Aistapia problem!!!

[SteveNMegz]

Hey,

We picked up some frags a week ago and noticed multiple aistapia, some are very small. We know we need to get rid of them, but how?

We were goign to pick up some Joes Juice, will this kill our Zoa's since they are very close(within mm of each other).

Any ideas???

Thanks!1!

[Achapman]

Just take pickling lime and boil some water. Mix equal parts, maybe a bit more powder so its a very think consistency. Then take a syringe from walgreens and squirt it on them, other wise get a needled syringe and inject boiling water on them. Death from above! They have no idea you are god.

[Achilles1208]

or you can get peppermint shrimps if u dont want to take the risk

[kimsie]

I used Aisptasia Control - there were 3 in with my zoa's and there was no harm down to my zoas... I don't know if anyone else has had luck with this product or not.

[phenom5]

I had the best luck with a combo of Joe's Juice & Peppermints. Be careful with the JJ, it can harm your zoas.

[SteveNMegz]

well the tank is only 5-6 weeks old so I don't think i'll be able to add a shrip and keep it healthy, would I? theres no fish in it only LR,Ls, Snails, Crabs, and Zoos

[DavidA717]

Joe's Juice definitely

[Brandon Cassidy]

What is Joes Juice? Never heard of it.

[phenom5]

well the tank is only 5-6 weeks old so I don't think i'll be able to add a shrip and keep it healthy, would I? theres no fish in it only LR,Ls, Snails, Crabs, and Zoos

If your tank can handle snails, crabs, and zoas, I don't see why shrimp would be a problem. Assuming your tank has completed its cycle. Just make sure you do a really good, slow drip acclimation. IME shrimp are very sensitive to quick changes, so I would do a ~2 hour drip...just watch the temp in your bucket. I'd also add 2 or 3 peppermints if your going to add them, they tend to do better in small groups.

What is Joes Juice? Never heard of it.

Fancy version of kalk paste (either will work, JJ or kalk paste). It works well, but IME, you'll never completely rid your system of aiptasia with JJ, kalk paste, lemon juice, etc alone.

[jamiep]

I had some aspista under a mushroom coral and shot them with lemon juice - my mushroom got burnt aswell and didnt look good for a week! aspista never came back! I'd use a needled syringe next time!

[jamiep]

Originally posted by phenom5
but IME, you'll never completely rid your system of aiptasia with JJ, kalk paste, lemon juice, etc alone.

I did but i think i was lucky!

[SteveNMegz]

so are we better off to just say screw the frags and get rid of them to be on the safe side? we don't want problems int he future

[dileggi]

If it were me...and this is just my opinion here, I would keep the frags and treat the aptasia in some way. My thought is that anything could have aptasia, whether it be a frag or a piece of LR. I just took the aptasia as something to deal with.

I don't know if I'm right or wrong. I guess it's personal preference. I mean, you could get rid of the frags, and replace them and wind up with the same problem on another piece.

[George Grogan]

I have had much better luck with lemon juice than kalk paste or Joe's juice. It works best with a syringe and small needle (22g) and injected right into the base of the anenome. If you can't reach the base, it also works to shoot some at/in the mouth; but be careful not to overdo it, lemon juice is very acidic.


I had a major outbreak that kalk and Joe's juice had very little effect on. Using lemon juice, I am now almost free of aiptasia. I still see a few pesty aiptasia here and there, and the battle is not over, but I am winning the war.

[tspors]

2004 Post:
OK, here is my sure fire way, 100% success rate, never to return again method.

Use a saturated solution of Sodium Hydroxide (Drain Away, Draino, whatever you like to call it) and water. Using a syringe, squirt about 0.5 mL into the mouth of each aiptasia. This will kill even the stubborn foot tissue.

I initially used kalk paste like pies, by found that the success rate wasn't that great. Sodium Hydroxide is much more soluble than Calcium Hydroxide, and is more alkaline, completely nuking the aiptasia.

Again don't dose too much at one time. It is not harmful to your reef, unless you directly squirt it onto corals. Just a warning that Sodium Hydroxide will cause sever chemical burns if handled, you can tell if you have it on your hands 'cause they will feel "soapy" and slippery. If you feel your hands becoming slippery, wash with a LOT of cold water. Preferably wear gloves when handling.

As dangerous as the chemical sounds, it is really quite safe for your reef.

Draino is surprisingly pure sodium hydroxide, and is really no more dangerous to your tank than calcium hydroxide (kalk). Any tank with a reasonable alkalinity (greater than 2.6) should have no problems adding it. The hydroxide ion reacts relativly quickly with dissolved carbon dioxide producing, there are also other mechanisms for the neutralisation of the free hydroxide. Which reaction is most significant is determined by the pH.

2(OH)- + 2CO2 ---> H20 + 2(CO3)2-

The only difference between this and the kalk method is the spectator ion (Ca2+ as opposed to Na+).
Kalk will do the same thing to your hand as sodium hydroxide, at a much much slower rate.

If anything this method is easier on the fish, I had problems with fish eating, or trying to eat the white kalk paste. I for one wouldn't like a mouth full of kalk. The sodium hydroxide method is much safer in that it is completely soluble, such that any solution which doesn't make it into the aiptasia, is quikly netralised by surrounding water by the above reaction, and no solid remains to be eaten by fish.

[jamiep]

No I would say keep the frags! I would QT frags aswell.

If you use lemon juice, keep an eye on your pH. Dispite having a tank full of agonite, it took my tank a couple of days to build itself back up to 8.2!

[SteveNMegz]

awesome thanks a lot guys!!!

I have a feeling it is going to be extremely difficult to stick a needle in them, or in there mouth since they're so small (some are only an 1/8" high)

But we will try our best to rid ourselves of pest anemone!

Thanks again!!!