Removing aptasia without hurting zoas

[Caliburst]

I have a friend who had a major aptasia infestation in his tank. His liverock is literally covered with it. As a result, he is breaking everything down and starting over. I am going to get some nice zoas from him but the colonies have aptasia on them. How can I get rid of them without hurting the zoas?
Im sure this has been discussed but without the search feature working, its a pain to find out.

Ive read all of the "use lemon juice" "squirt it with hot water" "try peppermint shrimp" etc.

I am under the assumption that the species is similar to mushrooms in that if I try to pull them off with tweezers, they will grow back.

Im going to QT the stuff until I figure it out. The only plan I can come up with is to put them alone in a 10G tank with a couple of peppermint shrimp and not feed the shrimp to make them hungry enough to go after the rocks. The shrimp are about $6 locally so it seems like a logical first step.

Any thoughts?
Again, I apologize for the repetitive nature of the question, but again, without the search feature working, its the only way to get an answer to my question.

 

[firebirdcrzy]

If you have them in QT and NO pepermints you can try berghia nudi's all they eat is aptasia. Pepermints are know to eat, but most the time do not eat the intire aptasia so it will grow back and in numbers. I am going thru the same thing right now with a massive colliny of zoas, useing the berghias.

 

[NaClH2O Getaway]

I got a sweet colony of multi-color zoas from my LFS and a couple days later I saw about a dozen aptasia and the zoas around them not coming out. I used a solution called Joes Juice ( also from my LFS ) and it got rid of them with no damage to the surrounding zoas. They took a day or so to come back out but I am happy to say they are aptasia free now and looking great

 

[650-IS350]

Joes Juice, Kalkpaste, or super glue them in their TOMB.

 

[Caliburst]

Re: Removing aptasia without hurting zoas

Guys I just saw the tank and they are majanos. Nothing eats majanos that doesn't also eat zoas. It's going to be a losing battle unless I break up the rock and sacrifice some zoas to dispose of infested areas...

Any ideas now??

 

[NaClH2O Getaway]

joes juice works on majanos perfectly I got one from a friend who thought it might be a ric and it turned out to be a majano anenome joes juice killed it in seconds and never saw another one

 

[650-IS350]

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2005/8/aaeditorial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfENGsdTRTc

copper banded butterfly

 

[NaClH2O Getaway]

I also considered the Copper Banded Butterfly ( awesome looking fish ) but afterr some research I think I figured out that once the aptasia /majano were gone it may pick at my zoas and other corals. If the outbreak isn't huge try the joes its fairly cheap and you dont have to feed it later

 

[650-IS350]

I consider them temporary employees', just like tuxedo urchins and other natural janitors.

 

[Caliburst]

Re: Removing aptasia without hurting zoas

Joes juice won't harm zoas? I don't trust the copperband not to pick at polyps..

 

[NaClH2O Getaway]

Will not harm them at all. Like I said I had the exact same problem and that solution worked flawlessly

 

[Caliburst]

Re: Removing aptasia without hurting zoas

My understanding is that majanos are much harder to get rid of....

 

[NaClH2O Getaway]

I dont know that if it's huge or something might make a difference but the one I had I treated and i literally watched it die and fall to the sand..if they are harder to get rid of I didnt notice

 

[t00lfan]

I got rid of em with aiptasia X ..majonos never returned I first closed my zoos with my hand waving a current and zapped them. Never lost a zoo as long as I closed them first.

 

[WaffleWalffle22]

I have a 200+ polyp colony of an electric colored morph of eagle eye zoas/watermelon zoas. 3 weeks ago I took a syringe full of boiling water and injected the aptasia. The zoas have all been closed until now, and over that 3 week period, they were mutated - probably from the boiling water. They now have electric green stripes on the oral disc which was the tentacle coloration. They are happy now and they look cool... but anywho, here's what you should do...

1. Put them in a QT tank with peppermint shrimp for a week.
2. After a week, dip them in a light dip of CoralRx, and add them to the tank.
3. Keep an eye on them for a few weeks, and it they are fine then you're good to go!

 

[StillerNat]

get a syringe with a needle on it. fill up the syringe with vinegar and inject it into the majano or apts and they will shrivel and die. vinegar is safe n the tank and not hurt anything.

 

[Caliburst]

Once I zap the majanos, how long should I wait to see if they grow back before putting them in a DT? My understanding is that they come back pretty quickly... I bought a toadstool that had one on it once from a LFS and I didnt see it until I got home and put it in the tank. I grabbed some clippers and snipped the entire section of rock off that had the majano attached. It never came back. I asked someone about it then and they said "if it didnt come right back, I was in the clear"... so... treat them and then wait a few weeks? What do you guys think?

Am I being too paranoid about this? :fun5:
I really dont like to take ANY chances. My main concern is not the majanos that I can see- its the ones that may be waiting 'behind the scenes' that are waiting to sprout up once I knock a few down. My understanding is that this species is MUCH more invasive and prolific thank aptasia. Aptasia is not a hard fight to win. Ive read about people fighting LONG fights against Majanos and they kept coming back.


According to my reading, nothing eats majanos that will not eat zoas as well- ie: large angelfish, etc.

 

[Caliburst]

get a syringe with a needle on it. .

is that something you can buy at CVS?

 

[lbaldrey]

1 tsp sodium hydroxide
1 tsp kalk
60ml water

add sodium to water not water to sodium...mix in plastic cup not metal...use a 1ml syringe with plastic applicator (from old alk or calc test kits) or if unavailable a needle. inject into mouth of majano till it starts to shrink...you dont need to inject a lot...1ml goes a long way...and like someone already said...use a baster to fan the polyps so that they close..

save the balance in a plastic bottle for another day...another kill...

I feel so at home with all the Maiden avatars...

 

[NaClH2O Getaway]

+1 for the maiden avatars

You want to get as close to the mouth as you can without touching it as it will close up if you touch it which works to your advantage as soon as it feels the "injection" it will close up around it and that is what kills it. You aren't fighting a losing battle they do reproduce fast but if you knock them out a few at a time eventually you'll have won.

in reguards to time: like I said I watched the lil sucker die and never saw another one after that so if they aren't back out within a couple days it may be time to celebrate your victory