apstasia

[mousers68]

I just noticed the last note on my last post.
I think I have apstasia what ever that is. I have 3 plus now and I am wondering if I should get rid of since they are dangerous for corals. They are cool looking but I want to try and have some coral once my tank cycles. If it ever does. My Trates are still high.
Are the apstasia something lfs will take back? I hate to kill them.
I got 6 lbs of LR today
9 more to go

 

[mousers68]

anyone?

 

[bang guy]

Either set up a species tank for the Aiptasia or kill them.

 

[saltyshark]

Well you can 2 part epoxy the suckers to the LR...but then there's a possibility it will reproduce.
Or you can go the natural way and get a few peppermint shrimp, they'll be plenty happy chowing down on the Aiptasia. The shrimp will be fat and happy and your aiptasia problem will be gone.
BTA...whatever you do DON'T just rip them off because they will spread.
HTH
Mike

 

[barracuda]

Get the Copperband Butterflyfish. He will kill 'em all!!!

 

[kimkissyfish]

Hi,
About your astipias (sp)?? I have peppermint shrimp and I HATE them.. they are like swarming spiders.. lolol But I guess they eat all sorts of stuff.. including my starfish legs!!
So, I took boiling water and put it in a syringe and squirted the astipia and they died instantly!!
Good luck, Kim

 

[broncofish]

Originally posted by jamesurq
Otherwise by all means, return it to the LFS... I'm sure they'll acclimate it gently and give it a nice home.....and that flushing sound you hear as you leave, ignore it.
LMAO that was funny james

 

[broncofish]

"Get the F outta here, you almost had me there"
Yeah scorcese is a genius, but coppola makes better wine

 

[heyoo]

High nitrates seem to aid in aptasia growth and reproduction. Those little

[hr]
are like weeds. If you try to kill one, it will come back. So siphoning doesn't help much. First thing to do would be get those nitrates in check. You can do that with chemicals, a denitrating coil, a refugium, or best of all, more frequent and thorough maintenance(water changes!).
If you don't have any large predators in your tank, consider a peppermint shrimp or four. My experience was that they don't go after the large aptasias - but once you've got a couple of shrimps, the aptasia don't seem to spread. Once you get a couple of those - then you can try the boiling water or kalkwasser injections.
A copperband butterfly might work - but then again, with the high nitrates and small tank, it might just refuse to eat and die.
Whatever you do - do it soon before they reproduce and take over.

 

[zafirablanca]

I believe that that size tank is much, much too small for a butterfly of any type. Also high nitrates would doubley stress out a delicate fish like a butterfly. Other treatments would be better and more humane. Try the hot water or kalk paste injection first. Do a forum search on this stuff. You will see alot of posts and advice about it without waiting for people to reply to your post.
Good Luck
-Christine

 

[twicklund]

I recently read in "The Simplest Guide to Marine Aquariums" by Jeffrey Kurtz that red legged crabs will eat apstasia. I haven't tried it personally, but thought I would pass it on as another option.
Let us know how you get rid of it...
tw

 

[mousers68]

Let us know how you get rid of it...
tw
It...there are 3 now. I will check for some threads and hot water maybe the way to go. I have a giant one, and 2 little ones. I will probably get a peppermint shrimp or 2.
Since I added the lr my ammo is increasing. Is that going to eventually get the trates down? I have been rinsing my filter every other day and testing water reqularly and this is the first time the ammo has gone up in a while.
My trites are 0 ammo is .5 and trates are off the charts.
let me know. I will start the water changes again if you think I should. Earlier it wasn't advised.
I have cut back on the feeding to a small piece of frozen food every other day.
I am hoping the ammo spike is a good thing. The rock is cured and has plenty of critters.
I also got a crab with the lr.
He's cute
He's red with bands of white on his legs. He hides so I don't get to see him that much. I hope the trates aren't going to kill him.

 

[heyoo]

Originally posted by jamesurq
I think you guys misunderstood. He doesn't want to hurt the poor innocent creatures....
Oh yeah... uh, by all means... about 12 cubes of frozen food a day will keep them fat and happy...

 

[heyoo]

Originally posted by mousers68
My trites are 0 ammo is .5 and trates are off the charts.
let me know. I will start the water changes again if you think I should. Earlier it wasn't advised.
I have cut back on the feeding to a small piece of frozen food every other day.

Is this a new tank? If not, you need to be doing some more frequent water changes!
Rising ammonia is never a good thing. IF its a new tank, and its still cycling, a water change is counter productive, since it will only delay the end result.