Guest clownfish4 June 22, 2004 Share June 22, 2004 I have this single Aiptasia that I have tried to kill about 7 times with Joe's Juice but have been very unsuccessful! I have increased the dose a bit each time, and each time it appears to die, but then the next day, there it is!!!! What can I do to get rid of this aggravating pest?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xeon June 22, 2004 Share June 22, 2004 What is your procedure? I have used with great success a hypodermic needle w/ a thick lime water solution. Are you injecting with the Joe's Juice? I make the solution as thick as I can get to flow through the needle like I want. I also heat the solution, but I have no idea if this adds to the solutions killing powers... can't hurt I imagine. My tank is Aiptasia free, but every six months or so I get one that pops up out of no where. Resilient buggers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Walterps June 23, 2004 Share June 23, 2004 try lemon or lime juice. the acid kills them pretty good i guess. never had them but some guys from my club have done it. just watch what is in the proximity of the aiptasia as the acid may effect some of the more sensitive corals if you get too much around them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grav June 23, 2004 Share June 23, 2004 White vinigar works about as well and is less tricky (IE getting it thick, but not plugging the needle.) Inject it if you can, otherwise just get as close as you can, again, small amounts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xeon June 23, 2004 Share June 23, 2004 The two approaches here are essentially going at it with an acid or base. I'd be interested to know what "Joe's Juice" is btw. The Kalwasser mix hits it with a basic solution having a ph ~ 12.4. The vinegar, lemon and lime juice are acidic w/ ph's south of approximately 3. Lime juice is the most acidic (lowest pH) of the three I believe w/ lemon and then vinegar as far as acidic strength. I'm not the chemist in the family... so don't shoot me if I'm off a little. As I said initially, I am interested in what Joe's Juice really is though. Does it list any ingredients? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bededog June 24, 2004 Share June 24, 2004 You probably already know this but I will suggest it anyway. Peppermint shrimp will eat those nasty little buggers. I had them in my display and have about 20 in my fuge. The two peppermints that I have cleaned them out of my display in less than a week and I haven't seen one in there in months. I have one in my fuge that is about 4 inches long. I read somewhere that they help filter so I guess there is no point in getting rid of them from in there. Good luck. Oh, you can also try to seel them under a bead of epoxy. That will get rid of them one at a time too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tree June 24, 2004 Share June 24, 2004 Don't count on the peppermint shrimp. Mine never touched the aptasia that came in on a turbo snails back. I eventually removed the snail from the tank and treated it directly with vineger. Taking care not to get any on the snail itself - just the shell. But the vinegar worked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddi June 24, 2004 Share June 24, 2004 Xeon, I read a post on RC a while ago about Joe Juice's ingredients. Apparently the owner of Inland Aquaria (I think) contacted the maker to inquire about the ingredients because there are none listed on the bottle. The maker refused to disclose them as, his arugument, he was in the process of getting a pattern and trademark. Small issue: if you are going to pattern something you must disclose the ingredients. I think the ingredients are so simple that he is afraid that once the public learns how easy it is to make (ie, white vinegar) people just won't buy it. I did try it and it seemed to work on the spot. The aptaisia stock simply shriveled up and disappeared. However, it has come back and spread heavily and I don't know whether it was due to my non getting it all, or JJ actually spread it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelg June 24, 2004 Share June 24, 2004 Eddi- I have tried all means of chemical warefare against aptasia over the years. This has included kalk wasser, feeding kalk paste, vinegar, and hydrochloric acid (5 M). Everytime, the aptasia would shrink up/dissentegrate on the spot, only to return in more numbers shortly after. Peppermint shrimp I have only had luck with once of the half dozen times I have tried it. I have heard bergia nudibranchs are awesome, but you need be careful of them going in the overflows and they are expensive and hard to find. I think I may have found a solution. I picked up an australian copperbanded butterfly from MarineCenter. The fish has adapted beautifully, eliminated almost all of the aptasia, and is eating like a champ at feeding time. So far it is showing no interest in either zoanthids of the SPS. Will keep my fingers crossed and the tank well fed Amazing, that in the course of the last 5 weeks, I think I have finally beaten both of the plagues in my tank- grape calerpa