Is this Aiptasia?

Matt0676 · 01/24/2010, 09:35 PM

I bought a leather at a frag swap last night and when I looked at it today noticed all of these heads opening up on the rock. Is this Aiptasia? If so what should I do? Thanks!

fstar25 · 01/24/2010, 09:38 PM

Looks like aiptasia to me. Get a peppermint shrimp or two, ate all of mine within a day. There are several other methods discussed throughout the forums, but that is the only one I'm familiar with, so I won't comment on the others. Good luck.

Eric the half-bee · 01/24/2010, 09:38 PM

Yep. I'd remove it now and treat w/ joe's juice or kalk or similar. I had 1 or 2 come in on the shell of a tridacna and now all over. Save yourself a potential headache.

J Nguyen · 01/24/2010, 09:39 PM

Yes those are Aipstasias, you have many options to get rid of them though;
you could try Joes Juice or Aipstasia X also Lemon concentrate and Boiling water injected with a syringe works as well.

Peppermint shrimps are also a very good long term solution but its a hit and miss with them.

electrodude · 01/24/2010, 09:40 PM

try to scrape them off first. they all look accessible.

BizMike · 01/24/2010, 09:42 PM

Yes - and plenty of it.

I've had some success with dropping a glob of kalkwasser paste on it (don't do too many at once, it raises pH). If you don't have any, shooting it up with lemon juice or boiling water can help, although I've had it come back after the boiling water. You can stop it from coming back by sealing it's hole with epoxy after it retreats. It might come up another hole in a few days, and you might have to try again, but eventually it will taper off.

Good luck!

spleify · 01/24/2010, 09:44 PM

Yeah thats aiptasia unfortunately

I have had good luck boiling vinegar and injecting them with a needle and syringe. They disolve almost instantly.

J Nguyen · 01/24/2010, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by electrodude

try to scrape them off first. they all look accessible.

I would advise against scrapping them off because if the little bits and pieces land anywhere in the tank then a aipstasia will form there.

porschefan · 01/24/2010, 09:47 PM

Yup certainly is, Aipstasia X works well but it's a pain as they keep popping up. I bought a Peppermint shrimp which worked flawlessly for my 55 Gal. Got rid of it recently after the shrimp started on my Snails, not seen Aiptasia since tho.

Matt0676 · 01/24/2010, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BizMike

Yes - and plenty of it.

I've had some success with dropping a glob of kalkwasser paste on it (don't do too many at once, it raises pH). If you don't have any, shooting it up with lemon juice or boiling water can help, although I've had it come back after the boiling water. You can stop it from coming back by sealing it's hole with epoxy after it retreats. It might come up another hole in a few days, and you might have to try again, but eventually it will taper off.

Good luck!

Just plain old lemon juice? I have some 1cc syringes, do I just inject it into the middle?

Flipper62 · 01/24/2010, 09:55 PM

You really dont want to scrape them. If you dont get it all.... it will just come back.

I have had good luck with Joes Juice or Aipstasia X.

Matt0676 · 01/24/2010, 10:12 PM

Ok, for now I took it out and injected the heads with lemon juice. They pretty much dissolved and/or fell off the rock right away. I can't believe how fast it spreads! I just put it in my tank last night and there was already a head in the sand.

Is it possible to relocate the leather to a different rock and get rid of this piece?

Eric the half-bee · 01/24/2010, 10:15 PM

Matt, can you place the leather on the rock it came on in another tank or QT? That would assure them not taking hold in your DT.

Matt0676 · 01/24/2010, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric the half-bee

Matt, can you place the leather on the rock it came on in another tank or QT? That would assure them not taking hold in your DT.

Eric, I wish I could. This is my only tank. Thoughts?

Daimyo68 · 01/24/2010, 11:55 PM

Aiptasia for sure. From the picture, the rock looks to be little. Just remove it from the tank, frag that leather off and attach it to another rock. What kind of leather is it? Leathers are very resilient, and you should have no problems cutting it off at the base and moving to a new rock.

If you want to keep that rock, get a small tank/container, etc. and kill off all the aip's before putting it back into the tank. If the rock is that small, I would personally either just toss it and get another one, or leave it out to dry and then next time you cook some rock you cn add that to the batch.

Matt0676 · 01/25/2010, 12:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daimyo68

Aiptasia for sure. From the picture, the rock looks to be little. Just remove it from the tank, frag that leather off and attach it to another rock. What kind of leather is it? Leathers are very resilient, and you should have no problems cutting it off at the base and moving to a new rock.

If you want to keep that rock, get a small tank/container, etc. and kill off all the aip's before putting it back into the tank. If the rock is that small, I would personally either just toss it and get another one, or leave it out to dry and then next time you cook some rock you cn add that to the batch.

I believe it is a Toadstool Leather. If I decide to frag the leather how do I properly do it? Is it as simple as prying it off the rock at the base or do I cut it somehow? How do I stick it to the new rock? Superglue directly on the base?

Daimyo68 · 01/25/2010, 12:34 AM

Got a picture of the leather?

You can try to "pry" it off. Sometimes they will come off and sometimes not.

