Got Aptasia from the swap :(

vietcu

vietcu

New member
I bought some frogspawn from the swap, forgot the guys name. But he was the heavier set person who had his setup right in front of the booth where you buy tickets for the raffle. Anyways the I see two aptasia perch on the bone part of the frogspawn. I haven't glued down the thing yet so I have a question. Can I take out that frag and scrape that bone part where the aptasia is located and get rid of it? I know you cant cut it but I was thinking about scraping it to the bone litterally, would that do it? Rather get rid of it now before it spread.
 
Do you have any kalk powder? You can mix up some kalk paste and smear it on them.

I think you could also scrape them off and then rub vinegar over the area.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12331049#post12331049 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Charliegirl2u
you can buy aptasia away, it is only 3.99 for a 2 oz bottle and it is reef safe, it is something you inject into them
Click to expand...

I think that stuff is kalk water.
 
Kalk powder works pretty well. Scraping them off can be difficult as they can retract.

I wouldn't blame the guy too much that sold them as they are fairly common. That's why quarantining corals can prevent the introduction to the rest of your system. Since you caught it early, you should be able to erradicate them before they spread.
 
Id' scrape off what I could, then use calk paste. Aptasia are farily easy to kill. Or you just frag it close to the heads.

I came home with a purple montipora cap that was absolutly infested with manjos. It was my fault it was a pre-aranged trade and I did not even look at it at the swap. After much thought of how to deal with it I decided to frag it to get a small "clean" frag. However, the more I examined it the more tinny anemones I found. So I called it a loss and tossed it, it botherd me to kill it however I decided it would be better then destroying my reef.
 
Sorry if it came across as blaming. I just wanted to point that out so if anyone else bought stuff from him, they might want to look closer at the frag. I know its a common thing to have unwanted things in your tank, even though I am new to this. Just wanted to find a way to rid of it easily, because I don't have Kalk powder, and don't know if any LFS has Aptasia away. Maybe I could take a file and go at it at that spot even if they retract, shouldn't be any trace of it once I am done :). On a more serious note, how fast do they spread anyways. Would a few days be ok until I try to remove the aptasias?


Just found this link while doing a search, I will try this and let you guys know how it goes.
http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/msubpestaiptasia/a/aa061903.htm
 
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A few days will be no problem. Aptasia takes longer than that to spread. If you don't have kalk powder, you may be able to find Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime which is the same as kalk powder (calcium hydroxide) and typically runs about $3/ container.
 
aptasia are easy to kill. I've read that hot water works , as well as peroxide, lemon juice, vinegar, etc..... there are lots of "home" solutions. I've had good sucess in the past with calk paste and injecting them with strong calcium chloride solution
 
Hi,

If the Aptasia is on a smooth part of the coral skeleton just put a small ball of neaded two part epoxy over the bugger. I have also had good luck with RO water heated up in the microwave to the boiling point and injected onto the Aptasia with a large cc hypodermic syringe. Be careful, don't burn yourself.

Dave
 
As long as the aiptasias aren't in crevases, such as in rock, they can easily be removed physically. Use a razorblade and take some skeleton with them. Not as easy as majanos to remove, but on a euphillia skeleton they shouldn't have anywhere to hide. Forget all that injection nonsense, that is only needed when you can't get a blade on the specimen, and in this case you can easily take the frag out of the tank. After razoring swish in some tank water in a cup and you will be fine.

S !
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12330979#post12330979 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by raynist
Do you have any kalk powder? You can mix up some kalk paste and smear it on them.
Click to expand...


Along these lines, I make Kalk paste and use an artist brush and paint on and around it thick enough to coat and place back in tank with no current for an hour or so to keep Kalk from blowing onto any good stuff. Even use this on micro algae or things like creeping pink gorgonia that can try and invade anything it touches.
 
There is no question, kalk is the way to go. You should do what it takes to get some because I think its the best method.

CleveYank: I like that idea with the paint brush. A little more coverage than trying to spray with a syringe.
 
lowman31

Well, controllable coverage is another major facet is why I like the paint brush. I've gotten right inbetween zoas and killed very little if any of them but got the aptasia with almost pinpoint so to speak with this method. Thick paste is the key though.


Which the syringe methods prior mentioned offer pinpoint target. And I bet the vinegar method is less Toxic to nearby things. I've had mixed results with that method...so I stick to the paint brush.
 
