Live rock covered in aiptasia

noclue111 · 08/26/2011, 10:49 AM

I have about 70lbs of life rock covered in aiptasia, im currently setting up a 180 gallon and I am terrified of getting any into my dt, I want to have all the live rock in a rubbermaid container, will i run into any problems with aiptasia leeching into the dt if i have both my drains go into the rubbermaid container and then go through a bulkhead into my sump? I plan on using some kind of filter material on a drip tray in my sump..Is there any chance of this aiptasia going through the filter material and getting sucked up into my dt?

Mel-E-Mel · 08/26/2011, 10:51 AM

I wouldnt risk it. They will show up eventually.

campos · 08/26/2011, 11:16 AM

get rid of that rock. Trade it for some rock with no aiptasia. I tried that and now i have an ongoing battle with aiptasia

expatgoalie · 08/26/2011, 11:22 AM

...either that or dry the rock first and re-cure once everything is dead...

TruReef · 08/26/2011, 11:31 AM

Bleach it, scrub it, rinse it, let it dry, then re-seed it with some clean live rock and into the 180. No more aiptasia.

noclue111 · 08/26/2011, 12:27 PM

:/, i was hoping this would work..I currently have 200lbs of marco rocks in the dt, would boiling the rocks kill off the aiptasia?

ReeferBill · 08/26/2011, 12:31 PM

I don't think you have to boil your rocks but drying in the sun sunds like a good and doable fix....

expatgoalie · 08/26/2011, 12:33 PM

It'll kill the aiptasia, but putting it right back in the tank may very likely send your tank into a mini-cycle again. I'd be worried about that especially if you have livestock in there...

ReeferBill · 08/26/2011, 12:37 PM

A quicker way would be to make a bath of very strong kalkwasseur , so strong it will burn off all the aptasia and hopefully not kill all good bacteria... Rinse well and back into sump.. Redunk if there are any survivers..Good Luck and keep us posted.....

Where thick rubber gloves so you do not burn your hands and arms!

EnderG60 · 08/26/2011, 12:38 PM

dont risk it, I used all dry rock in my setup and put one frag in that had one single small aptasia on it that I forgot to kill.

2 years later Im still battling those little bastards!

noclue111 · 08/26/2011, 12:42 PM

Well, the tank doesnt have any water and im not in that big of a rush, so if i set up my old 20 gallon and filled it with saltwater can i just cover the rocks in aiptasia X and let them sit for a day or two?

tommy tomato · 08/26/2011, 01:21 PM

grow some berghias in your sump... http://www.reeftown.com/

noclue111 · 08/26/2011, 02:58 PM

so if i put all the aiptasia covered rocks into a rubbermaid container and have the water from the container go through a filter material, and have a few of those berghia's do you think i will run into any problems?

socalsalttank · 08/26/2011, 06:43 PM

I had successfull killed them by injecting with joe juice.

Snausy · 08/26/2011, 08:01 PM

Joe's Juice for the big ones and a nice matted filefish for all the rest. Give him a month or two and they will all be gone. He'll eat any that try to get started again. All he does all day long in my tank is look for new aips to show up. He's dissappointed these days...but I'm sure not.

btw, if you don't care about the LR and don't have it in your DT yet you should just let it all dry out and reseed it imho. Don't even mess around with aips...they are like cockroaches...remarkably resistant to being exterminated.

My filefish was my saving grace or I would've broken it all down and quit the hobby.

T Diddy · 08/26/2011, 08:17 PM

Sell it to local reefers or FOWLR keepers and then just buy some new rock

JohnM99 · 08/26/2011, 08:56 PM

1+ on the filefish
One of the coolest fish anyway - and munches up the aiptasia like candy

Snausy · 08/26/2011, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnM99

1+ on the filefish
One of the coolest fish anyway - and munches up the aiptasia like candy

Couldn't agree more. They are supposed to be shy? Not mine! He's up in front begging for food right alongside my trigger, tusk and puffer. Totally cool cammo pattern.

One of my best fish ever for what he is and more importantly what he does.

Snausy · 08/26/2011, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T Diddy

Sell it to local reefers or FOWLR keepers and then just buy some new rock

I would've never even thought of pushing LR infested with aips on other reefers/keepers. That's just cold. I'm 100% sure that my filefish would chomp them down eventually but I'd still not do it. Hate aips so much.

sanchoy · 08/27/2011, 01:29 AM

once aiptasia is in your DT its an ongoing battle.. It will not go away unless you tear your tank down.. matted filefish is a good aiptasia eater.. he keeps them at bay.. along with the copperband.

T Diddy · 08/27/2011, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snausy

I would've never even thought of pushing LR infested with aips on other reefers/keepers. That's just cold. I'm 100% sure that my filefish would chomp them down eventually but I'd still not do it. Hate aips so much.

LOL hey, you never know who might be interested. The OP could also start a berghia breeding operation

jdm18honda · 08/27/2011, 07:12 AM

filefish and copperband did mine in a month

bclever · 09/12/2011, 10:39 AM

Blue faced angel and copperband butterfly will clean the tank of all
aiptasia. Alas the angel will move onto zooanthids and other corals.

08/26/2011, 10:49 AM	#1
noclue111 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Southern, NH Posts: 13	Live rock covered in aiptasia I have about 70lbs of life rock covered in aiptasia, im currently setting up a 180 gallon and I am terrified of getting any into my dt, I want to have all the live rock in a rubbermaid container, will i run into any problems with aiptasia leeching into the dt if i have both my drains go into the rubbermaid container and then go through a bulkhead into my sump? I plan on using some kind of filter material on a drip tray in my sump..Is there any chance of this aiptasia going through the filter material and getting sucked up into my dt?

