Finally, A Cure for Aptasia?

[Eric45]

I'm cautiously optimistic about a new product I am using to kill aptasia. It's called Zap-Tasia and it is made by a company called Crystal Clear Aquatics. It goes on with a standard needle but the flow is quite thick, kind of like vaseline or toothpaste. With a little practice, you can get it to adhere nicely to, and entirely cover, the base of the aptasia.

I've been using it now for about a month and there are demonstrably less aptasia around. A few have come back, but it seems to be working. As someone who has tried every other remedy on the market enough times to know that none of them work, I know that a month is not enough time to be sure this stuff works.

But preliminary evidence is very encouraging. I got mine at the LFS. Check it out.

ps I have no proprietary interest in this product.

 

[cyberwild360]

Hope it works.... Any before/after pics?

 

[AndyH5512]

Does it work on majano anemones also?

 

[Eric45]

I've no idea, I only have aptasia. But its worth a try.

 

[SSpiro]

Tagging along. Nothing seems to be working on mine, curious how this one plays out.

 

[aleonn]

Will keep an eye on it. Aiptasia-X gets rid of my aiptasia, but they return after about 2-3 weeks. I've even tried nuking them with a lighter, but they're like cockroaches.

 

[KyleO]

I like the gang-of-peppermint shrimp approach

 

[huskysglare1]

add 1 peppermint shrimp. I added 7 peppermint shrimp and only 1 left. I think they kill each other or something. The 1 that survived had been in the tank for about a year. and i don't have any aiptasia.

 

[SSpiro]

Will keep an eye on it. Aiptasia-X gets rid of my aiptasia, but they return after about 2-3 weeks. I've even tried nuking them with a lighter, but they're like cockroaches.

Same here..

I wonder if cooking rock gets rid of them..

 

[DadOfNine]

I ordered on of these:

http://www.tropicalreefcorals.com/product.php?id_product=155

It is on it's way. I will let you know how it works!

 

[Frogmanx82]

I got one, I was less than impressed. It is a lot easier said than done to stick a needle in an aiptasia. They can retreat into a crack in a split second. I've gone back to aiptasia X but I have aiptasia in hard to reach places. I'll probably order some berghia again, but obviously they didn't work completely the last time.

 

[Impossible]

i found one glass nem. (aptasia) on my live rock, i just took out the rock and cut it off, and dug into the rock a bit just to be safe. and just like that it was gone.

 

[Eric45]

I've never found aiptasia x to work worth a damn, Joe's juice either. It looks good for a couple of weeks and then you've got twice as many to deal with. This stuff i'm using really seems to be working, i'm very pleased. I think the key is the viscosity of the stuff, its really thick and tend to stay on the base of the aptasia.

 

[rogerwilco357]

what else works to get rid of them?

 

[LPS_Blasto]

Boiling the rock works to kill aiptasia. But it also kills any corals attached.

You can take the rock out and slice the aiptasia off with an exacto. Then bore into the rock with a masonry drill bit. Bore down at least 1/2 inch with a 1/4" masonry bit. Flush the hole with fresh water. Fill the hole with super glue. It's a lot of work if you have bunches of aips. It works though.

I'm lucky. I've only had 1 aiptasia on one rock in a 10g frag tank. I took that sucker out as soon as I spotted it and I murdered it using the slice, drill and fill method described above. Never seen another one. :dance:

 

[purge43]

I love going "rambo" on them suckers and see them blow up using aiptasia-x. I can't wait till some come back.

 

[zoohoot]

I like the gang-of-peppermint shrimp approach

I have had success with this as well. Ordered three peppermints from Liveaquaria and presto... all my aptasias were gone, and have stayed gone for about 2 months.

For about a week or two I thought the peppermints had died cause I never saw them around, but then one night while target feeding corals they came out for a bite. Love those guys!

 

[headless]

+1 peppermints...work great!

 

[jaystampareef]

Will keep an eye on it. Aiptasia-X gets rid of my aiptasia, but they return after about 2-3 weeks. I've even tried nuking them with a lighter, but they're like cockroaches.

Yep, I've tired a pencil-tip butane blow torch, and they still come back eventually. All they need is one single to survive. They are biologically perfect survivors.

 

[jaystampareef]

Don't forget berghia nudibranchs! Aipstasia-eating machines!!!