Why don't more people do this?

[jeffchapok]

Sometimes I worry that I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but I've found that applying boiling RODI water with a turkey baster is very effective at treating both GHA and aiptasia. Yet I seldom see anyone discuss it and when I do bring it up, no one ever comments.

I try to keep my reef using only natural methods as much as possible, and haven't used any chemical treatments other than H2O2 (and that ended very badly!).

Is there some particular reason no one but me does this? It seems to me to be the cheapest and lowest risk thing you can do, as we all should already have access to RODI. The only drawback I see is that you can't use it immediately adjacent to coral without harming them as well. But I've done it within an inch or two with no adverse effects.

Here's a before and after of an aiptasia I eradicated last week this way after the often touted lemon juice treatment failed.

You can even see that the algae where it was is all gone too. I've used this to great effect to spot treat GHA, and once you do, the CUC go crazy over it. Boiled GHA must be delicious.

But I'm curious as to why this isn't more commonly discussed.

 

[TriggerFinger]

I’ve never seen this suggested and it seems like a good idea to me. The aiptasia I had were taken out by some peppermints so I will keep this in mind for next time.

did you take the rock out or do this in the tank?

 

[Nick Steele]

This is interesting! Never heard of this.

 

[Chrille26]

I actually used this method about a week ago on one and still no sign of the Aiptasia so I have to agree that it works. Got three more, smaller ones left witch Im gonna use this method on.

 

[Copingwithpods]

For me that wasn't an option because of coral density. No way to kill the gha without killing the corals nearby too. I spot treat with h2o2 and it has been working pretty well, I can get right around the base of corals with no ill effects, it's working well enough that I no longer do it and I'm now just leaving my cuc to take care of the rest.

 

[jeffchapok]

I’ve never seen this suggested and it seems like a good idea to me. The aiptasia I had were taken out by some peppermints so I will keep this in mind for next time.

did you take the rock out or do this in the tank?

In the tank. I just turn off all water flow first so that the hot water stays in contact with my target as long as possible.

I have a flame hawk that gets really curious any time I'm doing anything and he'll come check it out, but he's never been harmed. I don't think a fish would willingly swim far enough into hot water to get hurt.

I did scare the bejeezus out of am emerald crab once though. He was holed up and I didn't see him there. Was too small to eat, sadly...

 

[jeffchapok]

For me that wasn't an option because of coral density. No way to kill the gha without killing the corals nearby too. I spot treat with h2o2 and it has been working pretty well, I can get right around the base of corals with no ill effects, it's working well enough that I no longer do it and I'm now just leaving my cuc to take care of the rest.

This was how my H2O2 disaster happened. The peroxide irritated a condylactis who reacted by releasing its toxins and nuking everything in the tank before I could remove it. You could see it squirting a milky substance into the water.

I lost about half my corals and a nice BTA. What didn't die was badly stunted for a while. Surprisingly, the condy survived after I quickly threw it into my QT, even though it turned into a big snot ball for a while. I still have it, even though it's only a small fraction of the size it used to be. It's barely bigger than a good sized zoa polyp.

My wife has forbidden me to handle H2O2 any more and has hidden it from me. Many of the corals I killed she had just given me for my birthday.

 

[rusty hannon]

Sometimes I worry that I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but I've found that applying boiling RODI water with a turkey baster is very effective at treating both GHA and aiptasia. Yet I seldom see anyone discuss it and when I do bring it up, no one ever comments.

I try to keep my reef using only natural methods as much as possible, and haven't used any chemical treatments other than H2O2 (and that ended very badly!).

Is there some particular reason no one but me does this? It seems to me to be the cheapest and lowest risk thing you can do, as we all should already have access to RODI. The only drawback I see is that you can't use it immediately adjacent to coral without harming them as well. But I've done it within an inch or two with no adverse effects.

Here's a before and after of an aiptasia I eradicated last week this way after the often touted lemon juice treatment failed.

You can even see that the algae where it was is all gone too. I've used this to great effect to spot treat GHA, and once you do, the CUC go crazy over it. Boiled GHA must be delicious.

But I'm curious as to why this isn't more commonly discussed.

honestly couldnt say but do agree that it would b the least harmful n safest way. i didnt mean to glaze over ur answern for that i do apoligize.it would b frustrating but i seriously dont have access to rodi at this timen the place i was getting my water changed filter methods n due to my lack of pretesting cost me dearly.lesson learned n yours has been put n my book.thank u .R

 

[rusty hannon]

This was how my H2O2 disaster happened. The peroxide irritated a condylactis who reacted by releasing its toxins and nuking everything in the tank before I could remove it. You could see it squirting a milky substance into the water.

I lost about half my corals and a nice BTA. What didn't die was badly stunted for a while. Surprisingly, the condy survived after I quickly threw it into my QT, even though it turned into a big snot ball for a while. I still have it, even though it's only a small fraction of the size it used to be. It's barely bigger than a good sized zoa polyp.

My wife has forbidden me to handle H2O2 any more and has hidden it from me. Many of the corals I killed she had just given me for my birthday.

serious trouble when the wife takes our bad ideas n corrects us but real glad its not just me.29 years.R

 

[Copingwithpods]

This was how my H2O2 disaster happened. The peroxide irritated a condylactis who reacted by releasing its toxins and nuking everything in the tank before I could remove it. You could see it squirting a milky substance into the water.

