View Full Version : Aptasia!
kreblak
09-20-2003, 5:23 PM
What I thought was Xenia has turned out to be Aptasia. :mad: Any suggestions for prompt removal and keeping it gone?
I know that companies sell a product you inject into the little biggers that will kill them, but I think making a Kalkwasser paste and injecting them with that is just as affective.
You just have to find a hypodermic needle and syringe.
Guy
Injecting them with kalkwasser paste, boiling water, or Part A of 'B-Ionic' (the alk component) is a good place to start - one or more of these methods will probably work fine for you.
Like Guy said, a hypodermic needle comes in really handy for this. Fill the needle with your favorite potion from above and inject it into the stalk of the aiptasia.
The problem is getting your hands on a single syringe...unless you're a diabetic or know one who will give you a syringe. I went to my local pharmacy and told them I needed a syringe to get rid of pest anemones in my reef tank - I'll never forget the looks on their faces :)
lebloom
09-20-2003, 7:53 PM
This Aptasia, what do they look like? I think that maybe I may have one or two in my tank and I don't really know just what they are. I saw this and have been scouring the net for one good picture for this but can not find a really nice picture. Can someone give me a location out there to really tell me what they are and what they cause?
storrsms
09-21-2003, 3:06 AM
You might be able to find a syringe at the farm supply center depending on the laws in your state, as many farmers give their animals vaccinations, etc by themselves. Another idea is the marinade injectors- some of those I have seen have smaller
needles' and may work, the only thing with these is that they may not hold the kalk without running out the end of the needle.
An insulin syringe may not be a good choice(I am a diabetic) as the needles now are so fine that the kalk paste (as you want this to be fairly thick) will probably not work or will plug up the needle before you can get enough into the aptasia to kill it. IMHO.
Mark
I don't know the name of the product but the stuff that you can buy specifically to inject into aptasia comes with a syringe and a really heavy gauge needle (it's not sharp really but i guess you could call it a needle). I've seen it used at my LFS and the aptasia collapses once it has been enjected with the stuff in about 10 seconds.
sorry I don't know the name, but it's green. I can tell you that much!
Guy
kreblak
09-21-2003, 12:25 PM
Lebloom,
This stuff looks like a small anemone. Mine are very small. It is attached to my live rock at the base, has a stalk that extends upward, and has a head with many tentacles around the edges that sway in the current. It is typically a deep purple in color, and will multiply out of control extremely quickly if left alone (or so I am told). It stings, as well, so it is dangerous to fish and you.
Do peppermint shrimp eat this stuff? My LFS says to get a whole herd of peppermint shrimp to keep the aptasia down.
How big is your tank? I'm not sure on the requirement so pepermint shrimp, but I can say most people only keep a couple even in real big tanks. So I don't know if a herd of shrimp is a good idea. Maybe 2 or 3.
Guy
BrianH
09-21-2003, 9:31 PM
IME peppermint shrimp will usually take care of the smaller anenomes. I used the kalk paste for the larger ones.
Brian
Peppermint shrimp are somewhat of a crap-shoot. Some eat aiptasia and some don't - kinda like emerald crabs and valonia...some eat it and some don't.
I obviously got a hold of some peppermints that were not interested in helping me with my aiptasia problem :(
kreblak
09-22-2003, 8:27 AM
Hmmmmmmm. Well, before I go getting a bunch of Hypodermic syringes and creating kalkwasser paste, I think I'll try a couple of peppermint shrimp and see how they do. My two aiptasia anemones are tiny right now. I'm talking less than a quarter inch tall, so a couple of shrimp ought to mow them down, yes?
Could the emergence of these aiptasia be the cause behind the disappearance of my triggerfish? If he was stung, and it injured him badly enough...
mogurnda
09-22-2003, 8:47 AM
Geez, you are having a lot of bad luck. I doubt the Aiptasia could have hurt your trigger, probably just two unfortunate, unrelated incidents.
I have always had peppermint shrimp, and have only seen a few Aiptasia in the refugium, but I can't say whether the shrimp are the reason that there are no Aiptasia in the main tank. From what I have read, peps don't usually eat the big ones, which will need to be injected with kalk or something else. The ones I have seen in the fuge were on macroalgae or the tank wall, so they could be easily pulled off without leaving anything. Any chance of pulling them off without leaving pieces?
