Aiptasia
- Thread starter debbers
- Start date
oceanjumper
Member
All above is very true. I catually bought three peppermint shrimps to deal with my aiptasias.... I guess I should starve them a little more b/c non of them ever touched a single one. I ended up using kalkwasser-porridge. Worked perfectly (so far).
oceanjumper
Member
Deb~
You could try a p-shrimp first.You might get a lucky one.
If not, kalkwasser is easy. Buy a small container (mine was $12). I don't think liquid calcium will work. The trick is to make it very thick so you can drop a "blub" into its "mouth" (I used a small syring w/o needle). I followed the directions on this website:
http://www.garf.org/news7p1.html#PEST
but eventually had to make it thicker. That went easily by adding more powder.
Good luck!
You could try a p-shrimp first.You might get a lucky one.
If not, kalkwasser is easy. Buy a small container (mine was $12). I don't think liquid calcium will work. The trick is to make it very thick so you can drop a "blub" into its "mouth" (I used a small syring w/o needle). I followed the directions on this website:
http://www.garf.org/news7p1.html#PEST
but eventually had to make it thicker. That went easily by adding more powder.
Good luck!
debbers
Member
Sammy, it's a FOWLR tank.
I got 2 peppermint shrimp today (and a cleaner shrimp). So far they've wanted nothing to do with the aiptasia... hope they find it soon!
They are pretty funny to watch, though. My son says he thinks they've got motorcycles in their shells, LOL!
With just the one aiptasia I'm not freaking out yet... just hope they get to munching on it!!
I got 2 peppermint shrimp today (and a cleaner shrimp). So far they've wanted nothing to do with the aiptasia... hope they find it soon!
They are pretty funny to watch, though. My son says he thinks they've got motorcycles in their shells, LOL!
With just the one aiptasia I'm not freaking out yet... just hope they get to munching on it!!
frankl15207
Member
If you can find it:
A tablespoon of pickling lime (homemade kalkwasser at $1.80 a pound) to two tablespoons of water. Nuke the mixture in a microwave for 30 seconds and inject the aiptasia with it.
Hopefully the peppermint shrimp will do the work for you.
A tablespoon of pickling lime (homemade kalkwasser at $1.80 a pound) to two tablespoons of water. Nuke the mixture in a microwave for 30 seconds and inject the aiptasia with it.
Hopefully the peppermint shrimp will do the work for you.
debbers
Member
Thanks for the ideas!
How fast will the aiptasia spread? It's still there and the shrimp are just cruisin' around doing their little shrimpy dance!
If I need to resort to injecting it with kalkwasser, do I just use a medication-type syringe? Will that type of treatment affect the tank parameters in any way?
~D~
How fast will the aiptasia spread? It's still there and the shrimp are just cruisin' around doing their little shrimpy dance!
If I need to resort to injecting it with kalkwasser, do I just use a medication-type syringe? Will that type of treatment affect the tank parameters in any way?
~D~
frankl15207
Member
That mixture will go a long way. Yes, any syringe made for dispensing medication will work. I believe some pet shops also carry them.
I've never had a problem with it disrupting anything, but I was lucky enough to find them early and get on them quickly. They still have a tendancy to be like herpes - they never really seem to all go away. Just keep showing up again every so often for months
.
Here's the link with the formula and instructions:
http://www.garf.org/news7p1.html#PEST
I've never had a problem with it disrupting anything, but I was lucky enough to find them early and get on them quickly. They still have a tendancy to be like herpes - they never really seem to all go away. Just keep showing up again every so often for months
.Here's the link with the formula and instructions:
http://www.garf.org/news7p1.html#PEST
frankl15207
Member
If the link works, there are some good pics here
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/48781/astapia-or-what
If it doesn't, go the the reef forum and look for the topic "Astapia or what???"
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/48781/astapia-or-what
If it doesn't, go the the reef forum and look for the topic "Astapia or what???"
frankl15207
Member
They will sting corals.
debbers
Member
Ok, the peppermint shrimp could care less about the aiptasia.
I went and bought some Kent Kalkwasser powder and mixed it into a thick sludge. I then loaded it into my small syringe and shot it into the aiptasia.
Hopefully I didn't kill everything else... LOL... not sure if it was supposed to work this way... it plopped out in a big, white blob all over the aiptasia. Is it supposed to do that? And will it eventually disintegrate?
Geez......
I went and bought some Kent Kalkwasser powder and mixed it into a thick sludge. I then loaded it into my small syringe and shot it into the aiptasia.
Hopefully I didn't kill everything else... LOL... not sure if it was supposed to work this way... it plopped out in a big, white blob all over the aiptasia. Is it supposed to do that? And will it eventually disintegrate?
Geez......
mikegronholz
Member
Hey Debbers,
I have been doing that very thing (the blobs) for a week now. Just monitor your pH to make sure it doesn't go crazy. And yes, EVENTUALLY it will go way, it is easier to help it along after a day or two though.
My peppermint shrimp love the aiptasia AFTER it gets kalked. My peppermints even chase the kalk around and try to eat it.
I have been doing that very thing (the blobs) for a week now. Just monitor your pH to make sure it doesn't go crazy. And yes, EVENTUALLY it will go way, it is easier to help it along after a day or two though.
My peppermint shrimp love the aiptasia AFTER it gets kalked. My peppermints even chase the kalk around and try to eat it.