Aiptasia issue

Z06-Hec · Jul 22, 2015

So I happen to have a bunch of Aiptasia in my system...
So there is NONE at all in my actual display but in 1 of my 2 over flows its all over...
I assume with the current and direction of flow there is no way for it to enter the display, Should i even worry about it? It must have been there for a long time, its in the corner i cannot access or see... so i never really check that side. If it gets sucked into the pipes it will get caught by my socks before it even gets to sump/skimmer/pad/UV and return...

What do you guys think?

Reefing Madness · Jul 23, 2015

If its in an overflow, I'd be getting that thing outta there, no telling where and when, if ever you'd end up with them in the DT, but I will tell you, you will not like it when they do. Better safe than sorry, in this case.

twilliard · Jul 23, 2015

Shut the return down once water is lower than the overflow then empty that section and fill that sucker with boiling water.
watch your water temp as I don't know the size of your tank.
once it cools down drain that overflow section and fire your tank back up

Z06-Hec · Jul 23, 2015

150 gal, and i keep the temp in the tank right now around 75 or less... How much affect you think boiling water on 1 overflow would have on the rest of tank?

twilliard · Jul 23, 2015

Minimal at that volume.
is it a sealed top overflow?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 23, 2015

I wouldn't let hot water with dead organic matter reenter the tank, but 1 gallon at 210 deg F added to 150 gallons of water at 75 deg F will boost the overall temp to less than 76 deg F. But locally it will be hotter.

Z06-Hec · Jul 27, 2015

okay so I'm doing a water change and decide its the perfect time to do this...
I shut system off and start emptying the over flow while water is boiling in the kitchen... Maybe 3.5 gallons total...
Anyway so while the tank water is siphoning out slowly i pour the boiling water in... It does not fill the entire overflow but a little more than half.
So i take a baster and start basting the higher areas and making sure all the aiptasia i see gets basted off with the hot water. From what i see they all came out.
i decide to reverse my wet vac to create some bubbles in the over flow and let the water circulate... bad idea...
it was literally a half a second but some of the water re-entered the tank with dead matter... it was literally as soon as i turned it on i shut it off so it was as minimal as can be...
i took the baster and sucked out all of the dead matter i could see in the DT.
Then sucked out all of the water in the over flow and filled the tank with the new 35 gallons of water. so the tank has been running and all looks good and that over flow is 98% cleaner but no signs of aiptasia in there....

renato120 · Jul 29, 2015

Get some peppermint shrimp if they appear in your DT. They will love it!
Boiling water + glass = disaster.

ReefMadScientist · Jul 29, 2015

Using boiling water on cool glass can crack your tank.

Z06-Hec · Jul 29, 2015

its already been done, been a few days. All seems good so far.

twilliard · Jul 29, 2015

ReefMadScientist said:
Using boiling water on cool glass can crack your tank.

now if you fill your tank 50% with boiling water there may be an issue.

Cleo642 · Jul 29, 2015

I remember a guy on Facebook so basically got this laser that kills aipstasia. It burn them away. Maybe I can go find the link. And no chemicals or dangerous things to your tank. Matted filefish eat aipstasia also.
Here is the video of the guy killing aipstasia with a laser.

twilliard · Jul 29, 2015

Hey Cleo I have always wondered about a high wattage laser.
it would be pinpoint and "hot" enough to nuke them.
but what would happen is there was a glare off the glass with no protection?

Love that idea!

Cleo642 · Jul 29, 2015

twilliard said:
Hey Cleo I have always wondered about a high wattage laser.
it would be pinpoint and "hot" enough to nuke them.
but what would happen is there was a glare off the glass with no protection?

Love that idea!

I just posted the video in my comment above. Seems you have to have a high quality god pinpoint laser. He describes in video.

twilliard · Jul 29, 2015

Wow that is just amazing!

Cleo642 · Jul 29, 2015

twilliard said:
Wow that is just amazing!

It is but I don't know how hard it is to find a laser like that.

twilliard · Jul 29, 2015

Oh I will find it

Retired from electronics (and many other fields) at 40 so nothing but time!

Cleo642 · Jul 29, 2015

twilliard said:
Oh I will find it
Retired from electronics (and many other fields) at 40 so nothing but time!

If you can find a bunch of those and sell them to other reef keepers, you will make a killing.

twilliard · Jul 29, 2015

Thanks Cleo
I have done a lot of laser research but never thought of using it for aquariums.
I have quite a few in mind that would do just what that video shows

Cleo642 · Jul 29, 2015

twilliard said:
Thanks Cleo
I have done a lot of laser research but never thought of using it for aquariums.
I have quite a few in mind that would do just what that video shows

If you know where to find good ones like that share it with everyone. Lol