Killing Aiptasia with KOH solution?

[Fieroguy19]

Well I have a 40g tank and am trying to get rid of a bunch of aiptasia. I work in a lab where I can make up a solution of potassium hydroxide.

I was wondering what concentration of KOH would be strang enough to kill the aiptasa, yet still be safe for the tank. If I made a 10Molar solution and used about 100ul, would that be ok? Will this chinge the pH too much? Can you think of any downsides to killing them this way?

Thanks

 

[MarkGP]

Why would you want to use potassium hydroxide? Mix up some calcium hydroxide (kalkwasser) to a thick paste and inject it into the aptasia....probably one of the easiest and cheepest way to get rid of them!

 

[fast94m]

Ive been injecting aptasia with kalk paste and they keep coming back. What do you think would happen if i mixed kalk powder with white distilled vinegar? Would that increase the potency of the mix? Or would it neutralize the kalk?

 

[Myka]

It would "neutralize" the kalk if you put exactly the right amount in to do so. If you add too much vinegar then you risk dropping the pH of the entire system. I wouldn't use vinegar...it's not going to benefit the problem.

I use Kalk mixed into a paste as well. As thick as possible that it will still come out the end of a syringe. I've never had an Aiptasia come back provided I got it good enough. Gotta get it right onto the oral disk, and have it stay settled there for 1/2 hour or so. Turn the pumps off while you zap em so the flow doesn't take the paste away. I find it difficult to get ones that are attached underneath rocks as you can't get the kalk paste to sit right on the disk, so I use an actual needle and a thinner paste and inject it right into the Aiptasia's oral disk.

 

[cd77]

I don't have a bunch, but so far a concentrated lemon juice injection seems to have worked.

Since you have a lot, you may want to tryBerghia. I have no experience with this though -- heh, not yet at least

 

[newb]

kalk paste and peps did it for me. i had it bad too. some will come back or right next to where it was but they are small and then the peps go to work. took about 2 months but as they say "nothing good happends fast"

 

[ReeF Papi]

Since you have a lot, you may want to tryBerghia. I have no experience with this though -- heh, not yet at least [/B]

Berghia will also eat your zoanthids and other small anemones so I would highly recommend not using berghia if you have any zoanthid colonies in your tank

 

[coralnut99]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10710868#post10710868 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ReeF Papi
Berghia will also eat your zoanthids and other small anemones so I would highly recommend not using berghia if you have any zoanthid colonies in your tank

Uhh............This is the first time I've ever seen this posted about Berghia. Is this from personal experience?

 

[AMIFL]

Before you go and add a bunch of stuff that could effect your water, throw a few peppermint shrimp in and see if they take care of the problem for you. They are a cheap fix to the problem.

 

[laszlo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10710868#post10710868 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ReeF Papi
Berghia will also eat your zoanthids and other small anemones so I would highly recommend not using berghia if you have any zoanthid colonies in your tank

I'm sure many of us would like to see some references of the fact that berghia eat zoas and other anemones.

Otherwise check these out if you'd like to learn something.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-01/ac/feature/index.php
http://www.berghia.net/
http://www.saltyunderground.com/faq.htm

 

[pleaselaunchme]

What I have done in the past is just boil some RODI water in the microwave and use a syrine or turkey baster to slowly direct a few ounces of water at the aiptasia. In the past, two or three days of this in a row, and it does not come back.

I did add a rock the other week with a few on it. This time doing the same thing, but had some saturated kalk sitting there, so added about half kalk water/half RODI, boiled it, basted them. So far they are more shriveled then that had been in the past, but we shall see how it goes.


Hope this helps,
Ben

 

[laszlo]

I have tried the lemone juice and can say that it does work. The bigger ones will usually need a second shot the next day, but after that it seems to kill them, and kill them good.

 

[adnup]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10714876#post10714876 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by AMIFL
Before you go and add a bunch of stuff that could effect your water, throw a few peppermint shrimp in and see if they take care of the problem for you. They are a cheap fix to the problem.

I second the peppermint shrimp BUT they wont eat the big onces. I use kalk water on the big ones and let the shrimp do the job on the little ones

 

[seakwon]

my koran angel ate all my aptasia... funny thing is i have had them for like 4 years now and the day i bought the koran was also the day i bought the joes juice to fix the problem i just never got around to using the joes juice... heard it works though

 

[davidryder]

If they come back after you squirt a layer of kalkwasser paste over the anemone you have something else on your hands. Kalk kills aiptasia immediately. There is no chance of them coming back. Babies will come back and you have to kill them too but aiptasia simply cannot withstand a couple drops of kalk. You have to smother the aiptasia in the kalk paste, though - to where you can't see it anymore. It only takes a drop or two.

 

[Randy1]

I tried the kalk past and it didn't work maybe I done somthing wrong if it wirk for the rest of you.

 

[davidryder]

Try this:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=803632

 

[islandcreation]

Use kalkwasser and lemon juice! I heat mine up in the microwave mix it up and wait for 5 minutes to cool down. So far I've been 100% with a good amount into their mouths! But be sure to makes sure your tanks water amount is large enough for the concentration of kalk/lime your using. (Meaning don't go crazy in a 5 gallon tank ha,ha,ha)

 

[lechee12]

Re: Killing Aiptasia with KOH solution?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10661213#post10661213 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Fieroguy19
Well I have a 40g tank and am trying to get rid of a bunch of aiptasia. I work in a lab where I can make up a solution of potassium hydroxide.

I was wondering what concentration of KOH would be strang enough to kill the aiptasa, yet still be safe for the tank. If I made a 10Molar solution and used about 100ul, would that be ok? Will this chinge the pH too much? Can you think of any downsides to killing them this way?

Thanks

how many aiptasa are you planning on killing at a time? Even at 10M, but say you kill 1 or 2 at a time with 100ul each thats only 2 drops. And with the natural buffering capacity of reef tanks, don't think your pH will change too much; considering people drip plently of kalk into their tanks a day

 

[shrinky]

I know people have always been hit or miss with Joe's Juice... but it has taken care of every since aiptasia I've ever had, and I used to have a ton... they've even killed off the majanos that plagued one of my newer tanks. Just turn off the water so they extend as far as possible, don't feed the tank, and squirt some right on their mouths... they disolve away very quickly.