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FAQs on Chemically/Physically Injecting Aiptasia Anemones 2
Related FAQs: Chemical
Injection 1,
Aiptasia/Glass Anemones in General,
Aiptasia Identification, Eradication by:
Berghia Nudibranchs,
Peppermint Shrimp,
Butterflyfishes,
Filefishes,
Hypo/Hyper-Salinity. Related
Articles:
Impressions of Methods to Eliminate Pest Anemones by Steven Pro,
Aquarium Culture of the Aeolid nudibranch Berghia, Predator
on the nuisance anemone Aiptasia By Anthony Calfo,
Anemones,
Cnidarians |
NaOH, Lemon Juice, Commercial Chemical Prep.s... |
Losing Fish 6/18/09
Okay have a 75 gal that had established inhabitants of:
Archer Fish
Blue Barred Pseudochromis
Orange Spotted Prawn Goby
Midas Blenny
Scooter Blenny
Pearly Jawfish
Lyretail Molly
Radiant Wrasse
Sump has a pistol shrimp
Have not added any new rock in years however I have been having a
very annoying Aiptasia problem and they are spreading and growing
very fast, I'll think they're gone using aiptasia X but they'll be
back and stronger before you know it.
<Perhaps adding a biological control>
My fish are disappearing one by one over the past month though, today
I found my hermits chewing on the corpse of my Orange Spotted Prawn
Goby which I've had for over two years and who I saw showing no
signs of stress and eating right before the lights went out the
night before. Two nights before that the pearly Jawfish was found
dead and 2 nights before that it was the molly. About a week before
that the archerfish disappeared and I never found the corpse. A month
before that an Exquisite Wrasse I had disappeared as well, after the
archerfish died I was SURE it was the Pseudochromis harassing and
killing as he would constantly dart out at fish from the rocks
Damsel style.
<Mmm, doubtful>
So I caught him and took him in to the store where he is right now.
So tank has Scooter Blenny and Midas Blenny left, neither show signs
of illness or stress. Radiant Wrasse is there also but he's had some
craziness going on for several months that have caused him to be
blind in one eye and lay on the sand like he's dead when no one is
around, and then swim around begging for food when I walk over.
So yeah, any ideas? Phosphates, Nitrite, Ammonia, Nitrate are all
zero, other inverts in the tank consist of a Harlequin shrimp
squatting on chocolate chip star, hermits, snails, two fighting
conchs, spiny oyster, and two porcelain crabs.
<I fully suspect the overly-abundant Aiptasia here... poisoning,
stinging your fishes... and the hermits just doing clean-up. I would
work on ridding, at least reducing the Glass Anemone population.
Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_1/cav1i3/aiptasia_impressions/aiptaisia_imp
ressions.htm
and the linked files at the bottom. Bob Fenner>
Aiptasia! – 03/10/09
Hey Crew!
<<Hello Andy>>
I hope all is well with whoever finds this message.
<<EricR here…and doing fine thanks>>
I have a serious Aiptasia problem that I can't figure out.
<<Ah yes…not an uncommon issue. But they can be “managed” with some effort>>
I have a long story but I'll try to make is short. In Feb 2007, I set up my 110
gallon that
I maintained in high school (20 years ago). This was replaced with a new 90
gallon reef ready in June 2008. I have about 90 lbs of live rock, a sump with
live rock, an AquaC EV-180 protein skimmer, three Hydor Koralia 3s for internal
circulation, a Little Giant 1350 gph return pump, and a 30 gallon
Chaetomorpha/live rock/deep sand bed refugium. Lighting is 2x250W 14,000K HQIs
and four 65W power compact 03 actinics (HQIs are on from 12 pm to 9 pm and PCs
are on from 11 am to 10 pm).
<<A very nice setup>>
My tank was (I'll get to this in a minute) an SPS dominant tank with 4 or 5
small-to-medium fish. I fed my fish once or twice per day using live black worms
and New Life Spectrum pellets.
<<Would prefer to see a bit more variety>>
I was very careful not to overfeed.
<<Though it seems to be going against conventional wisdom, I honestly believe
hobbyists should be MORE concerned with assuring their fishes receive “enough”
to eat of the right types of foods>>
I also fed my corals about once per week using Brine Shrimp Direct Golden Pearls
5-50 micron, which I like very much. I had a few Aiptasia here and there, but
nothing to get concerned about.
<<That’s how it begins… These organisms are very opportunistic and incredibly
prolific…best to “zap' em” as they are discovered (and as I think you have
probably learned)>>
Part of this may be that I had a very healthy and hungry Copperband Butterfly
that liked to eat Aiptasia.
<<Indeed…though in my experience these fish tend to swing away from this over
time to the (more palatable?) prepared/frozen foods>>
My ammonia, nitrate and phosphate levels always tested well--0 ppm ammonia,
nitrites and nitrates, no detectable phosphates. Generally, my tank looked
awesome and everything was healthy and happy. Then last September, I went away
on vacation and my power went out.
<<Mmm…I seem to remember something about this. I believe you and I had a couple
exchanges re>>
Long story short, when the power came back on something tripped the circuit
breaker, I had no one watching the house (lesson learned), and my tank turned
into a disgusting pot of mucous soup.
