Nuking Aiptasia w/Kalkwasser

[eric]

I just read an artical on aiptasia, in april 2000 Freshwater and Marine Aquarium. where the author suggests "Nuking the zoophytes with a consentrated kalkwasser mix" now this seems a little radical to me. But considering the alternatives it might be worth a try, I imagane using a vial with a 1/8 hole cut in the bottom and inserting either my drip tube or syringe with the dose Into the hole of the vial. Then putting the vial over the plant and letting it rip. My question is has any one ever tried any thing like this? have any suggestions? I know that kalkwasser is caustic, and i know that can effect the p.h. when it is not driped. And I was thinking of using only 5 to 10 ml a dose.

 

[kass]

I have tried this. I just made the kalk (sorry I dont remember the dose)and shot them with a small syringe. The problem is the anemones shrink so fast its really hard to shoot it in there. As long as you don't do alot of them at once it should'nt raise the ph too much. It really did't work that well for me though. I would stick to getting peppermint shrimp especially if you have alot of aiptasia. I also tried using boiling water, neither 1 worked real well. It killed a few of them, but I had some big ones that nothing would kill, not even the peppermint shrimp

 

[eric]

Aiptasia is a glass Anemone and considered to be a weed by most hobbiests. they sneek in on your live rock or corals. and can spread quickly in your environment. they are hard to kill and carry a powerful sting, Endangering your valuables. The really bad part is that if you try to cut, pull, or syphon them out any tissue that either remains on the rock or escapes in the flow of water regenerates in to more polyps.
many of the natural predators also will eat the polyps that you desire in your tank. thus causing me to think about other ways of eleminating this pest.I only have 4 or 5 of these that I know of, and only 1 is an 1" long at best, the rest are very small. I am now thinking of placing my drip tube just above the large one and letting 2000ml drip right on the anamal.

 

[eric]

you have to ask questions to get answers.the best discription is that they are mostly light brown to clear and a flower looking polyp that set on a tube or intestine with long sweeping tentacals. but I recomend looking for pics there are several in the mag. that I mentioned at the start of this fourm.

 

[eric]

depends on the sive of the anamal.my wife found a web site this morning lots of info. try http:/ hooversaquapuppies.com

 

[halide]

I have used this method with success the trick is to get the smallest hypo needle you can.My girlfriend is a CMA and was able to get me the small needle.I use 1 tsp to a cup of water of kalk and using the small needle they don't seem to retract as much and your able to get more solution in them.

 

[chuck]

Here are two sites on these bothersome critters. http://www.ewtech.com/chem-marin/ http://www5.ios.com/~rose8/stop1.htm

 

[kmr]

The recipe is 1 - 1 1/2 tspns of Kalkwasser in 1/4 cup water. You have to shake up this mixture, stirring won't cut it. Be fast with the syringe because the solution will solidify some. This will melt them. Even the big ones. Inject right into there mouths.