ThatAquariumKid
New member
can a high-power laser be a good solution to an aphasia problem? jw
High power Lasers?
- Thread starter ThatAquariumKid
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Zypharus
New member
These folks have been at it for awhile.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2090418
Safety is the primary concern. Not only for yourself but your tank's inhabitants as well as others in your home. I have not tried it myself, but it seems to read mixed results although the fun factor of zapping those aiptasia is quite high :uzi:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2090418
Safety is the primary concern. Not only for yourself but your tank's inhabitants as well as others in your home. I have not tried it myself, but it seems to read mixed results although the fun factor of zapping those aiptasia is quite high :uzi:
Ron Reefman
Active member
I guess I kind of started this here on RC and calmseaquest picked up the ball and ran with it. It does work well for aiptasia & majano anemones. I haven't used it on anything else. HOWEVER, safety should be a serious concern. 1w (and higher) lasers can be quite dangerous. They can cause burns (which is how it kills aiptasia) but more importantly they can blind you in a nano second. I'll admit that I'm not as gungho crazy about safety as some here on RC. But I do pay attention, I don't leave the laser laying around when I'm done with it (even though I don't have any kids), and I wear my safety glasses (specifically made for my laser) all the time now (I didn't when I first started). The other big concern is for the eyesight of the fish and other critters in the tank. But my personal experience is, that although several of my fish will chase the red dot from a basic laser pointer when I'm using it to point out things in the tank, they all (except for one) tend to stay away when I use the 1w laser. And I have seen no harm to any critter in my tank (other than the aiptasia and majano anemones) after use for over 3 months. I had a lot of aiptasia when I started and used it alot, I rarely see any now and use it only once every 2-3 weeks. And Zypharus is right on when he wrote,"although the fun factor of zapping those aiptasia is quite high." And with a screen name like yours, it just seems like a natural fit! :uzi::hmm3:
pledosophy
Active member
Boiling water in a syringe is safer, just as effective, and $300 less.
Ron Reefman
Active member
Not nearly as effective. And I can laser aiptasia that would be impossible to reach with a syringe. And I just bought a 1.2w waterproof laser for $170 delivered. Safer? Maybe, but I doubt it.
So do you hold that under water to use? I assume you went to that to reduce the likelihood of reflections? Is that correct?
Ron Reefman
Active member
It can be used in the water or out of the water. I got it, not because it would eliminate reflections (which I consider a worthwhile side effect), but to be able to get close to targets that are further away from the glass and thus harder to destroy. And to be able to get at some targets that I couldn't get thru the glass because a LR or coral is in the line of sight. I haven't had much issue with reflections. They are generally weak (very unlikely to do damage to anything other than eyes... like that's not enough reason). And I always use it pointed slightly downward and very close to the glass. So if I get a reflection, it's usually blocked by my body (and I've never been injured). The only part of the beam that is hot enough to do damage (except to eyes) is within just a couple of inches of the focus point. You can point a 1w laser at an aiptasia and have the focus off by 2" and the aiptasia doesn't respond at all. Get it focused right and the aiptasia is gone in 10 seconds. These things aren't Star Wars light sabers that can cut things in half anywhere along the beam.
Ron Reefman
Active member
Tom,
I've been using it for over 3 months now and I have not had to go after a single aiptasia in my DT in 2 months. But at the same time, I left the aiptasia in my nem tank where they are spreading like crazy but haven't spread to my sump, refugium or 180g DT. I'd have to say that's pretty conclusive evidence that a laser doesn't fragment an aiptasia. What many people don't seem to get is, these lasers don't cut, they heat. And for an aiptasia, they heat to the point that the flesh burns and it ends up a tiny pile of ash, not a dozen little pieces.
I've been using it for over 3 months now and I have not had to go after a single aiptasia in my DT in 2 months. But at the same time, I left the aiptasia in my nem tank where they are spreading like crazy but haven't spread to my sump, refugium or 180g DT. I'd have to say that's pretty conclusive evidence that a laser doesn't fragment an aiptasia. What many people don't seem to get is, these lasers don't cut, they heat. And for an aiptasia, they heat to the point that the flesh burns and it ends up a tiny pile of ash, not a dozen little pieces.
