Oh Nooooo! Aptasia On My Frag Plug

[Marco S]

I found my first Aptasia and it is on a frag plug with an Ultra Green Ricordea in my Coral QT. I have been reading and watching videos for hours with many different options from lemon juice to lasers and I was wondering if I can just take the plug out and scrape the Aptasia off and call it a day?

I did read something saying never to just scrape it off a rock in a DT, but there was no explanation as to why and I would be doing it in a separate container and rinsing the plug off good before returning it into the QT tank. If anyone knows if this is a good idea or not, (and why) or have any better advise, please let me know.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Dr. Reef Verified Sponsor]

If you like to scrape it. Do it outside the tank.
Reason for it is that once Aiptasia feels threatened it spawns and all the spores end up becoming new baby Aiptasia all over your tank.
Take the plug out, scrape it or burn it with lighter and rinse well before returning it to tank.

 

[WVNed]

The pieces make new aiptasia. So damaging one in your tank makes more.
Scrape it off and then rinse where is came from with vinegar or lemon juice. Both are acids. Take your pick. Hold the plug so the part you are rinsing runs down and not on the coral.
You could apply super glue to the area of the plug where you scraped it off but it will make your skimmer flood probably.
I would like to say this will get rid of it. There is about a 50% chance it will come back.

 

[billandwende]

Best option is to remove frag from plug. use extreme caution as Aiptasia will rapidly take over.

 

[Marco S]

Thanks guys!

So the plan is to take it out and put it in the container I use for dipping with an additional container of fresh saltwater. I will scrape it off in the first container then squirt lemon juice then rinse it in the second container before returning it to the QT.

 

[Dr. Reef Verified Sponsor]

If you can use a torch lighter, flame is more pointed and presice, you can burn the Aiptasia and spot where it's at. I have never had on come back ever. 100% success in 15 yrs. Do rinse well.

 

[Marco S]

Best option is to remove frag from plug. use extreme caution as Aiptasia will rapidly take over.

The only problem with that is I am extremely intimidated by trying to remove the Ricordea without hurting it. It is pretty flat against the plug and I have no idea how to remove it, (still a noob here).

 

[Marco S]

If you can use a torch lighter, flame is more pointed and presice, you can burn the Aiptasia and spot where it's at. I have never had on come back ever. 100% success in 15 yrs. Do rinse well.

I do not have a torch on hand. Should I wait to get one tomorrow or should I take care of it right now? Not sure how fast they reproduce so I don't know what kind of timeline I have to deal with it.

 

[billandwende]

The only problem with that is I am extremely intimidated by trying to remove the Ricordea without hurting it. It is pretty flat against the plug and I have no idea how to remove it, (still a noob here).

remove with scapel or razor blade. It's a mushroom. It'll be ok.

 

[Purplelobst92]

I found my first Aptasia and it is on a frag plug with an Ultra Green Ricordea in my Coral QT. I have been reading and watching videos for hours with many different options from lemon juice to lasers and I was wondering if I can just take the plug out and scrape the Aptasia off and call it a day?

I did read something saying never to just scrape it off a rock in a DT, but there was no explanation as to why and I would be doing it in a separate container and rinsing the plug off good before returning it into the QT tank. If anyone knows if this is a good idea or not, (and why) or have any better advise, please let me know.

Thanks in advance.

Just mix up some kalkwasser sludge that is nice and thick, suck it up into a syringe and shoot a little bit onto the anemone, the anemone will gobble it up and die within a day, best way in my opinion.

 

[Dr. Reef Verified Sponsor]

I try to rid them quickly as I can.
They can become a big nuisance really quickly

 

[Marco S]

I try to rid them quickly as I can.
They can become a big nuisance really quickly

I guess I can run to Walmart real quick and grab a torch lighter.

Thanks again for the advice!

 

[Marco S]

remove with scapel or razor blade. It's a mushroom. It'll be ok.

If they come back, I will try removing the Ricordea and throwing away the old plug.. I will hunt down a scalpel tomorrow as the razors I have are too big and I would feel more comfortable with a precision tool. That way I have one on hand the next time one pops up, (hopefully there wont be a next time though).

Thanks for the advice!

 

[Hemmdog]

I do not have a torch on hand. Should I wait to get one tomorrow or should I take care of it right now? Not sure how fast they reproduce so I don't know what kind of timeline I have to deal with it.

Do you have a culinary torch? For all your creme brûlée’s and baked Alaska’s?

 

[Marco S]

Do you have a culinary torch? For all your creme brûlée’s and baked Alaska’s?

Funny thing is that I put myself through college working as a Chef at an Italian restaurant. Although the servers did the torching of the Crème Brûlée, I did have a torch in my bag of tools. Lol

I never got to try a baked Alaska though.

 

[Hemmdog]

Funny thing is that I put myself through college working as a Chef at an Italian restaurant. Although the servers did the torching of the Crème Brûlée, I did have a torch in my bag of tools. Lol

I never got to try a baked Alaska though.

Nice! That’s so cool. Oh they are good, give it a go sometime.