Aptasia Experiments

[saltyunderground]

mr.wilson,
Have your tried dosing copper to kill aiptasia as an experiment or otherwise? I am curious if the aiptasia will return (regenerated from the pieces that break off while dying) after the water has been changed.

[rcmike]

My post may have been a little harsh but I just don't understand how copper can be safer than calcium hydroxide. I have even heard you don't want to use a bare tank that has had copper in it at some point, not to mention rock. Calcium hydroxide is only going to kill what it is injected into or maybe a very small amount of bacteria right under the anemone. I agree that peppermint shrimp and aiptasia eating shrimp are the best choice for a large infestation since you can't inject thousands of them.

[saltyunderground]

I have talked with literally 100+ people who have tried using Joe's Juice, Kalk paste, Kill Aiptasia and the other chemical solutions to kill aiptasia in their display tanks. The overwhelming majority of those people who use these methods have made their aiptasia problems worse, not better. The little pieces of aiptasia that break off from the main anemone can start a new anemone. So you may kill one large aiptaisa and make 10 small ones. The best way to succeed using these chemicals is to siphon off the dying aiptasia and prevent any peices from floating off into the tank.

[rcmike]

To tell you the truth I have never had a real aiptasia problem. My main problem has been majano anemones. I never could find a predator that would eat them and not anything else. Joe's juice worked great for them though. Kalk would make them multiply just like you said though.

[mr.wilson]

I didn't take your comments as harsh. I have never used copper to solve an aiptasia problem, nor would I. I use aiptasia in refugia as a means of mechanical filtration and nutrient assimilation and export. Physical barrier and UV irradiation assures that they don't infest the display tank.

When I experience aiptasia infestations, I've always had success with fish or shrimp as a biological control. As stated in earlier posts, mechanical removal is often one step forward, two steps back, as they are cued to reproduce. My recommendation of copper as a "cure", was only implied as the lesser of the available evils (chemical warfare).

Just to clarify, Kalkwasser, Joe's Juice, and calcium hydroxide are all one in the same chemical. They are only marginally effective when used correctly.

Once one has exhausted their patience with the injection method and biological cures, chemical warfare is regrettably the final option. If you are in that place, you must weigh the various weapons at hand.

Calcium hydroxide would kill everything in its' wake if added to the tank at a lethal dose for aiptasia. The PH would shoot up to 11 and alter water chemistry.

Medications such as formalin, methylene blue, malachite green, acriflavine, and to round out the colour spectrum, potassium permanganate, will all adversely effect nitrifying bacteria.

On the other hand, copper sulphate will target any and all invertebrates while leaving nitrifying bacteria intact. There are no dyes to contend with and polymeric absorbents and/or ion exchange resins will remove all residual Cu even if bound in calcareous media. Coraline algae will be lost to some degree, but it will bounce back.

One mans heavy metal is another mans trace element. Fish have haemoglobin in their blood which is comprised of iron. Marine invertebrates on the other hand, have haemocyanin in their blood which is comprised of copper. This is how copper medications are able to kill invertebrates while remaining "safe" for vertebrates, algae, and bacteria.

The idea that an aquarium that once contained copper not being reef safe is false. Once copper falls out of solution, it's no longer a threat to invertebrates. Although copper is bound in calcareous media, it can be removed chemically as stated above.

Have you tried copperband or longnose (f. logirostris) butterflies with your majano? Overfeeding is often the cause of their rise, but limiting food seldom brings their fall.

[kkenn]

Hi ,I used to have a big aiptasia problem,after I use every method,my friend told me one good aiptasia eater,Red Sea Golden Butterfiy (Semilarvatus Butterfly Red Sea) first few days,u cannot sea him eating those stuff,but after one month I can sure u cannot find any aiptasia left,I told another friend of mine who also have prolem with aiptasia,after adding this fish,he also fix the problem u can try this

Ken

[kkenn]

Hi ,I used to have a big aiptasia problem,after I use every method,my friend told me one good aiptasia eater,Red Sea Golden Butterfiy (Semilarvatus Butterfly Red Sea) first few days,u cannot sea him eating those stuff,but after one month I can sure u cannot find any aiptasia left,I told another friend of mine who also have prolem with aiptasia,after adding this fish,he also fix the problem u can try this

Ken

[reefgeek67]

copperband butterflies eat aptasia---i suggest about 4 more peppermint shrimp and a copperband......make sure your shrimp are not camelbacks......some stores sell those as peppermints

[Sinclair9]

Just purchased a molly miller, hoping with the combination of that and joes juice will be able to rid my tank of the aiptasia, will let all know how its going.

