, completely nuking the aiptasia.
Again don't dose too much at one time. It is not harmful to your reef, unless you directly squirt it onto corals. Just a warning that Sodium Hydroxide will cause sever chemical burns if handled, you can tell if you have it on your hands 'cause they will feel "soapy" and slippery. If you feel your hands becoming slippery, wash with a LOT of cold water. Preferably wear gloves when handling.
As dangerous as the chemical sounds, it is really quite safe for your reef.
Draino is surprisingly pure sodium hydroxide, and is really no more dangerous to your tank than calcium hydroxide (kalk). Any tank with a reasonable alkalinity (greater than 2.6) should have no problems adding it. The hydroxide ion reacts relativly quickly with dissolved carbon dioxide producing, there are also other mechanisms for the neutralisation of the free hydroxide. Which reaction is most significant is determined by the pH.
2(OH)- + 2CO2 ---> H20 + 2(CO3)2-
The only difference between this and the kalk method is the spectator ion (Ca2+ as opposed to Na+).
Kalk will do the same thing to your hand as sodium hydroxide, at a much much slower rate.
If anything this method is easier on the fish, I had problems with fish eating, or trying to eat the white kalk paste. I for one wouldn't like a mouth full of kalk. The sodium hydroxide method is much safer in that it is completely soluble, such that any solution which doesn't make it into the aiptasia, is quikly netralised by surrounding water by the above reaction, and no solid remains to be eaten by fish.
Megalodon
Clowning Around
I had a massive outbreak about six months ago. Nothing worked. I tried injecting boiling water, limewater, and various chemical preperations sold at the LFS, and nothing worked.
Then I added a butterfly fish and they were all gone within days. And I mean thousands of them.
Then I added a butterfly fish and they were all gone within days. And I mean thousands of them.
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