DIY Aiptasia Zapper

[2quills]

What is a diy aiptasia zapper you ask? Well it's a homemade electrocution device thrown together from parts laying around your garage that unleashes ultimate doom upon pesky anemones within ones aquarium. What does it take to make one? Well...
Materials used:
24v D/C power supply.
1 piece of a broken fishing pole.
1 switch.
2 pieces of 18 gauge solid strand wire.





Before...

And after...

Happy Hunting.

Disclaimer: This is an experimental device. The original poster can not and will not be held liable for any damages or injuries that may occure when attempting to build or experiment with such a device. Use at your own risk.

 

[meowzer]

LOL...VERY Interesting.....BUT I MUST ASK.....does this ZAP of electricity cause any harm in the water to the other tank inhabitants????

 

[2quills]

Quote:
Originally Posted by meowzer http:///forum/thread/385922/diy-aiptasia-zapper#post_3386809
LOL...VERY Interesting.....BUT I MUST ASK.....does this ZAP of electricity cause any harm in the water to the other tank inhabitants????
Not at all. I saw no difference in my fishes activity from switching the device on and off. The brain coral right next to it was unaffected as well. 24 volts is pretty mild and I'm sure it dissapates rather quickly within the water around the tip of the device. It's actually so mild that I can touch the tip of the two wires with my fingers and can vaguely detect an ever so slight tingle. I've felt much worse from electro massage therapy at the chiropractors office.
I may have to go back for a second attack on this guy. This is about a half hour after I zapped it. The first zap lasted for about 10 seconds but I don't think that I got the base of it very good. I'll leave it for a day or two and see what happens.

 

[aquaknight]

Corey, I'm sure you put a lot of research into this, but are you sure this is the correct "zapper?" Is a direct copy of other aiptasia "zappers" (PaulB's over on RC) or something homebrewed?
I ask because from what I thought I understood about the zapper, what that it didn't operate under the principle that it actually zapped the aiptasia with electricity. Rather the electricity was ran through a carbon tip, not copper, and the end result was that it actually produced hydrogen or chlorine gas (something along those lines) that actually killed the aiptasia. I emailed this thread to my brother, almost as knowledge about the hobby as myself, but as an engineer, more mechanically inclined, and he was the one who pointed out the copper instead of carbon tips, and said that could potentially introduce ionized copper into the tank.
Just sort of a big 'heads-up' from me. I kinda think the about of copper that could be potentially introduced is minuscule, however I am almost certain on the carbon tip.;

 

[flower]

Reminds me of a funny story about my boss, he made a zapper to stop a squirrel from bothering the bird feeder. He didn't kill it, just zapped it real good. He sat at the window with a switch and waited on it to try and get the seeds from the feeder. It didn't work, the critter kept coming back to test it for a zap and as soon as my boss was not there to throw the switch the feeder was emptied.
Men/boys like to zap stuff...Ben Franklin was outside with a kite and a key......they have been zapping stuff ever since.

 

[2quills]

Quote:
Originally Posted by AquaKnight http:///forum/thread/385922/diy-aiptasia-zapper#post_3386886
Corey, I'm sure you put a lot of research into this, but are you sure this is the correct "zapper?" Is a direct copy of other aiptasia "zappers" (PaulB's over on RC) or something homebrewed?
I ask because from what I thought I understood about the zapper, what that it didn't operate under the principle that it actually zapped the aiptasia with electricity. Rather the electricity was ran through a carbon tip, not copper, and the end result was that it actually produced hydrogen or chlorine gas (something along those lines) that actually killed the aiptasia. I emailed this thread to my brother, almost as knowledge about the hobby as myself, but as an engineer, more mechanically inclined, and he was the one who pointed out the copper instead of carbon tips, and said that could potentially introduce ionized copper into the tank.
Just sort of a big 'heads-up' from me. I kinda think the about of copper that could be potentially introduced is minuscule, however I am almost certain on the carbon tip.;
Hey Aqua, yep I've read through Pauls thread. I really don't want to infringe to much on his design because I know he's got a patent on it. The copper thing was a bit of a concern and I had thought about it. I'm just kind of leaning towards the idea that if it did leach copper into the tank that it would be such a small amount that it wouldn't really hurt anything. Plus I'm running carbon which should hopefully help just in case. I am thinking about modifying it and going with stainless pins on the end instead of just the bare copper wire which does make more sense to me. I'm not entirely convinced that the use of graphite is needed. I can tell you that the copper do seem to be producing the same gas bubbles or at least some type of gas bubbles the moment that I flip the switch. Although, I'm not a chemist so I couldn't tell you for certain if it's actually ozone or of it's simply just oxygen gas. I believe you need to use the graphite in order to create the ozone.
Yeah let me know what your brother says. I'm curious to learn more if I can. This is why I threw the disclaimer in there because I don't want anyone to run out and try it simply on my recommendation lol.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///forum/thread/385922/diy-aiptasia-zapper#post_3386894