<<As the saying goes…hindsight is always 20-20… I and many others have stories
of similar disasters. Something to be said for redundant circuitry (e.g. –
running two return pumps on separate circuits) and pet sitters, eh?>>
So, in spite of being devastated at losing lots of great SPS that I had grown
from very small frags and awesome fish that I loved,
<<I can truly relate my friend>>
I sucked it up and restarted everything. I added a few new pieces of live rock
to reintroduce coralline algae and pods, and left the tank fallow for 5 months
so that it could stabilize. My tank went through some crazy times--ridiculous
micro and macro algae blooms, Cyano, etc., (I assume from the dissolved organics
that my LR absorbed during the crash and was releasing).
<<I have witnessed/experienced similar issues from such losses of
power/circulation/oxygen/etc to a system. I think it is likely due to a
“combination” of increased organics/metabolites from decomposition AND the
disruption/destruction of the systems bio-filter>>
I continued to do my regular maintenance this entire time. So, by November or
December everything started to look nice. Over the months I added a few SPS
frags to get that going again, and they are doing really well, growing like
crazy, coloring up, etc.
<<Excellent>>
In January, after doing much research and consulting with the Crew, I added 5
small Bartlett's Anthias which are doing really well. I feed them twice per day
(all I can do because of my work schedule) using black worms or thawed/rinsed
Selcon-soaked Mysis (one feeding) and New Life Spectrum pellets (second
feeding).
<<Okay>>
I'm lucky in that they actually love the New Life Spectrum pellets, which I
understand is not always the case.
<<Indeed…though this Anthiine species does usually take to this excellent food
very well, in my experience>>
I am careful about feeding them, and feed in small increments so I can watch
them eat everything before adding more food. Currently, they are the only fishes
in my tank.
<<I see>>
Because I have no tangs in the tank as I did previously, some macro algae has
started to sprout--mostly Grape Caulerpa but there is some Halimeda. I can deal
with the Caulerpa, as I manually remove it every few weeks. What I can't deal
with is my serious Aiptasia problem. I must have 100 Aiptasia scattered about my
substrate (1/2" deep of Aragonite) and on my live rocks.
<<Mmm…again, not an uncommon occurrence…these pests can seemingly explode in
population overnight>>
I shoot the ones I can reach with Aiptasia-X,
<<And this is the best product available for such use in my opinion>>
which works for the most part but . . . it is not solving/can't solve my global
problem.
<<Ah but I disagree… We share remarkably similar experiences… Almost two years
ago my own 500g system (375g display, 75g sump, 55g refugium) suffered a
slightly less devastating power outage (about 10-hrs but exacerbated by carbon
dosing) which didn’t destroy “everything” as yours did, but still cost me
thousands in lost fish and corals. Afterwards I too was plagued by nuisance
algae and Cyanobacteria, for many months…and then came the Aiptasia explosion. I
made the mistake of not jumping on them right away, and before I knew it I had
hundreds of them throughout the display and the refugium. I purchased the
Aiptasia-X product and after nearly two 14oz bottles of the stuff, I have
regained control of the problem. The key is perseverance… You must condition
yourself to spend a few minutes every day attacking those Aiptasia that you can
see/find. You will never get them all in one go (they do move about…and are
often just darn tough to spot), but after a while you will notice you are making
a dent in the population. A couple hints re using the Aiptasia-X are… Don’t be
stingy with the stuff…wherever possible don’t just “feed” it to them, but do
also “cover ‘em up” with it. Also, rig an “extension” for the applicator
syringe…a couple short pieces of rigid airline tubing linked together between
the syringe and applicator tip will give you much more flexibility and reach to
get at the Aiptasia>>
I do a 15% water change every one or two weeks depending on my work schedule,
using RO/DI water that I make myself (TDS is 0). My salt mix is, and has always
been, Reef Crystals (although after reading some things on WWM, I'm thinking of
switching to Seachem Reef Salt next time around).
<<Mmm, yes… I was a huge fan of Aquarium Systems’ salt mix offerings for several
decades…not so much anymore…am now using Seachem’s salt mix offerings (wish I
could afford Tropic Marin [grin])>>
The only things I dose are ESV B-Ionic two part Alk/calcium and Brightwell
Aquatics Magnesium-P, as needed with regular testing.
<<Okay>>
I consider myself to be a pretty knowledgeable/experienced aquarist. I've read a
lot about Aiptasia on this and other sites/books, and I know that Aiptasia
problems are usually due to excess nutrients.
<<Population “explosions” may be due to such, yes…but these organisms are so,
how do I say it…efficient at life…that just simply ignoring them when the first
appear will often result in problems/in their spread throughout a system>>
Honestly, though, I don't believe this is my problem.
<<…?>>
First, the Aiptasia were showing up/growing in population before I added any
fish. Maybe this has to do with the lingering effects of my tank meltdown?
<<I think it is a contributing factor to the increase in population as, I
alluded to earlier>>
Second, I don't think I overfeed, although I do think some of the New Life
Spectrum pellets may sink to the bottom without being eaten.
