input needed,Aptaisa

pico1966 · 12/19/2009, 08:22 AM

I have a rather large aptaisa coming out of one of my LR .My bright idea is to wait till the lights are off,remove the rock carefully and boil the heck out of it,scrub it and put it back.i have approx 130 lbs of LR in a 90 gallon tank,the rock is about a 10 lb rock.What do you think?I dont want to go with the seringe,its in a hard place to get at.

mdntrdr · 12/19/2009, 08:24 AM

Why wait?

pico1966 · 12/19/2009, 08:27 AM

is it okay to do that?

cveverly · 12/19/2009, 08:31 AM

I would get it out asap. Boiling it should do the trick. I have found a butane lighter to be an effective way to eradicate them. Turns them into a little charcoal spot.

mdntrdr · 12/19/2009, 08:31 AM

Rather than remove it why not reposition it so you can use syringe?

sedor · 12/19/2009, 08:33 AM

If you can remove the rock do it and do it quick. Aiptasia are one of the most annoying parts of this hobby and i've been fighting them for years. Today i'm actually picking up a CBB (Copper Banded Butterfly) that I ordered as a last step in getting rid of my problem.

mdntrdr · 12/19/2009, 08:35 AM

Good luck with CBB.

I have a 3 1/2" has never touched Aptasia,,,,,,,,,RRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

fixx198 · 12/19/2009, 08:43 AM

if you can try Peppermint shrimp. they will eat aiptasia. they are also more hardy than copper band.

firebirdcrzy · 12/19/2009, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdntrdr

Why wait?

Agreed!! Do it and do it quick. I would also not recomend putting the rock back in the tank after boiling it as there will be dead organics and could cause a ammonia spike. Recure the rock.

bertoni · 12/19/2009, 05:00 PM

It's probably safer to cover the Aiptasia with some epoxy. Instead of boiling the rock, I'd just let it sick outside and dry out for a few days. If you're in a cold area, letting it freeze outside would do the trick, too. I'd be afraid of contamination when boiling it.

Cuby2k · 12/19/2009, 05:05 PM

Wow, boiling the rock seems a bit excessive. Aptasia are a normal part of the life cycle in a marine aquarium, yes they can get out of hand but why ruin a piece of rock to ensure death?

Joe's Juice is the cat's meow but it is over priced. There are plenty of options that can be administered via a syringe that are very effective in controlling the stuff.

Good luck!

danielsreef · 12/19/2009, 05:13 PM

I agree with cveverly. Remove the rock and use a butane BBQ lighter to burn it off. Guranteed gone, plus you get the satisfaction of watching it burn to death. I have done this on 4 seperate occasions. Never had a problem with a spike and never had a single one come back. This for me has been the only sure thing solution.

lordofthereef · 12/19/2009, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cuby2k

Wow, boiling the rock seems a bit excessive. Aptasia are a normal part of the life cycle in a marine aquarium, yes they can get out of hand but why ruin a piece of rock to ensure death?

Joe's Juice is the cat's meow but it is over priced. There are plenty of options that can be administered via a syringe that are very effective in controlling the stuff.

Good luck!

I wouldn't call them a normal part of the life cycle of a new tank at all. Normal would imply that everyone setting up a new tank gets them and that is simply not true.

purge43 · 12/19/2009, 05:50 PM

Im an apstasia killer too,look bevis its fire, fires cool.

lighthouze08 · 12/19/2009, 05:55 PM

i injected it with lemon juice and it was gone

Hartdude · 12/19/2009, 06:10 PM

I have four Peppermint Shrimp in my 75g, and haven't seen any aptasia in months.

I think that boiling the rock would be a last ditch effort instead of a first line defense. I think cveverly's butane lighter method would be less drastic in the long run, and help to preserve any of the beneficial goodies in your rock.

Cuby2k · 12/19/2009, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordofthereef

I wouldn't call them a normal part of the life cycle of a new tank at all. Normal would imply that everyone setting up a new tank gets them and that is simply not true.

Just you wait grasshopper.

JTL · 12/20/2009, 10:29 AM

I have used concentrated lemon juice in a syringe and it has worked every time. On a few occasions it took two doses but it is easy to do if you can reach the little beast.

