Zoas and Aptasia

Zalman · 05/27/2012, 08:13 AM

So i have a colony of 30-40 fire and ice zoas and right in the middle a large aptasia just appeared. Not sure where it came from or how it got there, but now I have several Zoas that will not open. Any suggestions on how to remove it without harming the Zoas?

agruetz · 05/27/2012, 08:53 AM

Aptasia-x and a careful application should take care of it. Some times peppermint shrimp will eat them, it is hit or miss though, I managed to get one that eats the small ones so a combination of aptasia-x and the peppermint shrimp ridded my of the problem.

Zalman · 05/27/2012, 09:14 AM

Wont the aptasia x harm the zoas? I mean this thing is right in the middle of a colony.

agruetz · 05/27/2012, 11:55 AM

It comes out in almost a gluey gel. So if you are careful with it and only get it on the aptasia it should be ok. It does not take a huge amount to kill the aptasia.

A. Grandis · 05/27/2012, 01:19 PM

If the aiptasia is on the zoa flesh (between the polyps), siphon it out with an air line tube. Use a pointed knife to carefully help clean all the remaining slime of the pest from the zoa while siphoning.
If it's in a hole/on the rock between the polyps, do the same and use the knife to dig the hole while siphoning.
Do that in the tank with the pumps off, so the slime doesn't spread through the tank.
Make sure you get all the junk, if the aiptasia is in the hole.
Take your time, so you don't harm the zoa colony with the knife to avoid bacterial infection.
If you can't do that in the tank comfortably remove the colony and work on it in a bucket with tank water, then rinse if off if necessary with tap water, retuning the clone to the system.
I wouldn't use any aiptasia killer at all. It never eradicates them anyway, never!!
I've had close to 100% success with the technique posted above.
Hope that's the only one aiptasia you've got. Don't wait too long to act because they can spread really fast sometimes...

Good luck!!
Grandis.

Zalman · 05/27/2012, 04:45 PM

Ill try the air line siphon... i had none in my dt for months... then i pulled a piece of rock from my sump, which is kept in total darkness 24/7, for my dt... and it appears to have brought three aptasia with it... one of which has walked into the zoa colony. the rock has been in total darkness for 9 months.... these aptasia are pretty hardy.

A. Grandis · 05/27/2012, 08:22 PM

Yep, they can live looooooong time without any light.
That's one of the reasons why we call them pest!

Grandis.

Zalman · 05/30/2012, 04:49 PM

Or.... i could just starve my CBB for a day and let him devour them haha.

a bag of it · 05/30/2012, 05:17 PM

I recently had success with peppermint shrimp. completely gone in two days

agruetz · 05/30/2012, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A. Grandis

If the aiptasia is on the zoa flesh (between the polyps), siphon it out with an air line tube. Use a pointed knife to carefully help clean all the remaining slime of the pest from the zoa while siphoning.
If it's in a hole/on the rock between the polyps, do the same and use the knife to dig the hole while siphoning.
Do that in the tank with the pumps off, so the slime doesn't spread through the tank.
Make sure you get all the junk, if the aiptasia is in the hole.
Take your time, so you don't harm the zoa colony with the knife to avoid bacterial infection.
If you can't do that in the tank comfortably remove the colony and work on it in a bucket with tank water, then rinse if off if necessary with tap water, retuning the clone to the system.
I wouldn't use any aiptasia killer at all. It never eradicates them anyway, never!!
I've had close to 100% success with the technique posted above.
Hope that's the only one aiptasia you've got. Don't wait too long to act because they can spread really fast sometimes...

Good luck!!
Grandis.

Odd I had 100% kill rate on everyone I used aiptasia-x on. Seems like this could be more stressful for the tank/things on the rock. Just my 2 cents everyone has their own way of killing the pests.

