Wild corals growing out of rocks

FYI

FYI

Patent number: US2005100576
Publication date: 2005-05-12
Inventor: GATTO JOSEPH C JR (US)
Applicant:
Classification:
- international: A01N59/06; A01N59/06; (IPC1-7): A01N25/00
- european: A01N59/06
Application number: US20040963701 20041013
Priority number(s): US20040963701 20041013; US20030623250 20030718

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Abstract of US2005100576

A method of killing Aiptasia and Majano anemones in aquariums comprises filling a dispenser with an anemone killing mixture, comprising purified water, and effective amounts of calcium hydroxide and non-iodized salt, placing a tip of the filled dispenser near a mouth of an anemone and dispensing a small amount of the mixture such that it is consumed by the anemone. An anemone killing mixture comprises effective amounts of calcium hydroxide and non-iodized salt dissolved into and mixed in boiling purified water.


Edit: joesjuice.com is registered to:
Registrant:
Joseph C. Gatto Jr.
Joseph Gatto, Jr.
Stamford, CT 06906-1110

suggestion:
calcium hydroxide is what's used to make kalkwasser. It's pickling lime. Go get some and make it into a thick paste to lay down on your aiptasia.
 
White vinegar works very well and will not effect water quality. Use the kind of syringe that has a needle and poke the Aptasia right in the middle. I thought if hot water works and vinegar works, why not heat the vinegar? It worked for me. They disappeared and never came back.
 
They look like various species of pest anemones... "aiptasia" is a good catch-all name for them.

I vote for Joe's Juice or feeding them kalk paste. Both are by far the least painful methods for the hobbyist and won't hurt your tank at all in the doses needed to combat them.
 
Those in your original picture do not look like Majano anemone. It's a good thing, because majano seems to be much harder to kill. CRA up here had a really bad case of Majano in their big tank. Nothing worked on these nasties, and CRA had to resort to using a big Raccoon butterfly fish to eradicate them.

I'd try hot water or kalkwasser paste first before buying Joe's juice. Some people swear by Joe's juice, but there are a number of reports on RC about failed incidents. A hot water treatment sounds good. I avoid using a turkey baster, though. A small syringe should give you a more sharply focused aim. You can get a free syringe from a pharmacy. Publix's pharmacy has a few different kinds. As long as you don't ask for the needle part, you should have no problem.

I have used pickling lime paste successfully before. I just laid a very thick paste on top of it (a consistency of tooth paste) using a small syringe. Aiptasia melts upon contact.

You may have to repeat the treatment a couple of times with either method. It can come back from a sliver of live tissue if you don't kill the entire thing.

Tomoko
 
The 4 in the first photo are Majanos, no doubt. The second photo looking to be ~6 aiptasia.
Nothing will work better than a peppermint shrimp for killing aiptasia, nothing. Any product that claims to be an aiptasia killer is some form of Joe's Juice, or kalkwasser. Joe's Juice will "kill" them, but in a few weeks they will return. A peppermint shrimp will eat the entire anenome, and it will not return. And, if by some rare chance it does, it will just get eaten again.
Big peppermint shrimp will be able to eat large aiptasia. If you can find a small peppermint, you can hit the anenome with some kalkwasser or joe's juice and it will shrink small enough for the small peppermint to eat it.

When it comes to Majanos, the only solution is a) don't touch them ever or b) remove the rock and cut the majano off. It's not difficult to take and scalpel and cut about 1/8" below into the rock to remove the anenome. It's a pain, but there are no other options at the moment. Majanos grow very slowly in low nutrient systems and most of the time only grow near each other, unlike the aiptasia that can spread through the tank. So Majanos are great to keep in refugiums for added biological filtration. (if you have one)
 
I agree with TheOwn4g3 about the peppermint shrimp and aiptasia. They are the preventive measure. However you need to kill the biggest ones. The peppermint shrimp will eat any small ones in your tank. We removed the majonos in our tank and put super glue on the bases and we have not had anymore in our tank.

I do not want any majanos in my tank. I saw John's at CRA and he had tons of them.
 
Peppermint shrimp are great for aiptasia in most cases, but my peppermint shrimp did not get all of them. I have two peps in my 120 for a few years and there are a few aiptasia still living in it. My 15 is the same way :( I killed those that peppermint left with kalkwasser paste except for those that are hard to reach.

I rely on biological control as much as possible, but there seems to be a limitation to it, whether it's peppermint shrimp for aiptasia, lettuce nudi for hair algae, or velvet nudi for red flatworms. YMMV.

Tomoko
 
I have excellent success with permanent eradication in tanks using both kalk and Joe's. It does take a few repeat applications and if there are ones you can't get to, those will continue to reproduce.

My peppermints were totally useless for aiptasia control, but cool shrimps anyway.
 
I'll try hot water first (not too expensive), If that doesn't work then I will order the "Joe's Juice".

:bum:
 
Last edited:
Hey if u need joes juice you can call 832-5600 she has some and she's local to you (no shipping) also she can get u pepermint shrimp. u can you some hot water but it might not kill them just wound them also no pulling them with tweezers the propagate buy divison. Have a great day:D
 
Huh, I'm surprised some people had bad results with peppermints. I had 1 in my 65 and he kept it spotless until he died. I imagine there are different types of "peppermint" shrimp, but just like "turbo snails". When we got in a shipment of peppermints (10-20) we would put a live rock loaded with aiptasia and they would swarm it as soon as your hand left the water. Really awesome to watch.
Anyway, Joe's Juice is probably your best non-bio method.
 
I used hot water in a small syringe. I think my wife and I just invented a new sport. It evaporated the wild colors. Gonna invest in a couple of peppermint shrimps tomorrow.

:rollface: :lol:
 
Yeah need to get rid of aptasia fast it spreads fast depending on nutrient in you water they also have a habit of killing other soft coral ie mushrooms and polyps
 
Our peppermint shrimp were very small when we got them. They have grown a lot. They also lay eggs and the fish have a free buffet.
 
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