<<And as I also stated…I think this should be less of a concern than ensuring
that your fish are “well” fed>>
I do "broadcast" feed my SPS, but I only add one to two little scoops (maybe 1/2
a teaspoon max, dissolved in system water and sprayed around my SPS using a
baster) of Golden Pearls 5-50 to feed a large Montipora cap, a small Blue-rimmed
Montipora, a large Montipora confuse, a small Pavona, a large Birdsnest, and 4
assorted Acropora frags.
<<Also not a concern in my opinion. I too broadcast-feed my corals, and the tank
in general, (many organisms other than fish and corals vying for/requiring
nutritional supplementation in these closed systems)>>
Second, other than whatever phosphates are bound up in my macroalgae, my testing
shows no excess nutrients. My EV-180 does a fine job and I regularly clean it to
assure performance. I added two Peppermint Shrimp a week ago (that's all my LFS
had—I intend to get a few more)--not only have I not seen these since I added
them, but no noticeable signs of them eating the Aiptasia--I know these can be
hit or miss.
<<My experience with these shrimp as well…not a reliable biological control>>
I also purchased a Copperband Butterfly that's been in my quarantine tank for 10
days (I know these don't do well in QT so I don't plan to keep him there much
longer, but I always like to put my new fish in a QT and observe them for a
period of time just to make sure nothing shows up). I know that CBBs are
likewise hit or miss,
<<Indeed…or just eventually find it easier/tastier to go for the prepared
offerings>>
But I'm hoping this one's a winner like my last one.
<<Will keep my fingers crossed that this is so>>
Again, I've read your general suggestions on WWM about reducing nutrients, etc.,
but can you think of anything else I should be doing/testing to help me win this
battle?
<<I suggest you not do anything deleterious to your livestock… Feed your
fishes/your corals well…any issues arising from such can be dealt with>>
Is there some other component of water chemistry that I'm not thinking
of/testing for that could be the culprit?
<<It comes down to just more elbow-grease. I can assure you, perseverance with
the Aiptasia-X will win out eventually. And let me also add… No matter what
route you take, you will never be “completely” rid of the Aiptasia. You can/will
get to the point where they are no longer evident…but just as you begin to think
they are gone forever, one/two/three will spring forth from your rock. And when
they do, don’t hesitate…ZAP’EM!>>
As always, your help is appreciated.
Andy
<<I do hope you find this exchange helpful. Regards, Eric Russell>>
Re: Aiptasia! - 03/11/09
Thanks a lot Eric.
<<Quite welcome Andy>>
Your e-mail gave me hope that all is not lost.
<<Ah good!>>
I have started to zap the buggers every night, and will continue to do
so until they are licked.
Andy
<<Can seem a daunting task; especially in the beginning when it appears
two show up for every one you eliminate, but eventually you “will” win
out…at least as much as you/anyone can against these prolific pests
[grin]. Eric Russell>>
Foxface Nipped-Fin Question And More –
06/23/08 Hi there, <<Hello>> I noticed today that my Foxface is
missing the tip of his right fin. I looks a little white at the end like a
finger nail that was burned by a match (oops busted ex smoker). I haven't
introduced anything into my tank in months except for a tuxedo urchin about 2
months ago. Prior to that a large toadstool leather that was attached to a rock
4-5 mo.s ago. I have a small snowflake eel that gets a little excited at dinner
and sometimes bites at the Foxface (he's only about 7 inches long). <<Ah…and
likely the reason for the missing fin tip on the Foxface>> I haven't seen
that he has actually gotten him. <<The physical evidence would suggest
otherwise>> He leaves the other fish alone including a scooter blenny that
sticks with him and eats along side of him. <<The nipped fin was not likely
an “overt” action by the eel but more a case of “mistaken identity” and
excitement during feeding time>> I looked at all the pictures of diseases and
none seems to be what I'm seeing. <<With good care/water quality the tip of
the fin should grow back fine on its own…assuming no more “nipping” from the
eel>> Thanks, Stacy <<Happy to assist. Eric Russell>> P.S. I have
also read lots of the tiny starfish posts. I notice that the little buggers in
my tank are overly interested in my frogspawn. The end of the frog spawn stalk
broke off so I have it sitting in a plastic tube; they try to climb up it all
the time. <<Most of these small stars are harmless in my experience. Unless
you see them actually doing “harm” to the coral I would not be concerned>>
Aside from that I rarely see them. I did see one on the shell of a large snail
that died, not sure if they got in the snail and killed it. <<It is more
likely they were just “cleaning up”>> I pluck them out. I love my frogspawn
and don't trust them!! <<Is up to you>> P.S.S. One more thing, sorry.