Zalman · 05/30/2012, 07:55 PM

Ive had peppermint shrimp in my tank for awhile.... they went after aptasia in the begining but have become lazy and wait for me to feed.
as for aptasia x i have had mixed results. sometimes it works other times it takes a second dose. my fear was damaging the zoas since the aptasia setup shop right on the base of them.
i got lucky this time i guess... ive had the CBB in my tank for awhile and it has shown zero interest in the aptasia. then i miss one feeding and he eats all of them

Clay4AU · 05/30/2012, 08:31 PM

quarantine the zoas with a couple peppermint shrimp and it will be gone in no time

Guygettnby · 05/31/2012, 05:51 AM

aiptasia-x does work, most people just dont use it corectly. problem is if you dont use it corectly then you could do more harm then good.

best bet is if you can take the rock out of the tank either put it in a small tank with nothing but peppermint shrimp and dont feed them or try to remove the aiptasia using aiptasia-x or manually if possible . just be careful as using aiptaisa-x, joes juice, kalk paste or another product made for aiptasia removal will hurt the surronding zoas if they get covered.

A. Grandis · 05/31/2012, 10:45 PM

Hi,
I've seen lots of reports, yes...
My point here is that eventually the anemones will come back.
Not to judge the methods, no... Not to judge you...
As long as you keep the shrimps and keep killing them with Aiptasia-X, no problem.
If you are an exception to this you are very lucky or need to wait a little longer to verify.

I hope you're just very lucky!

Grandis.

Guygettnby · 06/01/2012, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A. Grandis

Hi,
I've seen lots of reports, yes...
My point here is that eventually the anemones will come back.
Not to judge the methods, no... Not to judge you...
As long as you keep the shrimps and keep killing them with Aiptasia-X, no problem.
If you are an exception to this you are very lucky or need to wait a little longer to verify.

I hope you're just very lucky!

Grandis.

peppermint shrimp are hit or miss. so keeping them all the time in some cases can be bad depending on what kind you get.

now as far as killing the aiptasia, i have been in this hobby for long enough to know that it does work if used properly and depending on what product/method you use.

will it come back? if used correctly it will not. but most people dont use any treatment right. they alow the aiptasia to spew spores out before the treatment is aplied, dont fully cover it, dont inject it or many other reasons.

there are many different ways to destroy the aiptasia and if done right they will go away. even manually scraping them off is not 100%... some will have good luck and some will not. there will always be reports/claims from both sides and i say do whatever works for you.

this is why i love reefcentral.. the fact that people can gain so much knowledge and be helped by so many people on different sides of the spectrum of this hobby

KafudaFish · 06/01/2012, 09:56 AM

I have used lime on a bamboo skewer to kill it in the middle of a frag.

1. turn off the flow
2. wet the skewer
3. roll in powder
4. figure out where the pest is, make the zoas retract
5. insert into pest, roll it, and pull it out
6. repeat if necessary, the pest will slime up making the paste stick better to the skewer
7. if some powder falls onto the zoas use your hand to sway it off.
8. turn power back on
9. leave the skewer against the front glass as a warning sign to all others and yell, "I own you!"

A. Grandis · 06/01/2012, 10:24 AM

I do believe the best and only 100% way to eliminate Aiptasia from any tank is still to make sure the pest is not introduced in that system or eliminated by scraping, As I've mentioned before.

All the times I've had problems with Aiptasia they were introduced to the tank when they came on algae or polyps. To scrape them off and siphoning at the same time was the only way I could eliminate them forever. If they get to a hole you need to dig it and make sure the pest os really gone.

All the other methods weren't worthy. I didn't try shrimps yet, but most of the people I've talked to say after a while, if the shrimps are gone, the pest comes back somehow. Perhaps they weren't long enough in the system! Same with butterfly fishes.

Yep, it's good to be here at ReefCentral!