I would agree with Guy W about using just a small number of peps. TBS sent me 3 with my rock for the 20 gallon. They got along fine, produced eggs, and didn't hassle the cleaners, but they devastated the small invertebrate population. Pretty much wiped out the small bristleworms, terebellids (spaghetti worms) and ate a whole batch of nassarius snails I put in. I am glad that a few of the peppermints have disappeared over the years, and I see terebellid tentacles again. A herd is a bad idea IMO.
kreblak
09-22-2003, 9:28 AM
My LFS has a couple of small peppermint shrimp in right now. They are about a half inch long. I was thinking of adding them to help get rid of this crud. Pulling the aiptasia off the live rock will almost certainly leave remnants. Both are growing out of rocky crags and holes.
HoopsGuru
09-22-2003, 9:29 PM
I just wanted to add one other method that was not touched on here. I have had great success with white vinegar, and used in the small applications needed to kill the little buggers does nothing to alter water parameters.
When buying the peps, make sure they are L. wurdemanni and not L. californica.....they are pretty convincing "twins".
kreblak
09-23-2003, 8:06 AM
What is the difference in between the two?
HoopsGuru
09-23-2003, 7:38 PM
The "imposters" (L. californica) have much deeper, bolder striping than L. wurdemanni.
To tell you the truth, I had a heck of a time trying to distinguish between the small peps at my LFS, not to mention they keep moving everywhere:D . I could not easily tell until they grew a bit and it became much more apparent.
The best advice I might give would be to have them pull out a bunch at the LFS into a holding container and then observe and try and pick out the lightest ones out of the bunch. I can't say it is scientific but it may improve your chances. The L. wurdemanni I placed in my 10g worked great, what turned out to be a pair of L. Californica I put in another tank only ate some featherdusters.
lebloom
10-03-2003, 6:49 PM
So just what causes aptasia? And how much kalkwasser is needed in this paste?
Originally posted by lebloom
So just what causes aptasia? And how much kalkwasser is needed in this paste?
Aptasia is just an organism, an anemone I think, that will spread in plauge propotions if not erradicated. They generaly come in on live rock.
For the paste, I would say a teaspoon of kalk and add water till it is a thick paste, then suck it up in a syringe, inject the buggers with a little and see if they collapse... rinse and repeat :)
lebloom
10-03-2003, 7:00 PM
I thought I just 1 or 2 but now I'm beginning to find more in my tank. The one I need to get rid of is really getting out of control. I tried to pick at it with something and the thing moved right out of the way as I came at it.
don't pick ay them if you rip it apart the piece will grow into new ones. I am currently fighting them in my tank and kalk seems to work the best but to much will alter water parameters. If you want them out do it now because once the get a grip on your tank they are hard to get rid of. Trust me i thought they were kind of neat so i let them grow for a few months. Now i can't seem to get rid of them. I kill them all and a week later new ones start growing.
kreblak
10-05-2003, 9:15 PM
You know what works really well for injecting kalkwasser paste into aiptasia? The "flavor injectors" that come with the Ronco Showtime Rotisserie Cooker. They are nice and thick, so the paste doesn't get jammed up in the needle. Plus, they are designed to penetrate meat, so aiptasia doesn't present much of a problem.
Guy W
10-05-2003, 10:05 PM
Originally posted by kreblak
You know what works really well for injecting kalkwasser paste into aiptasia? The "flavor injectors" that come with the Ronco Showtime Rotisserie Cooker. They are nice and thick, so the paste doesn't get jammed up in the needle. Plus, they are designed to penetrate meat, so aiptasia doesn't present much of a problem.
haha, i hope your not injecting your meat with those anymore :)
kreblak
10-06-2003, 8:41 AM
Nah, I've got a couple of these things. I never liked using the flavor injectors anyway. I used them to inject a garlic butter sauce I made into some game hen, and it just leaked out everywhere. The flavor injectors are a good idea in theory, but in real life they just aren't that sweet. Better to put them to good use in the eradication of nuisance anemones. ;)