Aipstasia

[Giglio324]

Hey guys I'm seeing little sprouts of aipstasia sprouting in my tank. What can I do to eradicate these weeds early. Thank
Ps. I apologize if that is not the proper spelling of that nuisance coral

 

[Salty Cracker]

1) Be careful where you buy coral.  If the tanks are filled with aiptasia, go elsewhere.  (I wish I had listened to this advice a lot sooner too!).

2) Get some joes juice and hit each head as it comes up.  Some people have had luck with aiptasia-X and even vinegar in a syringe (except watch your PH!).  Joes juice worked perfectly for me, got rid of the unwelcome guests I picked up locally. 

3) Have a beer!


Unfortunately when you live rock/corals etc, you get all that come with them.  Dipping corals before you add them to the tank can definitely help with a lot (but not all) of the nasties.  Most people don't take the extra time to quarantine new additions, or dip, and they end up with a whole boatload of troubles sometimes.  On the plus side, aiptasia is sort of one of the easiest pests/problems to get rid of.

 

[Duke]

I hear kalk paste in a needle works really well too.

 

[AdamS]

Peppermint Shrimp. Do your research as there are a few species that look like peppermint and are not and will only cause you problems. I had about 20 aiptasia, some medium, some small, and the peppermint took care of everything within a couple days. Haven't seen one since.

 

[spyd]

If you are able to get the rock out, then do that and use a blow torch to kill them off. That is the BEST way to erradicate it all without a chance of it coming back. You have to be careful with Joe's Juice, Kalk, etc. They do work. However, if you don't apply it properly, the aiptasia will spawn and cause you even more of an issue.

If you have lots of Aiptasia, then Berghia Nudibranches work extremely well but they are pricey.

 

[Salty Cracker]

Gotta love the blow torch approach!

I originally tried the kalk method, but you have to smother the thing with the kalk paste, and it burns the crap out of everything near it.  Joes juice always seemed to just hit the aiptasia, and knock on wood, I never got a re-infestation.  At least for me, that's how I got rid of them, and after that I always bought clean deadrock, and set any corals I wasn't sure about on the substrate for a couple of weeks to watch. 

Funny thing is, the first time I saw an aiptasia, I was all "ooh neat a free thing growing on the rock!  Oooh look, it's already multiplying!" 

 

[AdamS]

Haha Salty, I remember liking them too! I recently got some Zoas to try (my tank is pretty much FOWLR to this point) from someone who did not want to give them to me because they had aiptasia on the rock. I said "not to worry my peppermint shrimp will love them". The next morning all aiptasia was gone. I love my Peppermint Shrimp.

I will say I tried the blow torch method and it is effective yet time consuming. By far tho, it is the most satisfying method of removal.

 

[Darryl_V]

That isnt me your talking about is it Adam  8)

I have problems with aiptasia (as do a lot of people).  I tried a copperband butterfly a few times in the past with no luck.  Peppermint shrimps are not a possibility because of my hurliquin tusk.  Kalk was only making the problem worse....you might have better luck if its a very small out break.  So for me I used berghia in the past.  They cleaned the tank up but all it takes is one bugger hiding somewhere the berghia didnt get before they die off.  So a few years since I used berghia and I'm forced to buy them again.  They work great though and I got a great deal from a guy in the US.    Last time they multiplied like mad in my tank and the problem was gone in about 3-4months.  I added the new ones a few weeks ago and havent seen them again but Im not worried.....my aiptasia are already starting to disappear.

 

[AdamS]

Sure was, I didn't know how much aiptasia you had or didn't have, so I left your name out.  Off topic, the zoas i got are doing well. I had kinda hoped they wouldn't because my wife has her eye on some at IA now. Anyone else have the problem where your wife is more addicted than you?

 

[Giglio324]

Is it a good or bad sign that these are growing i.e good implying my water quality is good or will aiptasia grow in toilet water. I like the sounds of the peppermint shrimp idea, i love buying new friends.

 

[Salty Cracker]

aiptasia will grow on old meatloaf. 

 

[unibob]

Can it spread through the water column?

 

[Salty Cracker]

aiptasia can spread through lead panels.

 

[Duke]

Can it spread through the water column?

if you scrape them or do something causing them to explode into pieces I think they can spread around the tank

 

[Seggsy]

I bought 100 lbs of live rock with hundreds of aipasia.  Two peppermint shrimp took care of 90% in less than 2 weeks.  There were a couple of big ones they wouldn't eat, which got a syringe of lemon juice - all gone, never came back! 

Think I still have one of the shrimp too - just hides in his cave, but he did his job, he can enjoy his retirement.

 

[chuckm]

Like a charm!  Like Napalm in the morning!

I hear kalk paste in a needle works really well too.

 

[xxmurrxx]

Like a charm!  Like Napalm in the morning!


[quote author=Duke link=topic=3358.msg28390#msg28390 date=1351003611]
I hear kalk paste in a needle works really well too.

[/quote]

Kalk paste = kalk and a little water mixed i'm assuming? or is there something else to it?

 

[AdInfinitum]

That isnt me your talking about is it Adam  8)

I have problems with aiptasia (as do a lot of people).  I tried a copperband butterfly a few times in the past with no luck.  Peppermint shrimps are not a possibility because of my hurliquin tusk.  Kalk was only making the problem worse....you might have better luck if its a very small out break.  So for me I used berghia in the past.  They cleaned the tank up but all it takes is one bugger hiding somewhere the berghia didnt get before they die off.  So a few years since I used berghia and I'm forced to buy them again.  They work great though and I got a great deal from a guy in the US.    Last time they multiplied like mad in my tank and the problem was gone in about 3-4months.  I added the new ones a few weeks ago and havent seen them again but Im not worried.....my aiptasia are already starting to disappear.

Ah-Ha!  My Copperband went wild over the branching Cyphastrea on the weekend.  So now I realize that the little bugger probably wiped out one of your exclusive "Brown-Swirl Anemones" that I had scored as a hitchhiker.

Seriously, before I had the Copperband, I used (carefully) Boiling water (hot plate and pot beside the tank) with a large syringe to cook them.  It worked very effectively.  The kalk method made them spread for me too.

 

[Bill@IA]

1) Be careful where you buy coral.  If the tanks are filled with aiptasia, go elsewhere.  (I wish I had listened to this advice a lot sooner too!).

2) Get some joes juice and hit each head as it comes up.  Some people have had luck with aiptasia-X and even vinegar in a syringe (except watch your PH!).  Joes juice worked perfectly for me, got rid of the unwelcome guests I picked up locally. 

3) Have a beer!


Unfortunately when you live rock/corals etc, you get all that come with them.  Dipping corals before you add them to the tank can definitely help with a lot (but not all) of the nasties.  Most people don't take the extra time to quarantine new additions, or dip, and they end up with a whole boatload of troubles sometimes.  On the plus side, aiptasia is sort of one of the easiest pests/problems to get rid of.

Joe's Juice hasn't been available for over a year due to the fact they are out of business.  At this point I would think anyone with the old stock has cleared it out.

Here is a great link, possibly a Sticky, with info and methods used to eradicate these pests. (Subtracting the method Joe's Juice of course)

http://www.reefsmagazine.com/forum/reefs-magazine/130103-pest-free-reefkeeping.html

 

[Salty Cracker]

Really??

Man, that's too bad, but not surprising.  Seems like the best stuff always seems to get replaced with products that either don't work, or cost a lot more.  Real fixes must not be profitable.  RIP Joe and your magic juice (eww that sounds wrong).