<<No worries>> I have an Aiptasia and some hair-like worm thing that lives in
what looks like a sand tube that just showed up on a rock I've had for almost 2
yrs?? <<This is not unusual…though likely they have been there for some time,
maybe just out of site. The worm is of no concern (a Terebellid Polychaete), is
even beneficial…but I would dispose of the Aiptasia before they spread>>
First of either I have had in my tank. Do they move? <<Yes>> Was it
dormant in the rock? <<A possibility>> I got a syringe today and hope to
kill it tomorrow. <<I tried Red Sea’s Aiptasia-x recently…best commercial
product for eradicating Aiptasia I’ve seen to date>> Is the tiny hair thing
bad? <<Nope>> It seems to go in and out like a little snake. <<Is a
beneficial detritivore…not to worry. EricR>>
Aiptasia inside Tridacna Crocea clam shell (cannot scrape it!)
6/13/08 Hello crew, <Betsy> I just purchased a ~5 inch
crocea clam from another person who was breaking down a tank. During
acclimation I noticed an aiptasia, but it is not 'on' the shell of
the clam, it is between the layers of the shell right under the
mantle, I declare it to be unscrape-able. I tried to use one point
of a tweezers (which barely fit into the hole) to "squish" the
aiptasia (which withdrew completely into the crack, you can see in
the bottom center of the photo). I was a little timid though, very
afraid of hurting the clam. From what I have read about Aiptasia, I
imagine that I did not successfully kill it. I read on your site
FAQs that Aiptasia can annoy the mantle of the clam (and boy, is it
ever close to the mantle!). I also read that injecting anything that
close to the clam might not be such a great idea. <Actually, I'd
either ignore this pest... or look into a really neat new product by
Red Sea... I saw this in action a few weeks ago at the Interzoo
industry show in Germany... an injectable that appears to be "tasty"
and non-toxic... that one can squirt into such pests... they eat
it... and dissolve> So, any ideas on how to rid myself of this
pest without injuring the clam? Also since I'm writing, I plan to
let the clam attach to a piece of ceramic tile so I can place it on
the sand bed. (I understand that crocea's prefer to be on a hard
substrate). Is a tile a good idea? <Mmm, yes> The clam was
living on the sand in the other person's tank, from what I
understand. My lighting is very good ( 6 overdriven T5 bulbs on
Icecap 660 ballasts - producing a PAR of about 350 on my sand bed).
I would like to keep it on the sand bed rather than in my rocks so
that I get the best viewing angle on it's mantle. <A very good
point> Thanks very much, Betsy <Welcome. Bob Fenner> | 
|
Thank you so much! and Aiptasia Removal 03/06/2008 Hi,
<<G'Morning, Andrew today>> I am so sorry to take this direct route
and not research more so please forgive me. <<tut tut>> I have a
reef/salt water fish tank which I love so much!! I have had it for 4
years. I now have an invasion of Aiptasia. UGH!!! I tried peppermint
shrimp but they got eaten. I want to try the lemon juice injection(?)
Here is my question.... What is the best way to go about this? Do I
inject tons of them at once or just a couple a day? Do I do a big water
change after? Does this hurt my fish or my good corals? <<There are
various methods used to rid a tank of Aiptasia. Inject a could at a time
using the Joe's juice method. Most, on this route, use a hypodermic
needle and inject the lemon juice into the nem. Another alternative is
to fill a syringe up with boiling water and blast the nem directly and
not have to worry about adding too much juice to the tank. Read more
here
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/aiptasia/aiptasia.htm
>> I have a 55 gallon tank. My corals are torch, button polyps,
brain, plate, sun polyps, mushrooms, toadstool, leather, frogs spawn,
and candy! My fish are tang, wrasse, mandarin, damsel, fairy Basslet,
blenny, chromis, and clown. <<I would suggest a bigger home for the
tang, they fair better in larger aquariums more suited to their swimming
needs>> Thank you so very much for taking the time to respond to me.
My son is coming home this weekend and he is in his first year of
college studying marine biology and I am feeling embarrassed about my
mess in the tank!! Veronica Smead <<No need to feel embarrassed, your
amongst friends here. Hope the above helps. A Nixon>>
Tree Coral Health; Nephtheid "juiced" along with Glass Anemones
7/31/07 Dear Crew, <Andy> I have a question about my small
tree coral. It was sold to me as a "tree coral", so I'm not exactly sure
what it is--I have searched for images of similar corals, and I'm pretty
sure that it of the genus Capnella. "It" is actually two corals--two
individual 3" trunks attached to one piece of base rock--and have a pink
fleshy look, with darker pink polyps. <This genus does occur in a
wide range of light colors/hues> I have had them in my tank for over
a month and they have been doing very well. Fully extended during
daylight, shrunk up a bit at night. Last week, I killed off small four
Aiptasia that were within about 10" of the coral with Joes Juice.
Although I was very careful with my targeted injection, a small amount
of Joes Juice did become free-floating due to the pressure of
submersion. Ever since that date, my tree coal has been completely
retracted---I can send a picture if you need one, but basically they are
just two tightly-packed "lumps". <No pix needed> They have been in
this state for about 5 days now. They are producing no mucous, and they
are not changing color or otherwise showing signs of disintegration. At
the time of application of Joes Juice, they were perched on a ledge of
rock--maybe slightly shaded, but not much--at about the 1/2 way point of
my tank. About 3 days ago, while they were still totally retracted, I
decided to move them up about 5" so that they could get more flow
(thinking that if they are reacting to the Joes Juice, the flow might
help "clear the air")--the consequences of this movement are that they
are a little higher up and in full lighting. Other than the
application of Joes Juice, I have done nothing new to the tank (other
than normal maintenance)--no new livestock, rock, or any other addition.
