Aiptasia

[brody98]

Has anyone tried to kill aiptasia by putting an infected chunk of live rock in a container of very high salinity water? If so did it work? Have tried the boiling hot water to no avail all i got was more of them, and without tearing my tank apart ( to get a psudo out) I cant get peppermints large enough. I haven't tried the kalk injection yet for fear of the same results as the hot water....and I have tried a copperband but my other fish picked on it till it gave up. I Think I'm S.O.L. any advise or suggestions on catching a 4 1/2 psudochromis would be great, if I cold get the psudo out then the peppermints could work on the aiptasia but as you all know catching a fish in a reef tank is about a joke........HELP /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cry.gif

[Chuck S]

I would go the supersaturated Kalk route. I have tried any method out there. They either work or don't. Any of the methods work to a degree so the one thing that works is constant intervention. Just keep trying, plus Kalk has the ability of raising calcium, buffering the system and precipatating phosphate

[brody98]

ok I'll give the kalk a try, this might sound like a dumb question but where can I get a syringe & needle? also does it matter what size of needle? or is there only one size?..... guess I should have hung around with the druggies in school ... LOL

[Chuck S]

Most LFS that sell that rid aptasia stuff ( that does not work ) also sell a plastic syringe that will work. If you have a store near you that sells a good selection of reef equipment they are sure to have it. Otherwise you can get one at one of the online retailers.

[brody98]

another question : do you need to use a needle to squirt the kalk into the body or do ya just douse the thing in a thick blanket of the kalk mix?

[Chuck S]

Depends on your orientation. If you can still remove the rock you can spread a paste over the area and really get them. Otherwise in tank approach is to inject the body. You know when ya get em as they shrivel up and turn dark.

[brody98]

do you then try to manually remove as much of the thing as you can or do you just let it go.... Have you ever seen a "bloom" of new ones coming up after they shrivel up and go dark? I've seen other tanks with hundreds of them, from what i can see I only have about 6-7 now. In your opinion which method is more leathal I'll do either one that works the best.... thanks

[Chuck S]

Each method out there has only a 50% chance of working. I usually try and remove the aptasia after it is kalked. It will usually detach if it is shocked enough. Since doing a water change is a good thing. Use a slow siphon as you work and go through trying to remove as much as possible. Aptasia from what I have noticed come and go. I have had outbreaks and controlled them through various methods and then a year later bamm they are there again. I have some right now in my 55 I am fighting. They seem to lie in waiting. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif Just a natural pest that comes and goes. Usually using a kalk paste is most effective than any other methods. But then that neccessates removal of the rock to be treated. This is not always allowable in most cases as people have corals and such attached.

[brody98]

Ok mix up some paste and take the rock out and coat the things..I got that part but how long do you leave the mix on the rock out of the water? longer the better or is there a certain amount of time that you have found that works the best? Ya I know questions, questions, questions.... sorry your my best hope for getting rid of these things.. thanks

[Chuck S]

I usually let it sit for about a half hour. Do not do all your tank. You do not want to go through any major cycle. You will have a small cycle possible with removing the rock and allowing air to hit it. However if you do this in increments your remaining bacteria in the tank will process it fine. Before you put the rock back in the tank scrap any reminants of aptasia off the rock and swish it real good in a bucket of saltwater. You do not want to put that much Kalk at one time in your tank as you will drive the PH up. That is why we dose Kalk slowly. So take this into consideration. Aptasia is a thing that all reefers have to deal with at points. You can get rid of aptasia and then buy a coral and later on see more spring up. Take your time and have fun. I love having my hands in my tank. There is something theraputic about it.

[brody98]

Thanks Omega I will give it a try this weekend.
Aaron