Could this be aiptasia

[mattyg18]

Hey Guys....My 60 gal cube is about 3 1/2 months old. Parameters are as follows:

Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0
Phospate - 0
Calcium - 450
Alk - 8.5
PH - 8.1
Salinity - 1.023

I've got several corals all doing well and added my first two fish almost 3 weeks ago which were two small clowns. They are doing well overall. Just real shy and hanging out at the top left. They are eating pretty well. From my understanding this is normal for small clowns in the beginning.

Anyways i've been noticing some strange stuff growing on the back glass about two weeks ago and didn't think much of it. Yesterday I noticed a branch like think growing from the green star polyp. Today I noticed another weird think growing from a piece of LR. The think on the glass looks similar to whats growing on the rock. From my very little knowledge and experience in this some of it, if not all, could be aiptasia.

I've attached some photos which were just taken. If anyone could help identify this stuff I would be grateful.

Hope the pics load up OK. I'm still new at this.

Thanks in advance

 

[vhuang168]

Sure looks like Aptasia


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mattyg18]

Yup thats what I thought. I already read a bunch of ways to get rid of it.

Any recommendations??

 

[mcozad829]

Aiptasia :headwally:

 

[mattyg18]

Is the stuff in the GSP also aiptasia?

 

[Scrilla]

I can't click on the attached pics but it looks like aptasia to me. The stuff spreads pretty fast so I wouldn't be surprised if it's already in your GSP.

 

[madweazl]

Looks like a macro algae growing in the GSP (definitely not aiptasia) or maybe a brittle star?

 

[Dogshowgrl]

I am afraid it is aiptasia. The only photo I am unsure about is the one with the GSP. But the rest are definitely the devil's plague. Sorry! Your choice on how to proceed. I use peppermint shrimp but there are 10 identical species and only one eats aiptasia. I have 15 in my 125 and 6 in my 60 cube, they are good clean up crew even if they don't eat aiptasia. Some don't like having so many shrimp or have fish that will eat them and go with something like kalkwasser or Joe's Juice. There are many more solutions out there. What ever you decide, understand they spread by spewing out of the oral disk so don't start where I did... injecting them with boiling water. It is not, and I mean not, effective. It will kill the one but not before they spread.

 

[mattyg18]

Well I hope I just didn't open up Pandoras Box. I found a youtube vid from here of someone blasting them with boiling water, waiting until they shrivel up, and sucking them out with a baster.....and thats just what I did to the two (one on the glass and one on the rock). I was able to suck out most of the one on the rock and all but whats attached on the glass. I didn't know if I should scrape off whats left. There were some bits that broke off and drifted away when I was sucking it up with the baster. I just hope I killed it beforehand and those bits don't take residence elsewhere and spread. I didn't touch what was in the GSP because that could definitely be macro algae as madweazi said.

Does anyone else have any experience with blasting it with hot water? I was just anxious to get rid of it and thats all I had available along with a turkey baster and nice big syringe for injecting marinade in my turkey.

 

[OrQidz]

Hopefully you boiled them enough to kill them. Generally scraping them off spreads parts which grow. Don't worry; they've probably spread already anyway, kind of what they do.
I use Aiptasia X and inject them with that. It's an ongoing process; more will always pop up somewhere. Just go after them and you'll get them. I had a bunch but they are pretty much gone. I look for them and inject the occasional one that appears now.

 

[Dogshowgrl]

We have all been there. It's fine. They will come and go treat the way you feel most comfortable. You will find what works for you.

 

[mcozad829]

There is only one cool guy way to kill aipstasia... with lasers

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2090418

 

[Dogshowgrl]

Yes. Always chose the laser. I want one so bad. If only my peppermint shrimp would stop eating them I could convince my husband to buy me one.

 

[jd371]

Hopefully you boiled them enough to kill them. Generally scraping them off spreads parts which grow. Don't worry; they've probably spread already anyway, kind of what they do.
I use Aiptasia X and inject them with that. It's an ongoing process; more will always pop up somewhere. Just go after them and you'll get them. I had a bunch but they are pretty much gone. I look for them and inject the occasional one that appears now.

I have them and tried to get rid of them with Peppermint. My Melanurus got rid of the Peppermint. Now, this is my SOP.

 

[lifeoffaith]

+1 on the peppermint

 

[mattyg18]

Will the peppermint shrimp bother any of the corals? I'm just concerned about that. Also since I've temporarily gotten rid of the aipatasia should I wait until they reappear to get a peppermint or should I be proactive and get one now? I just want to be prepared.

 

[Volcmreefer]

NUKE IT WITH KALK!!! Cheap solution if you only have a few of them. Just get a syringe from your local drug store. Mix the kalk in hot water to make a slurry (not too think or you won't be able to pull it into the syringe), stab that SOB and squirt some of the Kalk slurry in it. I would do this at night or early morning if you have a small tank, as your pH could increase.

 

[mattyg18]

I already nailed them with boiling water and a syringe last night. One of em sucked right up the turkey baster and the other just kinda fell apart when i tried sucking him up. The disc is still stuck on the glass. I'm guessing i'll have more popping up in the near future. I do plan on picking up some Kalk. Where is the best place to get it?

 

[Potatohead]

I already nailed them with boiling water and a syringe last night. One of em sucked right up the turkey baster and the other just kinda fell apart when i tried sucking him up. The disc is still stuck on the glass. I'm guessing i'll have more popping up in the near future. I do plan on picking up some Kalk. Where is the best place to get it?

It's calcium hydroxide, LFS is usually easiest.

 

[tazdvl]

It's sold over the counter as "Pickling Lime". You should be able to get it Walmart-or any Spice shop. Calcium Hydroxide should be the only listed ingredient. and this method seems to get mixed results, from what I've read. You have to make sure the slurry stays on the aiptasia and make sure no prized coral get sprinkled by the slurry and it sticks to them, because the slurry doesn't know the difference between aiptasia and the stuff we are trying to keep the aiptasia from stinging.