Simple aiptasia control

[CloruroDiSodio]

Hi gang,

I'm starting to see a couple little aiptasia in my tank. There were also a few anemones that were hitchikers on my live rock. They still have the "glass anemone" look to them like aiptasia but their tentacles are thicker. Anyway two questions:
1 are these glass anemone types also bad,
2 instead of trying to inject chemicals into them couldn't I just bash one with an object (corner of a net, algae scrubber handle etc) to kill them then pull them out?

I'm kind of leary injecting any chemicals into the tank. Plus they retract fairly quickly.

[LoyalConvict]

you could always try the boiling water method by injecting it into thier "base" or column or "stalk" i wouldnt try squishing them

to quote- -

Reproduction: These anemones multiply asexually, reproducing in two ways -- by means of detaching tiny bits of tissue from the foot, which soon grow and mature into fully functional miniature anemones; by giving live birth to fully formed young, which they do by ejecting them from the mouth. Also having regenerative capabilities, pieces that remain behind or break loose from these anemones when you try to scape or pull them off will grow back again, or even develop into a few new ones.


Characteristics: Aiptasia when disturbed eject dangerous white stinging threads, or acontia. These prolific anemones can overrun an aquarium in a very short period of time by multiplying and spreading quickly. Competing for food and space, they have the capability to move about by creeping along rapidly, or detaching and drifting to a new location, which makes it easy for them to attack and kill other types of anemones, sea mats, zoanthids, polyps, most corals, and other sessile invertebrates.


also, i've battled these guys for 6 months and found that peppermint shrimp are the way to go to keep them under control from what i observed

[billdogg]

question 1 - probably bad but without picture kinda hard to say

question 2 - NO!!! that WILL NOT WORK!!! little bits can regenerate and then......you think you have a problem now? :-)

especially for just a few, get a syringe (i use 30ml) fill with boiling water, and cook 'em. you can usually find syringes and blunt needles at HD/Lowes or your local woodworking store. there are several products available, including the use of kalk paste, but i try to avoid using chemicals in my tanks.

[CloruroDiSodio]

I like the boiling water idea, I'll try that. I bought a peppermint shrimp a few weeks ago but I haven't noticed any difference in the anemone population.

[mikid]

peppermint shrimp do work,at least they did for me,aptaisa x woeks,trying using superglue,get them to go into their hole and seal it up,works every time............

[n00by]

:O Superglue in it's non-cured form is probably toxic! Yikes! How much did you use?

[nikon187]

super glue gel is fine to use in the aquarium anytime, it works under water.

[cdbias2]

Water actually helps super glue harden.

[VacavilleFC3S]

use peppermint shrimp, i keep 1 in my 90 and he kills them all

[Cozmo4]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15157379#post15157379 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by n00by
:O Superglue in it's non-cured form is probably toxic! Yikes! How much did you use?

Many people use super glue to mount corals. I've done it on numerous occasions. No worries.

[WaterKeeper]

I love to use it for keeping aiptasia firmly attached to the rockwork. You do use up a tube pretty darn fast if you let an outbreak "live long and prosper". :D

The other way to kill them is to use a paste of KW and inject it into their little throats. It, or Joe's Juice, are faster than any biological control.

[n00by]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15159650#post15159650 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Cozmo420
Many people use super glue to mount corals. I've done it on numerous occasions. No worries.

I was not aware of that. It certainly smells toxic but then again so does the aquarium safe silicone, lol.

[dpbement]

I have used peppermint shrimp and they do a very good job especially with the smaller ones. Larger ones may need the syringe but I haven't done that yet. I've been watching the smaller ones disappear slowly over time. The shrimp are nocturnal and do their work throughout the night.