Grandis.

consumed corals · 06/01/2012, 10:42 AM

I have used kalk paste with great results!
In the past when I had a copperband, he decimated the outbreak that I had when I picked him up!

zaq11 · 06/08/2012, 11:34 PM

aptasia X usually work , be carefull to avoid gettin the zoas the aptasia X, you can try to remove the aptasia by blade if you can ,Copperband Butterflyfish can help .

tmz · 06/09/2012, 08:33 AM

I scrape them out carefully with a very small flat head screwdriver and blot the area with paper towel and rinse along the way in a cup of tank water. In tank ,I'd siphon. A precise application of kalk paste could work bu may harm surrounding polyps .

yachtdr22 · 07/13/2012, 07:16 PM

I have been reading about using Berghia Nudibranch.
has anyone had any experience?

Good? Bad, Ugly??

Aj Flip · 07/15/2012, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A. Grandis

Yep, they can live looooooong time without any light.
That's one of the reasons why we call them pest!

Grandis.

lol I've had lights out for more than a month now, only light is the natural sunlight that fills the room. Still got lots of them. It's ok though because I'm shutting down my tank; slowly but surely. No fish, no coral, no rocks, just sand, water, aiptasia, some algae, and pods left.

Lights out is NOT a solution people! Learn from me!

DCBB · 07/15/2012, 11:18 PM

Copperband Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus) should take care of your problem

Grant W · 07/15/2012, 11:59 PM

Get some bergia nudis

xabbasx7 · 07/19/2012, 02:00 PM

a friend of mine suggested peppermint shrimp to remove the aiptasia, i have a similar small bloom of aiptasia also

another member on the forum told me the shrimp helped but didn't live very long.

in the long run, make sure water levels are in check, especially phosphates. maybe try a peppermint shrimp to get rid of the aiptasia you have right now.

05/27/2012, 08:13 AM	#1
Zalman Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Enfield, Connecticut Posts: 936	Zoas and Aptasia So i have a colony of 30-40 fire and ice zoas and right in the middle a large aptasia just appeared. Not sure where it came from or how it got there, but now I have several Zoas that will not open. Any suggestions on how to remove it without harming the Zoas? __________________ The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me? -Ayn Rand Current Tank Info: 180 gallon tank

05/27/2012, 08:53 AM	#2
agruetz Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 499	Aptasia-x and a careful application should take care of it. Some times peppermint shrimp will eat them, it is hit or miss though, I managed to get one that eats the small ones so a combination of aptasia-x and the peppermint shrimp ridded my of the problem. __________________ 27 Gallon Cube w/ 15 Gallon Fuge - 2 Black Clowns, 1 Red Scooter, 1 Queen Conch, 1 Peppermint Shrimp, 1 Clam, Faviva, Galixia, Green Star Polyps, Assorted Zoa's and some hermits running around.

05/27/2012, 09:14 AM	#3
Zalman Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Enfield, Connecticut Posts: 936	Wont the aptasia x harm the zoas? I mean this thing is right in the middle of a colony. __________________ The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me? -Ayn Rand Current Tank Info: 180 gallon tank

05/27/2012, 11:55 AM	#4
agruetz Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 499	It comes out in almost a gluey gel. So if you are careful with it and only get it on the aptasia it should be ok. It does not take a huge amount to kill the aptasia. __________________ 27 Gallon Cube w/ 15 Gallon Fuge - 2 Black Clowns, 1 Red Scooter, 1 Queen Conch, 1 Peppermint Shrimp, 1 Clam, Faviva, Galixia, Green Star Polyps, Assorted Zoa's and some hermits running around.

