Eradicating Aptaisa naturally...

Reeferon · 06/13/2008, 06:59 PM

I am looking to completely eradicate aptaisa from my tank.
I got rid of my bubble algae the natural way (fish and crabs) and I would like to do the same for aptaisa.

I know that I can get a copperbanded butterfly; but he will get his *** kicked in my tank.
I know I can get peppermint shrimps, and I will be getting a few in there as soon as I get rid of the Lion Fish.

So what else can i do?

jgillard · 06/13/2008, 07:18 PM

Berghia Nudibranches is the best way.

http://www.coralscaping.com/berghia_1.html

Reeferon · 06/13/2008, 07:24 PM

seems a little too good to be true.

but i will buy some anyways

jgillard · 06/13/2008, 07:41 PM

They are the real thing. That company that I sent you is concentrating completely on these berghia. (The website is a bit outdated I think) You should find them in your lfs soon. They are breeding them on large scale for distribution.

hyndu · 06/13/2008, 07:48 PM

when in doubt.... feed more

ZCCRX · 06/13/2008, 08:00 PM

Peppermint shrimp work very well for me, and at three bucks each, they are an effective cheaper alternative to the berghia's. However, like you said, the lion might have to take a vacation.

wiscsaltwater · 06/13/2008, 08:19 PM

boiling water and a syringe injected into the anemone is about as natural as i know of...its water!

jgillard · 06/13/2008, 08:35 PM

I think the bergia would be good for those hard to reach aiptasia!

I do not have a single aiptasia in my reef tank so it does not matter to me. I used to inject vinegar into them when I had my old tank. Worked like a charm.

SW_nOOb_SC · 06/13/2008, 09:14 PM

My peppermint shrimp worked for me. But its really a hit or miss with them. Sometimes if they taste the good hand fed food they won't touch aptasia.

VivaBorg · 06/13/2008, 09:26 PM

a few people on my local board have had amazing success using Scats. A brackish fish that can be acclimated to saltwater and they love aptasia but dont touch corals

sassafrass · 06/13/2008, 09:30 PM

VivaBorg could you send me that address?
Lee

shikhyung · 06/13/2008, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by VivaBorg
a few people on my local board have had amazing success using Scats. A brackish fish that can be acclimated to saltwater and they love aptasia but dont touch corals

Curious to know the link too.

justsomeguy · 06/13/2008, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by wiscsaltwater
boiling water and a syringe injected into the anemone is about as natural as i know of...its water!

I have used boiling water and had great success. But, I have one aptasia that I've injected with boiling water several times, and minutes later it's back like nothing happened! I actually blasted it twice today, I just looked and it's still there!

ReefEnabler · 06/14/2008, 12:46 AM

I have succesfully killed several aiptasia using concentrated kalk paste. the key is to make it barely even liquid enough to grab using a syringe. Go to a medical supply store and buy a 30cc syringe. fill a shot glass halfway with pure kalk powder. add just enough water to mix the stuff into a semi-liquid paste. the less water the better.

suck up the paste with a syringe and inject it directly over the aiptasia, making sure to completely cover the area around it by about 1/2". you need the fill whatever crevise it retracted into. If you can surprise it somehow, more the better.

If the paste is thick enough, it will not make a mess of the water, it will basically become a little hard deposit for a week or so. Then when it dissolves away naturally, the aiptasia is gone (at least it worked for me).

ShadyDetective · 06/14/2008, 01:26 AM

salt mix + buffer + water microwaved to a boil (hot brine) then inject those buggers. Worked better than anything else I've tried. The paste would be my second choice. Also turn off your pumps for a few minutes b4 injecting. Nudis, scarlet hermits, and shrimp always seem to leave one anem behind.

cloak · 06/14/2008, 03:20 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by justsomeguy
I have used boiling water and had great success. But, I have one aptasia that I've injected with boiling water several times, and minutes later it's back like nothing happened! I actually blasted it twice today, I just looked and it's still there!

Great avatar.