Reminds me of a funny story about my boss, he made a zapper to stop a squirrel from bothering the bird feeder. He didn't kill it, just zapped it real good. He sat at the window with a switch and waited on it to try and get the seeds from the feeder. It didn't work, the critter kept coming back to test it for a zap and as soon as my boss was not there to throw the switch the feeder was emptied.
Men/boys like to zap stuff...Ben Franklin was outside with a kite and a key......they have been zapping stuff ever since.
hehe....electricity and fire. Where would we be without them?

 

[btldreef]

LOL, my husband made one too! I think he wrote up his build and video on our local reef board though. They look almost identical to one another. And for what it's worth, they're awesome on aiptasia AND majano.

 

[2quills]

They are actually kind of fun. This one pesky aiptasia has been hard to kill. I've treated it a couple of times in the past with the aiptasia x but it keeps coming back. I just went back for a second attack with the zapper and I think it's finally a goner this time.

 

[1guydude]

Very Kool Quills...I like the disclaimer as well LMAO!
You said u tested it on ur finger? Ur braver than I....

 

[2quills]

Quote:
Originally Posted by 1guyDude http:///forum/thread/385922/diy-aiptasia-zapper#post_3387258
Very Kool Quills...I like the disclaimer as well LMAO!
You said u tested it on ur finger? Ur braver than I....
Actually I tested it with my meter first to make sure I was getting the 24 volts that the wall charger claimed it was giving me. Fortunately I've installed and replaced enough 24v transformers in my day to already know what it feels like, which is essentially nothing. Once you start getting upward of >80 volts then that's when things really start to tingle a bit. Not something I would recommend the kiddies try at home though.

 

[jstdv8]

2quills,
Did you ever have ny inside to your zapper?
The reason I ask s I made a similar one last year and killed a bunch of aiptasia with it. The next morning some if my corals were all closed up. I was afraid it was the copper or something so i stopped using it.

 

[2quills]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jstdv8 http:///t/385922/diy-aiptasia-zapper#post_3519230
2quills,
Did you ever have ny inside to your zapper?
The reason I ask s I made a similar one last year and killed a bunch of aiptasia with it. The next morning some if my corals were all closed up. I was afraid it was the copper or something so i stopped using it.
Wow I almost forgot all about this. I gave up on this little invention as being a good idea. I didn't witness any ill effects to my other live stock. It was very difficult to kill them completely in one shot because they would retract into the rocks there the remaining bits where hard to get. The problem is that when the zapper would melt the aiptasia it turned into mush. And I think these chunks and globs of anemone ooze caused them to spread and multiply even faster since they can multiply virtually out of the smallest piece while trying to destroy them within the system. I'm skeptical about other designs working any better as a good method of eradication. It was more fun than anything.
Just out of curiosity, how many volts were you using?

 

[saxman]

We actually have one of the first "commercial" models, but quit using it as we could see that it affected one of our fish every time we zapped an appie.
2Quills, what we did was once the appies were zapped, we siphoned out the carcasses immediately afterward, and that seemed to work pretty well.

