Identification Help

[jrowlan]

The other day I noticed a couple of these nestled in my xenias...Can anyone help identify?

 

[chadmace]

Looks like Aptasia.

 

[ronj]

yep!! i second that.. aiptasia

 

[jrowlan]

That's what I thought...What is the best control? Inject with lemon juice? How exactly...Syringe with needle and into the base?

Thanks

 

[ronj]

you can try using boiling water and inject it..i use kalk powder and water mixed into a paste..i inject it in mushrooms and they just melt..aiptaisia's will die just the same

 

[SB0169]

I've been dealing with those pests for a little while now. Here's my experience. I'm far from an all knowing source, as I'm pretty new to the hobby. Either method you use , do so with much care, especially when near something you want to keep. I used boiling water, and it works well if not immediately adjacent to something good. The scalding water will also kill wanted corals(Your xenia). Pull up some boiling water in an oral syringe, and squirt it into the mouth if you can. At least try to squirt the base with some force, which will kill most of it, and wash it away. Then try to suck up the sucker before it gets away. These can grow back with a small portion of living flesh that may attach elsewhere in your tank. So, the boiling water method requires romoval of the "corpse" after it is washed off its rock. Now to the kalk... I've done this too. Buy some kalkwasser powder at the LFS. Mix it with RO water o make a paste about the consistency of toothpaste. Suck it up into an oral syringe, and feed it to the aiptasia. Inject it right into its mouth. It will swallow it and die. The kalk will also likely benefit your tank, if not used in excess (read about it). If you can, squirt enough on it to cover it WITHOUT allowing ANY to get on desired livestock (VERY IMPORTANT PART). It can cause severe damage or death to other corals if it comes in cntact with them in such concentrated form. Make sure you don't directly drip any on anything you like. They are pretty easy to control, just use common sense and caution. Like I said, this is my own brief personal experience, and I am no pro. Listen to what others have to say about this as well. Good Luck!

you can try using boiling water and inject it..i use kalk powder and water mixed into a paste..i inject it in mushrooms and they just melt..aiptaisia's will die just the same