Reefugee · 12/20/2009, 10:41 AM

If you boil the rock, you will kill everything on the rock. Beside bacteria, I don't know what other life form you have on the rock. I wouldn't consider boiling the rock. Like several people said, consider just using a butane lighter and spot cooking that aptasia. If you can inject the aptasia, you can also use vinegar. Unfortunately, I found that trying to inject them doesn't always work since I can't always reach them.

As far as controlling aptasia, I have had very good luck with peppermint shrimps. Since they are very cheap, I usually put a few (4-6) in my 120G tank. Peppermint shrimps are usually very shy, so don't be surprise if you never see them. If I see a new aptasia, I add 4-6 more peppermint shrimps. I also consider aptasia part of my cleaning crew, so they serve dual purposes. The only place I occasionally see aptasia now is in my overflow.

Good luck!
Minh

Lightsluvr · 12/20/2009, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sedor

If you can remove the rock do it and do it quick. Aiptasia are one of the most annoying parts of this hobby and i've been fighting them for years. Today i'm actually picking up a CBB (Copper Banded Butterfly) that I ordered as a last step in getting rid of my problem.

Unless you are really lucky, getting a CBB won't be your last step in fighting aiptasia... The CBB usually can't get to all of them in a tank (like your overflow) and only eats what's above the surface of the rock... they'll just keep coming back, and with a vengance...

If you have an infestation, get Berghia Nudibranchs...

Speaking from experience as a former aqua-farmer of glass anemones!

LL

extremeshocks · 12/20/2009, 04:16 PM

I never talk up any additive but joes juice worked awesome. I had a large aiptasia one shot of joes and it was gone. It has been about a month and still no return.

stevegt · 01/17/2010, 07:51 PM

I have a piece of green button polyp and seems i have way to many aptasia on it, i am not sure whether to use x or shrimp to get rid of them off this piece, my buttons have recently not been coming out much and sure the aptasia are the reason, sure not going to boil it or put out to dry or freeze so any help would be great.

thanks

Drewhop · 01/17/2010, 08:18 PM

I used lemon juice directed into mouth on a few and it wiped them out. The largers ones where back within two days. I local reef club member showed me how to make a kalkwasser paste it destroyed them very quickly and I have not seen any of them show back up in past week.

I guess using the paste can raise your ph but mine did not move at all.

julie180 · 01/17/2010, 08:28 PM

If you are going to take the rock out, get a chisel and hammer and just break off the part with the aptasia on it. Boiling seems like a really bad idea to me.

Jstdv8 · 01/17/2010, 09:16 PM

kalk paste is the way to go. even better (due to cost) is mrs wages pickling lime. Same thing as kalk and its 4 bucks for a lifetime supply of aiptaisa killing goodness. mix up a small amount with water and turn it into a paste. The thicker the paste the better as long as you can make it come out of a syrnge.
I like to gently touch the aip's tnetacles with the tip so it thinks its getting food and then blast it right in the face. once it retreats to its hole (they usually do, some never make it that far) i cover the entire thing with the paste and let it sit for 45 minutes. then take a turkey baster and suck the remaining paste and the evil pest out and dispose of it.
I dispatched over 300 on 100 lbs of infected LR I bought and after 2 months only has 2 come back (may those too RIP as well)
If you have alot of them only treat a couple at a time as the paste can cause a PH spike if you use alot of it.
I beleive this to be the best method because they cannot spread thier seed (wich they do once they get messed with) becuase I cover the whole face with the paste blocking the exit. also, by sucking them out of the hole it doesnt leave anything left of them to possibly grow anew.
Peppermint shrimp if used should not be of the californian species as apparently they don't eat aip's but I think the other one is from haiti or soemthing and they do. I keep a pepp in the tank for back up in case new ones were to pop up. also, they will not eat large ones so you will have to treat them on your own. with the paste or aiptasia x or whatever you choose.