 

[jstdv8]

I made mine out of a unit that I can adjust the voltage, 24v worked best

 

[jstdv8]

I also wonder about the old saying that when an anemone dies in yout=r tank it can pollute the tank. talking of the anemones we usually try to keep.
Well what if the same is true of these guys and you kill off 20-50 of them a day and its polluting the tank the same way maybe? Just a thought.
I'm going to start pulling rock and killing them either with my wand or paste in a separate QT tank.
I'm increasing my peppermint shrimp to a small army so hopefully between the two systems i'll be able to eradicate them.

 

[2quills]

Quote:
Originally Posted by saxman http:///t/385922/diy-aiptasia-zapper#post_3519388
We actually have one of the first "commercial" models, but quit using it as we could see that it affected one of our fish every time we zapped an appie.
2Quills, what we did was once the appies were zapped, we siphoned out the carcasses immediately afterward, and that seemed to work pretty well.
Aye...that's a good idea. Infact, I'm thinking that should be a necessity if one wishes to treat aiptasia in their system.
I took the minimalistic approach with the zapper. I zapped a few one day then zapped a few more the next. But at that time the aiptasia had not really gotten out of control, yet (just a few small pockets). So I treated over the course of a couple of weekends. Then somewhere between week 3-4 i experienced an invasion of colonies of these little bastards all over the rock work where I had previously zapped. So I immediately stopped using it after that.
Not to mention the common aiptasia sp. anemone packs a pretty potent toxin in their cells that they use for defensive and offensive purposes to immobilize prey. The toxin can cause tissue degradation in corals, kill small crabs, snails or fish. I can see how it's possible for negative side effects to livestock can occur when liquifying some of these guys in your system. Infact, in the pictures above I can see where my wellsophyllia (brain coral) retracted a little bit after treatment. But after day 2 it looked normal again. So I'd imagine going after a large amount of these things with a zapper at once would be to follow around with a tube to siphon immediately after and or during the attack.
Saxman, do you remember how many volts that thing was using?

 

[2quills]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jstdv8 http:///t/385922/diy-aiptasia-zapper#post_3519399
I also wonder about the old saying that when an anemone dies in yout=r tank it can pollute the tank. talking of the anemones we usually try to keep.
Well what if the same is true of these guys and you kill off 20-50 of them a day and its polluting the tank the same way maybe? Just a thought.
I'm going to start pulling rock and killing them either with my wand or paste in a separate QT tank.
I'm increasing my peppermint shrimp to a small army so hopefully between the two systems i'll be able to eradicate them.
Yep, so far the one peppermint shrimp that I used to have did the best job of keeping the tank virtually pest free that I've seen. Although, it didn't seem to go after the large ones. Ones that could probably eat him.
I'm that quarantining the rock when you first spot and treat outside the main system is probably the best approach.

 

[jstdv8]

yeah, worst part is you probably saw my success story about how I had hundreds of aiptasia on rocks when I first bought my first tank and I killed them all with kalk paste made from mrs wages pickling lime.
So i ranted and raved about it for a year about how great it worked.
Well then i bought a duncan from my LFS and it had a teeeny little aiptasia on it, the owner mentioned it and I laughed and told him I'd be happy to kill the little bugger.
Well, I'm a QT freak and i QT everything even my corals. So there it sat in QT for 4 weeks with this little aiptasia on it that I never pasted, just looked at it and told myself I'd get it when I had time.
Well then of course it comes time to add the frag to the tank and i still didn't take it off. (Classic QT fail) I mean what is the point of a QT if you don't kill off the pests right?
Well then one turned into two turned into 2 hundred (I"m possitive I've now got way more than I can count.)
So instead of just killing off that one little guy I now have a fight on my hands that's going to cost me well over 100 dollars to eradicate. I'm going to start with 10 peppermints and if that doesnt work (and I have my doubts due to the need to keep a decent sized feeding in the tank to keep my scrubber going strong) then I'm going to try a copperband or some file fish.
And in between now and then I guess I'll take some of the rocks out and zapp them in a separate container or just kalk paste them again.