Aiptasia?

**CarmieJo** · 06-01-2008, 07:12 PM

As you may recall I have been running my nano fallow after the mysterious death of both my fish (but nothing else) about 3 months ago. I just noticed this guy the other day.

It is a bad picture because of the location but do you think that it is an aiptasia? It only has one set of tentacles, the stem is very thin and it does not retract if you poke it. The tentacles are rust brown with 2 white bands.

***lReef lKeeper*** · 06-01-2008, 07:26 PM

sure is, from what i can see of it. kill it now !!

**CarmieJo** · 06-02-2008, 12:16 AM

It is weird, it just showed up.

**ScooterBlenny** · 06-02-2008, 08:14 AM

Sure looks like Aiptasia! I think I'm going to rename my tank the Aiptasia farm:-( I got three peppermint shrimp, and they don't seem to have made any difference. I inject the boogers with vinegar when I can, but they're wiggly:-( Kill it! Kill it!

**THEJRC** · 06-02-2008, 09:27 AM

looks like one to me! Not sure if he would have caused all your problems though.

Reading the kill it posts it dawns on me that I've given up and resigned myself to the fact that there will always be one or two of these f#*$!&$ things in my display... I nuke em when I see em right before water change with good ole mrs wages (mixed with a bit o shrimp juice to act as that spoonful of sugar) and a syringe... but they always come back either from an addition or miraculously from nowhere (aliens beaming down I think).

It's a shame they're so uncontrollably prolific, the nutrient export they perform is great... I'm seeing a big future for the first company to release the anenome leash and aptasia birth control.

**mysterybox** · 06-03-2008, 11:21 AM

They suck! I was zapping one yesterday behind a coral, and I snapped a 5" x 5" branch off my purple tip Digitata (a fellow reefer got a nice frag though!). Low and behold, there was a giant one hiding behind the branch that broke! Zapped that one! They suck!

**rroselavy** · 06-03-2008, 09:21 PM

Funny thing, I was just at a LFS this past week and the store had this big ol' piece of LR in the curing vat (along with a couple hundred other pounds of LR) that had 3 or 4 huge Aiptasia stuck to it. I nearly gasped, thinking that those suckers might reproduce and infect all the other rock in there. The owner was standing nearby, so I slyly asked, "Is that Aiptasia right there?", and he just goes "yup" and goes about his business.

I was looking forward to supporting his small store, but if he is not going to look out for his customers, than I will not be shopping there.

**laurabolyard** · 06-03-2008, 09:30 PM

I need to get the nerve to kill 'em!! I did kill one that was on a small rock cause I rubbed him off into the garbage disposal. I have 4 that I have been keeping my eye on, but they are on rocks that I cant take out and 'dispose'. I cant get the nreve to inject them, it seems like a slower death than the GD. If I inject them with calcioum, how long does it take?

***lReef lKeeper*** · 06-03-2008, 09:47 PM

seconds, is all it takes.

**poppin_fresh** · 06-03-2008, 10:10 PM

I wouldn't stress too much about dissolving aiptasia. You dont feel bad about yanking a weed do you? It amounts to about the same thing.Once you have a bad infestation of them, you might actually get some joy in watching them melt.

**CarmieJo** · 06-03-2008, 10:10 PM

Yep, pretty instant. I had one in my 54 and I tried to inject it with kalk and it just sucked into the rock and hid. So I made up a paste and covered that area of rock and it never came back.

I pasted this one before I went out of town on Monday. I'll get home tomorrow and see if it is still gone. Otherwise I'm ordering some of the Joe's Juice from Dick!

**laurabolyard** · 06-03-2008, 10:12 PM

OMG, about 1 ml for a BIG one, or is that too much?

**poppin_fresh** · 06-03-2008, 10:31 PM

it takes a good amount to completely smother one. Any less and the stupid thing will probably just grow back. I really want to try the new AiptasiaX product to see if it works better than kalk paste.

**laurabolyard** · 06-03-2008, 10:39 PM

AARRRGH! I just know Im not going to be able to do this!! I watch them grab food and stuff it into their mouths-Im a MOM!! I know this may seem ridiculous, I am just hoping it doesnt take a dreaded amount of bad luck tp get me to erradicate BEFORE it becomes a problem!! Maybe I can get Dick down here to do it

Carmie? How are YOU going to do it?

**CarmieJo** · 06-03-2008, 11:20 PM

Mixed up a tablespoon of Mrs. Wages in a ounce or so of water, sucked it up in a syringe, and covered the area with the paste. Be careful not to do too many at once as you can affect your pH.

**laurabolyard** · 06-03-2008, 11:36 PM

the area? Sorry, face, mouth or feet

AAARGGH, sorry for sounding so ridiculous, Ive not really had them before, and I knew when the first one showed up on my most recent piece of rock, that I was going to have to deal with this at some point!

**THEJRC** · 06-04-2008, 01:01 AM

add some shrimpy juice to the mrs. wages mixture, makes em want to eat it!! Just slowly paste over the mouth and tentacles and as it draws in smother the spot. Dont freak out if it spits a bit out as it disintegrates!

in edit, I use a large 18 gauge needle on the end of my syringe to get closer target wise, dont poke the thing though, dont want to incite laceration.... I also use this method to whack shrooms by poking through various parts of the foot and mouth to hit the gut. In either case I try to siphon out the paste and remains a few hours later with a hose since I've started doing that I havent had any return! (and it's fun to watch a shroom suck through a hose)

**laurabolyard** · 06-04-2008, 09:40 PM

ok, are you trying to make me cringe on purpose

**poppin_fresh** · 06-04-2008, 09:51 PM

come on Laura.... grow a set and dissolve that weed already!

**CarmieJo** · 06-04-2008, 10:02 PM

I just pasted about the 1/2 square inch around where it was.

I got home today and there is no trace of it left.

**laurabolyard** · 06-04-2008, 10:04 PM

have you seen the commercial where the monk freaks out after realizing that he has sneezed into an anti bacterial tissue and killed the germs, thats me. I will agree that I am going to need to 'grow a set' in order to do this

calling it a weed was helpful, and a step in the right direction!!

**CarmieJo** · 06-04-2008, 10:12 PM

Brainless weeds!

**laurabolyard** · 06-04-2008, 11:41 PM

Better, better

I know that I cant do the peppemint shrimp route, I feed too well!

**THEJRC** · 06-05-2008, 01:45 AM

If it makes you feel any better, during tank maint tonight (eh I'm a day early) I whacked lil guys in total with my syringe full o wages n shrimp juice.

They went quietly and quickly without a fight.... One was growing on up underneath my scroll and beginning to touch the bottom of it... no go in my world...

I absolutely have to point out a post from a friend of mine (and a member of talking reef here even!) as it so fits the subject.... this was one of his first posts to our local club forum site and I must say his writing style is nothing short of amazingly entertaining

!Aptasia Wars! - The Southern Colorado Marine Aquarist Society

**Phurst** · 06-05-2008, 08:59 AM

I have been very happy with Joe's Juice. i got some from Dick a while back and it works very, very well. I don't know what's in it, but the aptasia eat it readily without retracting (unless I accidentally hit them with the syringe) and are just GONE when I check back later.

That being said, I haven't had to bust out the Joe's Juice since I got my CBB. In fact, I just added a piece of LR from a friends sump that had maybe a dozen on it, and they were all gone 2 days later. CBB looked fat and happy