Im with the other poster about removing the rock, i don't see a good reason to do this unless you were going to move it to anoteh tank for treatment so you ddnt get any excess paste in the tank if you're worried about that. but boiling is jsut going to kill all of the good stuff on the rock, and aiptasia isnt worth that for just 1 IMO

12/19/2009, 08:22 AM	#1
pico1966 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 103	input needed,Aptaisa I have a rather large aptaisa coming out of one of my LR .My bright idea is to wait till the lights are off,remove the rock carefully and boil the heck out of it,scrub it and put it back.i have approx 130 lbs of LR in a 90 gallon tank,the rock is about a 10 lb rock.What do you think?I dont want to go with the seringe,its in a hard place to get at.

12/19/2009, 08:24 AM	#2
mdntrdr Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Illinois Posts: 550	Why wait? __________________ Midnight Rider Current Tank Info: 220G. AGA ~ RR ~ SSB mixed reef ~ 40G. DSB sump/fuge ~ GFO and GAC reactors ~ 72" Aqualight Pro ~ MRC-MR2 Skimmer ~ THAT'S HOW I RIDE!!!!

12/19/2009, 08:31 AM	#5
mdntrdr Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Illinois Posts: 550	Rather than remove it why not reposition it so you can use syringe? __________________ Midnight Rider Current Tank Info: 220G. AGA ~ RR ~ SSB mixed reef ~ 40G. DSB sump/fuge ~ GFO and GAC reactors ~ 72" Aqualight Pro ~ MRC-MR2 Skimmer ~ THAT'S HOW I RIDE!!!!

12/19/2009, 08:33 AM	#6
sedor Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 4,689	If you can remove the rock do it and do it quick. Aiptasia are one of the most annoying parts of this hobby and i've been fighting them for years. Today i'm actually picking up a CBB (Copper Banded Butterfly) that I ordered as a last step in getting rid of my problem. __________________ Ryan

12/19/2009, 08:35 AM	#7
mdntrdr Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Illinois Posts: 550	Good luck with CBB. I have a 3 1/2" has never touched Aptasia,,,,,,,,,RRRRRRRRRRRRRR! __________________ Midnight Rider Current Tank Info: 220G. AGA ~ RR ~ SSB mixed reef ~ 40G. DSB sump/fuge ~ GFO and GAC reactors ~ 72" Aqualight Pro ~ MRC-MR2 Skimmer ~ THAT'S HOW I RIDE!!!!

12/19/2009, 08:27 AM	#3
pico1966 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 103	is it okay to do that?

12/19/2009, 08:31 AM	#4
cveverly Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Port Clinton, Oh Posts: 1,470	I would get it out asap. Boiling it should do the trick. I have found a butane lighter to be an effective way to eradicate them. Turns them into a little charcoal spot.

12/19/2009, 08:43 AM	#8
fixx198 Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Sarasota, FL Posts: 155	if you can try Peppermint shrimp. they will eat aiptasia. they are also more hardy than copper band.

12/19/2009, 05:00 PM	#10
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	It's probably safer to cover the Aiptasia with some epoxy. Instead of boiling the rock, I'd just let it sick outside and dry out for a few days. If you're in a cold area, letting it freeze outside would do the trick, too. I'd be afraid of contamination when boiling it. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

12/19/2009, 05:05 PM	#11
Cuby2k Cuby2k Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Salt Lake City Posts: 982	Wow, boiling the rock seems a bit excessive. Aptasia are a normal part of the life cycle in a marine aquarium, yes they can get out of hand but why ruin a piece of rock to ensure death? Joe's Juice is the cat's meow but it is over priced. There are plenty of options that can be administered via a syringe that are very effective in controlling the stuff. Good luck! __________________ Rod "Cuby" Current Tank Info: 180 display, 100 gal DIY fuge/sump, DIY skimmer.

12/19/2009, 05:13 PM	#12
danielsreef Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Lake Saint Louis, MO Posts: 72	I agree with cveverly. Remove the rock and use a butane BBQ lighter to burn it off. Guranteed gone, plus you get the satisfaction of watching it burn to death. I have done this on 4 seperate occasions. Never had a problem with a spike and never had a single one come back. This for me has been the only sure thing solution.

12/19/2009, 05:50 PM	#14
purge43 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: philadelphia, pa Posts: 435	Im an apstasia killer too,look bevis its fire, fires cool.

