Aiptasia...Need a suggestion

[JonnyJ]

I have a giant piece of rock in my sump. its an amazing shape and i would love to cure it of aiptasia. I saw them begin forming around 2 months ago. I took out my Aiptasia X and destroyed around 5-6 of them. checked up around a week later and most were gone. I check on the rock now about a month later and there are literally 50+ small aiptasia lol. They aren't hydroids or anything like that.

im starting to see them in my DT and want to protect further spreading if possible. I would like to take this large piece of rock out and treat it.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

i thought about buying some small peppermint shrimp or a few nudi. But i believe killing the rock would be the best idea.

should i put water and bleach in a bucket and let everything die? i dont want to get rid of this rock because i plan to use it at some point on this or a different build. This rocks shape is amazing.

 

[saltwaterinbrooklyn]

Dry it out and treat it with a few soakings of hot water from time to time and leave it in the sun for a couple of days And that will kill it good enough I believe then maybe leave it dry till you really need it. That's my opinion

 

[MikeC]

I have used boiling water on a few Aptasia but just on the spot with the one aptasia and then RODI rins off and back in the tank.

 

[JonnyJ]

well heres my thing, i really would like to treat it and kill everything in a bucket and then put it outside. i dont want it to stink up lol.

 

[greybolt03]

Throw 5 pepermint shrimp in the sump with the aptasia rock and they should take care of them...

 

[skene]

if you take out the rock and place in empty bucket to dry it up... they wont really stink up the place.
if you dry it in a bucket of water... and let the water stagnate it will.

 

[thirty5]

Here is the problem, you said that you are starting to see them in your DT!! You need something to control them. Either a few peppermints in your tank, or a couple nudis there was someone selling some here.

Forget the rock in the sump, pull it out and cook it in the sun and they will be dead, you will need to then cure it. But you need to worry about your DT. That is the important part. From your description the aptaisia spawned in the tank. You need to get something in there to control or eradicate them.....

 

[NewfiDog]

Do you see any in your DT? If you dont i wouldnt worry about it. I would use an aproach like Mikec mentions, or you could go the other route and take the rock out. If you dont want to smell it put it outside, dosent matter sun, rain, snow, sleet, out of the tank everything will die. Then you will need to cure it before you return it, thats why i would do something like mike mentions.

 

[REEF MANIA]

If it were only a few you can puck them out with tweezers. You said its loaded. I suggest taking it out ASAP. Let it dry up outside in the sun. Then put it in a pot of boiling water then rinse it with so RO/DI water and your good to go. But if you have a problem with them in your tank you need to add 3-5 peppermint shrimps and they will go to town on them.

 

[thirty5]

He said in his post that he is starting to see them in his DT. It is important to get that big one out of the sump.

I would disagree with trying to pluck aptaisia out of the tank, you may cause them to release spores....

Take out the rock in the sump and bake in the sun.

Get either a few nudis for the tank or a few peppermint shrimp.

 

[skene]

If you would like you can also place the rock in fresh rodi water... it will kill off everything in due time.

 

[JonnyJ]

Thanks all for the advice.

I have already planned on adding nudi/peppermint shrimp to dts.

I plan to remove this rock, treat it and be able to work on this rock when dry in my house without it smelling.

I want to carve and replace my current waterfall structure in the future with something that can facilitate some more crevices and 2 basins. 1 being for sand for my fiddlers and the other which I would like to have various zoos and other shallow capable corals.

Having this not smell is important since I'll be working on it on my desk near my room which is near my bed. Small area.