Killing aptasia

cubfan

Member
I've got 4 pretty large aptasia anenomes in my 55 reef. They are about 2 inches high and 1.5 inches in diameter. I figure that I'm playing with fire if I don't remove them and I'm an extreme tightwad!!! Yes, you can be a tightwad and still have SW tanks. Has anyone ever injected their aptasia anenomes with boiling water?
 

bigarn

Active Member
I have. I thought it worked, but in a couple of weeks it was back. The best methods are kalk or joes juice. :D
 

salty cheese

Active Member

Originally posted by cubfan
Has anyone ever injected their aptasia anenomes with boiling water?

Yes but with mixed results. You can get some pickling lime for cheap and it will have the same results as kalk.
 

ags

Member
if you have liquid calcium that works well too. I have torched mojano and aptasia before without them coming back.
 

nas19320

Active Member
I've never been able to keep the water hot enough to kill the Aip. I've always used pickling lime without any problems.
 

nodwag

New Member
cubfan -
After over a year of trying all the standard suggestions (boiling water, calcium, etc), and my Aptasia population growing from two to ten, the only thing that worked was Peppermint Shrimp. ...and fast. Within two weeks of adding five Peppermints to my 55G reef, all Aptasia were gone. I also have a co-worker with a 75G reef who had a sudden influx of Aptasia and was at wits end trying to get rid of them. Within a week of adding Peppermints, his tank was free and clear.
Good luck!
 

cubfan

Member
Thanks for the info! Lots of great ideas. I think I'll try the kalk, then add peppermint shrimp if that doesn't work.
 

jodilynn

Member
I'd like to add my 2 cents to the peppermint shrimp. I added around 5 and all of the aiptasia was gone in 2 days.
Jodilynn
 

tony detroit

Active Member
I've tried em all. Mix kalk thick as toothpaste, turn your pumps off and go to work. Don't do too many in one night or you'll spike your pH.
Forget j's juice, way too overpriced, same thing as kalk.
 

nas19320

Active Member

Originally posted by shawnts106
FORGET KALK TOO ITS OVERPRICED... DO THE SALT THING, IT WORKS JUST AS GOOD!!!!!

I don't know the effects of adding table salt into a aquarium but it may cause problems not to mention raise your salinity. IMO/IME kalk is the most effective, easiest ways to kill Aips.
 

avbryce1

Member
LEMON JUICE, LEMON JUICE, LEMON JUICE real lemon juice not from the fruit , but from the bottle works every time . if it is a larger one than you may have to hit it again after about 24 hours
but it works , its super cheap, and most people have it in the house :D
 

viet-tin

Active Member
Boiling water worked for me. I took the rock out with the aiptasia and brought it into my kitchen and used a turkey baster and zapped it. It basically vanished and havent seen them since. But i did cook a few amphipods...
 

nitram

Member
I would go the peppermint shrimp way. Unless you have something in your tank that will eat the shrimp. The pepersa will attacke them almost as soon as you put them in the tank its like they smell them and head strait for them. I bought a peice of live rock once and saw these cut little annenomes on them at the store and thought it would be cool not knowing what they were so I put the rock in my tank and my two peps run as fast as they could to that rock and wam they were gone at first it hurt my fillings untill I realized what they were so GO PEPPERS.
 

avbryce1

Member

Originally posted by Nas19320
Just keep in mind that if you add peppermint shrimp they may attack other corals.

:yes:
 
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