05/27/2012, 04:45 PM	#6
Zalman Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Enfield, Connecticut Posts: 936	Ill try the air line siphon... i had none in my dt for months... then i pulled a piece of rock from my sump, which is kept in total darkness 24/7, for my dt... and it appears to have brought three aptasia with it... one of which has walked into the zoa colony. the rock has been in total darkness for 9 months.... these aptasia are pretty hardy. __________________ The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me? -Ayn Rand Current Tank Info: 180 gallon tank

05/27/2012, 01:19 PM	#5
A. Grandis Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Honolulu Posts: 1,851	If the aiptasia is on the zoa flesh (between the polyps), siphon it out with an air line tube. Use a pointed knife to carefully help clean all the remaining slime of the pest from the zoa while siphoning. If it's in a hole/on the rock between the polyps, do the same and use the knife to dig the hole while siphoning. Do that in the tank with the pumps off, so the slime doesn't spread through the tank. Make sure you get all the junk, if the aiptasia is in the hole. Take your time, so you don't harm the zoa colony with the knife to avoid bacterial infection. If you can't do that in the tank comfortably remove the colony and work on it in a bucket with tank water, then rinse if off if necessary with tap water, retuning the clone to the system. I wouldn't use any aiptasia killer at all. It never eradicates them anyway, never!! I've had close to 100% success with the technique posted above. Hope that's the only one aiptasia you've got. Don't wait too long to act because they can spread really fast sometimes... Good luck!! Grandis.

05/27/2012, 08:22 PM	#7
A. Grandis Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Honolulu Posts: 1,851	Yep, they can live looooooong time without any light. That's one of the reasons why we call them pest! Grandis.

05/30/2012, 04:49 PM	#8
Zalman Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Enfield, Connecticut Posts: 936	Or.... i could just starve my CBB for a day and let him devour them haha. __________________ The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me? -Ayn Rand Current Tank Info: 180 gallon tank

05/30/2012, 05:17 PM	#9
a bag of it Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 36	I recently had success with peppermint shrimp. completely gone in two days

05/30/2012, 07:55 PM	#11
Zalman Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Enfield, Connecticut Posts: 936	Ive had peppermint shrimp in my tank for awhile.... they went after aptasia in the begining but have become lazy and wait for me to feed. as for aptasia x i have had mixed results. sometimes it works other times it takes a second dose. my fear was damaging the zoas since the aptasia setup shop right on the base of them. i got lucky this time i guess... ive had the CBB in my tank for awhile and it has shown zero interest in the aptasia. then i miss one feeding and he eats all of them __________________ The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me? -Ayn Rand Current Tank Info: 180 gallon tank

05/30/2012, 08:31 PM	#12
Clay4AU Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Opelika, AL Posts: 73	quarantine the zoas with a couple peppermint shrimp and it will be gone in no time __________________ Clay "more fishwater there than any whale's mamma ever seen" Current Tank Info: 20H, 20L, 40B

05/31/2012, 05:51 AM	#13
Guygettnby Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: MD Posts: 2,678	aiptasia-x does work, most people just dont use it corectly. problem is if you dont use it corectly then you could do more harm then good. best bet is if you can take the rock out of the tank either put it in a small tank with nothing but peppermint shrimp and dont feed them or try to remove the aiptasia using aiptasia-x or manually if possible . just be careful as using aiptaisa-x, joes juice, kalk paste or another product made for aiptasia removal will hurt the surronding zoas if they get covered.

05/31/2012, 10:45 PM	#14
A. Grandis Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Honolulu Posts: 1,851	Hi, I've seen lots of reports, yes... My point here is that eventually the anemones will come back. Not to judge the methods, no... Not to judge you... As long as you keep the shrimps and keep killing them with Aiptasia-X, no problem. If you are an exception to this you are very lucky or need to wait a little longer to verify. I hope you're just very lucky! Grandis.

