DIY Aptasia Killer

sbash · Aug 4, 2020

Hi Everybody!

I have been making my own Aptasia Killer with great success. I am using 9:1, RO/DI Water:Sodium Hydroxide.

However, it's not as precise as the brand name product (Aptasia X). With the brand name product I could easily target mouths due to it's thickness. My solution is lighter/runnier so I can't target the aptasia growing amongst some zoas, for example.

What can I use to thicken the solution? More Sodium Hydroxide? Corn starch?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Sisterlimonpot · Aug 4, 2020

Are you refering to F aiptasia or aiptasia X?

sbash · Aug 4, 2020

Sisterlimonpot said:
Are you refering to F aiptasia or aiptasia X?

LOL, fine then... I'll update the post: Aptasia X

TriggerFinger · Aug 4, 2020

Would a gelatin make it thicker?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Aug 4, 2020

Note that sodium hydroxide will push up both pH and alkalinity, so don't use a lot in one day.

Montiman · Aug 4, 2020

I have found Kalk works well. I know for a fact that some of the aiptasia killers have capsaicin as an active ingredient. I have often wondered about adding in chili extracts.

JCOLE · Aug 4, 2020

sbash said:
Hi Everybody!

I have been making my own Aptasia Killer with great success. I am using 9:1, RO/DI Water:Sodium Hydroxide.

However, it's not as precise as the brand name product (Aptasia X). With the brand name product I could easily target mouths due to it's thickness. My solution is lighter/runnier so I can't target the aptasia growing amongst some zoas, for example.

What can I use to thicken the solution? More Sodium Hydroxide? Corn starch?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Maybe add a little bit of Kalk to thicken it up. I am no chemist so if mixing Kalk with Sodium Hydroxide is a no no then dont do it. Lol

Rjramos · Aug 4, 2020

I use kalk paste to kill aiptasia. Thick but not too thick that you can’t draw it up through am 18 gauge needle. I use this injecting wand I made.

60cc irrigation syringe, nebulizer air hose attachment, rigid airline tubing, a 1cc syringe which fits perfectly snug around the rigid tubing, and an 18 gauge needle. Someone in the medical field can help.

chadg · Aug 5, 2020

Rjramos said:
I use kalk paste to kill aiptasia. Thick but not too thick that you can’t draw it up through am 18 gauge needle. I use this injecting wand I made.

60cc irrigation syringe, nebulizer air hose attachment, rigid airline tubing, a 1cc syringe which fits perfectly snug around the rigid tubing, and an 18 gauge needle. Someone in the medical field can help.

Ingenious....

Randy Holmes-Farley · Aug 5, 2020

JCOLE said:
Maybe add a little bit of Kalk to thicken it up. I am no chemist so if mixing Kalk with Sodium Hydroxide is a no no then dont do it. Lol

That mixture is fine. Still be concerned with pH and alkalinity rise, though.

sbash · Aug 5, 2020

TriggerFinger said:
Would a gelatin make it thicker?

Maybe, is it reef safe?

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Note that sodium hydroxide will push up both pH and alkalinity, so don't use a lot in one day.

Yeah, I'm aware of this, thanks. I only do a couple heads at a time (max 2-3 per day). I haven't noticed any issues. I mostly have it under control, but I just got in a few frags of nice zoas and there was some aptasia there, and I don't want to burn the zoas...

Montiman said:
I have found Kalk works well. I know for a fact that some of the aiptasia killers have capsaicin as an active ingredient. I have often wondered about adding in chili extracts.

I have heard that as well. I got the sodium hydroxide idea from the Aptasia X bottle, it had some sort of warning on it. Maybe Aptasia X has both in it. Too bad I gave all my kalk away a couple months ago... lol... I guess I'll order more...

Thanks!

TriggerFinger · Aug 5, 2020

sbash said:
Maybe, is it reef safe?

Never used it myself and I’m not even sure it would do what you’re wanting. It’s cheap so may be worth a try? I’ve seen people use it in making their own food... here’s a recent thread using it. https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/snail-food-recipe-also-good-for-other-inverts-snello.746165/

Garf · Sep 24, 2021

I’ve made a Kalkwasser / sodium hydroxide mix. It kills everything it touches, algae, Aips, coral flesh. It mixes into a soft toothpaste consistency which is easily dispensed via syringe and a shell hardens, over time. It’s sticks to rocks like crap to a blanket, lol. 2 mls of this mix is safe in a 60 gallon tank as long as you leave the pumps off for a while. Turning pumps on before the shell hardens increases pH by 0.3 in my 60G tank, as I found out.
Happy Nukin

Hurricane Aquatics · Sep 24, 2021

A syringe, a 23g needle and pure lemon juice. Inject the aiptasia with some and watch it disintegrate. Just did it to two of them.

Garf · Sep 24, 2021

HurricaneSystems said:
A syringe, a 23g needle and pure lemon juice. Inject the aiptasia with some and watch it disintegrate. Just did it to two of them.

Unfortunately you may have just increased the amount of Aiptasia in your tank.

Hurricane Aquatics · Sep 24, 2021

Garf said:
Unfortunately you may have just increased the amount of Aiptasia in your tank.

Oh yea? How so?

Garf · Sep 24, 2021

HurricaneSystems said:
Oh yea? How so?

You will not have killed all the tissue. Those little bits of living flesh can grow again. The idea behind the kalk / sodium hydroxide is to encapsulate the pest and ensure it is throughly chemically burnt out / suffocated / starved / sent to hell.

Hurricane Aquatics · Sep 24, 2021

Garf said:
You will not have killed all the tissue. Those little bits of living flesh can grow again. The idea behind the kalk / sodium hydroxide is to encapsulate the pest and ensure it is throughly chemically burnt out / suffocated / starved / sent to hell.

I had only two that came in on WWC frags and survived a thorough toothbrush cleaning and a CoralRX frag dip. I believe they are done for, but we'll see. I have never had that issue in the past and have used that method a hundred times.