Single Aptasia, How to Proceed?

-Logzor · Mar 22, 2012

I'm trying to figure out the best way to go about eliminating the single aptasia that is in my reef. I started this reef with 100% new rock that was cured. The aptasia came in on the base of a large acro colony that I moved over. It seems to be the type that doesn't multiply so long as you don't mess with it. So I've left it be for the past year or so.

Now it's getting to the point to where it's stinging the base of the coral. I want to remove it but I also don't want to start an aptasia spawning epidemic.

What's the best way to eliminate this thing in one treatment? Injections are totally out of the question, they always survive those. I'm thinking about using some combination of kalk and epoxy to smother it, but then I'm afraid of damaging the coral.

Suggestions?

_sludgefactory · Mar 22, 2012

I would see if i could cut a little piece of the rock off or like your said just epoxy over it. Maybe super glue and then epoxy.

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-Logzor · Mar 22, 2012

Good idea, maybe I can carefully chisel it out of there. But It's tough to tell how deep it might be rooted in there.

maharsreef · Mar 22, 2012

I hate to say it, but if you have 1 aptasia, chances are you have more tiny ones you cant see yet.
I've epoxied over big ones, and they just come right back, next to where they were before.

revhtree · Mar 22, 2012

I would definitely chisel it out if I could. Best way would be to use a razor blade and just scrape a little rock off under the aptasia as you remove it. Be carefull putting to much pressure on the bottom of your tank chiseling something out! HA!

cdness · Mar 22, 2012

sounds like a dremel extraction is in order... Use a diamond tipped bit and etch around it until you are deep enough, then use a screwdriver to chip out the small piece.

Either that or use a diamond cutting wheel and cut the whole chunk of the rock off. Not much else will be for sure. A crap-ton of Kalk usually does it for me, but I apply it about 1/2" thick over the whole area where the aptasia is and leave the flow off for as long as possible. I use the DIY Kalk with Mrs Wages Pickeling Lime so I can make it thick.

_sludgefactory · Mar 22, 2012

I used to blast them with boiling tank water but that only works when there isn't any corals near them. Last one i took out the old bone cutters and removed about a half inch of the rock.

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-Logzor · Mar 22, 2012

Well the tricky part is it's right under, sort-of attached to, the base of a massive cali tort colony. I'm pretty hesitant to move it as I'm sure I'd never get it to fit back correct again. I might have to use a combination of approaches, drilling, chemical, smothering, injecting, and chiseling.

AquaWorldPSC · Mar 22, 2012

If it were me I would get the bone cutters out and snip off a little chunk of the rock that it's on and throw it away. That would be the best way to go about it.

AquaWorldPSC · Mar 22, 2012

Well actually I would of brought my 1.5watt blue laser out and burned it lol.

-Logzor · Mar 22, 2012

AquaWorldPSC said:
Well actually I would of brought my 1.5watt blue laser out and burned it lol.

Wouldn't mind having one of those, can you use it outside in the garden to kill weeds?

_sludgefactory · Mar 22, 2012

Definitely do not drill. You don't want to have any pieces of it floating around, them you'll have tons of them.

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-Logzor · Mar 22, 2012

Hmm. Maybe rather than picking away at it, I'll make some kind of epoxy, superglue, kalk sandwich type deal. Basically, forming the epoxy into a cup shape, filling it with a mixture of kalk and super glue, then smothering that over the aptasia.

MyNeureef · Mar 22, 2012

I recently went through an Aptasia outbreak and ended up trying just about everything. The outbreak was too severe to attempt to chisel or manually remove them. I tried all the home remedies (except boiling water, I thought this would just make them spreak even more). I resorted to building a DIY Aptasia Zapper which works well on the bigger ones that aren't difficult to reach. After going through the effort of building a homemade underwater cattleprod (Aptasia Zapper) I began scouring the forums for something effective that I hadn't tried. While Im usually not a big fan of bottled remedies I read several threads on WetWebMedia where the pros where endorsing RedSea Aptasia X. I finally picked up a bottle at the local fish store and used an entire bottle in one last assault. I saw immediate results but was skeptical what would happen a few days/weeks later if it would come back even worse. Im happy to say that it worked!!!!. I will be picking up a few peppermint shrimp or a nudi to make sure no little ones I missed spread and take over...again. Good Luck

Reef Breeders · Mar 22, 2012

When one pops up, I kalk it, never failed for me.

Wy Renegade · Mar 22, 2012

Kalkpaste (home made) works pretty well for me as well. I'm down to about 10 in a tank that started with well over 200!

Reef Breeders · Mar 22, 2012

Just be sure to turn off most of your flow, you won't want any paste to hit your corals, it will have the same effect as it would on the aiptasia

Aquaph8 · Mar 22, 2012

I had one for like two years, finally I removed the rock, broke it and threw away the piece with the demon seed.

Spazdad · Mar 23, 2012

Lemon juice works great. If u screw up it will just spit babies everywhere, chances r if u have one there are more around that are tiny. Gl though

I'm going through copperbands right now ;(

Local club is having a bus trip to all the local frag shops, I'm going to pick up 2-4 peppermints from each store, hopefully will get the Lysmata wurdenmanni shrimp.