Killing Apstasia near Corals

[greenmonkey51]

I have a few small apstasia's. I'm gonna get some pickling lime today to kill them with. A couple though are near some sps. Do I need to move the sps or will they be fine.

[cmm1970]

Before you use the kalk, consider Aptasia-X from Red Sea. I used it this weekend and was very impressed. No scary chemistry havoc with this stuff.

[spleify]

From my understanding Aiptasia X is Kalk, and a proprietary ingredient, so they can sell it under there name. I don't know this for sure but that is what I have read.

I have used Kalk, and it seemed to work well for me. I used it right next to SPS corals and had no issues. Just try and avoid getting it directly on the corals.
Besides you can get a big ol jug of pickling lime for like $3 and then you can use it for your top off too afterward.

HTH

Spleify

[tkeracer619]

Aptasia-x is kalk mixed with glue and some flavoring agent that gets the aptasia to eat it as far as I understand. When the aptasia eats it the glue seals up its mouth with the kalk inside. For best results the bottle needs to be new and the flow needs to be turned off for 10 or so minutes.

The sad thing is....... they come back. Almost every time.

Do yourself a favor and stop by the pharmacy for an insuline syringe. Fill it with some liquid calcium/thin kalk mix, feed the aptasia so it cant retract (if its in a hole or hard to reach place) and put the needle into the stalk, inject, no more aptasia. It won't come back.

[spleify]

tkeracer, do you leave the needle on the syringe?

I have always just made a really thick paste then covered the aiptasia. But I like the idea of injecting it.

Thanks

Spleify

[mc-cro]

I have used a needle and syringe for along time. Just jab the needle into the oral disk in inject. but I usually inject a 50/50 mix of boiling water and vinegar. It kills them instantly, they usually just let go of the rock and float off, or kinda just fall apart right there in the rock. dead everytime. 100% kill rate if you hit with the boiling vinegar.

If it retracts back into the rock, you can still follow it in with the needle

[cmm1970]

I have had the same experience using kalk mix even a thick paste with the aptasia coming back. I think this result is to be expected with any method. That has been my experience at least. I have used kalk paste/solution, injected into the aptaisa and had a percentage regrow. I have injected with HCl with better results, but wrecked my tank's buffer/alkalinity, and I have tried the aptasia X. Having just used it 36 hours ago, I can't say what regrowth rate I'll see, but I am sure that expecting 100% eradication is a little optimistic.

The kalk paste clogs insulin syringes so if you go that route, you'll need to mix a strong solution. I used a 10cc IV push syringe with a 12ga. Luhr Lock cannulus to dispense the paste. This method worked better than insulin syringes and the kalk solution.

Fiddle with all but the HCl method and see what you think works best. Don't dismiss the Aptasia X product though. I picked it up on good word from another reefer that has been around the block and he liked it also.

Good luck,
Mike

[tami1024]

I have always had good luck with peppermint shrimp cleaning up those nasty things.

[spleify]

Whats HCI?

Thanks

Spleify

[Klix]

I'd try peppermint shrinp.