Aiptasia

[Matthew5664]

Found my first one yesterday and I want to get rid of it ASAP I've read of this 'Joes juice' thing but would rather not payout for it. Could I just 'suck' it off the rock with a syringe?

Does anyone know a good site for more info on this 'pest' life cycle, reproduction, water parameters ect ect...

 

[Navarre]

do not remove it pysically. You will undoubtedly rip it and leave behind tiny bits of the anenome. It only takes the tiniest particul to regrow into another and this is when they seem to multiply the fastest.

If you do not want to buy joes juice then peppermints shrimps are known to deal with aips as long as they are still relatively small.

 

[andyk]

I had an outbreak of the b*%@ards.... so in went the copper banded butterfly....all aptaisia were gone within days and the butterfly is still feeding on brine shrimp.

The big plus is it is a great looking fish aswell...but can be difficult to keep and many fail to survive more than a few weeks in the aquarium.
andy

 

[Aquascaper]

Malt vinegar and an insulin hypodermic needle

Job Done!

 

[Matthew5664]

thanks guy's. Was gona go down the vinegar route but when i got home it was gone!!! can they move??

It was pritty small, do they 'curle up' like zoos do?

 

[tomstanks]

thanks guy's. Was gona go down the vinegar route but when i got home it was gone!!! can they move??

It was pritty small, do they 'curle up' like zoos do?

Tropic Marin has an injectable product as well. I use Pep. shrimp to great success.

A burst of boiling water right on them with a syringe seems to work, but I find that a DANGEROUS option. Yes they can move.

 

[Aquascaper]

They retract right back into the rock when they have caught something so you may not see them all the time. THay are midly sensitive to light and movement so they will 'hide' too. They can also move through the holes in the rock and over the surface of the rock too.

Another way to catch them, albeit rather a drastic one, is to place short pieces of drink straws over their hole and hold in place with milliput or similar. The Aptasia then crawls up the straw to spread its tentacles (thinking its still in the rock and just needs to climb out a bit further) where upon you snip the straw at the base with the whole Aptasia neatly caught inside

 

[Matthew5664]

Well it's lights out for tonight so have a go tomorrow if i can find it again!

 

[Aquascaper]

If you need a hyperdermic needle & syringe PM me, i've got a spare I can post

 

[Matthew5664]

Thanks Aquascaper, got one from work

I'll keep you updated.

 

[steelhealr]

Concentrated lemon juice reportedly works as well. SH

 

[Matthew5664]

May be an Acidic solution of H2O at Ph 5 lemon juice and vinegar?

Would it be better to inject into the 'mouth' or the side of the body?

 

[Aquascaper]

I've found the best way is to try and get it in foot or stem. If you've got it right you should inject the vinegar, etc. and see the stem swell slightly and sometimes there will be an excretion from the mouth. There will always be the odd one or two that you can't get to so you'll have to go for the mouth but try and get as central as possible.
If you get it right the anenome should stay inflated but then shrivel once you withdraw the needle. If you've got it wrong the anenome will shrivel up immediately due to the vinegar 'washing' over it. Check for reappearances after a few hours. If possible a good way of getting them is to remove the live rock from the water as the anenome tends to lie on the rock rather than withdrawing, making it easier to inject where you want.

 

[veen]

you can also try kalk paste injected into its mouth. i've used joe's juice & it worked great but i can understand not wanting to pay out so much for a tiny bottle.

 

[Matthew5664]

still can't find the little blighter! god dam it! ( true brit talk )

Nav said they can move but on what sort of scale coz mines nowhere to be seen at the mo and I dont think my HC's turbos or urchen has had it away