08/26/2011, 11:31 AM	#5
TruReef Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Fruit Cove, FL Posts: 617	Bleach it, scrub it, rinse it, let it dry, then re-seed it with some clean live rock and into the 180. No more aiptasia. __________________ The Dude abides. I don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners. Current Tank Info: AGA 180g mixed reef, 60" Sunpower 8 bulb, SRO-3000int

08/26/2011, 12:31 PM	#7
ReeferBill Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 1,906	Aptasia I don't think you have to boil your rocks but drying in the sun sunds like a good and doable fix.... __________________ I never realized I had to be a Chemist and a Marine Biologist to maintain a Reef Aquarium!

08/26/2011, 12:37 PM	#9
ReeferBill Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 1,906	Aptasia? A quicker way would be to make a bath of very strong kalkwasseur , so strong it will burn off all the aptasia and hopefully not kill all good bacteria... Rinse well and back into sump.. Redunk if there are any survivers..Good Luck and keep us posted..... Where thick rubber gloves so you do not burn your hands and arms! __________________ I never realized I had to be a Chemist and a Marine Biologist to maintain a Reef Aquarium!

08/26/2011, 08:01 PM	#15
Snausy Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 907	Joe's Juice for the big ones and a nice matted filefish for all the rest. Give him a month or two and they will all be gone. He'll eat any that try to get started again. All he does all day long in my tank is look for new aips to show up. He's dissappointed these days...but I'm sure not. btw, if you don't care about the LR and don't have it in your DT yet you should just let it all dry out and reseed it imho. Don't even mess around with aips...they are like cockroaches...remarkably resistant to being exterminated. My filefish was my saving grace or I would've broken it all down and quit the hobby. __________________ A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way. -Mark Twain Current Tank Info: 300gal FOWLR- Emperor Angel, Rainbow Wrasse, Green Bird Wrasse, Dogface Puffer, Niger Trigger, Flame Hawkfish, Matted Filefish 150 Turbosnails that only come out at night! :D

08/26/2011, 10:51 AM	#2
Mel-E-Mel Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Shark City San Jose, CA Posts: 1,950	I wouldnt risk it. They will show up eventually.

08/26/2011, 11:16 AM	#3
campos Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Bay Area/San Ramon Posts: 546	get rid of that rock. Trade it for some rock with no aiptasia. I tried that and now i have an ongoing battle with aiptasia

08/26/2011, 11:22 AM	#4
expatgoalie Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Central NH Posts: 52	...either that or dry the rock first and re-cure once everything is dead...

08/26/2011, 12:27 PM	#6
noclue111 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Southern, NH Posts: 13	:/, i was hoping this would work..I currently have 200lbs of marco rocks in the dt, would boiling the rocks kill off the aiptasia?

08/26/2011, 12:33 PM	#8
expatgoalie Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Central NH Posts: 52	It'll kill the aiptasia, but putting it right back in the tank may very likely send your tank into a mini-cycle again. I'd be worried about that especially if you have livestock in there...

08/26/2011, 12:38 PM	#10
EnderG60 Plumbing Engineer Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Atlanta GA Posts: 3,260	dont risk it, I used all dry rock in my setup and put one frag in that had one single small aptasia on it that I forgot to kill. 2 years later Im still battling those little bastards!

08/26/2011, 12:42 PM	#11
noclue111 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Southern, NH Posts: 13	Well, the tank doesnt have any water and im not in that big of a rush, so if i set up my old 20 gallon and filled it with saltwater can i just cover the rocks in aiptasia X and let them sit for a day or two?

08/26/2011, 01:21 PM	#12
tommy tomato Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Sunrise fl Posts: 1,623	grow some berghias in your sump... http://www.reeftown.com/

08/26/2011, 02:58 PM	#13
noclue111 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Southern, NH Posts: 13	so if i put all the aiptasia covered rocks into a rubbermaid container and have the water from the container go through a filter material, and have a few of those berghia's do you think i will run into any problems?

08/26/2011, 06:43 PM	#14
socalsalttank Moved On Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 59	I had successfull killed them by injecting with joe juice.

08/26/2011, 08:17 PM	#16
T Diddy Slayer of Mice Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Augusta, Ga Posts: 1,338	Sell it to local reefers or FOWLR keepers and then just buy some new rock __________________ America's best are not in America. Current Tank Info: 140 Gallon DSA in-wall, foam/rock wall, DIY LED, 40g sump, Precision Marine Skimmer, 100 gallon refugium, NO3, PO4,NH3/4 undetectable, Mg, Ca, KH...eeehhhhhh?

08/26/2011, 08:56 PM	#17
JohnM99 Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Victoria, BC, Canada Posts: 747	1+ on the filefish One of the coolest fish anyway - and munches up the aiptasia like candy

08/27/2011, 01:29 AM	#20
sanchoy Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Close to the ocean Posts: 1,026	once aiptasia is in your DT its an ongoing battle.. It will not go away unless you tear your tank down.. matted filefish is a good aiptasia eater.. he keeps them at bay.. along with the copperband. __________________ 250 gallon.. tangs are the best.. the po po is not. Current Tank Info: 250 reef

08/27/2011, 07:12 AM	#22
jdm18honda Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: jacksonville fl Posts: 327	filefish and copperband did mine in a month __________________ Chris from the middle of no where Current Tank Info: 110 rimless with 75 gallon sump/refuge and 24 gallon frag tank all custom by reef savvy

09/12/2011, 10:39 AM	#23
bclever Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 8	Blue faced angel and copperband butterfly will clean the tank of all aiptasia. Alas the angel will move onto zooanthids and other corals.

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