Ron Reefman
Active member
Tom, I'm using a Survival Laser 1w and a Lazerer 1.2w waterproof (note the z rather than the s in their spelling). Those are the brand names and both have websites. I got my Survival Laser used from a friend, so cost was reduced. I think they run a bit over $200 new (maybe + shipping?). And I'm still not a fan of their skinny focusing ring which allows my fingers to get in the way (it's not dangerous, it's just inconvient). The Lazerer I got new and it ships from Hong Kong which took 3+ weeks to SW Florida and came by registered mail. So far I'm quite happy with it and it cost about $170 delivered.
The beam out of the laser is small (I'm guessing 1-2mm) and oval in shape (not round like you might expect). You roll the laser until you are looking at the wide side of the beam and then focus it. You can easily see the beam narrow down to a very small round beam (maybe .25-.5mm?) at the focus point and then it opens back up again. So it's pretty easy to see just there the strongest and therefore hottest part of the beam is (about 400-450 degrees F). Remember, these lasers don't cut as much as the super heat and burn. I've found that when I light up an aiptasia with the focus just a inch or more away from the aiptasia, there is no effect. As you adjust the focus toward the aiptasia it begins to wriggle and then starts to 'pull in' it's tentacles. At that point you begin to burn the aiptasia and you stay on it until you end up with a small pile if very fine 'wire like' ash. If you get the entire thing, foot and all, it won't grow back. If you can't get the foot it may grow back, but I've found that burning down as much as I can 2-4 times and it gets weaker and eventually doesn't grow back.
The beam out of the laser is small (I'm guessing 1-2mm) and oval in shape (not round like you might expect). You roll the laser until you are looking at the wide side of the beam and then focus it. You can easily see the beam narrow down to a very small round beam (maybe .25-.5mm?) at the focus point and then it opens back up again. So it's pretty easy to see just there the strongest and therefore hottest part of the beam is (about 400-450 degrees F). Remember, these lasers don't cut as much as the super heat and burn. I've found that when I light up an aiptasia with the focus just a inch or more away from the aiptasia, there is no effect. As you adjust the focus toward the aiptasia it begins to wriggle and then starts to 'pull in' it's tentacles. At that point you begin to burn the aiptasia and you stay on it until you end up with a small pile if very fine 'wire like' ash. If you get the entire thing, foot and all, it won't grow back. If you can't get the foot it may grow back, but I've found that burning down as much as I can 2-4 times and it gets weaker and eventually doesn't grow back.
Thats interesting. So you hold the device an inch or so away from the Aptasia. I was thinking you could do this through the front glass if you wanted. What is the greatest distance away from the Aptasia this will work, in your experience? I'm guessing the farther away you are the greater the time required, correct?
Ron Reefman
Active member
I do 95% of my work thru the glass (front and ends). But the odd one here or there is behind a coral or lump of rock and I can't get it thru the glass. Then I can go in the tank with the new laser and get it.
Thru the glass the further away it is does have some affect, but it's less of an issue than the flow of the water in the area. You are trying to heat the pest and cool (78 degree) water flowing by doesn't help create a heat sink! I turn off my CL on anything more than 8"-12" into the tank. More than that I'll even turn off my sump return because it is feeding the tank via 'spray bars' down the back glass feeding out thru the rock wall.
Aiptasia and majano that are less than 6"-8" from the glass only take 10-20 seconds to completely destroy. I don't think I've ever spent more than 20-30 seconds on any anemone.
BTW, sorry for the slow response. I don't get to the advanced topics thread all that often.
Thru the glass the further away it is does have some affect, but it's less of an issue than the flow of the water in the area. You are trying to heat the pest and cool (78 degree) water flowing by doesn't help create a heat sink! I turn off my CL on anything more than 8"-12" into the tank. More than that I'll even turn off my sump return because it is feeding the tank via 'spray bars' down the back glass feeding out thru the rock wall.
Aiptasia and majano that are less than 6"-8" from the glass only take 10-20 seconds to completely destroy. I don't think I've ever spent more than 20-30 seconds on any anemone.
BTW, sorry for the slow response. I don't get to the advanced topics thread all that often.
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