How to get rid of teensy weensy aptisia

[zanemoseley]

ok I found a very small aptasia on my LR, i'd say its about 1mm at most, I believe it to be a aptasia bacause of the skinny fingers on it, since its so small can I just brush it off with a tooth brush or should I just wait till I get a clean up crew and gat a peppermint shrimp

 

[thankgod4fish]

I wouldn't try and brush it off... I recently tried something someone else reccomended on here (if you're reading this, I don't remember who you where to give you credit ).
I took and ice cube and held it on the aptasia till it shriveled up. Never saw one again.

 

[blk822]

I have scrapped off those things befor and then ran fresh water over the area for a minute or two and it worked. I wouldn't run the water all over the rock though it may kill some good stuff also. The best thing I have use was kalk mixed with just alittle water to make a past. Put just a drop fo that on the aptasia and it will kill it right away.

 

[zanemoseley]

I guess I'll just pick up some pickling lime at the store this weekend

 

[leboeuf]

i used boiling water in a turkey baster, worked perfect. Never had it come back. it's been six months at least

 

[jferrier]

peppermint shrimp!

 

[blkhawk10]

Peppermint shrimp work great.

 

[joemack]

Originally posted by LeBoeuf
i used boiling water in a turkey baster, worked perfect. Never had it come back. it's been six months at least
That worked for me. My pep shrimp is bunk. Its not a camel shrimp for sure. I guess some are just dumb. Mine doesnt do anything becides ride the current at night and rock back and forth in the day

 

[nanoambiance]

I orginally got some peppermints to eat several growing aiptasia, but in retrospect, would have rather done kalk injection or boiling water with turkey baster. Reason is, I have to make sure I spot feed my peppermints, because if not, they will attack nassarius snails or even small hermits for food, not to mention bother yellow polyp colonies (because they look like aiptasia).

 

[jeepboy]

I got 2 peppermint shrimp a few days ago. They have yet to attack the aptisia. They keep going after the pods in my tank. Guess they like pods better and my tank is crawling with them.

 

[soupysteve]

I've found that if you use a small amount of reef epoxy, you can simply smash those little aptasia into the rock and entomb them... Just make sure the rock doesn't have a hole on the other side, or it will simply move over there...

 

[saltynewbie]

so if you use the kalk paste thing, do you have to suck the dead anemone out or just allow the cleanup crew to do their thing?

 

[rsd]

As soupysteve said here are my favorite ways to rid myself of Appy's. All have worked EXTREMELY well.
1. Use 2 part reef epoxy and make a little tombstone for the pests. Make sure to cover all the way around them.
OR...
2. use super glue gel the same way you would reef epoxy... dries clearer so less short term discoloration... but takes longer to cover with coraline.
OR...
3. My peppermint shrimp have done wonders after I added them.
OR...
4. For larger appy's... syringe of heavy calc. mix and or boiling water.
last but not least...
5. Feed them a calc dosed food.... be very careful no other critters get a hold of the food though!!!!! Use turkey baster to remove excess food and gunk.
Still though my favorite is #1 and #3. I like looking into my tank and seeing little headstones. Almost want to write an epitaph. "here lies one big pain in my...."
Ok. Maybe sometimes I go too far. Either way, good luck.

 

[125intx]

Originally posted by Jeepboy
I got 2 peppermint shrimp a few days ago. They have yet to attack the aptisia. They keep going after the pods in my tank. Guess they like pods better and my tank is crawling with them.
Peppermints some times have to be trined to eat them. they would rather eat other foods that dont fight back first It took 6+ weeks before i niticed a decline in aiptasia in my small tank.
i think i am going to try the ice cube thing