Aiptasia - harmful or just a nuisance?

[Gort]

I recently spied one tiny Aiptasia sprouting in my tank. I know they can spread like mad and I'm mulling the options to kill it. I was wondering; besides the nuisance factor - are these anemone potentially dangerous to the system in any way?

 

[akunochi]

Yep they can sting your corals and eat the nutrients.

Some people have aiptasia section in their fuge JUST to eat the nutrients.

Best results I have had for killing them is to use lemon juice (like in the bottle) with a syringe and injecting them. Insta explosion!!!

 

[Burke]

Yup, they can sting and kill coral.

 

[mcoomer]

I've got an easy way to deal with them. I use aquamend and superglue gel to do them in. Make up a ball of aquament, cover one side with superglue, and press that side into the rock where the aip is hiding out. Form the aquamend to match the shape of the rock and you're done. The aip is sealed in the rock. Coralline will quickly grow on the epoxy and in no time it won't be visible in the tank.

Mike

 

[trido]

I found the best way to get rid of them is to electrocute them into a pulp. Having said that, I used to leave them be for the most part in my last system and only go on a killing spree when one or two would encroach on corals. On my young 30G I killed two yesterday after recently spotting them and will quickly kill all aptasia I see. I dont have enough real estate for stuff I dont want in there.

 

[Gort]

I found the best way to get rid of them is to electrocute them into a pulp.

Pray tell ... HTH do you zap them electricity-wise??

 

[akunochi]

There are many DIY plans. Google mojano anenome zapper

 

[07FocusST]

i let them grow in my overflow and fuge

 

[Husker12181]

Peppermint shrimp will eat them, but make sure they have other food after they finish off the aptasia or they might eventually go for your other LPS.

 

[DonW]

There are many DIY plans. Google mojano anenome zapper

I should have got a patent years ago. These things are easy.

What you need to make a real nice professional looking zapper:
1 Carbon fiber tube
1 long chunk of wire
1 Reed switch
1 magnet off a float switch. ( any magnet with a hole in the middle.)
Super glue
12-24v dc 500 ma unregulated wall wart. (the higher voltage the better)
Leather sewing needle

First the carbon fiber tube. Run to any sporting goods store that sells guns and bows (Cabela's or Sportsmans). Buy 1 Elcheapo arrow, one tip insert and one knock. Knock is the part that the bow string rest in. Most likely if you ask nice someplace like sportsmans will just give you a busted arrow for free and it will have the insert and knock.

Install the tip insert in one end of the arrow. Use sandpaper to clean before installing be sure to clean inside of the arrow also the insert is what connects the ground to the carbon fiber shaft. Use super glue to hold the insert solid but only a drop on one side.

Drill a small hole in the arrow about and inch down from the insert just big enough to feed the wire. This is for the hot wire.

Solder the reed switch into a section of wire. Feed the wire and reed into the arrow from the other end coming out the hole you drilled. Make sure the reed is above the water line. be sure to put a water line mark on the outside of the arrow for reference.

Slide the float switch magnet over the arrow along with a tight fitting o-ring to keep the float from falling all the way down the arrow. Now attach your power supply. The + goes to the switch wire and the ground gets an eyelet. Screw the eyelet into the tip insert with a little 6mm screw. Make sure you have plenty of wire to reach the outlet.

So now you have the zapper itself and just need a tip. Take the knock you got with the arrow and cut off the plastic tips the part where the bow string goes. Heat the needle with a lighter and push it through the knock point with the eye on the arrow side. Now connect your hot wire to the needle eye. This is why you use a leather needle, the eye is large enough to fit a wire. Solder to the needle, if it wont take solder just use heat shrink to keep the connection strong.

Now insert the knock / needle into the arrow. Its just a tight push fit. Make it look pretty by adding heat shrink over the arrow and wires exiting the arrow.

Now give it a test. Plug it into the wall, stick it in your tank lift up on the magnet. The magnet will engage the switch. You should see tiny bubbles coming from the tip. Be sure to leave extra wire inside the arrow. The tip will wear and need to be replaced from time to time.

Don