Aiptasia Question

[Andy V]

If I removed a piece of live rock from my tank months ago that had aiptasia on it without doing anything to the rock, can these things stay dormant somehow and infest a new tank?

 

[kevinpratt823]

They are pretty resilient, did the rock dry out or was it kept wet? Live rock spends weeks on a boat, kept wet, and they still make it in I believe.

 

[JayM]

If you leave it wet, it'll live for a LONG time.

dry it out, boil it, bleach it, or dip it in fresh water for a long time.

 

[Andy V]

It has been out on a sink dry for three months

 

[nicks387]

That should do it. LOL.

 

[ryancanulla]

Ha-ha yup! Now how do I kill them without setting up my reef on the counter! I've tried lemon juice, joes juice, boiling water injected under water, got a larger skimmer, running phosban, 3 week water changes @ 20%... I am about to embrace them as a friend.

Of course people tend to be like whats that cool lil thing... I'm like oh that's a scoly, or did you mean the brain? Oh you must mean the acan... Oh, you meant the aiptasia (#fail )

 

[Andy V]

Ryan, why not get some Berghia nudibranch's like I told you about? Expensive yes, but best solution...

 

[sunil6785]

I've used Aiptaisa-X... got rid of 3 small aiptasias about 2 months ago and haven't seem them since..

 

[Andy V]

I've used Aiptaisa-X... got rid of 3 small aiptasias about 2 months ago and haven't seem them since..

They'll be back. Not to be a jerk...

 

[cstmpprl]

They'll be back. Not to be a jerk...

Yah they will , I've tried everything also. Even had my son and husband blast the buggers also. Just come back in twice the numbers.
Michelle

 

[bluemerle]

Ditto on Aptasia X...I had to do it three times but so far non has come back and it been well over a month +. I guess I should add that I have been keeping my lights off for longer then I used to as well, they will always be where there is light.

 

[dcforester1]

I've used Aiptaisa-X... got rid of 3 small aiptasias about 2 months ago and haven't seem them since..

+1 I only had 2, and it was on a new pc of rock, but they have been gone for 6mos. I did have a small rock, and I took it out boiling water but it back and it was covered worse than before. Luckly it was a tank I was cycling, and I just took it down.

 

[jgiannini]

I had 3 of those suckers...peppermint shrimp took care of 2 of them, but the 3rd I had to use a syringe with lemon juice injected right into the stalk. Worked like a charm and I haven't seen any since and that was like 6 months ago....

Jason

 

[snowmaker]

Hardy little suckers aren't they...

I have used this several times and works like a charm. I keep mixed extra in an aiptasiaX bottle and it seems to keep fine.

A very similar mixture is described by eric borneman:

100ml distilled water, 1 teaspoon Red Devil lye (sodium hydroxide), and 2 teaspoons calcium hydroxide (kalkwasser). Mix well and use a PD-Tip or dispensing syringe. Turn off water flow and let sit for one hour before turning flow back on.
Note: This mixture is also effective in killing just about anything you put it on, including out of control xenia, polyps and even some hair algae types.

Randy Holmes-Farley also weighed in

This is a method that some folks have used, but bear in mind that sodium hydroxide will boost alkalinity and pH rapidly. Do it in small doses, and possibly dose calcium to the tank if you use a lot of sodium hydroxide so that you do not skew the balance between calcium and alkalinity.


APTASIA REMEDY - Borneman



Red Devil lye (Draino???) is the brand name. Drain cleaner and 100% sodium hydroxide. But...here's the good part. Dissociates completely in water into Na and OH-. Nothing changes but pH, and the pH since it coagulates with the calcium hydroxide remains a very local pH effect and you'd have to add a lot to a really small tank to see a pH effect because of its behavor in the presence of other cations in seawater.

Here's the recipe. Get a capped bottle - like a spice jar...around 100ml or less. Add a heaping tablespoon of lye and dissolve in distilled water, and then a heaping tablespoon of kalkwasser. Use a transfer pipette or a transfer syringe or a syringe with a large bore needle to just slowly drip a little on the anemone. It will turn into mush along with anything else organic it contacts. Turn off all water cirulation as it will take about an hour to ensure everything is dissolved.. Also, by this point, the residual mixture is no longer nearly as caustic since it has equilibrated with seawater..the anemone dissolution and its contact with seawater has already made it safe once you turn the flow back on. It contacts the anemones easily just like Joe's juice, the difference of course being that it actually works well.

Two warnings: lye is extremely caustic and be careful when making the solution...lye boils if added to water...always add water to lye slowly and stir with a non metal object and watch your hands and eyes until dissolved. The container will get hot. Then the kalkwasser. Stir the mixture well before each use...you can do this by simply syringing in and out of the container before sucking up a batch. Second warning - even in solution this stuff will burn you - so wear gloves or be careful.
BY: ERIC BORNEMAN

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=803637

The most I have used in one killing session was 6ml in a 40b (no sump, and maybe 30 - 35 gallon actual water volume). I have always vacuumed out as much as I can after the hour, and replaced with new water. Nothing else in the tank appeared to be affected.

All of this said, IME they still come back sometimes.
There is a replacement product for the unavailable Red Devil Lye but I forget what it is called (Brand).

 

[snowmaker]

Be safe!!

I am going to say this again... because the point is important. If you get this in an eye, it will most likely be permanently damaged.

Two warnings: lye is extremely caustic and be careful when making the solution...lye boils if added to water...always add water to lye slowly and stir with a non metal object and watch your hands and eyes until dissolved. The container will get hot. Then the kalkwasser. Stir the mixture well before each use...you can do this by simply syringing in and out of the container before sucking up a batch. Second warning - even in solution this stuff will burn you - so wear gloves or be careful.
BY: ERIC BORNEMAN

 

[Popeye]

I tried everything. Peppermint shrimp finally worked permanently.