aiptasia in my overflows

gusto1 · 06/23/2008, 07:50 PM

I have a few aiptasia in my sump, they must have worked there wat up. now I can see them sticking out of my overflows slots. how do I get to them in there?

Thanks

Konadog · 06/23/2008, 09:04 PM

Is the overflow a built in one or HOB?

If it's built in, I would shut the tank down and redirect your drain line to a 5 gallon bucket. Use a tooth brush or scraper and wash as many as you can out, and dump the water down the toilet. Keep doing that until you think you have as many as you can. Rinse out the overflow with fresh water and reconnect everything.

garc19 · 06/23/2008, 09:28 PM

If you can get at them with a needle. I would shoot them with a mixture of water and kalkwasser.

gusto1 · 06/24/2008, 09:29 AM

it's a built in one, thats a good idea, of course I will try to get as many as I can but there will be a few I miss. is the any way to try to get rid of them completely?

Thanks

hyperfocal · 06/24/2008, 10:19 AM

I'd pull and replace the plumbing with new, and give the overflow box a good long soak in vinegar (or even muriatic acid).

bonzd67 · 06/24/2008, 08:23 PM

New plumbing would be an excellent idea, especially if it is not clear.... Even if you were to divert flow to a bucket, scraping is probably not a great idea. I've had some bad experiences in the past with portions of aiptasia taking root somewhere impossible to reach (and see...ie plumbing.) Try shooting them with some Joe's Juice. I erradicated some Majano's, and aiptasia with it, and have had no issues with damage to any other corals.

abulgin · 06/24/2008, 08:31 PM

Honestly, I wouldn't stress over them just yet. If you can remove them using the bucket technique, great but if you'll just end up scraping them into your tank, I would see where things go. I had a handful in my display about 6 months ago . . . and then I got a Copper Band Butterfly. My display is completely devoid of Aiptasia, but my sump and (especially) fuge are filled with them. As long as they don't get into my display, I'm leaving them.

gusto1 · 06/24/2008, 08:59 PM

I only see 1 in my display which I can use the joe's juice I have on that one, it's all of the ones I see stickng out of the overflow that I'm worried about. the funny thing is you really dont see them coming out unless I'm doing a water change and there is no flow going through. once I turn the overflows on again they seem to hide because of the flow. I just dont want to see them take over the tank.

Thanks

abulgin · 06/24/2008, 09:03 PM

If you don't have excess nutrients, they won't. One in the display is not a problem. 30 is a problem. In the future, you can save your money and use freshly squeezed lemon juice instead of Joe's.

mudskipper1 · 06/24/2008, 09:30 PM

Cant Aptasia be used as part of a biological filter, as long as they are not in your display, I wouldnt worry about them. You can use Joes Juice or Kalk on any that manage to get to you DT

ClarionAngel · 06/24/2008, 11:51 PM

Yea they can filter out detritus, but the real question is, how do you stop them from getting into your display?

grewbek · 06/25/2008, 05:46 AM

Hey abulgin, does the lemon juice really work? And do you need to squirt it into their orifice, or just at them? I mix up a kalk paste and heat it in the microwave to supersaturate it and it works, but I always get "new" ones so I'm not sure if the kalk paste (which looks EXACTLY like Joe's Juice underwater) really kills them, or just irritates them and makes them retract, then detach and look for a new home.

abulgin · 06/25/2008, 06:24 AM

I have had good success with lemon juice. I use the syringe that came with Joe's Juice and just squirt it all around the Aiptasia. They literally melt away before your eyes. I have had to repeat the process with larger Aiptasia, though, but I had to repeat the application of Joe's Juice multiple times.

gusto1 · 06/25/2008, 07:29 AM

Abulgin, will the lemon juice throw off my water parameters at all, I have a bunch in my sump. Should I use it on a couple a day for a few days?

maybe I'll add a little sugar for my nitrates at the same time so my fish can swim in some lemonade, it is the summer

Thanks

abulgin · 06/25/2008, 08:02 AM

It shouldn't anymore than Joe's Juice will. I've used it in my 30g with no ill effects. You'd be using such a small amount that I can't believe it would significantly change your params. You might want to dose with some buffer after if you're concerned.

Also, I have had better results when I turn my pumps off while I am squirting the lemon juice. This allows the acid to hover around the Aiptasia rather than being wisked away by the current.

06/23/2008, 07:50 PM	#1
gusto1 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Long Island, New York Posts: 622	aiptasia in my overflows I have a few aiptasia in my sump, they must have worked there wat up. now I can see them sticking out of my overflows slots. how do I get to them in there? Thanks __________________ Gus Current Tank Info: IM Fusion 20 Gallon Last edited by gusto1; 06/23/2008 at 08:35 PM.

06/23/2008, 09:04 PM	#2
Konadog Master of the 16 hour day Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: East Long Beach, So Cal Posts: 13,151 Blog Entries: 4	Is the overflow a built in one or HOB? If it's built in, I would shut the tank down and redirect your drain line to a 5 gallon bucket. Use a tooth brush or scraper and wash as many as you can out, and dump the water down the toilet. Keep doing that until you think you have as many as you can. Rinse out the overflow with fresh water and reconnect everything. __________________ Save the Reefs................................................................Save the world! -Ken Current Tank Info: Currently tankless, and loving it!

