Widespread Aiptasia Removal

[yodamel]

Sadly, I have a fierce Aiptasia problem (100's of them) and I have tried everything, they just keep coming back.

1. Aiptasia-X
2. Mijano Wand- effective if you can catch them.
3. Shrimp-don't eat
4. File Fish-ignores
5. Copperband Butterfly- ignores

At this point, I want to pull out all the effected live rock (about 2/3s) and do something drastic:

boil it? set outside in the sun?

if I washed off all the "die-off" I could put it back in the display tank and maybe it wouldn't give off so much ammonia?, or, I also have a tub that I could re-cure the rock in, if needed.

Any advice is appreciated. Thank you.

 

[epstein]

5:1 mix ratio water to muric acid. put rock in ... add water then acid rinse in ro water let sit and dry in sun re rinse and voila ..instant clean rock

 

[Sk8r]

I've always been able to get shrimp to take care of them. I choose about 5 juvvies, and usually one will. Once I had to get 10. But I've never had them, as a whole, fail to take care of the problem.

 

[GroktheCube]

I've been through dozens of peppermints from several different vendors and never had luck. They did eat an Acan though.

Acid wash, rinse, and dry is a pretty safe bet.

 

[reefgeezer]

5:1 mix ratio water to muric acid. put rock in ... add water then acid rinse in ro water let sit and dry in sun re rinse and voila ..instant clean rock

If you decide to go this route 10:1 is the strongest ratio I've seen recommended. Some even use 100:1. Straight vinegar (5% Acetic Acid) will work also. It really depends how long you want the to soak the rock and how violent a reaction you can handle.

I used 10:1 and there was quite a bit of foaming and even boiling when I put the rock into the solution. It did the trick in about 20 minutes. Maybe better options are100:1 - It will react less violently but will take longer to work or Vinegar - It won't react much at all but might take a day or two.

Bleach will work just as well for killing the nems. Acid baths are really intended to treat the rock in an effort to control phosphates. FWIW, if I were doing this deed, I'd use bleach first then a vinegar bath. Be advised, there are many safety issues to consider when using bleach & any acid (even vinegar).

 

[yodamel]

thank you all for the replies.

To be honest, I don't like the sound of using muriatic acid. I used that to clean my garage floor and driveway once. :facepalm:

Vinegar sounds less destructive though.

If I let the rock set out in the sun a few days, everything on it would die, yes?
then I can rinse off the "die off" and put it back in the tank?

I've ordered a 5 watt laser to handle the rest.

Hope yall have a great weekend.

 

[davocean]

If I were to take drastic measures as pulling rock out, I would just follow through and do the acid bath, might as well kill all pests and remove bound phos at same time.
The issue though is no matter what anything intro'd to tank can bring apts back again.
You have to get the right type of peps to work, not all CBB's will eat it either, and I'm very surprised your matted file has not handled it.
I would try a new matted file first

 

[laga77]

Just had good results killing off Aipatsia infestation on two softball size rocks with just running under hot (140F) tap water for 2 minutes.

 

[Dapg8gt]

Get a troop of bergia nudis and let them do it for you..

 

[davocean]

Just had good results killing off Aipatsia infestation on two softball size rocks with just running under hot (140F) tap water for 2 minutes.

This will most likely kill everything on that rock though, good or bad.
Since OP has a full blown infestation they would have to pull all rock, and would basically be starting all over again, possibly adding phos from the tap on top of it.

 

[davocean]

Get a troop of bergia nudis and let them do it for you..

Another option, but I still think a matted file would be faster

 

[yodamel]

Just had good results killing off Aipatsia infestation on two softball size rocks with just running under hot (140F) tap water for 2 minutes.

I might try this with boiling hot RO water, about 1/2 of my rock has clumps of aiptasia. Those are the ones I want to take out.

The rest I think I can get with the laser.

 

[BeanMachine]

Berghia Nudibranchs

 

[davocean]

I might try this with boiling hot RO water, about 1/2 of my rock has clumps of aiptasia. Those are the ones I want to take out.
.

Be really careful not to breath steam or vapors if you do this.

 

[BeanMachine]

Be really careful not to breath steam or vapors if you do this.

Yeah that could be dangerous. I would just dry the rocks out, or get new dry rock and cycle it.

 

[GroktheCube]

Berghia Nudibranchs

Assuming he doesn't have anything that will eat them. I haven't had the best luck with them. I'm not sure if it's my flasher wrasses, my cleaner shrimp, or all my flow, but they never really got going in my tank.

 

[Windy2]

5:1 mix ratio water to muric acid. put rock in ... add water then acid rinse in ro water let sit and dry in sun re rinse and voila ..instant clean rock

What is the concentration of the muratic acid? That makes all the difference in the world.

 

[bbaz123456]

Berghia nudibranches will certainly take care of the job

 

[ghostman]

When I tried berghias and peppermint shrimp, they were always a snack for my wrasses. Matted filefish were hit and miss for me, but I had one that ate aiptasia like crazy. They are my preferred method.

 

[TangingOut]

Boiling, cooking rocks are terms that need to be eradicated from our hobby. Those terms refer to an acid bath and not actually cooking the rocks which is very dangerous.