12/19/2009, 05:55 PM	#15
lighthouze08 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: VA Posts: 843	i injected it with lemon juice and it was gone

12/19/2009, 06:10 PM	#16
Hartdude Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Ashland, NE Posts: 342	I have four Peppermint Shrimp in my 75g, and haven't seen any aptasia in months. I think that boiling the rock would be a last ditch effort instead of a first line defense. I think cveverly's butane lighter method would be less drastic in the long run, and help to preserve any of the beneficial goodies in your rock.

12/20/2009, 10:29 AM	#18
JTL Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Venice Island, FL Posts: 2,532	I have used concentrated lemon juice in a syringe and it has worked every time. On a few occasions it took two doses but it is easy to do if you can reach the little beast. __________________ John 100 gallon DT and 50 gallon sump with refugium. Reefbreeders Photon V2+.

12/20/2009, 10:41 AM	#19
Reefugee Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Davis, CA Posts: 6,105	If you boil the rock, you will kill everything on the rock. Beside bacteria, I don't know what other life form you have on the rock. I wouldn't consider boiling the rock. Like several people said, consider just using a butane lighter and spot cooking that aptasia. If you can inject the aptasia, you can also use vinegar. Unfortunately, I found that trying to inject them doesn't always work since I can't always reach them. As far as controlling aptasia, I have had very good luck with peppermint shrimps. Since they are very cheap, I usually put a few (4-6) in my 120G tank. Peppermint shrimps are usually very shy, so don't be surprise if you never see them. If I see a new aptasia, I add 4-6 more peppermint shrimps. I also consider aptasia part of my cleaning crew, so they serve dual purposes. The only place I occasionally see aptasia now is in my overflow. Good luck! Minh

12/20/2009, 04:16 PM	#21
extremeshocks Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: utica ny Posts: 29	I never talk up any additive but joes juice worked awesome. I had a large aiptasia one shot of joes and it was gone. It has been about a month and still no return.

01/17/2010, 08:18 PM	#23
Drewhop Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Newark Ohio Posts: 52	I used lemon juice directed into mouth on a few and it wiped them out. The largers ones where back within two days. I local reef club member showed me how to make a kalkwasser paste it destroyed them very quickly and I have not seen any of them show back up in past week. I guess using the paste can raise your ph but mine did not move at all.

01/17/2010, 08:28 PM	#24
julie180 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Raymore, MO Posts: 2,556	If you are going to take the rock out, get a chisel and hammer and just break off the part with the aptasia on it. Boiling seems like a really bad idea to me.

01/17/2010, 09:16 PM	#25
Jstdv8 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Wasilla, Alaska Posts: 1,420	kalk paste is the way to go. even better (due to cost) is mrs wages pickling lime. Same thing as kalk and its 4 bucks for a lifetime supply of aiptaisa killing goodness. mix up a small amount with water and turn it into a paste. The thicker the paste the better as long as you can make it come out of a syrnge. I like to gently touch the aip's tnetacles with the tip so it thinks its getting food and then blast it right in the face. once it retreats to its hole (they usually do, some never make it that far) i cover the entire thing with the paste and let it sit for 45 minutes. then take a turkey baster and suck the remaining paste and the evil pest out and dispose of it. I dispatched over 300 on 100 lbs of infected LR I bought and after 2 months only has 2 come back (may those too RIP as well) If you have alot of them only treat a couple at a time as the paste can cause a PH spike if you use alot of it. I beleive this to be the best method because they cannot spread thier seed (wich they do once they get messed with) becuase I cover the whole face with the paste blocking the exit. also, by sucking them out of the hole it doesnt leave anything left of them to possibly grow anew. Peppermint shrimp if used should not be of the californian species as apparently they don't eat aip's but I think the other one is from haiti or soemthing and they do. I keep a pepp in the tank for back up in case new ones were to pop up. also, they will not eat large ones so you will have to treat them on your own. with the paste or aiptasia x or whatever you choose. Im with the other poster about removing the rock, i don't see a good reason to do this unless you were going to move it to anoteh tank for treatment so you ddnt get any excess paste in the tank if you're worried about that. but boiling is jsut going to kill all of the good stuff on the rock, and aiptasia isnt worth that for just 1 IMO