Kill Aiptasia during cycle or after?

sueandherzoo

sueandherzoo

Active Member
The 14 gallon BioCube has been running about four days and now that the water is clear I noticed a fairly large aiptasia on one of the rocks. Should I kill it now or will the process (either lemon juice or Joe's Juice) throw off the cycling process somehow?
Or should I take the rock out and kill it either with boiling water in a syringe or with unsalted water and pick it off the rock? Of course if I do that I run the risk of killing other things and having die off but that's probably not a BAD thing since I'm at the start of my cycle.
Or should I leave it alone and not do anything to the aiptasia until my cycle is over?
Sue
 
jinchun

jinchun

New Member
I don't believe Joe's Juice would affect your cycling. The dead aiptasia on the other hand may help speed the cycling process up. IMO, kill it and leave it.
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
Should never, IMO, leave Aiptasia alone. Pull the rock, inject the bum with boiling water or lemon juice. When it is dead take some Super Glue Gel and entomb it.
 
whisk

whisk

Active Member
Since you are cycling, you can do any one of those options. Using something like lemon juice may affect pH in large doses, so keep an eye on that if you use it.
I'll tell you what I did since same thing happen to me during my cycle. I had a large head of aiptasia and a baby one on the same rock. Since it was only on one rock, i took it out and boiled in tap water for 30 mins. I took the rock out and I rinsed it to make sure all the dead aiptasia I could see was off of it. I then let it dry over a couple days and later I put it back into the tank. Didnt affect my cycle and havent had aiptasia problem since.
The rock was very clean looking after i put it back in, but after a few weeks it became an algae green color.
It's up to you what you want to do, i just found that to be the easiest option for me and I wanted to make sure I got all aiptasia off that rock, even the baby ones I may have not seen.
Good luck!
 
sueandherzoo

sueandherzoo

Active Member
Originally Posted by spanko
http:///forum/post/2901659
Should never, IMO, leave Aiptasia alone. Pull the rock, inject the bum with boiling water or lemon juice. When it is dead take some Super Glue Gel and entomb it.
LOL It sounds like someone has a real HATE relationship with aiptasia! I agree with getting rid of it but I sensed a lot of hostility and severity in your suggestion that I get rid of it. Thanks for the laugh.

OK, away it goes. I think I like the idea of taking the whole rock out and killing everything on it. Most of the other rock is from one of my other tanks so I pretty much know what's on it but this is new live rock and it might be a aiptasia factory for all I know.
Off to go perform the murder.
Sue
 
chris17

chris17

Member
I thought I read some where that either a camel back shrimp or peppermint shrimp will eat them? True?
 
chris17

chris17

Member
So the ones they sell on this site.... Is there any way to make sure they are Lysmata wurdemanni? I would like a few, but am not sure if my LFS has the right ones. Thanks
Ronnie, google it and look at the pics. You will know if you have it lol
 
[ronnie]

[ronnie]

Member
phew.. mine is not that. thank God.. i have a lot of feathery clear looking things on one of my rocks that i dont know what they are. no stem or anything.. just a flower type thing
 
sueandherzoo

sueandherzoo

Active Member
Originally Posted by mboswell1982
http:///forum/post/2902102
peppermint shrimp
Perhaps others have had luck with peppermint shrimp eating aiptasia but I never have. But then again, I have my peppermint shrimp in the same tank as my porcupine puffer and he was supposed to have eaten them by now, too, so I guess my tank hasn't read the rule book. It's not like the shrimp are well hidden, either..... when I feed that tank they come running out and almost fight the puffer for food. Amazing. My puffer needs some aggression lessons.
I wouldn't mind buying a few more pep's for this new 14 gallon reef tank but since it's only starting its cycle they probably wouldn't make it. And you heard the Aiptasia Nazi's on here - I have been instructed to kill it NOW!
(Love my portrait!)
Sue
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
It's been three hours since you said your were going off to off it. What seems to be the holdup here sister? Getting cold feet? Falling in love with the gentle sway of the tentacles in the flow?
Do not be fooled, this pest will take over your tank killing indiscriminately as it does. Whack it! Whack it now!
 
sueandherzoo

sueandherzoo

Active Member
Originally Posted by spanko
http:///forum/post/2902432
It's been three hours since you said your were going off to off it. What seems to be the holdup here sister? Getting cold feet? Falling in love with the gentle sway of the tentacles in the flow?
Do not be fooled, this pest will take over your tank killing indiscriminately as it does. Whack it! Whack it now!
D@mn you, Henry - when did you become an online conscience?!?!

I just haven't gotten around to it yet but now that you mention its gently swaying tentacles I got a stab of remorse at the thought of "euthanizing" it. Now I have to prepare myself mentally and emotionally - the aiptasia has taken on a personality and it's begging for its life. And it really DOES look lovely -- getting bigger and stronger and more robust every hour!
How about if I look in the yellow pages for "Aiptasia Busters"????
Sue
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
Concentrate, concentrate, you are getting sleepy, sleepy, sleepy,

When I clap my hands you will awaken and go to the Devil Weed Aiptasia in your tank and kill it...kill it...kill it, you will not be mesmerized by it's beautifully flowing tentacles flowing in the water movement. Kill it..... kill it.....KILL IT!!!!

Love, Henry
 
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