Precise Aiptasia Removal

[A Toadstool Leather]

What are some precise methods to remove aiptasia anemones? There are two on my nuclear palythoa frag that I am looking to remove. However I cannot remove the entire frag from the tank since the palys have begun to grow onto the main rockwork. I was thinking of the majano wand to remove these nems, but im not too sure if it is effective or not. What are cost effective and precise ways to remove these anemones without the use of some sort of animal(berghia nudis, peppermint shrimp, etc.)?

 

[OREGONIC]

Aiptasia x works great.

 

[Katrina71]

We have one in our tank on a mushroom frag. (One probably means 400) how do you use aiptasia x?

 

[reefwiser]

Aiptasia X or other "juice" methods use a syringe to apply a high ph liquid to the aiptasia. I have used every means possible. Nudi's work if they are in a low flow fishless system Pepermints work in a tank that is not feed works. There is no precise way.

 

[Paul B]

I invented and patented the Majano Wand and there is a reason we didn't call it an Aiptasia Wand. Although it will kill those, apitasia's are much faster than Majano's (which the Wand was built for) and they quickly dehydrate and pull themselves into the rock. If they are facing up, you can make a salt slurry out of a little salt and seawater so it is thick, using a baster, pile that over the creature and it will quickly die like in seconds.
You can turn the rock so the aiptasia's are facing up and use this method.

 

[A Toadstool Leather]

Aiptasia x works great.

Should I use a needle or a syringe to apply the aiptasia x? Will it harm my palys?

 

[Heather w]

DO NOT try to manually remove them, as had been mentioned. Aipastia X works well. I've never used the other one. If you try to manually remove them, not only will you get stung but it will release its "spores". It's a glass anenome. I get out my needle and it's killer and "hunt" every Sunday with my deep cleaning chores(unless I find one during the week). My kids think I'm crazy

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Should I use a needle or a syringe to apply the aiptasia x? Will it harm my palys?

It comes with a syringe. Turn off the flow and use care when applying.

Usually if you poke the zoas they'll close up and appie will open right back up first. Just make sure you drop it right in the mouth. You might want to practice a bit first with the syringe.

 

[Katrina71]

I haven't had the urge to murder ours yet. Just doing some reading.

 

[jd371]

Before I got my CBB I became a master injecting Aptasia with Aptasia-X. Now I have to do it occasionally when I find one that he can't reach. If you do it too slowly they'll retract back into the hole. What I would do is move the syringe slowly to where the Aptasia is and when I get right near the head I would then inject it real quick as I'm shoving the needle down the hole it's in. I struck like a Mongoose, they never saw what hit them.

 

[A Toadstool Leather]

Thanks for the help everyone. Im just going to get some aiptasia x.

 

[jduong916]

I honestly don't think aiptasia X works at all. I notice the aiptasia disappears for a week and comes back just as quick. You might think its gone, but it'll be back. I have a filefish that I borrow every time i see a few new aips and it will do the job then go to hunting coral lol. I would give that salt slurry a try. If Paul B created the mojano wand I'll take his word for the salt slurry.

 

[CastAway]

I honestly don't think aiptasia X works at all. I notice the aiptasia disappears for a week and comes back just as quick. You might think its gone, but it'll be back. I have a filefish that I borrow every time i see a few new aips and it will do the job then go to hunting coral lol. I would give that salt slurry a try. If Paul B created the mojano wand I'll take his word for the salt slurry.

Agreed, I don't think AiptasiaX works at all either. I watch them ingest it, shrivel, disappear and they're back in days. Moreover, I think it may actually make them propagate.

I have had some success with white vinegar injection, but it is very hard to do. The aiptasia has to have some size to it.

I'd like to try berghia.

 

[OREGONIC]

It comes with a syringe. Turn off the flow and use care when applying.

Usually if you poke the zoas they'll close up and appie will open right back up first. Just make sure you drop it right in the mouth. You might want to practice a bit first with the syringe.

It comes with 2 needles one straight one and one that is bent about 45 degrees. It does take a little practice to get it right. For me i wait till they are fully open and put the needle just in front of the mouth and begin to squirt as i push the needle into the mouth. Dont be afraid to put to much on them i think that is the issue people are having that say it doesnt work. You basically want to cover/fill the entire mouth and it will close fast, even after its closed I cover them with a little more. I dont turn off any pumps as i feel that startles them and they are less likly to ingest the solution. I did get it all over a hammer one time and it looked like it was going to loose one of its heads, few hours later the hammer looked great.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Agreed, I don't think AiptasiaX works at all either. I watch them ingest it, shrivel, disappear and they're back in days. Moreover, I think it may actually make them propagate.

I have had some success with white vinegar injection, but it is very hard to do. The aiptasia has to have some size to it.

I'd like to try berghia.

Mixed results here from time to time. I've had a whole tank cleaned with appx. Best t this last strain was horrific. I mixed kalk powder in with it.

I finally did get a peppermint shrimp with a taste for them though. Ya gotta kill the big ones and the shrimp got the rest.

Fortunately your on the east coast and Bergias are pretty easy to come by.

 

[jduong916]

Agreed, I don't think AiptasiaX works at all either. I watch them ingest it, shrivel, disappear and they're back in days. Moreover, I think it may actually make them propagate.

I have had some success with white vinegar injection, but it is very hard to do. The aiptasia has to have some size to it.

I'd like to try berghia.

I've tried berghias and they were very expensive. I spent $300 and no results. The best thing that works for me are filefish. They always go after the coral later on though. I even took all my rocks out, bleached and acid bathed them and the aips came back. Not ferocious though, and thats when i grab the file fish for a few days.

 

[Cessna89811]

I just ordered some Berghia Nudibranchs from Reeftown to get tge aptaisia that has popped up in my zoanthid.

 

[A Toadstool Leather]

By the way the aiptasia I am dealing with are rather small. They are less than the size of a fingernail. Dont filefish eat zoas?

 

[jduong916]

By the way the aiptasia I am dealing with are rather small. They are less than the size of a fingernail. Dont filefish eat zoas?

They eat everything lol, but normally after the aips are gone.

 

[EHerbert]

I decided I was going to eliminate my aiptasia farm so I got out the Aiptasia X, the syringe and rolled my sleeves up. After a couple of hours of hunting and pecking I thought I had gotten just about everything I could see. The first few days afterwards were fine... but now a week has past and I'm realizing that the population is coming back and much thicker than before. So here is my new plan. I just ordered a dozen Berghia nudibranches from Reeftown and will let them run rampid since they'll have no natural predators. In 4/6 weeks I'll introduce a half dozen Peppermint shrimp and starve the tank. The Berghia colony should be breeding and becoming established by then, as well as putting a dent in my aiptasia forrest. Been searching my LFS circuit for a small file fish with no luck. I'll keep you guys posted on the results. I will NEVER use Aiptasia-X again. Wanted to try Joe's Juice but can't get it shipped to Cali... who knew?