Aiptasia?

[David Nguyen]

Is that a aiptasia in my zoa colony? How can i get rid of it without killing my zoas?

 

[DancingShark]

Yup, some say apstasia X, lemon juice, peppermint shrimp, chalk water a sacrifice to the gods of the reef tanks. I have been battling with these guys for months now. I think am finally winning.

 

[cracker]

Shoot a little Mrs Wages pickling lime on it (kalk paste) .

 

[DSC reef]

If you can remove the frag/colony of zoas out of the tank you can use a sharp scalpel to remove it. Aptasia loved or Rasta colony, injecting them only seemed to make other babies slowly appear.

 

[David Nguyen]

I can't just try to pluck it out can i?

 

[fyler83]

usally they are down pretty fast in the rock and picking them out don't get all of them and seem to spread quick I've had great success with kalk paste to rid them

 

[Pongo]

10cc syringe, 18ga needle and kalk paste.

Just inject right in the middle of it and watch it melt.
Turn all pumps off so the kalk doesn't get washed away.
Yeah, you might loose a nearby head or 2.
They'll recover.


I just injected 3 last night and found 2 more in my zoa garden today.

 

[Capitol Reef Corals]

Inject with Aptasia X or strong Kalk paste with a syringe. Try to get it in the mouth and be generous. If it continues I found that the best way for continual control is with peppermint shrimps or aptasia eating file fish.

 

[40B Knasty]

I can't just try to pluck it out can i?

No do not try to pluck it out. It takes only one cell for it to rejuvenate.
Also if you go to inject it with ANYTHING. They go into protect and repopulate mode. If you do anything to it. Make sure it is out of the tank.
Peppermint shrimp once they get a taste of the foods you give to your fish. They are useless. Also once again.. Once they irritate the aiptasia. Protect and repopulate. Copper band butterfly is the same thing. They just do not get every cell.
Best bet is pull the frag. Cut off that section with protective gear because of the zoas palytoxins. Then qt it for a good month.

 

[aquariumcarecenter]

In our experience certain types of peppermint shrimp work excellent while other variants of their sub species do not. Berghia nudibranch are a guaranteed way to remove aiptasia and prevent their return, assuming these little nudibranch are able to take hold and reproduce/sustain in your system.