06/24/2008, 09:29 AM	#4
gusto1 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Long Island, New York Posts: 622	it's a built in one, thats a good idea, of course I will try to get as many as I can but there will be a few I miss. is the any way to try to get rid of them completely? Thanks __________________ Gus Current Tank Info: IM Fusion 20 Gallon

06/24/2008, 10:19 AM	#5
hyperfocal Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Edge of oblivion Posts: 1,708	I'd pull and replace the plumbing with new, and give the overflow box a good long soak in vinegar (or even muriatic acid). __________________ "Froth at the top, dregs at bottom, but the middle excellent." -- Voltaire Current Tank Info: getting back into the hobby

06/24/2008, 08:59 PM	#8
gusto1 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Long Island, New York Posts: 622	I only see 1 in my display which I can use the joe's juice I have on that one, it's all of the ones I see stickng out of the overflow that I'm worried about. the funny thing is you really dont see them coming out unless I'm doing a water change and there is no flow going through. once I turn the overflows on again they seem to hide because of the flow. I just dont want to see them take over the tank. Thanks __________________ Gus Current Tank Info: IM Fusion 20 Gallon

06/23/2008, 09:28 PM	#3
garc19 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 182	If you can get at them with a needle. I would shoot them with a mixture of water and kalkwasser.

06/24/2008, 08:23 PM	#6
bonzd67 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Glenside, PA Posts: 20	New plumbing would be an excellent idea, especially if it is not clear.... Even if you were to divert flow to a bucket, scraping is probably not a great idea. I've had some bad experiences in the past with portions of aiptasia taking root somewhere impossible to reach (and see...ie plumbing.) Try shooting them with some Joe's Juice. I erradicated some Majano's, and aiptasia with it, and have had no issues with damage to any other corals.

06/24/2008, 08:31 PM	#7
abulgin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 2,664	Honestly, I wouldn't stress over them just yet. If you can remove them using the bucket technique, great but if you'll just end up scraping them into your tank, I would see where things go. I had a handful in my display about 6 months ago . . . and then I got a Copper Band Butterfly. My display is completely devoid of Aiptasia, but my sump and (especially) fuge are filled with them. As long as they don't get into my display, I'm leaving them.

06/24/2008, 09:03 PM	#9
abulgin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 2,664	If you don't have excess nutrients, they won't. One in the display is not a problem. 30 is a problem. In the future, you can save your money and use freshly squeezed lemon juice instead of Joe's.

06/24/2008, 09:30 PM	#10
mudskipper1 Trust Me I'm an Engineer Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan Posts: 1,085	Cant Aptasia be used as part of a biological filter, as long as they are not in your display, I wouldnt worry about them. You can use Joes Juice or Kalk on any that manage to get to you DT __________________ -Eric kazyakphoto.zenfolio.com Current Tank Info: 11 gallon DIY acrylic cube and 20L displays plumbed to a single sump, Kessil, Onyx, MP10, RKL

06/24/2008, 11:51 PM	#11
ClarionAngel Moved On Join Date: May 2008 Location: South Carolina Posts: 34	Yea they can filter out detritus, but the real question is, how do you stop them from getting into your display?

06/25/2008, 05:46 AM	#12
grewbek Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Zionsville, IN Posts: 67	Hey abulgin, does the lemon juice really work? And do you need to squirt it into their orifice, or just at them? I mix up a kalk paste and heat it in the microwave to supersaturate it and it works, but I always get "new" ones so I'm not sure if the kalk paste (which looks EXACTLY like Joe's Juice underwater) really kills them, or just irritates them and makes them retract, then detach and look for a new home. __________________ If growing hair algae was an Olympic sport, I'd be a Gold Medalist! Current Tank Info: 275 gallon frag tank holding everything while the display tank gets designed/built

06/25/2008, 06:24 AM	#13
abulgin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 2,664	I have had good success with lemon juice. I use the syringe that came with Joe's Juice and just squirt it all around the Aiptasia. They literally melt away before your eyes. I have had to repeat the process with larger Aiptasia, though, but I had to repeat the application of Joe's Juice multiple times.

06/25/2008, 07:29 AM	#14
gusto1 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Long Island, New York Posts: 622	Abulgin, will the lemon juice throw off my water parameters at all, I have a bunch in my sump. Should I use it on a couple a day for a few days? maybe I'll add a little sugar for my nitrates at the same time so my fish can swim in some lemonade, it is the summer Thanks __________________ Gus Current Tank Info: IM Fusion 20 Gallon

06/25/2008, 08:02 AM	#15
abulgin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 2,664	It shouldn't anymore than Joe's Juice will. I've used it in my 30g with no ill effects. You'd be using such a small amount that I can't believe it would significantly change your params. You might want to dose with some buffer after if you're concerned. Also, I have had better results when I turn my pumps off while I am squirting the lemon juice. This allows the acid to hover around the Aiptasia rather than being wisked away by the current. Last edited by abulgin; 06/25/2008 at 08:12 AM.