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Why would anyone have flatworms in their tank when you can simply buy a sixline wrasse? As if sixlines weren't a nice enough fish on their own, they police rock for flatworms 24x7.

Just curious. Anyway, for every pest a solution. And frankly, taking frags and not quarantining them is begging for pests. Every system is different, and the tiny unnoticed pest in my tank might be a plague in yours. <shrug> Just something you have to learn to deal with.

My story of unprotected frag-swapping was in my first reef. I had crappy PC lights but I managed a nice display of digitata and monti caps. Until one day after bringing home some frags I noticed a few white specs on one of my montis. Two weeks later I had a raging monti-eating nudi infestation. I lost every scrap of montipora in that tank despite an agressive war. The lesson is clear, you take your chances with your reef and bad things can happen. To this day I won't consider montipora frags from a tank I can't inspect to satisfaction.

Those are one of the worst pests. As far as aiptasia or majanos, you'd be hard pressed to find a tank with NONE in it anyway, even if you can't see them, so its best to learn to deal with them in the tank or on a frag.

2 cents + flavah

S !
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12338759#post12338759 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Python73
Why would anyone have flatworms in their tank when you can simply buy a sixline wrasse? As if sixlines weren't a nice enough fish on their own, they police rock for flatworms 24x7.

Just curious. Anyway, for every pest a solution. And frankly, taking frags and not quarantining them is begging for pests. Every system is different, and the tiny unnoticed pest in my tank might be a plague in yours. <shrug> Just something you have to learn to deal with.

My story of unprotected frag-swapping was in my first reef. I had crappy PC lights but I managed a nice display of digitata and monti caps. Until one day after bringing home some frags I noticed a few white specs on one of my montis. Two weeks later I had a raging monti-eating nudi infestation. I lost every scrap of montipora in that tank despite an agressive war. The lesson is clear, you take your chances with your reef and bad things can happen. To this day I won't consider montipora frags from a tank I can't inspect to satisfaction.

Those are one of the worst pests. As far as aiptasia or majanos, you'd be hard pressed to find a tank with NONE in it anyway, even if you can't see them, so its best to learn to deal with them in the tank or on a frag.

2 cents + flavah

S !
Click to expand...
Since we're off topic by now.

Sixlines to Flatworms are what some meds are for Herpes. It's only a relief/control and will not cure the problem.

Quarantine and SPS unfortunately does not always become an option due to setup concerns. In a perfect world everyone would have main and a duplicate system to keep things in Quarantine. For some I am sure it's all they can do to afford to run one SPS system as it is. And dipping doesn't seem to be enough either.

However, tonight Levasole tank dose flatworm trial 1 begins in my new test tank. Later today I will be wieghing out 2 lbs to the gallon of water of liverock. Measuring water/total tank volume to a 10 gallon/20 gallon scale for exact dosing calibration that will be easy to duplicate and multiply or divide for smaller or larger systems respectively. (Been saving a setup that is chock full of flatworms to run trials to use a method far cheaper than flatworm exit to batch nuke the pests. Then this test system will get pushed hard (overfed) to make it ripe for them to re-emerge if they are still there. If they are still in the rock...they should re-emerge in 1 to 4 weeks. The initial dose will indicate just how sensitive other things like tiny feather dusters of various types deal with the dosage. As well as pods and serpents and even a couple SPS. Once I have a verdict of toxicity and exact repeatable dosages I will post the results.
 
an even more effective alternative for getting rid of the aiptasia would be to leave the coral alone in your quarantine with one or two peppermint shrimp...if you have the real deal peppermints they WILL eat every aiptasia and WILL NOT eat the coral. I bought 4 of them for my heavily infested 55 gallon and within a month every anemone was gone and never came back. Corals of every sort were totally fine.
 
I also have 2 peppermints in a 55. I had to literally start starving the tank, but they eventually ate every one I could see, except for a very large (in my limited experience, it's about 3" across) one on a powerhead way up in a corner. (There are probably a couple more I can't see)
I've kinda grown attached to it a little just because it's been around so long. :lol: When I 1st saw them, I kept rying to scrape them away using my fingernail or anything else handy, & lo & behold they started spreading rapidly! Lesson learned & should've done my homework 1st obviously.
Now I live in "balance" with it as mentioned above, it works well for me. I don't mess with it, it don't mess with me.

Now as I move everything into the 40 this evening, we'll see if I can't get rid of it using some kalk.

Thanks for the informative thread gang.
Rusty
 
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