Using Liquid Calcium to kill Aiptasia

[Concrete]

Well, I had a little Aiptasia outbreak. There were about 4-5 that made themselves known in my Rock.

First-I loaded up my Kent Squirt with Liquid Calcium and began my Ethnic Cleansing. Did this for about 3-4 days until they were Eradicated.

Second- I turned on an in-line 18 watt UV sterilizer Pre-Sump to kill anything coming out of the Tank. I Installed this here in case there were any Ich Outbreaks. Just turn On/Off when needed

It took about 5 days to completely eradicate them, Its been about 3 days since I stopped dosing and I haven't seen any yet (There are a couple in my Overflow that probably Initiated the Outbreak).

I find the Direct Injection of Calcium to be an Effective way to eliminate Aiptasia. It has no direct side effects besides Raising Calcium Levels a little (Just test levels daily). Mine went from 430 ppm to around 450 ppm.

You can use Joe's Juice if you want. But I think its a waste of Money, From what I've heard Its basically just Kalk anyway, You get the same effect with strait Liquid Calcium (well, I do).

 

[SnowManSnow]

4-5 isn't quite an outbreak but i hope you got them all

B

 

[jhemdal1]

Concrete,

When you say that you used "liquid calcium" - what is that? Is it Calcium chloride or calcium hydroxide? What kind of concentration? Back in 1992 FAMA published my article on controlling Aiptasia with a calcium hydroxide slurry. It was also published in my Advanced Marine Aquarium Techniques book that came out in the spring. People have told me that Joe's juice seems to be based on that, with perhaps a binder added.

This summer, I've been doing a more quantatative study of my method and think that I've come up with a problem - if you do not kill, and actually remove the base of each anemone, there is a tendency for them to come back in a few weeks. The new anemones are tiny, and not exactly where the old one was, but near enough to make me think that perhaps some of the original tissue gave rise to them.

Jay Hemdal

 

[Concrete]

4-5 isn't quite an outbreak but i hope you got them all

Yeah.. Its really not a serious outbreak, but one noneless, I'm better off killing 4-5 than waiting till there's 40-50 (Which from past experience doesn't take long)

When you say that you used "liquid calcium" - what is that? Is it Calcium chloride or calcium hydroxide?

Diluted Calcium Chloride (I'm in the Concrete business so I get this stuff cheap, about $5 a gallon, We call it "Heat" in the Field)
But Kent "Liquid Calcium" will suffice.


Jay, It sounds like you know a lot more about Aiptasia control than me. I'm just an Average Reef-keeper that found an easy way to control and kill Aiptasia with something that is safe and readily available to the average Reefer. If it works 100% I'll never know. But so far, so good.

Jeff

 

[cindre2000]

I just finished my own cleansing, started with 3 large apista. So I smothered them in Lime. Unfourtinatly this nuked my tank (probably since i did not turn off the circulation) and killed almost everything in it.

After about a month of cleaning up the die off, they return!!! Only this time, there are at least 30 more "babies". So, I turn off the circulation smother each one in lime and leave the circulation off for 3 days. When I return (tanks at my permanent address) most of them are gone I am left with killing all the ones I missed. I am just making sure I smother the two stumps of the big ones every time I play with the tank, since I can not reach them to remove them.

 

[DaveMorris1]

What do you inject the aiptasia with? I have not been able to get a needle from anywhere. Is there a device that works well that is easy to get?

 

[Concrete]

Dave,

I have used hypodermic needles in the past, but as soon as you touch the Aiptasia they usually retract. The trick is to get as close as possible without touching and douse them with the calcium.

This is what I use:

Great multipurpose tool, I use it for many things: Feeding Inverts/Corals, Blowing crap off rocks, Killing Aiptasia, etc.
Its funny because my Fish go crazy when its in the tank, They use it like a Baby uses a bottle...

 

[DaveMorris1]

Cool...I already own a Seasquirt. Thanks I will try that. I have one small aiptasia on a rock that is very easy to remove and when I saw it I realized I better figure out how to deal with it before it gets to be a problem.

 

[Anonymous]

Cool...I already own a Seasquirt. Thanks I will try that. I have one small aiptasia on a rock that is very easy to remove and when I saw it I realized I better figure out how to deal with it before it gets to be a problem.

If it is easy to get at, take the rock out and torch in with a lighter.
100% effective kill :twisted:

 

[otterpop510]

i use a syringe with vinegar (same idea as joes juice/kalk, etc..) and inject in the aiptasia. seems for me to be a more controlled way than just spraying over the aiptasia and hoping they suck enough in to die without effecting other corals, especially if they are close by. worked for me for the most part, but got three peppermint shrimps in for the aiptasia that i can't reach easily (or take the rock out to 'burn out'.. nice image browncj7) and they have taken care of about 80-90% of the aiptasia i couldn't reach within a week of me putting them in.

if you don't want to take the chance with peppermints in your main tank, you could possibly move it into your qt with a couple peppermints and just don't feed for a week and see what happens. people generally would be willing to buy proven aiptasia-eating peppermints off of you pretty quickly too if there is a local community around.

 

[sihaya]

You can use Joe's Juice if you want. But I think its a waste of Money,

I agree. I don't think the stuff works at all. I usually just use a mix of NaOH and Kalk. Recently I tried Blue Life Aptasia control and it does seem to work (though it's a bit laborsome).