Spreading Aiptasia

[dilbert_uk]

Hi all,

I got MTS (Multiple-Tank-Syndrome) and two of those tank have Aiptasia in it (one on purpose, the other not).

I use already different tools for every tank. Every tank has its own glass cleaner, pipette, tweezers, etc. but measurement instruments and a few bulkier things are still shared.

I was wondering if someone knows if a wash with tap water and storing a tool for a week would be sufficient to rule out the spreading of Aiptasia.

I see sometimes tiny Aiptasia floating around but I'm not sure if there could be gametes or zygotes or a similar planktonic life of Aiptasia invisible to the eye clinging to those tools and survive a wash with tap water and a one-week storage.

 

[crabbit]

Just poor boiling hot water on the tools that would kill them.

 

[Darkstar22]

Get rid of the 12L (3G) sunlight pico: Aiptasia!! I personally hate the things!

 

[aninjaatemyshoe]

Soap and water would be more than enough to clean the tools.

 

[Rouselb]

There are only two forms of removal that work most of the time.
1. Aiptasia X is a new product that you squirt onto larger anemones
2. Berghia

 

[Jrisley]

Get a copper band bf to eat them

 

[ron69]

Mind if I ask why you have Aiptasia in one tank on purpose?
I do recall reading somewhere about somebody using an Aiptasia tank for nutrient export. Just curious.

 

[Lowman]

Copperbands a fickle and may not eat the aptasia. I use a hyperdermic needle and white vinegar to kill them. This also works on majanos. It can affect your PH if you use too much.

 

[dilbert_uk]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14162706#post14162706 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ron69
Mind if I ask why you have Aiptasia in one tank on purpose?
I do recall reading somewhere about somebody using an Aiptasia tank for nutrient export. Just curious.

My quite lengthy answer post from this morning has disappeared. Maybe because I saw shortly after my post a page mentioning maintenance work.

Here a short resume. I have set up this stand-alone tank (no pipes or connections to anywhere) for those reasons.

1)
In case, the Berghia would have finished with all the Aiptasia in the nano (now I know that this will never happen, probably), I would rehome the Berghias into that Aiptasia tank until deciding to sell or breed them.

2)
Getting a picture of their life to better fight them back in the nano.
So far, I saw that they stay small to medium-sized if they live without food on photosynthesis only.

To the nutrients export:
AFAIR, Anthony Calfo mentions this in his book. I would never try this in a sump connected to an Aiptasia-free system. Too dangerous, in my view.

 

[theborgtank]

I have a similar situation as you as far as the multiple tanks and using some tools between tanks. one of my tanks has aiptasias and the others don't. all i do is rinse with tap water and then another rinse and set for around 10 minutes, then let dry out. sometimes i use cold and sometimes warm/hot tap water

if you were siphoning and a small aiptasia got stuck in your tube the rinse would probably wash it away immediately because its not attached firmly, just to be sure i rinse again and let the water sit in my siphon for 10 minutes, that should kill most all saltwater life.

my aiptasias have not spread using this method. make sure you qt your new lifestock because you never know when there is one ready to pop out of the edge of some live rock

 

[wuzup3]

As mentioned boiling them in hot water for a few minutes should work. Also, I recently just added two peppermints to my tank and they totally rid my thank of aipastia.

 

[Rouselb]

Here is an update, i purchased some Aiptasia-X from marinedepot. This seems to kill the large and small ones. Any that are visible where you can squirt the medicine onto.

 

[porschefan]

I can vouch for the peppermint shrimp, had a issue with Aiptasia all over my 55Gal

Bought some Aiptasia-X which worked on the larger ones, but it was a never ending battle.

got a couple of Peppermint shrimp (both were less than half the cost of a bottle of Aiptasia-X)

Not seen the Aiptasia since, if its still there, then the shrimp are managing it nicely.

 

[GREEFMAN]

Agreed Peppermint Shrimp work great!

Many people get fooled by bad LFS that sell Peppermint Shirmp that actually are not Peppermint Shrimp I forget the other type but there is a type of shrimp that looks very similar and often get passed as a Peppermint

This is were I feel the bad rep on them comes from

 

[Jerm77]

i will confirm peppermint shrimp also work.

I had at least 5 visible aiptasia, sizes ranging from small(1cm) to large (5cm). added 4 peppermints (maybe too many) and within 3 days I saw no more aiptasia.

 

[Hammsreefbeer]

will peperment shrimp help with big outbrakes?i went out of state to get work and when i got back i had them fu**ers everywhere.im also going to use aiptasia x and boiling water...

the outbrake is really bad.my wife was keeping a eye on the tank and when i asked her why she let it gett so bad she told me they were cute

thank guys ,,doug

 

[reefscape15]

The look-a-like to a peppermint is a camel shrimp, which are not completely reef friendly. It's pretty easy to tell apart, camels have a noticable "arch" in their back. Kind of like a camel hahaha!!!! Is there any solution other than peppermint? I have an angler and shrimps wouldn't last an hour in my tank. I've heard cb butterfly fish, but that's not really a top pick for me as far as fish go. I enjoy stuff that you don't see every day. Maybe another variety of butterfly? I need something reef safe, large enough to avoid being lunch for the angler, and small enough for 54gal. Thanks for any suggestions!

 

[screwsloose]

kliens butterflies are awesome aptasia killers and they are hardy little guys. like any other butterfly they can be reef dangerous but i have had no problems with mine and have recommended them to others. i would say 1 in 5 will be a problem. they are also called black lip butterflies

 

[craab]

I've put 8 berghia in my 90 gallon which has an infestation of aptasia. I saw a couple of the berghia over the next few nights and have not see once since then. Its been about a month now and I'm still seeing a pretty aptasia infested tank. For those with berghia, how long before you saw results?

 

[ludiNano]

I know berghia dont do very well in high flow tanks.