Aptasia between zoas

[ChrisB]

I recently bought a small mixed zoas that are on a plate coral. It has 3 or aptasia in between zoas . I tried putting glue over one i thought it worked but he reappeared a week later. Will aptasia x harm the zoas or any other method to kill these suckers with out pissing off my zoas.

 

[Gwiz3005]

Aptasia X could melt the zoa also if you are not careful with the application. Peppermint shrimp could help the problem. They solved my problem when I had them. You could also try lemon juice or kalk.

 

[MeanGreenEyes]

Squirt it with lemon juice...it's always worked for me when I've picked up frags with it on there. I just make sure I QT it first to make sure it doesn't come back before it goes into my DT.

 

[ChrisB]

Squirt it with lemon juice...it's always worked for me when I've picked up frags with it on there. I just make sure I QT it first to make sure it doesn't come back before it goes into my DT.

Take it out of tank and squirt with lemon juice or in tank?

 

[MeanGreenEyes]

Take it out of tank and squirt with lemon juice or in tank?

Nope...you can do it right in the tank with a pipette or syringe. You just have to slowly creep up on it or it will retract into the frag/rock. Ideally, you want to squirt the lemon juice right into the mouth of the aiptasia. Do you have a quarantine tank? Or did you place the frag directly in your display? Definitely take care of it asap because it will spread in your tank, if you have it in your display. I just use the lemon juice concentrate that I keep on hand in the fridge.

EDIT: If you pull it out of the tank, the aiptasia will retract itself into the frag/rock. Let it stay comfortable in the tank...and nuke them...

I'm a firm believer in using chemicals as a very last resort and I'll never treat the display with chemicals.

 

[ChrisB]

and lemon juice will not harm zoas?

 

[JonnyJ]

i just glue the aiptasia when they pop up on new frags. Generally that solves the problem.

 

[MeanGreenEyes]

and lemon juice will not harm zoas?

In my personal experience, not at all...I've used it near SPS as well. You're not dumping an entire bottle, you're just using one good squirt of the lemon juice with the pipette or syringe.

 

[ChrisB]

ill try glues again but they are like wedged in between the zoas

 

[Trainwreck]

Remove zoa colony from tank, place in small tank with hob filter/fuge light/live rock rubble

Full small tank with water from display

Inject the aiptasia polyps directly in the mouth with aiptasia-x.

Wait until you see all aiptasia is gone

Put colony back in tank

Rock on Garth.

 

[jcurry]

You can inject them after lights out when the zoas are closed to minimize the chances of harming them. The aptasia willo still be open because they're not photosynthetic.

 

[mqur1963]

what kind of glue

 

[ChrisB]

what kind of glue

Icy gel.

 

[peteyboyny]

Caribbean peppermints. 2 of them wiped out the aptasia in my 140g. I got them at Country Critters in Patchogue. Apparently, they only get the Caribbean peppermints as opposed to the indo peppermints. The Indo ones are more apt to pick at other stuff, and not to eat aptasia. I paid $8/each for 2 shrimp that were 3/4" each. They did the job in about 2 wks. That's just my experience. I've been aptasia free for 5-6 mos now.

 

[ChrisB]

Caribbean peppermints. 2 of them wiped out the aptasia in my 140g. I got them at Country Critters in Patchogue. Apparently, they only get the Caribbean peppermints as opposed to the indo peppermints. The Indo ones are more apt to pick at other stuff, and not to eat aptasia. I paid $8/each for 2 shrimp that were 3/4" each. They did the job in about 2 wks. That's just my experience. I've been aptasia free for 5-6 mos now.

I would love to try But I have a pain in the ass pistol shrimp who will prob kill them. I have a trap in there now trying to get rid of him.

 

[marklugo23]

as crazy as it sounds my friend glued my aptasia in between my zoas and i havent seen it since

 

[ChrisB]

as crazy as it sounds my friend glued my aptasia in between my zoas and i havent seen it since

I glued it once the fucker must have got out of threw a pin hole in the glue.

 

[rookie07]

I glued it once the fucker must have got out of threw a pin hole in the glue.

Glueing them does not work generally (as there is always a way out for the Aiptasia).