and aptasia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddi June 24, 2004 Share June 24, 2004 Michael, I have heard the same thing about the Copperband butterfly and actually had an Australian one in my 125 for about a year before I lost it. I did have a few aptaisia stocks in that tank which disappeared, but can't positively state it was the fish. Not that it mattered as the CB makes my short list for favorite fish. I have one currently in my large tank. Now if I could only eliminate my bubble algae I would be one happy camper. I don't want to say I have a lot of it, but if I could sell it I would be able to pay for my daughter's college education. And her kids'. And her kids' kids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caribbean Jake July 4, 2004 Share July 4, 2004 Mike Found one aiptasia in my tank last night, apparently came with the coral you gave me. I used the vinegar solution this morning. How many times do I need to do this? Jacob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest clownfish4 July 4, 2004 Share July 4, 2004 Which coral? I don't think I gave you any rock....Really sorry if I did though. If it comes back, hit it again. I hear the most successful story was from taking a syringe and injecting vinegar straight into the mouth of it. Sorry again and I hope you come out on top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caribbean Jake July 5, 2004 Share July 5, 2004 Mike Maybe came with the pink xenia and again maybe not. I just noticed it appeared from no where. Anyway, don't need to be sorry, that is part of the hobby and marine life. How are the tomato's doing? Jacob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kimo July 5, 2004 Share July 5, 2004 I have used b-ionic - the alkalinity portion. I would inject them with insulin needles (my dad's diabetic) in the base or mouth - It didn't matter. They would rupture and disentigrate. If I hit it enough (inject each one 3-4 times) they would not come back. Be sure to balance it with equal parts of the calcium part of the b-ionic tho to keep from screwing up your parameters. J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest clownfish4 July 5, 2004 Share July 5, 2004 The clowns are doing good, however, one is definately dominant over the other. Good luck with the aiptasia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquariareview July 5, 2004 Share July 5, 2004 I have had great success with Lime/water paste. shot off all water flow...I mix a paste of lime and water, suck it up in a turkey baster, then I cover the the little bugger with it. I have never had one come back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Lazar July 30, 2004 Share July 30, 2004 My aptaisia vanished in a couple of weeks after I introduced peppermint shrimp to the tank. Plus those shrimp are great to watch! Happy reefing, Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbartco July 30, 2004 Share July 30, 2004 Micheal, Copperbands ever go after mojanos? Peppermints have taken care of aptasia anems, but don't touch the mojanos. I have gone acidic and basic, but they have always shown their heads again in a couple of months. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest clownfish4 July 31, 2004 Share July 31, 2004 Well, my mother got me a syringe from her office, so now the war is mine! I have boiled some lemon juice and injected it straight into the little bugger, that should take care of him !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mling August 1, 2004 Share August 1, 2004 I have one big Aiptasia, 3/4 inch in diameter, that came with the live rock I got for my 5 year's fish only 16G nano. While everyone here is talking about ways to kill it, my daughter has given it a name - Wander ! This is probably a newbie’s silly question but what are the consequences of keeping an Aiptasia in a fish only tank ? Is it true that an Aiptasia is only a pest if you have corals ? This tank only has a 15 watt “Power Glo” and is only about 2 months old. Since an Aiptasia is an Anemone, which needs proper lighting, would it imply that Wander would eventually die ? If so, would removal of live rock that have Aiptasia be a natural solution to it’s elimination ?:rock: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest clownfish4 August 1, 2004 Share August 1, 2004 Well, aiptasia happens to be a pest anemone, so no, it doesn't need strong lighting. The consequence of having one is they will multiply very rapidly, so if you have one you should kill it A.S.A.P. As for having one in a fish only tank, the only problems I would see are multiplicity and if they get to big it could be bad if a fish tried to host in it. And besides, they are as ugly as bristle worms, so I don't enjoy keeping them around. And no, it will not die on its own. However, copperband butterflies and peppermint shrimp have been known to eat them. But I find the best way to kill them is to inject them with either boiling water or hot lemon juice. The lemon juice is very acidic and works well for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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