"Maybe I'm all messed up, maybe I'm all messed up, maybe I'm all messed up in you. Maybe I'm all messed up?"

cloak · 06/14/2008, 03:48 AM

Off topic, sorry.

abulgin · 06/14/2008, 06:29 AM

My secret weapon is my Copper Ban Butterfly. He's totally wiped out all Aiptasia in my display. But I have some in my fuge and sump. My secret weapon for that is to buy Joe's Juice, keep the syringe and throw out the worthless product, squeeze juice from a lemon, suck it up with the Joe's Juice syring and squirt the lemon juice on the Aiptasia. They melt in front of your eyes--no lie.

dzeadow · 06/14/2008, 06:38 AM

someone local to me said he takes out the rock w/ the aiptasia on it and drips some green tabasco on it (vinegar?) and it kills 'em no problem. It even whitens the corraline on the rock I guess. I've never seen it, and it was the first I'd ever heard of it, but if it works... I guess the trick is to take the rock out though

blulite · 06/14/2008, 06:51 AM

Berghia rock!!! I put 5 in my 125 gallon, and three months later no Aptaisa.

abulgin · 06/14/2008, 06:53 AM

The problems with Berghia are (i) they are expensive, (ii) they don't always work--sometimes they just disappear in your tank, and (iii) once they eat all the Aiptasia, they die.

nattydread · 06/14/2008, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by wiscsaltwater
boiling water and a syringe injected into the anemone is about as natural as i know of...its water!

I will vouch for this. I just torched a few of them in my tank.

wiscsaltwater · 06/14/2008, 09:31 AM

Quote:

I have used boiling water and had great success. But, I have one aptasia that I've injected with boiling water several times, and minutes later it's back like nothing happened! I actually blasted it twice today, I just looked and it's still there!

you must be doing something not right, freshly boiling water injected directly into the body of the anemone will kill them every time, theres no way they can survive through a syringe full of it burning their insides out. Ive done it to probably 100 aptasia in mine and friends systems and never had one live. Now the problem lies in the fact that some are in areas you cant get to with a syringe, and you must get it into the anemone, not on it.

In hard to reach areas get some pep shrimp, or some nudis but the problem with nudis is they only eat aptasia and will starve once the aptasia is gone, unless you have a reef club you could pass them around in.

DiazE · 06/14/2008, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ZCCRX
Peppermint shrimp work very well for me, and at three bucks each, they are an effective cheaper alternative to the berghia's. However, like you said, the lion might have to take a vacation.

I second the peppermint shrimp - I had two the came on my TBS liverock and they disappeared with my peppermint.

shikhyung · 06/14/2008, 03:35 PM

salt mix + buffer + water microwaved to a boil (hot brine) then inject those buggers.[/QUOTE]
detail instruction please.

06/13/2008, 06:59 PM	#1
Reeferon Moved On Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Gainesville Posts: 748	Eradicating Aptaisa naturally... I am looking to completely eradicate aptaisa from my tank. I got rid of my bubble algae the natural way (fish and crabs) and I would like to do the same for aptaisa. I know that I can get a copperbanded butterfly; but he will get his *** kicked in my tank. I know I can get peppermint shrimps, and I will be getting a few in there as soon as I get rid of the Lion Fish. So what else can i do?

06/13/2008, 08:19 PM	#7
wiscsaltwater Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 429	boiling water and a syringe injected into the anemone is about as natural as i know of...its water! __________________ I have a 10g tank, how many tangs can i keep in it? Current Tank Info: 550g salt, 55g salt, 29g salt

06/13/2008, 09:14 PM	#9
SW_nOOb_SC Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Columbia SC Posts: 145	My peppermint shrimp worked for me. But its really a hit or miss with them. Sometimes if they taste the good hand fed food they won't touch aptasia. __________________ -Matt

06/14/2008, 12:46 AM	#14
ReefEnabler Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 3,760	I have succesfully killed several aiptasia using concentrated kalk paste. the key is to make it barely even liquid enough to grab using a syringe. Go to a medical supply store and buy a 30cc syringe. fill a shot glass halfway with pure kalk powder. add just enough water to mix the stuff into a semi-liquid paste. the less water the better. suck up the paste with a syringe and inject it directly over the aiptasia, making sure to completely cover the area around it by about 1/2". you need the fill whatever crevise it retracted into. If you can surprise it somehow, more the better. If the paste is thick enough, it will not make a mess of the water, it will basically become a little hard deposit for a week or so. Then when it dissolves away naturally, the aiptasia is gone (at least it worked for me). __________________ - Ryan B "that is enough skimmate to ruin lives." - GSMguy Current Tank Info: 220g Display, 70g sump, 35g frag, 50g fuge, 2x250w MH, 1x400w MH, 2x80w T5, 2x140w VHO Actinic

