Big AIPTASIA PROBLEM

[ricwilli]

I purchased some live rocks from a reefer that is getting out of the hobby. Unfortunately all of the rocks that I purchased have Aiptasia. I did not know what they were at the time of purchase. The rocks also have allot of corals on them. Currently the rocks are in a container. I am afraid to put it in my tank because the aiptasia might/will spread to my other clean rocks. I have ordered some Joe's Juice which I will be using. I will also be purchasing some pickling lime. Do you think it is possible to rid all of the aiptasia? Can they be starved to death since there are no fishes in the container? How do I mix the pickling lime? Since there are corals on the rocks, I've been leaving the lights on my tank for five hours and than moving the lights to the container for three hours. I hope they don't die with the limited light that I am providing.

 

[ReeferNets]

absolutely fish on route 46 in clifton has nudibranchs that each aptisia

 

[mladencovic]

I purchased some live rocks from a reefer that is getting out of the hobby. Unfortunately all of the rocks that I purchased have Aiptasia. I did not know what they were at the time of purchase. The rocks also have allot of corals on them. Currently the rocks are in a container. I am afraid to put it in my tank because the aiptasia might/will spread to my other clean rocks. I have ordered some Joe's Juice which I will be using. I will also be purchasing some pickling lime. Do you think it is possible to rid all of the aiptasia? Can they be starved to death since there are no fishes in the container? How do I mix the pickling lime? Since there are corals on the rocks, I've been leaving the lights on my tank for five hours and than moving the lights to the container for three hours. I hope they don't die with the limited light that I am providing.

Chemicals are injected with syringe directly inside the body of aptasia. Your corals will starve well before aptasia will, which is type of anemone and is far more hardy and flexible in feeding then corals. Try using peppermint shrimps.

 

[ricwilli]

OK, I am going to try Joe's Juice now. I actually received it today. This is what I am dealing with:

 

[AnDom1]

Used Joe's Juice to get rid of the few aiptasia I had..Very effective stuff!!! I keep some on hand and use it as soon as I spot any aiptasia, even if it's just one. Keeps 'em from spreading.

Dom

 

[ricwilli]

OK, I just tried Joe Juice on one of the aiptasia. It started pulsating and shrinking. I think it melted. The funny thing is that I tried it on another aiptasia and nothing is happening. The tentacles just shrunk and thats it. All of the Juice is just sitting on top of the aiptasia.

 

[KennyZush]

I have found that the further into the stalk that you can get the applicator, the more effective it can be.

At times I have had them growing at strange angles from under rock and they have been the hardest to shake.

Good luck.

Kenny Z.

 

[Hawkeye]

If there are corals you want to save, why not frag them off the rock and then cure/bake the rocks? the purple corraline will come back and you'll rid yourself the issue of the bad hitchers.

 

[Phyl]

You need a bucket full of peppermint shrimp for that problem! Oh my word. When you said infestation you surely meant it!

 

[ricwilli]

My concern about the pepermint shrimp is that, when they start eating it, some of it might float around in the tank and more will grow.

 

[JohnS_323]

My concern about the pepermint shrimp is that, when they start eating it, some of it might float around in the tank and more will grow.

I wouldn't worry too much about that. They are fairly tidy eaters! They generally do a very good job of keeping it in check.

 

[emanaresi]

When I got my tank and live rock from a lazy old reefer, the aptasia were much worse than that! I attached a pic to prove it! I used three methods to solve the problem and now I have almost no anenomes (sometimes a couple majana, but thats it). I put in a copperband butterfly, 2 peppermint shrimp and I nuked some of them with joe's juice. However, I feel that the copperband is a bad idea as mine did starve after the anenomes were gone no matter what I tried to feed him. Since then, the peppermint shrimp have kept the anenomes in check. Try a few peepermints and kill any that you can easily get to.

 

[ricwilli]

Other than the aiptasia, what else does the pepermint shrimp eat? The reason I ask is because I have no fish's in the tank and I don't feed anything

 

[mladencovic]

Other than the aiptasia, what else does the pepermint shrimp eat? The reason I ask is because I have no fish's in the tank and I don't feed anything

Though they would prefer meaty food, they will also eat almost any kind of fish food - flakes, pelets.