[armagedon48]

pepermint shrimp will also attack and bite your hand if they are hungry enough!!

i was fishing out a hermit crab for a costomer and we had over 10 pepermints in the tank that attacked my hand, only 1 bit me but it hurt. i fed my pepermint to my anemone cuz it would steal food from it so i made him into food lol.

[GARFVolunteer]

I bought a Raccoon Butterfly fish that wiped out all my aiptasia then the xenia, zoanthids, star polyps, hairy mushrooms and clams... I was finally able to catch it and find it a new home.

[Alphabet]

I also have an issue with aptasia, I was also looking for better advice. I was given two other methods. First was squirt lemon juice on the aptasia with something like a turkey baster. Second you could use a hot ro/di water with a turkey baster. Hot water is supposed to kill them instantly, not sure I will try it. I am unsure how the lemon juice will effect the water quality of my tank, even in low amounts. Any thoughts before I proceed? Thanks

[saltyunderground]

Originally posted by Alphabet
I also have an issue with aptasia, I was also looking for better advice. I was given two other methods. First was squirt lemon juice on the aptasia with something like a turkey baster. Second you could use a hot ro/di water with a turkey baster. Hot water is supposed to kill them instantly, not sure I will try it. I am unsure how the lemon juice will effect the water quality of my tank, even in low amounts. Any thoughts before I proceed? Thanks

Siphon the aiptasia out right after the application or you'll probably make the problem worse.

[Gary Majchrzak]

Originally posted by kkenn
Hi ,I used to have a big aiptasia problem,after I use every method,my friend told me one good aiptasia eater,Red Sea Golden Butterfiy (Semilarvatus Butterfly Red Sea) first few days,u cannot sea him eating those stuff,but after one month I can sure u cannot find any aiptasia left,I told another friend of mine who also have prolem with aiptasia,after adding this fish,he also fix the problem u can try this

Ken

A lot of Butterflyfish species eat Aiptasia.
The main concern with using Butterflyfish to eradicate anemones is the fact that the fish might eat something that you want to keep alive.
Does anyone know if the "Molly Miller" Blenny attacks any inverts besides small anemones?

[jnowell]

If you try the lemon juice, do so sparingly, and watch your pH very closely. The acidity will knock it WAY out of whack quickly if you use too much.

I'm heading out to get a butterfly right now, am also picking up a few more pepps. I'll let you guys know how they do.

On another note, the formalin didn't actually work, I transferred some of that rock to my new pipefish tank, and sure enough, I spotted two appies a few days after adding it.

Jason

[kkenn]

A lot of Butterflyfish species eat Aiptasia.

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A lot of Butterflyfish species eat Aiptasia. 


[adam82]

i would go with the berghia nudi if they werent do expensive for how many you need.

[jnowell]

You only need 2, they will make 100's in a matter of weeks in a heavily infested aquarium, provided the filter intakes are covered.

Jason

[adam82]

thats all you need? i have over 300 aiptasia in my 29g. my peppermint shrimp do nothing. yes im sure they are peppermint not camel.

[Nammy]

Don't bother with the lemon juice! By injecting the aiptasia you make micro tears that will grow into a new one. Joe's juice will work without injecting inside the aiptasia but again when you think the problem is gone another one appears. Hot water injection? Don't think so, by the time you're ready to inject and reach down in the tank, the water isn't that hot anymore.
Injecting is not the best way to go, it may help control a limited amount of aiptasia but not for a bunch.

[zmar84]

Here is my out of control tank...





and after I used Joe's Juice and got some peppermints...



I agree that it is hit or miss with the peppermints but I think they are the easiest and cheapest way to eliminate aiptasia. Just kill some of the larger ones with Joe's Juice and the peppermints get the rest.

(sorry for lagging your connections with these big pictures but sometimes you don't feel like writing the thousand words that the picture is worth.)

[Nammy]

Good luck

[kkenn]

If the Aiptasia problem is very big, I still suggest use a Red Sea Golden butterfly to control it,after all aiptasia gone,u can easy to catch this butterfly easy by a catching cage with shrimp,they like shrimp meat

Ken

[wds21921]

The kalk dosing has always worked for me but I use it sparingly with a ink refill needle to does right in the mouth as it's opened. Added some (genuine) peppermints as well and they are helping to keep it in check.

I think that once you've got Aptasia your probably always going to have it. We just don't see it as much afterwards because we treat it often times biologically which helps to keep it in check. It can be hidden so far down in some rock you couldn't possibly find it if you wanted to.
Since it reproduces so easily I have a hard time believing that it can ever be totally eliminated once you've had an outbreak.

[fishmon]

I use Joe's juice successfully, I heard that besides kalk it has selcon or something like it so the anemones will eat it, thats why you don't actually inject it in them, you just cover their mouths, they do the rest.