Aiptasia removal question

JVH · Mar 3, 2015

Hi guys! I have several aiptasia growths mostly on small corals and frags.

I have watched a bunch of videos and feel confident that Aipstasia X will do the trick but nothing I red says I should remove he frag. Everything is showing it done under water.. Can I just remove the frag/coral if accessible? I don't find any growing on rocks at this point. I would rather not have the excess chemical in the tank but maybe doing it in the water is better? Any advice would be helpful as I an going do this as soon someone advises me.. Thanks!

ReeferBean · Mar 3, 2015

If the aips are on small corals, you can get some peppermint shrimp and toss the corals and the shrimps into a floating acclimation box, a couple at a time, and let the peppermints eat them. Then return the clean frags to your tank.

If you choose the Aip X method, just turn your pumps off and use the syringe it comes with. Careful not to get any on the coral itself if possible.

People also use boiling water, or vinegar as well.

JVH · Mar 3, 2015

I already purchased the Aipstasia X I feel like I want to remove the frags and coral from the tank but not sure if it will close up or be harder to inject...

ReeferBean · Mar 3, 2015

JVH said:
I already purchased the Aipstasia X I feel like I want to remove the frags and coral from the tank but not sure if it will close up or be harder to inject...

You can do it in your tank, don't sweat it. Just don't go crazy with it. Do a little at a time over a couple of weeks. Problem with removing the frags and doing it in a bucket of water are the aips will retract and be hard to see. However, if you have some coral cutters and the aips are on the edges of a rock you can always just take that chunk off and throw the frags back in.

JVH · Mar 3, 2015

Well its on 3 small frags and a baseball size coral in abut 5 places.. At lease that all I THINK there is! I think I will move frags to a better spot to reach the problem area and I guess I try it in the tank. Wish me luck!

saltyphish · Mar 3, 2015

I followed the advice from a post I read a while back and just super glued over mine. No more aiptasia.

Daniel@R2R · Mar 3, 2015

H2O2 DIP! :xd: #IloveBoilingAiptasiaInPeroxide

JVH · Mar 4, 2015

Well that was relatively easy I think I got all of them.. all the ones that I can see anyway! Now I will be ready in the next time I see there little brown heads peeking out.
So something else:

I have a baby frag that is the diameter of a quarter.. I don't know what it's called I don't remember it has little whitish bluish tentacles on it and depending on how the water moves it does kind of look like a star shaped so maybe it is a star polyp? But regardless I have about eight different little strands of what looks to be like blades of grass growing or weeds coming out of it.. It literally looks like grass blade with a feathery look to it.. It's definitely multiplied on that one little frag I was going to just cut it but I don't know if that could spread it? Anyone have any ideas as to what that could be? It certainly seems harmless but so did the aipstsia!!
I'll Try to get a picture

JVH · Mar 4, 2015

I am not sure if the PictureWorks hopefully you will see more than just these words.. Look closely and notice the little blades of grass coming up out of the frag... Any thoughts? Can I just trim them?

JVH · Mar 4, 2015

Okay here it is sorry new to the forum!

Big Dog · Mar 4, 2015

Doesn't look like apt to me, looks like Xenia ............... Not sure how taking the frags out of water is going to help with X because the apt has to be open to administer, they will shrivel out of the water.

JVH said:
Okay here it is sorry new to the forum!

JVH · Mar 4, 2015

Big Dog said:
Doesn't look like apt to me, looks like Xenia ............... Not sure how taking the frags out of water is going to help with X because the apt has to be open to administer, they will shrivel out of the water.

Hey big dog thanks for responding but you probably didn't read through the thread I had already used the aiptsia x and got to all of my troubled spots... I was just asking about this other frag that I have that has this green stuff growing out of it. I know it's something different but I don't know what it is.. Should've started a new thread to make it less confusing...

And yes I will treat with the medication underwater

harryball69 · Mar 4, 2015

get a filefish. they eat them up and there cool. best yet.. NO chemicals

hart24601 · Mar 4, 2015

You injected it? I have used it with great results if you can get them to "eat" it. Slowly put it so they wrap around and ingest it. Works very well if you can get them to do that, hard if they are upside down or sideways. It's pretty much just kalk so the chemicals you are adding are what many people dose with! Just don't go crazy and raise pH too much. Remember to cap it tight and rinse the applicator.

ReeferBean · Mar 4, 2015

sounds like your describing bryopsis... I would pull the frag and dip it in hydrogen peroxide. use a tooth brush while its in the dip to remove the algae. Your coral looks like anthelia.

JVH · Mar 5, 2015

harryball69 said:
get a filefish. they eat them up and there cool. best yet.. NO chemicals

Are they mello fish? Everyone in my tank gets along no aggression yet! I was going to add 1 more fish but was not considering that.. Maybe I will.

hart24601 · Mar 5, 2015

They are pretty mellow, but normally will eat soft coral and nip at stony coral. There are always exceptions, but they are generally coral nippers but easy to catch. Great for fish only.

JVH · Mar 5, 2015

hart24601 said:
You injected it? I have used it with great results if you can get them to "eat" it. Slowly put it so they wrap around and ingest it. Works very well if you can get them to do that, hard if they are upside down or sideways. It's pretty much just kalk so the chemicals you are adding are what many people dose with! Just don't go crazy and raise pH too much. Remember to cap it tight and rinse the applicator.

I didn't really mean injected as in a needle LOL. I followed the directions on the box and I did look up some YouTube videos and that's what you said pretty much it closed itself on the tip and then I "injected it " lol.. So far so good I think I did get all of the visible ones.. Though from what I've read they are going to pop up from time to time and now I will be ready for the little buggers.. PH level is still okay.
Thanks!