If you cannot pry it off the rock, then you will need to cut it off. I would suggest watching some videos if you've never cut/fragged anything before. You want to do it correctly so as not to stress the coral too much.

If you manage to get if of by prying it, then go get crazy glue Gel. Make sure you get the correct one. It must be the gel kind and have Cyanoacrylate as the active ingredient.

If your nervous about trying the procedure, get in touch with a local reefer who is willing to do it for you, and watch and learn. You could also ask your LFS to do it.

Matt0676 · 01/25/2010, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daimyo68

Got a picture of the leather?

You can try to "pry" it off. Sometimes they will come off and sometimes not.

If you cannot pry it off the rock, then you will need to cut it off. I would suggest watching some videos if you've never cut/fragged anything before. You want to do it correctly so as not to stress the coral too much.

If you manage to get if of by prying it, then go get crazy glue Gel. Make sure you get the correct one. It must be the gel kind and have Cyanoacrylate as the active ingredient.

If your nervous about trying the procedure, get in touch with a local reefer who is willing to do it for you, and watch and learn. You could also ask your LFS to do it.

Thanks for the tips. As of this morning there was only one head left (which I just injected with lemon juice). So far it seems to be working like a charm. It dissolved all of the heads instantly!

I am still going to watch some video on fragging corals though. I need to learn as much as I can. I will also double-check my super glue.

Thanks again to everyone who responded. I think I am out of the woods for now.

MIIKE · 01/25/2010, 04:13 PM

Peppermint shrimps are the easiest way I have found to get rid of them. I had 50+ aiptasias in my 90gal, I put 10 peps in, and about a week later they were all gone. They make a cool addition to your CUC mine are always picking at the rocks and eating what ever food the fish leave behind.

drewp808 · 01/25/2010, 05:29 PM

wow i cant believe he/she sold it to you like that, i hipe the leather looks nice. +1 aiptasia x, but since you just got it take the rock out and get them good. also i would QT it for a little while just incase they spawn before you kill them all

Octoshark · 01/25/2010, 06:05 PM

Lol, sorry for laughing but that was actually pretty funny, I wasn't expecting to see such a large colony

I don't know why it would ever be sold to you like that.

Try all the methods above except the recommendation of scraping them off: dont do that

Matt0676 · 01/26/2010, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Octoshark

Lol, sorry for laughing but that was actually pretty funny, I wasn't expecting to see such a large colony

I don't know why it would ever be sold to you like that.

Try all the methods above except the recommendation of scraping them off: dont do that

No problem, I was kind of laughing too. I guess the reef gods wanted to make sure I had a great example of what NOT to see in your tank. LOL. At least I have learned from it and I can't see any damage done.....yet.

Thanks to everyone for the help. I am really glad I have this website to turn to when I am lost.

01/24/2010, 09:38 PM	#2
fstar25 Getting there Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Friendswood, Tx Posts: 884	Looks like aiptasia to me. Get a peppermint shrimp or two, ate all of mine within a day. There are several other methods discussed throughout the forums, but that is the only one I'm familiar with, so I won't comment on the others. Good luck. __________________ The only thing I know for sure is nothing! Carrie, why do you want someone in need to die? -iCam Current Tank Info: 29G BioCube with LED lighting, media basket, fuge (chamber 2), MJ1200 return pump, K nano & K 1 power heads, 32# LR, ~2" SB

01/24/2010, 09:38 PM	#3
Eric the half-bee Passer of gasses Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Space Coast, FL Posts: 837	Yep. I'd remove it now and treat w/ joe's juice or kalk or similar. I had 1 or 2 come in on the shell of a tridacna and now all over. Save yourself a potential headache. __________________ MOLON LABE - King Leonidas I A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take everything you have. – Barry Goldwater Current Tank Info: Semi agressive reef-400 gal.-8 tangs,2 rabbit fish,zebra moray,blue ribbon eel,Janss' pipe,pair bangaiis,wrasse,tomato clown,maroon clown

01/24/2010, 09:44 PM	#7
spleify Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 9,579	Yeah thats aiptasia unfortunately I have had good luck boiling vinegar and injecting them with a needle and syringe. They disolve almost instantly. __________________ Make it a Great Day!!!! Current Tank Info: 60 gal SPS cube, with 25 gal refugium, 400W MH, DIY Lumenarc III, DIY skimmer, DIY stand and canopy. 40 breeder LPS with 40 gallon sump, DIY stand, 250W MH

01/24/2010, 09:55 PM	#11
Flipper62 Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Naperville, Il. Business Owner, President & CEO Posts: 3,045	You really dont want to scrape them. If you dont get it all.... it will just come back. I have had good luck with Joes Juice or Aipstasia X. __________________ If todays automobile had followed the same development as the computer, A Rolls Royce would cost $100.00. It would get a million miles per gallon, but it would explode once a year killing everyone inside." Current Tanks... 90 gal Reef... My awesome Office BioCube....( 180 was on hold ..no time ) ... The 180 gal has been sold...Yay..yay..yay. Hobby Experience: 19 years Reef...22 years FW

