Aiptasia.....Nuke proof!

[kpiotrowski]

First off this thread is an account of personal experience.....and a warning...... An exlamation of my standing corrected for not believing other experineced reefers when they claimed they have had aiptasia survive multiple methods of extermination ....and a confirmation to those who are in disbelief that their aptiaisa survived various methods of extermination.

most of my rock in my new 300g build was dry reefsaver rock and was only cleaned by freshwater washed/cylcled through my system by my running the sytem for aprox a month with multiple complete water changes. all other rock was dry and recieved the muratic acid treatment and was also in the system with freshwater for the same time.

I just found several aiptasia on rock rubble or otherwise rock that had been nuked with muratic acid in my sump sytem in the garage 15 feet away from the display.

There are no aiptasia in the display.

the only thing added to my sump was maco's and were isolated in a plastic tub with fine screen so I could inspect the macro's for pest, and the macro's came from a very respected reefer who claimes to be aiptasia free. regardless, no aiptasia have been seen in those macos or in that isoation chamber.

given the locations of the pest anemone on rock rubble and previously nuked dry rock in my sump, the only conclusion ( that still seems crazy to me) is....Aiptaisia is able to survive muratic acid baths and a month in freshwater!

so, anyone else want to claim to have seen Bigfoot, or been abducted by aliens etc. want to share their story. this is the thread to do it!

 

[N1Husker]

Do you allow aiptasia in your neighborhood access to your garage codes. Maybe they are sneaking in at night?

 

[lmannan]

I am changing my codes as we speak lol

 

[reefman069]

by any chance do you think they were on some of your coral and you couldn't see them?

 

[reefman069]

i have been through some bad aiptasia. coperband butterfly fish. that is what get rid of them forever.

 

[DBM Reef]

Kevin I had a scare a few months back and it started in the macro algae in my fuge.
I got some berg and hit it while it was small (outbreak). But im sure that i will get it again at one
point that crap is tough as hell!!

 

[1guydude]

Its a hard fight. I battled it in my beginning yrs with aptasiaX and now its seems to b back for a fight.
Peppermint shrimp I think also kept them at bay.

I'm now leaning towards a zapper or a laser...
D

 

[kpiotrowski]

please, no offense! I am not looking for adivice about solutions or anyone to solve the mystery. after all who know more about my system, what was added and when than me right?

please read what I have wrote carefully. understand the aiptasia are only on rock in the sump ( at this time) ( soon to be everywhere i'm sure) ( you too jess!). the algea ball that was added was the size of a orange and I picked through it and watched it daily in its containment container and have only had it for a month. one of the aiptasia was about 2 inches round with tentacles.

regarless of their origin, the reason i have none in the display may be the 3 heniochus butterflies may be picking them before they get a chance to grow.

someone who already post here has a story to share your about what you did and your aiptasia infestation live through! I don't want name names cuz when people sound crazy you don't slander them.....but I called you crazy when you told me what they all lived through!!!!

There are several others that may chime in that have told me they beileved aiptasia can live through complete dry out, muratic acid etc. and I previously called them nuts,lol.



thanks!

 

[spieszak]

There are several others that may chime in that have told me they beileved aiptasia can live through complete dry out, muratic acid etc. and I previously called them nuts,lol.

Brine shrimp eggs. Seriously, take a minute to think about that. Dry 'em out and put them on a shelf for years at a time, soak 'em in bleach (de-cap), abuse them all you want really. Then drop them in some warm salted water, and bam! you have brine shrimp.. Its the main reason I never doubt the resilience of living creatures.

 

[mojoreef]

All that needs to survive is one little cell. I will be honest I paid Pep to drop a couple in so I could sell you some Bergie!! lol

 

[BARRON]

I just had one that I put boiling water on, then capped it in super glue, three days later it popped out of another hole in the rock an inch away. They seem impossible to kill.

 

[Aquanaut]

My analogy of this...Aptasia are like dandolions, you will always have them because you can never get all of it. You cut your lawn and it doesn't die. Using plumbing parts from a contaminated system will spread them, and greenery as you have found. I did find that combination of methods seemed to clear them out. placing rock in a tub with a small window of light they will release themselves to the walls closer to light. 8 Bergia in a 250 gallon system and a file fish have cleared the last ones 3 years ago and not seen since.

 

[kpiotrowski]

All that needs to survive is one little cell. I will be honest I paid Pep to drop a couple in so I could sell you some Bergie!! lol

I really expected you to share you account!

 

[kpiotrowski]

I just had one that I put boiling water on, then capped it in super glue, three days later it popped out of another hole in the rock an inch away. They seem impossible to kill.

I have a witness to the following too. I injected one with pure lemon juice and it re-inflated and was alive and well hours later. I am a nurse and have given thousands of injections so you I did it right.

 

[kpiotrowski]

My analogy of this...Aptasia are like dandolions, you will always have them because you can never get all of it. You cut your lawn and it doesn't die. Using plumbing parts from a contaminated system will spread them, and greenery as you have found. I did find that combination of methods seemed to clear them out. placing rock in a tub with a small window of light they will release themselves to the walls closer to light. 8 Bergia in a 250 gallon system and a file fish have cleared the last ones 3 years ago and not seen since.

I consider you, and others like you lucky that for all intents, after 3 years you may declare aiptasia free after a given treatment. In my 120p I had a freind put problably over 50 berghia in over a year or so and although I can say there were months that none were visible, they always came back. when I tore down that system they were thick in the plumbing.

 

[kpiotrowski]

:bump" c'mon and tell your stories of what you belived aiptasia live through!

 

[IPisces]

I have killed a lot of aiptasia, but I have two palys in the tank that I can not kill. I have covered them with superglue, I have injected them with lemon juice, I have injected them so full with kalkwasser paiste that they blew up like a balloon and have pealed them off of the rocks. both of them keep coming back.

 

[DBM Reef]

Kevin- This may be one of those stories you are refering to. I added so much kalk in a system to kill them that it wouldnt absorb anymore kalk.
I had put a few rocks right at the front where I could witness there demise! Instead they sat there and waved back at me with a few of their
majano friends! almost as if they were mocking me LOL! The end result was that me and a friend thru our rock in a rubbermaid in my driveway
with a bunch of muratic acid for about 45 minutes and that is the rock that I am using now. I have fought many battles with these pos's
and dread the next one! I tried the zapper though it was fun to watch them melt I think all I did was make matters worse.

 

[kpiotrowski]

Thanks jess! nice to not be crazy all by myself!