06/14/2008, 06:38 AM	#19
dzeadow Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bozeman, MT Posts: 2,589	someone local to me said he takes out the rock w/ the aiptasia on it and drips some green tabasco on it (vinegar?) and it kills 'em no problem. It even whitens the corraline on the rock I guess. I've never seen it, and it was the first I'd ever heard of it, but if it works... I guess the trick is to take the rock out though __________________ - Danny Current Tank Info: Dual 50 Breeder system, 30g custom sump/fuge, MSX200, Tank1-6x24T5 retro, Tank2-4x39T5 retro

06/13/2008, 07:18 PM	#2
jgillard Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Brooklin, On. Canada Posts: 142	Berghia Nudibranches is the best way. http://www.coralscaping.com/berghia_1.html

06/13/2008, 07:24 PM	#3
Reeferon Moved On Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Gainesville Posts: 748	seems a little too good to be true. but i will buy some anyways

06/13/2008, 07:41 PM	#4
jgillard Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Brooklin, On. Canada Posts: 142	They are the real thing. That company that I sent you is concentrating completely on these berghia. (The website is a bit outdated I think) You should find them in your lfs soon. They are breeding them on large scale for distribution.

06/13/2008, 07:48 PM	#5
hyndu Moved On Join Date: May 2007 Location: G-ville, FL Posts: 70	when in doubt.... feed more

06/13/2008, 08:00 PM	#6
ZCCRX Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 71	Peppermint shrimp work very well for me, and at three bucks each, they are an effective cheaper alternative to the berghia's. However, like you said, the lion might have to take a vacation.

06/13/2008, 08:35 PM	#8
jgillard Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Brooklin, On. Canada Posts: 142	I think the bergia would be good for those hard to reach aiptasia! I do not have a single aiptasia in my reef tank so it does not matter to me. I used to inject vinegar into them when I had my old tank. Worked like a charm.

06/13/2008, 09:26 PM	#10
VivaBorg Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: South East Michigan, USA Posts: 190	a few people on my local board have had amazing success using Scats. A brackish fish that can be acclimated to saltwater and they love aptasia but dont touch corals

06/13/2008, 09:30 PM	#11
sassafrass Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: capitola ca Posts: 1,729	VivaBorg could you send me that address? Lee

06/14/2008, 01:26 AM	#15
ShadyDetective Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: 305 Posts: 29	salt mix + buffer + water microwaved to a boil (hot brine) then inject those buggers. Worked better than anything else I've tried. The paste would be my second choice. Also turn off your pumps for a few minutes b4 injecting. Nudis, scarlet hermits, and shrimp always seem to leave one anem behind.

06/14/2008, 03:48 AM	#17
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	Off topic, sorry.

06/14/2008, 06:29 AM	#18
abulgin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 2,664	My secret weapon is my Copper Ban Butterfly. He's totally wiped out all Aiptasia in my display. But I have some in my fuge and sump. My secret weapon for that is to buy Joe's Juice, keep the syringe and throw out the worthless product, squeeze juice from a lemon, suck it up with the Joe's Juice syring and squirt the lemon juice on the Aiptasia. They melt in front of your eyes--no lie.

06/14/2008, 06:51 AM	#20
blulite Premium Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL Posts: 29	Berghia rock!!! I put 5 in my 125 gallon, and three months later no Aptaisa.

06/14/2008, 06:53 AM	#21
abulgin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 2,664	The problems with Berghia are (i) they are expensive, (ii) they don't always work--sometimes they just disappear in your tank, and (iii) once they eat all the Aiptasia, they die.

06/14/2008, 03:35 PM	#25
shikhyung Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Ca Posts: 1,310	salt mix + buffer + water microwaved to a boil (hot brine) then inject those buggers.[/QUOTE] detail instruction please.