Death To Aptasias

[drag]

i had a 30 gallon tank that got infested with aptasias .

so as i started my 170 gallon i used all new cured live rock . the old 30 gallon live rock i took out of the tank and let it dry for about 3 months. then i filled a 30 gallon trash can with regular tap water ( figured the chlorine would finish killing anything possibly left alive)and placed them in it and brushed all the rocks clean. i dont think anything could survive that. even them awful aptasias.

so i plan to seed and cycle them in another trash can. i know its gonna take some time.


so in short my question is could aptasias possibly survive this? i hope i dont have to boil them in water or something.

 

[ox5477]

If they could.... I think science would be interesting to study your aipstasia..... if you do get more.... its from the new lr so dont think anything survived...

Ox

 

[Colin_T]

If you leave them in freshwater for more than an hour they literally fall apart. It has to do with osmosis and they simply fill up with freshwater and their cells rupture.
A better way to get rid of aiptasia is to have a couple of peppermint cleaner shrimp (Lysmata wurdemanni) in the tank. These guys eat them and clean fish and don't bother corals.

 

[cynos]

Or inject with lemon juice.
Why did you remove the LR and let it dry out?

 

[drag]

If you leave them in freshwater for more than an hour they literally fall apart. It has to do with osmosis and they simply fill up with freshwater and their cells rupture.
A better way to get rid of aiptasia is to have a couple of peppermint cleaner shrimp (Lysmata wurdemanni) in the tank. These guys eat them and clean fish and don't bother corals.

yeah i got like 6 of them in my 170 gallon

Or inject with lemon juice.
Why did you remove the LR and let it dry out?

well i was using joes juice and it was not really working. then i moved to my house and i left the tank behind for a month in my parents house till i could set up my 170 gallon. it got totally out of hand i mean there must have been 300 - 400 of them in a 30 gallon( what i could see). out of those about 100 full blown adults.

......so instead of fighting a losing battle i started fresh by setting up my 170 gallon with new LR and 6 peppermint shrimp. i figured this would be the best way to get rid of them ... it was bad, to the point when i fed my fish about 80% of the food would be consumed by the aptasias.



in about 2 months when it cycles i will add the old rock to my new tank .
no harm done and no aptasias.

 

[SkiFletch]

For the ones in your 170gal, get em to withdraw into their hole in the rock, then superglue the hole shut. Works great for me

 

[drag]

For the ones in your 170gal, get em to withdraw into their hole in the rock, then superglue the hole shut. Works great for me

i havent seen any in my 170 gal. and hope i never do. i only tried joes juice before , i never tried regular lemon juice. but if that wouldent work your idea sounds good.

heck id try just about anything to keep them under control.

 

[cynos]

yeah i got like 6 of them in my 170 gallon

i havent seen any in my 170 gal. and hope i never do.

you sure