[LiveRound69]

i never recommend anyone using a peppermint shrimp because i had a nasty problem with one eating my corals one by one, and yes it was a peppermint...not a camel shrimp. The thing about joe's juice that is bad is 1) the darned plastic tip for the syringe gets clogged way too easily and 2) the aiptasia explodes after this is applied, thus its starts to string off and fragment into the aquarium...causing more outbreaks. My favorite is so far ...aiptasia x by Red Sea. They give you 2 stainless steel tips for the syringe and if you always make sure you rinse out and dry the syringe after each use..it never clogs. Best of all the stuff works by gluing the mouth of the aiptasia shut ,....thus eliminating the chance of it releasing its larvae planules into the water column when it feels threatened. They simply implode onto themselves and can be most times easily sucked off the rock with a turkey baster after about 15 mins or so.

[PRDubois]

Get a suringe from the drug store. or an old test kit.

Apply 3cc of Lime Juice right above each one (Like you buy in the bottle from the grocery store)

They will shrivel and die instantly.

[je339999]

i had several aptasia in my 30gal. introduced 2 small peppermint shrimp about a month ago and haven't seen any aptasia since. the shrimp are also fun to watch at feeding time. the guy at the lfs said the smaller peppermints do a better job of eating the aptasia though ive noticed the shrimp grow fast

[VacavilleFC3S]

don't keep many just 1, he's won't eat them right that minute but within 2 weeks you'll notice there all gone

[Tokalosh]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15160493#post15160493 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by LiveRound69
My favorite is so far ...aiptasia x by Red Sea. They give you 2 stainless steel tips for the syringe and if you always make sure you rinse out and dry the syringe after each use..it never clogs. Best of all the stuff works by gluing the mouth of the aiptasia shut ,....thus eliminating the chance of it releasing its larvae planules into the water column when it feels threatened. They simply implode onto themselves and can be most times easily sucked off the rock with a turkey baster after about 15 mins or so.

I must agree, I used some in my tank and it works a treat with no ill effects to anything in the tank exept aptaisa.

Tok

[der_wille_zur_macht]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15160062#post15160062 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WaterKeeper
I love to use it for keeping aiptasia firmly attached to the rockwork. You do use up a tube pretty darn fast if you let an outbreak "live long and prosper". :D

The other way to kill them is to use a paste of KW and inject it into their little throats. It, or Joe's Juice, are faster than any biological control.

+1

Kalkwasser paste is my favorite method. Most reef keepers have it already, it kills the little buggers in no time flat, and at worst it's totally harmless in your tank.

Regardless of the method you try, my only advice would be to act quickly and aggressively. It's easy to sit there and stare at what you think is "only a colony of one or two" of them for a week or two, then suddenly they're popping up all over the bloody tank. Get them NOW, or else you may get a nasty surprise when they start popping up all over the place.

[che25]

I just rid my tank of two of the nasty buggers. I used Aiptasia-X with no ill affects. You get the added benefit of watching the little buggers implode has they feed on the medicine. I like to put on a recording of Wagners' "Flight of the Valkyries" when hunting Aiptasia. I love the smell of Aptasia in the morning.

[Salt Convert]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15159042#post15159042 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by VacavilleFC3S
use peppermint shrimp, i keep 1 in my 90 and he kills them all

FYI- I got a few peps to clean out my aptasia prob and they did a GREAT job... wiped them all out in 2 nights, including the big ones, but then they went after my feather duster worms and actually got my royal gramma too, so be careful. IMO they are tuch-and-go... some will be peaceful and only go after aptasia, some won't even touch aptasia, and some will be like mine and go after everything!

[CloruroDiSodio]

Thanks everyone, I'm going to take a photo of the glass anemone as well to see if you guys think it is some type of aiptasia that I could treat using the suggested methods.

thanks

[benr]

copperband butterfly fish work great, they will eat every aptasia in your tank. They are reef safe the times that I have used them they did not harm my coral,but the only problem is that they tend to die out after all the aptasia are gone and is hard to adapt them to frozen food, so would be good to have a friend that also has a aptasia problem and to pass him along or return him to the LFS.