Aiptasia - best way to get rid of?

[radge69]

I'm a newby so bear with me. I started my tank about a month ago. On some of the live rock there is some plants growing off of them that have a clear tube with some tenticle looking things on the ends of them. The store I bought the rock at said that it is rock anemone and that you're bound to get it. I looked in my books and this stuff looks nothing like the pictures of rock anemone in them. So what do you think it is and do I need to get rid of it? Also, if I need to get rid of it, how do I do it?

 

[radge69]

OK, I researched a bit and determined that it's aiptasia in my tank. How do I go about getting rid of it? I've read that peppermint shrimp would do this for me, but since my tank is new do I want to had a peppermint shrimp now? TIA
PS - All levels are really good in our tank. LFS couldn't beleave how fast it cycled for us. I'm still leary though and don't want to add much to the tank for awhile.

 

[crazyelvis]

My pep shrimp never touch Aptasia... I guess some do some dont...
I have had the best luck with injecting them with Turbo Calcium...
I mix up a dose of turbo with water (about 5 cc)... Then I stick the syringe right in the center of the tube and give it a blast... The Aptasia never come back after that...
What ever you do , don't try pulling it off of the LR... You will end up with hundreds of them...

 

[susiepan]

What I used to get rid of mine, is a direct injection of boiling hot water into its center, that worked on the small ones, on the larger ones, I mixed a pinch of Kalkwasser into the boiling water, and injected that into it....GONE...Its a beautiful thing..
But really do try to get rid of them, the will multiple like crazy and can take over your LR, and LS...
~Susie

 

[volitan]

IME, peppermint shrimp are the best way to get rid of aiptasia. I also agree with Susiepan, get rid of them now, before they really start taking over.