Now about my tank/lighting. Tank/lighting: 110g display (48" long x 30"
high x 18" deep) with 30g refugium; 6 x 54W T5 HO (4 10,000K and 2 460nm
actinics); wet-dry filter; Coral Life 125g Super Skimmer; 2 MaxiJet 1200
power heads; and return flow from Little Giant 1245 gph pump. Display
livestock: 70lbs live rock, 1 Sailfin Tang, 1 Gold Stripe Maroon, 1
Atrosalarias fuscus, and 1 Royal Gramma, 5 green hairy mushrooms, 5 red
mushrooms, 1 BTA, <This animal is stationary, open, has room about
it?> the 2 tree corals noted above, 12 snails, 24 hermits, 2 cleaner
shrimp; 2 Sally Lightfoot Crabs; and 1 small decorator crab that came in
with my live rock. Refugium has 4-6" DSB, 3.5lbs of live rock, and a
large piece of Chaeto, with lighting on a reverse daylight cycle. My
parameters: Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate all 0; alk is 3.5 meq/L; calcium
ranges from 350-400; phosphate is 0; temperature 78*-80*. Daily top-off
and 10% weekly water changes, both using buffered RO/DI water. The only
supplements I add are Kent Marine Tech CB Parts A/B daily/as needed and
Kent Marine iodine (6 drops daily). <... Do you test for this last?
I would not apply it daily... perhaps weekly w/ water changes> The
tree corals are on the far left side of my tank; the BTA is in the
middle at the bottom, and the two colonies of shrooms are on the right
side of my tank. Because everyone has gotten along for over 1 month, I
am pretty sure that there is sufficient space between all corals such
that there is no significant chemical warfare going on. I do run
activated carbon in my sump, which I change every 3-4 weeks. <Okay>
I am worried that the small amount of Joes Juice that may have made
contact with the tree coral has really irked them, but I would have
thought that it would have gotten over this by now? <Mmm, apparently
not> Two other thoughts. First, I'm thinking that my decorator crab
has attacked them. The other day I noticed that, in addition to the
pieces of orange sponge that he walks around with, it appears that he
has decided to add some polyps to his portfolio. These polyps look like
they "might" have come from my tree coral (as I don't have any other
similar coral in the tank, that's the only thing I can think of).
<It's mainly the "juice"> Second, I do not target feed any of my
corals. I realize that the mushrooms rely primarily on zooxanthellae. I
guess I was thinking that my fuge coupled with daily feeding of Mysid to
my fish would supply food to the tree corals, but maybe I am wrong. Am I
starving my tree coral (and, if so, any suggestions on a good food
product)? <See WWM, the Net... should be fed every other day...
HUFA's...> Wouldn't a starving coral degenerate slowly and, in fact,
remain extended looking for food? <Mmm, generally so, yes> If
this is the case, how can I get this coral to re-extend so I can feed
it? Any thoughts you have are appreciated. Andy <Give up the
juice. Bob Fenner>
Re: Tree Coral Health 7/31/07 Thanks for the response, Bob.
Tree corals have since recovered. <Ah, good. RMF>
ORP
Fluctuations/Aiptasia Infestation Controls - 06/04/07 Hi Crew!
<<Hiya Roger!>> 180g main tank w/55gal sump/refugium, ASM 300
skimmer, 170 lbs LR, 4" sand bed in main tank. Softies and LPS w/2 small
frags of Acropora and Pocillopora. 4 Yellowtail Blue Damsels, 1 large
Siganus vulpinus, 1 Ctenochaetus strigosus, 1 Gramma loreto, 1 Pink
Spotted Shrimp Goby, 2 Engineer Gobies, 2 Black Axel Chromis. 1 Midas
Blenny. 1 Large Lysmata amboinensis. Astrea Snails and various hermits,
also 2, 2" Fighting Conchs. 6 80w T5's. I use Salifert for my water
testing to confirm any test for which I don't trust the results.
<<Very good>> Hagen, Aquarium Pharmaceuticals & Red Sea, are my
routine test kits. <<Mmm...I hope you are using the Salifert kits
regularly>> Calcium 450, KH 9-10, NO2 "0", NO3 "0" pH 8.3, and Temp
80 F. I have an ORP monitor that reads 425 - 450 overnight. <<You are
administering ozone then? Be careful this reading doesn’t go higher>>
When I add food soaked with Selcon the ORP drops rapidly into the high
300's. <<Not at all unusual...>> I have checked the ORP probe with
calibration fluid and it goes perfectly to 400. <<Nothing wrong with
the probe here...the drop is related/a reaction to the addition of
organic material (food, Selcon) to the water column...and a good example
of how the REDOX meter can be used to monitor water quality>> My FO
tank also has an ORP monitor and I have switched them, with the same
result. Is this dangerous to my creatures? <<Not in my
experience...as indicated, ORP levels fluctuate continuously in relation
to water chemistry...and to be honest, readings in the “high 300s” are
still very good/quite acceptable>> Visually, everyone is doing well
and actually growing! I feed Zooplan, Marine Snow, Phytoplan, enriched
live brine shrimp, and Omega One flake soaked in Selcon or Kent Marine
Zoe, alternatively. <<Do be cautious of overuse of the invertebrate
foods...and for your fishes sake expand their diet a bit with some
vegetable matter for the Tang and the Foxface, and I highly recommend
the addition of New Life Spectrum pellets for all>> I have your book,
Bob! <<Is an excellent read>> Second question. I also have an
Aiptasia problem. <<A very common malady>> I feel my water quality
is good and my tank is 10 mos. old. <<Good water - bad water...has
little to do with the Aiptasia...these organisms don’t even need light.
The problems encountered with Aiptasia stem from their mere introduction
to the system...and an adequate food source (reflect on my previous
comment re the invertebrate foods)>> Many pods, etc. seen on a
regular basis. I know there are no absolutes, but do you think a
Copperband would be worth a try? <<This is a possibility, though they
seem to prefer young/emergent Aiptasia as opposed to lager specimens, in
my experience>> If not, what would you suggest? <<You can try the
Copperband as a biological “control,” even a few Atlantic Peppermint
Shrimp...but these only address the “symptoms” of the infestation and
not the cure. Sometimes this proves to be enough...ofttimes not...>>
Have tried Joe's Juice w/the same results as most of your
correspondents? It kills, but babies pop up in bigger numbers. <<I
have never used this product, but I have used Lemon Juice injected in to
the oral disc with good result>> I very much appreciated your advice
on a previous question about angels & you prevented me from making a big
mistake; from a responsibility to the environment standpoint and from a
responsible aquarist standpoint. <<Don’t know who that was, but it is
good to hear they were able to help>> Any guidance will be most
appreciated. It seems as if Copperbands get good reviews in your
threads, if they fit a system. <<Ah yes, your last statement is
“key.” These are not “easy” fish to acclimate/keep...very susceptible to
disease/poor water quality, and often difficult to get to eat. If you
try this fish, be sure to get one that is feeding on something other
than brine shrimp...frozen Mysids/Mysis preferably>> Thanks again!
<<Happy to assist>> Roger Tisdale from the backwoods of South
Carolina! <<Backwoods, forewoods, sidewoods...heck Roger, it’s “all
woods” around this state! [grin] Eric Russell in Columbia, SC>>
Joes Juice for Aiptasia Control Versus BTA, Entacmaea quadricolor -
2/4/07 Hello, <Hi Sharon, Brenda here> I have 3 BTAs and
an Aiptasia problem. Before using Joe’s Juice, I would like to know if
this will harm the BTAs. <There is mixed results with Joe’s Juice
for Aiptasia control. To answer your question, too much at once may
harm your BTA. If you choose this route, I would not use it near your
BTA. Start out slow and watch your livestock closely.> My first
thought was to move the infested rock to a bucket filled with saltwater
and zap them there, but all of my rock can be removed. Help! <An
alternative that I have used is Peppermint Shrimp, Lysmata Wurdemanni.
Unfortunately others have had mixed results with Peppermint
Shrimp. There is more information on both here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/cav1i3/aiptasia_impressions/aiptaisia_impressions.htm
> Sharon <Hope this helps. Brenda> Re:
Aiptasia (sorry I know you get a lot of these emails), Blue Line product
- 08/15/06 Thank you very much for the response. I have read
all the material you suggested and have decided that the Berghia sounds
like the best option. First I will try to eliminate using Kalkwasser,
or Joe's Juice (By the way there is a new product available from Blue
Line called Aiptasia control, so far the only place we at the LFS can
get it is at Sea Dwelling Creatures, I find this works better than Joe's
Juice, knocks them down for good in one shot), <Thank you for this
input> although I don't like adding chemicals when I don't know what
they are. Just to be sure, you wouldn't recommend a Raccoon Butterfly
in a reef tank, would you? <Depending on the size of the system,
what other livestock there was...> Thanks again for putting up with
my never ending supply of questions, Ryan. <No worries. Bob Fenner>
Aiptasia Control...In Your Face, Man 6/16/06 Had an
Aiptasia growing near a nice clump of frog spawn in a tight spot. I
hate the look and general attitude of these little guys. I bought a
small syringe and needle at Walgreen's (30 cents) filled it with Marine
Aquarium Iodine (I add some to my tank periodically anyway), stuck it in
his face and gave him a blast. No more Aiptasia. Don't know if this is
the Rosetta Stone answer for this pest, but it worked for me. <Bob,
thank you for the info. Will post on the dailies. Although this may
work well for a couple of these critters, caution should be given as to
iodine levels if eradicating larger amounts of Aiptasia with this
method. James (Salty Dog)> Thanks. Bob
Re: Aiptasia and Frogspawn corals 5/31/06 Hello Bob.
The return of the Aiptasia, imagine that! A strange thing noticed on
the specimen growing among the frogspawn colony: The tentacles closest
to the frogspawn polyps are receded and wilted while the pest tries to
avoid these polyps. I found several others growing near the top of
the tank where the P. skimmer empties into the water. I know why they
grow here though only discovered their presence in the passed couple
weeks. This is where I put food for dispersion by the flowing water and
it sometimes collects near the top of the rock. I purchased what I
thought are Peppermint shrimp but I am not so sure as these are larger
than usual and the coloration seems more subdued and the specimens
darker. These are neat little guys at any rate even if they do happen to
be the wrong shrimp. I am still looking for the Berghia but have never
seen one offered at any of the LFS(s). Right now I am using my QT tank
for control though the one rock is exceptionally large where these pests
reside. I may restart my 55 gallon tank and purchase a Copperband
butterfly or similar species for control... not sure though as incurring
more expenses and maintaining yet another tank might get real old real
fast. Maybe if I can repair the light fixture on the 24 gallon (I think
the external ballast went) then the new light I got could get moved....
Decisions, decisions.... Sincerely, James Zimmer
<<James: Frogspawn has a powerful sting. Sounds like it is stronger
than the sting of an Aiptasia. Peppermints are hit or miss. When I
have bought them, only about 1/2 to 2/3 eat Aiptasia. Berghia are
available online. If you do a search on www.reefcentral.com and other
sites you may find people selling them. Unfortunately, if they work,
they will die once they have eaten all the Aiptasia. Rather than use
critters, if you don't have too many, I like to make a batch of Kalk
paste and inject it into the Aiptasia holes with the plastic syringe you
get with baby medicines. After you inject it, don't scrape the paste
off. Eventually coralline algae will grow right over it. Best of luck,
Roy>> Re: Aiptasia and
Frogspawn corals - 06/01/2006 Roy. Thank you for the
advice on Aiptasia control. I have used the Kalk paste or slurry
also and depending on location or orientation to preferred animals I am
sometimes reluctant. Yes, this latest crop will have my work cut for
me. I may just use the paste method again for the large rock as it is
too much to move into the smaller QT. As for smaller rocks I can
move them and train, hopefully, the shrimp to eat the pest anemones. I
will not use concentrated Ca(OH)2 near the frogspawn if I can at all
help it. Again, thank you. James <<James: You're
welcome. Based on my experience, the Peppermint Shrimp will either like
Aiptasia or not (that's why if you have a big enough tank, it's good to
buy 2 to 3 to see who will eat them). In my best case, one peppermint
ate about 100 Aiptasia within about a day. It was amazing to see him
attack them. He looked like a boxer working on a speed
bag. Unfortunately, for that Peppermint Shrimp a Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
attacked him and ate him. I guess the Skunk Cleaner liked the taste of
Aiptasia fed shrimp. If you are careful with the baby medicine syringe
and make a thick enough paste, you can inject the paste with a lot of
control (like you are decorating a cake). If some of the paste starts
to float off, just disburse it as fast as you can. In my experience, if
a little bit brushes a coral (such as your frogspawn) as it floats buy,
it won't hurt anything. Best of luck, Roy>> Aiptasia Control...No
Shots Please! - 05/22/2006 I was wondering if you have had
any knowledge of removing these with a hypodermic needle and vinegar
into the stalk of the base? I have one growing on a
snail in my 50g reef tank. <Would not do this, vinegar is very
acidic and not safe in your tank. Do read here and linked files
above. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/aiptasia/aiptasia.htm
Thanks, <You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)> Edwin
Aiptasia eradication plan 5/16/06 Hi to the fine folks
at WWM, I will try to make this short; for many reasons I am
invested with Aiptasia (mainly my live rock) in my main tank. This is
my plan: Treat corals with Joe's Juice and transfer piece by piece
slowly to another tank. When all my main coral's are in the new tank
and appear to be clean I am going thoroughly clean the old tank and fill
with fresh water and let it sit. I will then start the process in
reverse. My main question is how tough is Aiptasia? How long to leave
it in the fresh water? Thanks and please let me know if this is too
radical? Yours (should buy stock in Joe's Juice Company), Greg
<<Greg: At the bottom of this link there is a lot of info about
Aiptasia control
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/mardisindex.htm Personally, my
favorite method is to use peppermint shrimp (though only 1/2 to 2/3 will
eat them). I also like to make a Kalkwasser paste and inject it with a
baby's medicine syringe into the hole the Aiptasia lives in. Don't
touch the paste afterwards. Coralline algae will grow right over it
over time. I don't know how many you have. Sometimes it is hard to
spot them all. I'm not sure why you want to move things back and forth
and use fresh water. Sometimes when people are really desperate, they
carefully take everything they want off the rocks, pull the rocks out of
the water and let them sit in the backyard for awhile. In theory,
everything, including the Aiptasia should eventually die. Then, they
put the rocks back and hope that the rocks will get
recolonized. Believe it or not, other people have even used blow
torches. Personally, I think those are crazy/radical approaches. Best
of luck, Roy>>
Archaster Star corrosion, Aiptasia removal
success 4/20/06 Hi there! I was looking for
information on why my sand sifter star seems to be losing the tips of
his legs (29 gallon tank, has been set up for 20 months
with one complete disassembly to move it downstairs). <Too small a
space for this species... not enough room for endogenous food
production> I finally found the information on your site, along with
the information that I have too small a tank - and I really
appreciate how you answer all those emails. You have also in the
past had great information on getting rid of Aiptasia anenomes (I
managed to get over 72 of them in my tank - that was
just what I could count!). I ended up removing the various shrimps from
my tank, added 4 peppermint shrimps, and later 2 Berghia
nudibranchs (although once they disappear in your live rock tank, it is
impossible to find them again). The last few tenacious anenomes I
was able to get rid of by either covering them with a thick Kalkwasser
paste (just thin enough to squeeze out of a syringe needle
tip) of injecting them with lemon juice (I eventually went with
this because I thought it was slightly less dangerous to the tank).
I have finally gotten rid of all the Aiptasia, and so my corals are very
happy...will be resolving my sandsifter problem soon I hope. Thanks
again for all your help, Kerstin DeRolf:-) <Bob Fenner>
When Life Gives You Lemons... 03/9/06 Hello. <Hi
there! Scott F. here today!> I recently purchase a 55 gallon marine
aquarium that had around 20 pounds of live rock. All of the live rock
was covered with Aiptasia anemones. I tried tweezers to pull them
off and was hardly successful so I tried injecting lemon juice in the
Aiptasia mouths and only managed to kill a few. Then I got Desperate
and I had put all the live rock in a 20 gallon that was already 1/3 full
of water and I dumped the rest of the lemon juice bottle. Which was
nearly full. I had the live rock soaking in the tank for about
20 minutes twice and I was wondering if this had ruined the live rock?
Note that almost all the Aiptasia survived. I noticed also that some of
the bristle or Fireworms had fallen out dead but there were still some
left when I looked that night. So basically I was just
wondering if the live rock was wasted or useless now. I still have an
equal amount from the previous marine tank I had that has not been
soaked in lemon juice. Thanks, Riley <Well, Riley, I'm sure that
some life was lost on the rock, but if the Aiptasia survived the citrus
plunge, there is a definite chance that the more desirable stuff
survived, too. At the worst, the rock can be re-used, and will
"colonize" with new life over time. I say, use it! Good Luck! Regards,
Scott F.>
Aiptasia status report/Aiptasia Control -
02/27/06 Hi, Crew! <Hello Amy> Just thought I would weigh in
on my experiences with Aiptasia control and a variety of methods, after
reading all the FAQs. Bottom line: Nothing yet seems to work. I have
tried 1) Injections with lemon juice. This worked temporarily; they
eventually grew back, and if you get even one or two hiding in crevices
that you can't see, it's all over - they'll reproduce out of control
from their hidden location. 2) Joe's Juice - this doesn't work very
well either. It does indeed kill the target anemone, but there is a
significant problem: it seems to force the dying anemone to clone. I
tested this by feeding Joe's Juice to an anemone that was stuck to the
wall of the aquarium, so it was clearly visible on all sides. Sure
enough, the Aiptasia died, but it left behind a ring of ~5 or so tiny
clones, which are now growing to full size. *sigh* I have used
literally a dozen boxes of Joe's Juice, and all it seems to do is induce
them to clone. Watch out! Since I'm very much against bringing any
wild-caught animals into captivity now, I'm going to try Berghia
nudibranchs. I have two arriving on Tuesday morning. I'm setting up a
breeding tank, along with a holding tank for Aiptasias (not that this is
a huge problem at the moment - my main tank is covered with hundreds
now). Will let you know how it goes! If they clean up the Aiptasias,
I'll pass them along. <Thank you for the email and do let us know your
results. James (Salty Dog)> Amy Dropped
Joe's juice right on my anemone 8/5/05 Hi <Tracy> I use
Joe's Juice for Aiptasia control. Though it does indeed seem to be
harmless when in the water column, last night I accidentally dropped
a medium dose on part of a Condylactis spp. anemone. This anemone was
actually part of a bigger one I have had for 4 yrs that just last week
split into 2. Both were doing great until this happened.
<Yikes> It immediately curled up looked like it was dying etc. But
this morning the victim had split into 2 pieces, each with base tightly
adherent to different rocks. <Yes... stressed induced schizogyny>
Each piece has some normal looking tentacles and some shriveled,
damaged ones. (Now I have 3 anemones, unbelievable, my skunk clown is
going nuts trying to take care of all 3.) 2 questions: 1. Is there
anything I can do to support its recovery? <Optimized, stable water
quality... patience> 2. What are the criteria for removing a damaged
anemone to avoid poisoning my 150 gallon thriving system? <"If it's
mush, time to flush" (Made this up just now!). Vacuum out the mass if it
is falling apart, permanently flaccid> I called my LFS, and they
said make sure I have adequate iodine levels. <A good idea... won't
hurt anything> I called Joe, and he had no specific suggestions, but
thought that it may do fine, since sometimes a half-poisoned Aiptasia
will recover, and this is 20x that size. Thanks for being a
consistent source of good advice for my weird problems! Tracy
Creek/Atlanta <Thank you for sharing. Bob Fenner>
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