I lost about half my corals and a nice BTA. What didn't die was badly stunted for a while. Surprisingly, the condy survived after I quickly threw it into my QT, even though it turned into a big snot ball for a while. I still have it, even though it's only a small fraction of the size it used to be. It's barely bigger than a good sized zoa polyp.

My wife has forbidden me to handle H2O2 any more and has hidden it from me. Many of the corals I killed she had just given me for my birthday.

So odd, I have a condy too and while I was treating with h2o2 even though I blasted some right at it I never saw it negatively react to it.

 

[dank reefer]

I heard of this method, and also using lemon juice. I did try this method before, and it did not work for me. I saw them shrivel up, and I started to the do the Happy Dance. But after a month, not only the the shriveled one come back, but all of its kin folk came into my tank.

 

[jeffchapok]

So odd, I have a condy too and while I was treating with h2o2 even though I blasted some right at it I never saw it negatively react to it.

So I have to come clean with the whole story...

I actually did this twice, with the same result both times. The second time I used a very small amount of H2O2 to spot treat two frags. Neither time did I come anywhere near the condy (yes, same one BTW!). It was after the second time that my wife hid the bottle.

I can hear you all now, "Why didn't you get rid of the nem?". After it survived the first time, I felt bad for it. It was honestly all my fault. After it happened again, I dunno... I'm a glutton for punishment, I guess.

Believe me, I will never ever ever put H2O2 directly into a tank again (just in case the wife sees this).

 

[Miller535]

Sometimes I worry that I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but I've found that applying boiling RODI water with a turkey baster is very effective at treating both GHA and aiptasia. Yet I seldom see anyone discuss it and when I do bring it up, no one ever comments.

I try to keep my reef using only natural methods as much as possible, and haven't used any chemical treatments other than H2O2 (and that ended very badly!).

Is there some particular reason no one but me does this? It seems to me to be the cheapest and lowest risk thing you can do, as we all should already have access to RODI. The only drawback I see is that you can't use it immediately adjacent to coral without harming them as well. But I've done it within an inch or two with no adverse effects.

Here's a before and after of an aiptasia I eradicated last week this way after the often touted lemon juice treatment failed.

You can even see that the algae where it was is all gone too. I've used this to great effect to spot treat GHA, and once you do, the CUC go crazy over it. Boiled GHA must be delicious.

But I'm curious as to why this isn't more commonly discussed.

Many others have done this. It's actually a old school method.

 

[jeffchapok]

Many others have done this. It's actually a old school method.

But I never see anyone suggest it. Just lemon juice, Aiptasia-X, file fish, nudis, etc. That's what I'm curious about.

 

[Miller535]

But I never see anyone suggest it. Just lemon juice, Aiptasia-X, file fish, nudis, etc. That's what I'm curious about.

Yeah. A lot of the old school methods fall to the side, not necessarily because they don't work but because of new reefers with new fads. If it's not in a BRS video, then most reefers don't seem to know about it. lol

 

[eXact iDip®]

Good information to know! We're battling some GHA and will try the boiling RO/DI water method.

Cheers!

 

[Thales]

It is a little dangerous, and other methods are less so and at least as effective so this one doesn't get suggested - I wouldn't suggest it for that reason. I am surprised that Kalk paste (which was recommended to be heated up in the past) isn't used more as it is so easy, so targeted, and so effective.

 

[jeffchapok]

It is a little dangerous, and other methods are less so and at least as effective so this one doesn't get suggested - I wouldn't suggest it for that reason. I am surprised that Kalk paste (which was recommended to be heated up in the past) isn't used more as it is so easy, so targeted, and so effective.

What do you consider dangerous? You're not adding anything but water to your tank. I'm much more skeptical of the various chemicals being tossed about.

I have no problem with the addition of nudis, peppermint shrimp and other natural predators aside from the cost, availability, sometime questionable effectiveness and issue of keeping them alive after they've eradicated their food supply.

Am I overlooking something other than the risk of scalding yourself, which I have done BTW.

 

[Thales]

What do you consider dangerous? You're not adding anything but water to your tank. I'm much more skeptical of the various chemicals being tossed about.

I have no problem with the addition of nudis, peppermint shrimp and other natural predators aside from the cost, availability, sometime questionable effectiveness and issue of keeping them alive after they've eradicated their food supply.

Am I overlooking something other than the risk of scalding yourself, which I have done BTW.

Yep, the scalding risk. Kalkpaste is fast, easy, available, safe and effective. I don't like to recommend animals for the reason you wrote, and because peppermint shrimp can become terrors. I do like CBB if you can get them to eat the pests.
Toothpaste consistency kalkpaste in a syringe with no needle. Turn off pumps, apply over aiptasia, really cover them. Wait 45 minutes and the kalk forms a crust which often stays in place when the pumps are turned back on, and if it doesn't it is harmless at that point. Don't go crazy and do a million, but you can do a bunch without impacting the tank. If you don't trust the crusty kalk, siphon it out or turkey baste it out. Also can work on algae.
I used to do the hot thing, like 25 years ago. This is way easier. YMMV

 

[GeoSquid]

I used the boiling water method for Aiptaisa. I went from about 20 of them when I started using boiling water and I soon had hundreds. This didn't work for me and made it worse.