01/24/2010, 10:15 PM	#13
Eric the half-bee Passer of gasses Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Space Coast, FL Posts: 837	Matt, can you place the leather on the rock it came on in another tank or QT? That would assure them not taking hold in your DT. __________________ MOLON LABE - King Leonidas I A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take everything you have. – Barry Goldwater Current Tank Info: Semi agressive reef-400 gal.-8 tangs,2 rabbit fish,zebra moray,blue ribbon eel,Janss' pipe,pair bangaiis,wrasse,tomato clown,maroon clown

01/24/2010, 09:39 PM	#4
J Nguyen Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Chandler, AZ Posts: 120	Yes those are Aipstasias, you have many options to get rid of them though; you could try Joes Juice or Aipstasia X also Lemon concentrate and Boiling water injected with a syringe works as well. Peppermint shrimps are also a very good long term solution but its a hit and miss with them.

01/24/2010, 09:40 PM	#5
electrodude Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: cicero Posts: 537	try to scrape them off first. they all look accessible.

01/24/2010, 09:42 PM	#6
BizMike Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Dumfries, VA Posts: 46	Yes - and plenty of it. I've had some success with dropping a glob of kalkwasser paste on it (don't do too many at once, it raises pH). If you don't have any, shooting it up with lemon juice or boiling water can help, although I've had it come back after the boiling water. You can stop it from coming back by sealing it's hole with epoxy after it retreats. It might come up another hole in a few days, and you might have to try again, but eventually it will taper off. Good luck!

01/24/2010, 09:47 PM	#9
porschefan Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: South Florida Posts: 66	Yup certainly is, Aipstasia X works well but it's a pain as they keep popping up. I bought a Peppermint shrimp which worked flawlessly for my 55 Gal. Got rid of it recently after the shrimp started on my Snails, not seen Aiptasia since tho.

01/24/2010, 10:12 PM	#12
Matt0676 Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Tucson AZ Posts: 296	Ok, for now I took it out and injected the heads with lemon juice. They pretty much dissolved and/or fell off the rock right away. I can't believe how fast it spreads! I just put it in my tank last night and there was already a head in the sand. Is it possible to relocate the leather to a different rock and get rid of this piece?

01/24/2010, 11:55 PM	#15
Daimyo68 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: North Palm Beach, FL Posts: 2,270	Aiptasia for sure. From the picture, the rock looks to be little. Just remove it from the tank, frag that leather off and attach it to another rock. What kind of leather is it? Leathers are very resilient, and you should have no problems cutting it off at the base and moving to a new rock. If you want to keep that rock, get a small tank/container, etc. and kill off all the aip's before putting it back into the tank. If the rock is that small, I would personally either just toss it and get another one, or leave it out to dry and then next time you cook some rock you cn add that to the batch. __________________ 120g, 50g Sump, SRO XP2000i, MP40W x2, DIY Hybrid LED/T5 Fixture, Apex PBMAS VP 2010-11 PBMAS 2017 President

01/25/2010, 12:34 AM	#17
Daimyo68 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: North Palm Beach, FL Posts: 2,270	Got a picture of the leather? You can try to "pry" it off. Sometimes they will come off and sometimes not. If you cannot pry it off the rock, then you will need to cut it off. I would suggest watching some videos if you've never cut/fragged anything before. You want to do it correctly so as not to stress the coral too much. If you manage to get if of by prying it, then go get crazy glue Gel. Make sure you get the correct one. It must be the gel kind and have Cyanoacrylate as the active ingredient. If your nervous about trying the procedure, get in touch with a local reefer who is willing to do it for you, and watch and learn. You could also ask your LFS to do it. __________________ 120g, 50g Sump, SRO XP2000i, MP40W x2, DIY Hybrid LED/T5 Fixture, Apex PBMAS VP 2010-11 PBMAS 2017 President

01/25/2010, 04:13 PM	#19
MIIKE Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Land O Lakes, Florida USA Posts: 63	Peppermint shrimps are the easiest way I have found to get rid of them. I had 50+ aiptasias in my 90gal, I put 10 peps in, and about a week later they were all gone. They make a cool addition to your CUC mine are always picking at the rocks and eating what ever food the fish leave behind. __________________ Mike Current Tank Info: 90 gallon drilled, Eshopps R-100 refugium/sump, Jebao DCP 10,000 return pump, 2- Jebao OW25 wave makers, 2- AI Hydra HD 26, Bubble Magnus NAC 6 skimmer, 250 watt Eheim/Jager heater w/ Ink Bird 308 controller, 2- Phosban-150 reactors - GFO & Carbon

01/25/2010, 05:29 PM	#20
drewp808 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: HONOLULU Posts: 143	wow i cant believe he/she sold it to you like that, i hipe the leather looks nice. +1 aiptasia x, but since you just got it take the rock out and get them good. also i would QT it for a little while just incase they spawn before you kill them all

01/25/2010, 06:05 PM	#21
Octoshark Marine Biology Student Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: California Posts: 1,366	Lol, sorry for laughing but that was actually pretty funny, I wasn't expecting to see such a large colony I don't know why it would ever be sold to you like that. Try all the methods above except the recommendation of scraping them off: dont do that __________________ "Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal."