HELP! I think I have Aiptasia

rahjehtahtjdplh · Dec 14, 2020

Geez...started taking pics for a build thread and noticed this guy...looks like Aiptasia but I have no idea how I would have gotten it. All of this rock has been sitting in a plastic bin in my basement for years until 4 months ago when cycled in a new bare bottom 40G tank for three months then transferred to this new 90G...so now what? Never had an issue with this in any of my previous tanks. I have zero coral.

ReeferWarrant · Dec 14, 2020

Looks like it. Accept that it's in the tank and mitigate it the best you can.

NeonRabbit221B · Dec 14, 2020

Yeah looks like it... Few options, inject with a kalk paste or lemon juice with a syringe right into its mouth. Aiptasia-X, Joe's juice, ect will give similar results. If its a single spot I would cover it with kalk paste a slap some 2-part epoxy over the spot to seal it in. If you can remove that rock you can hold a lighter to it or use a brulee torch. The torch is my favorite option as I love watching them burn to death and its the least likely to spread it.

vetteguy53081 · Dec 14, 2020

Kalkwasser powder mixed into a thin paste is adequate
Inject via syringe into center core of aptasia and it will melt in front of you
Glue not necessary

Viking_Reefing · Dec 14, 2020

Yeah, that’s aptasia. It was bound to happen eventually.
just get some peppermint shrimp and you’ll be fine.

NeonRabbit221B · Dec 14, 2020

vetteguy53081 said:
Kalkwasser powder mixed into a thin paste is adequate
Inject via syringe into center core of aptasia and it will melt in front of you
Glue not necessary

If you miss the mouth it will spread and 1 turns into a dozen. The epoxy will seal it in and give an extra layer of protection.

vetteguy53081 · Dec 14, 2020

NeonRabbit221B said:
If you miss the mouth it will spread and 1 turns into a dozen. The epoxy will seal it in and give an extra layer of protection.

Reason I recommend syringe which will get the the membrane below mouth and melt it

rahjehtahtjdplh · Dec 14, 2020

vetteguy53081 said:
Kalkwasser powder mixed into a thin paste is adequate
Inject via syringe into center core of aptasia and it will melt in front of you
Glue not necessary

Do you have a specific brand/product to recommend or will something like this work?

RVA REEF · Dec 14, 2020

how did you cycle the rock before moving it to the 90? Did you add any water sand or rock that was cycled from another tank? It doesnt just show up so trying to figure out what brought it in.

rahjehtahtjdplh · Dec 14, 2020

vetteguy53081 said:
Reason I recommend syringe which will get the the membrane below mouth and melt it

Yes, that is what i'm afraid of. With the location of this thing it's going to be very difficult to reach it and even more difficult to cover with epoxy. The rocks are epoxied together which is even more of a problem.

NeonRabbit221B · Dec 14, 2020

That will work

Justin Cook · Dec 14, 2020

For kalk paste, I actually use Mrs. Wages pickling lime. I use this in other areas and go through a decent amount. For rare usage, get whatever kalkwasser is cheapest and in a small container so it doesn't take up so much room. A little bit will last forever if you only use it on the occasional aptasia.

SMSREEF · Dec 14, 2020

I like the torch method of @NeonRabbit221B
if you can mark the spot where it is and get the rock out of the tank.

Any other way (kalk, aiptasia-x, F-aiptasia) I ever tried didn’t work and they ended up coming back and spreading. Berghia nudibrach are expensive but work wonders.

torch it and hope that’s the only one you have.

rahjehtahtjdplh · Dec 14, 2020

SMSREEF said:
I like the torch method of @NeonRabbit221B
if you can mark the spot where it is and get the rock out of the tank.

Any other way (kalk, aiptasia-x, F-aiptasia) I ever tried didn’t work and they ended up coming back and spreading. Berghia nudibrach are expensive but work wonders.

torch it and hope that’s the only one you have.

All of the rock is epoxied together. I will have to break apart most of the landscape to remove it and it's on the bottom of almost the lowest rock in the tank. Such a pain...I know that's what needs to happen but just wondering if there is another way with out spreading it.

rahjehtahtjdplh · Dec 14, 2020

RVA REEF said:
how did you cycle the rock before moving it to the 90? Did you add any water sand or rock that was cycled from another tank? It doesnt just show up so trying to figure out what brought it in.

I cycled the rock in a new 40G with only water, heater, and circulation pump. After three months I cleaned the rock with an old toothbrush, removed the rock from the 40G and placed into the new 90G which was half full of 80lbs of new live sand and water. After arranging the rock I then filled the tank and sump up with new saltwater and tossed the old water from the tank used to cycle the rock. It has been running for 6 months with only 7 fish. No new rock added, no coral but I did but a softball size amount of Chaeto for the fuge about three months ago.

vetteguy53081 · Dec 14, 2020

SMSREEF said:
I like the torch method of @NeonRabbit221B
if you can mark the spot where it is and get the rock out of the tank.

Any other way (kalk, aiptasia-x, F-aiptasia) I ever tried didn’t work and they ended up coming back and spreading. Berghia nudibrach are expensive but work wonders.

torch it and hope that’s the only one you have.

2 weeks ago I saw 2 aptasia in my drop off tank (of course I just lent a friend my kleini butterfly from that tank) and they’re gone Gone
Everyone has their own successful method

rahjehtahtjdplh · Dec 14, 2020

vetteguy53081 said:
2 weeks ago I saw 2 aptasia in my drop off tank (of course I just lent a friend my kleini butterfly from that tank) and they’re gone Gone
Everyone has their own successful method

I've read about the Aiptasia Eating Filefish. Maybe worth a try if I mess this up and they spread...

NeonRabbit221B · Dec 14, 2020

rahjehtahtjdplh said:
I cycled the rock in a new 40G with only water, heater, and circulation pump. After three months I cleaned the rock with an old toothbrush, removed the rock from the 40G and placed into the new 90G which was half full of 80lbs of new live sand and water. After arranging the rock I then filled the tank and sump up with new saltwater and tossed the old water from the tank used to cycle the rock. It has been running for 6 months with only 7 fish. No new rock added, no coral but I did but a softball size amount of Chaeto for the fuge about three months ago.

Well I guess Chaeto is the likely culprit?

There is this option... https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/aiphtasia-z-the-grinder.783474/

Kinda not 100% tested but I want to atleast spread the word as it looks pretty cool.

vetteguy53081 · Dec 14, 2020

rahjehtahtjdplh said:
I've read about the Aiptasia Eating Filefish. Maybe worth a try if I mess this up and they spread...

Problem with files-- They may or may not eat aptaand then turn on zoa and other coral. Same with peppermint shrimp

rahjehtahtjdplh · Dec 14, 2020

NeonRabbit221B said:
Well I guess Chaeto is the likely culprit?

There is this option... https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/aiphtasia-z-the-grinder.783474/

Kinda not 100% tested but I want to atleast spread the word as it looks pretty cool.

Looks like a winner to me.

vetteguy53081 said:
Problem with files-- They may or may not eat aptaand then turn on zoa and other coral. Same with peppermint shrimp

I understand. I would have to take out the File and re-locate. Hopefully I can nuke it with Kalk and cover with Epoxy if I can get to it well enough...Thanks!