Aiptasia in a FOWLR (how bad is it?)

95harley

95harley

Active Member
So my Moray eel tank has aiptasia, and until now I have not bothered with it, but I'm concerned about any side effects (stinging,etc) that Aip may have.
If I have no corals, etc.....what are the downsides to Aiptasia?
Trying to weigh my risks of putting a CB butterfly and risking an Ich infection if it is worth it.
I have already added 5 Peppermint shrimp, but I have not seen them doing anything yet, but hiding.
 
rebelprettyboy

rebelprettyboy

Active Member
U do not want it to take over the tank.. Get rid of it ASAP. someone on here posted a pic of a tank filled with them and it isnt pretty
 
95harley

95harley

Active Member
Throwing a "miracle cure" chemical treatment into my tank with a $1k eel does not sound like a great plan to me.
Guess I'll stick with Peppermint shrimp for now.
 
rkesling

rkesling

Member
Originally Posted by 95Harley
http:///forum/post/2684264
Throwing a "miracle cure" chemical treatment into my tank with a $1k eel does not sound like a great plan to me.
Guess I'll stick with Peppermint shrimp for now.
If you go to one of the best local shops around you EA .. ask Phil what he uses in his reef tank that has corals in it that cost...tens of thousands of dollars. He will tell you Joe's Juice. Just a thought.
 
paxrom

paxrom

Member
how big is your tank?
here's a cheap effective way to do it
what you need:
-a syringe with hypodermic needle (small needle, gauge 27-30, not big ones)
-calcium hydroxide (that's kalwasser)
mix calcium hydroxide in RO water to create a saturated solution. Inject the aiptasia with ~0.5ml/per critter. Make sure the needle is inside it, not through it.
The advantage of this is that you can control how much you put in, and it's very effective. I have aiptasia growing out of some of my newly purchased clam shells
, used it and haven't seen those aiptasia again.
The disadvantage is that calcium hydroxide raises PH. But I must imagine you have to dump too much to create a rise in PH. PH rise did not happen to me and I intentionally dump ~20 syringes in my 210g after I got done with the aiptasia

make sure your alkalinity is at normal level before doing it.
 
paintballer768

paintballer768

Active Member
Joes Juice isnt a miracle cure, its like lime juice or something like that. Put the juice in a syringe and squirt it in the aiptasia's oral disk and it should be done.
 
rkesling

rkesling

Member
Originally Posted by paintballer768
http:///forum/post/2685379
Joes Juice isnt a miracle cure, its like lime juice or something like that. Put the juice in a syringe and squirt it in the aiptasia's oral disk and it should be done.

and it is great because it does not have to be sucked back out and you don't have to inject it directly into the aiptasia ... just get close and it works...just like putting salt on a slug...LOL
it is harmless to $1,000 corals...I really don't think it would hurt the eel.
 
crimzy

crimzy

Active Member
Harley, just so you know, your eel will not get ich. Not to say that they can't but I've never seen an eel get ich in my life. It just doesn't happen. Try a CBB. Joes juice helps for a bit but they will come back. After the tank matures for a while, the aptasia will likely go away.
Just so you know, though, I wouldn't hesitate to add a fish for fear of your eel contracting a condition. Morays rarely, if ever, acquire any type of disease in the home aquaria. The most common problems with them are lockjaw and escape. Other than that, they are pretty much invincible.
 
vanrynd

vanrynd

Member
Mix up some Kalk powder with some water
make it very pasty
Smear it on the Anenome
It will disolve instantly
do a few a week.
no needles
no lime juice
no hit or miss
smear some kalk paste on it = GONE !
 
95harley

95harley

Active Member
Originally Posted by tbzhoze
http:///forum/post/2685855
If you don't have any corals, don't worry about AIP. Thy are pretty anyhow

That's closer to what I'm asking. Not how to kill Aiptasia as I can search that here, plenty of threads about it.
My question is: In a FOWLR tank what are the downsides to Aiptasia?
 
stdreb27

stdreb27

Active Member
Originally Posted by 95Harley
http:///forum/post/2686390
That's closer to what I'm asking. Not how to kill Aiptasia as I can search that here, plenty of threads about it.
My question is: In a FOWLR tank what are the downsides to Aiptasia?
I don't think there is much. Like green hair algea more an asthetic thing than anything. I don't know if the sting would be harmful to an eel. What I bought a tank with asptasia all in it and scrubs the rocks in old sw a couple times and never had any more problems with it.
 
nwdyr

nwdyr

Active Member
everyone talks about aiptasia spreading like wild fire , my LFS has a couple tanks with a few aiptasia , and it has been that way (with the same aphasia's) for months
when I ask them how to they treat it they said they really dont if its just a few. I guess a "few" is not a prob. If you see them spreading like crazy...well I guess then you have to take action
JMO..... I have a "few" little ones , too small to stick with a needle so I just left them alone and so far no big prob.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top