06/01/2012, 09:56 AM	#16
KafudaFish Debi's meddling son Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 3,784	I have used lime on a bamboo skewer to kill it in the middle of a frag. 1. turn off the flow 2. wet the skewer 3. roll in powder 4. figure out where the pest is, make the zoas retract 5. insert into pest, roll it, and pull it out 6. repeat if necessary, the pest will slime up making the paste stick better to the skewer 7. if some powder falls onto the zoas use your hand to sway it off. 8. turn power back on 9. leave the skewer against the front glass as a warning sign to all others and yell, "I own you!" __________________ "You are pretty smart." TheBimbo - "You have an odd little mind Mr. Fish. Very odd indeed." Fat Man -"KafudaFish speaks the truth." Mikey - "Beware of the white crayon's power!" Me - "You da man!" Nina - "The mind of a Kafudafish is a strange and wonderful place." Pinnatus

06/01/2012, 10:24 AM	#17
A. Grandis Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Honolulu Posts: 1,851	I do believe the best and only 100% way to eliminate Aiptasia from any tank is still to make sure the pest is not introduced in that system or eliminated by scraping, As I've mentioned before. All the times I've had problems with Aiptasia they were introduced to the tank when they came on algae or polyps. To scrape them off and siphoning at the same time was the only way I could eliminate them forever. If they get to a hole you need to dig it and make sure the pest os really gone. All the other methods weren't worthy. I didn't try shrimps yet, but most of the people I've talked to say after a while, if the shrimps are gone, the pest comes back somehow. Perhaps they weren't long enough in the system! Same with butterfly fishes. Yep, it's good to be here at ReefCentral! Grandis.

06/01/2012, 10:42 AM	#18
consumed corals Registered Member. Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Lake County Ohio Posts: 256	I have used kalk paste with great results! In the past when I had a copperband, he decimated the outbreak that I had when I picked him up!

06/08/2012, 11:34 PM	#19
zaq11 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 26	aptasia X usually work , be carefull to avoid gettin the zoas the aptasia X, you can try to remove the aptasia by blade if you can ,Copperband Butterflyfish can help .

06/09/2012, 08:33 AM	#20
tmz ReefKeeping Mag staff Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: West Seneca NY Posts: 19,753	I scrape them out carefully with a very small flat head screwdriver and blot the area with paper towel and rinse along the way in a cup of tank water. In tank ,I'd siphon. A precise application of kalk paste could work bu may harm surrounding polyps . __________________ Tom Current Tank Info: Tank of the Month , November 2011 : 600gal integrated system: 3 display tanks (120 g, 90g, 89g),several frag/grow out tanks, macroalgae refugia, cryptic zones. 40+ fish, seahorses, sps,lps,leathers, zoanthidae and non photosynthetic corals.

07/13/2012, 07:16 PM	#21
yachtdr22 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: corpus christi, tx Posts: 258	I have been reading about using Berghia Nudibranch. has anyone had any experience? Good? Bad, Ugly?? __________________ 125 Mixed Reef, 30 gal sump w/LR, SWC 160 Skimmer, Dual GFO /Carbon Reactor, GEO 618 Ca Reactor. 2) MP40ES, Apex Controller. Lights; 48) Cool White, 48) Royal Blue 6) Violet UV, 4) Green, 4) Red and 4) Royal Blue Moonlight LEDs

07/15/2012, 11:18 PM	#23
DCBB Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Phoenix Posts: 62	Copperband Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus) should take care of your problem __________________ I was there that day, i will never forget!

07/15/2012, 11:59 PM	#24
Grant W Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Petaluma,Ca Posts: 2,065	Get some bergia nudis __________________ Really honey, I'm not going to buy anything at the fish store I'm just going to have a look. Current Tank Info: 120 gal community reef, 45 gal sump, reef octopus xs200 skimmer, custom lighting system,etc,etc. 60 gal frag system, ati 6 bulb t5 ......

07/19/2012, 02:00 PM	#25
xabbasx7 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: hoffman estates il Posts: 107	a friend of mine suggested peppermint shrimp to remove the aiptasia, i have a similar small bloom of aiptasia also another member on the forum told me the shrimp helped but didn't live very long. in the long run, make sure water levels are in check, especially phosphates. maybe try a peppermint shrimp to get rid of the aiptasia you have right now.