Aiptasia in overflow

[Atherial]

My aquarium has been having problems for a while and after about a year of work, I am finally getting things back on track. One of the last problems though is that my overflow is full of aiptasia. I've got a peppermint shrimp that keeps them out of the main tank but obviously it's not good to have a large number of them in the overflow. I can't reach them to do injections as the middle of the overflow has the pipe in it and there's not a lot of room around it. I did drain the overflow twice and left it dry for a day but they came back after that.

Does anyone have advice?

 

[TX_REEF]

Can you just scrape them off with a long arm scraper and let them drain into your filter to be mechanically removed? You can use something like this https://amzn.to/49y3Ms5

 

[Atherial]

Can you just scrape them off with a long arm scraper and let them drain into your filter to be mechanically removed? You can use something like this https://amzn.to/49y3Ms5

No, not really. Some of them are on the pipe and some are on the glass and I assume there's also some at the bottom. And there's only about 2 inches to work with on each side and it's deep, about two feet to the bottom.

 

[TX_REEF]

why not? the scrapers have 24"+ arms. That's what I'd do, maybe other folks will have different ideas.

 

[edd59]

drain it and spray everything with vinegar, let it sit a few, then wipe it out and rince.

 

[Atherial]

drain it and spray everything with vinegar, let it sit a few, then wipe it out and rince.

I could try that. It would be difficult to hit everything because of the angle especially towards the bottom.

I was doing some reading, would adding draining it then adding plain unsalted RO/DI water work? That would be easy enough to do and I wouldn't have to worry about getting rid of it later.

 

[lmfbs]

I could try that. It would be difficult to hit everything because of the angle especially towards the bottom.

I was doing some reading, would adding draining it then adding plain unsalted RO/DI water work? That would be easy enough to do and I wouldn't have to worry about getting rid of it later.

Once I kept 5 pet aiptasia in a bucket outside for months, unheated and filled with rainwater. They lived for about a year before I chucked them.

 

[Gtinnel]

I had asked this same question before and the answer I got was to drain the overflow and fill it with hot water. Let it sit for about 30 minutes and shop vac the water back out of it. Supposedly the water only needs to be around 120 degrees to kill the aiptasia.
I got lazy and never actually did it myself, but it may be worth you looking into.

 

[Rob Biederman]

Once I kept 5 pet aiptasia in a bucket outside for months, unheated and filled with rainwater. They lived for about a year before I chucked them.

This made me laugh thank you

 

[Jmp998]

Aiptasia will live in RODI for at least a day. Hot water is pretty effective, but I would be worried it would damage your tank. If they are controlled in your display, is there really much harm in having them in your overflow?

Maybe you could do something like citric acid, then completely drain your overflow into a bucket and discard, refill with RODI and drain a couple times to rinse it out?

You could try Berghia or moving the peppermint shrimp to the overflow, but they might just go down the drain. Depending on how your sump is set up that might or might not be a big problem.

 

[Atherial]

Aiptasia will live in RODI for at least a day. Hot water is pretty effective, but I would be worried it would damage your tank. If they are controlled in your display, is there really much harm in having them in your overflow?

Maybe you could do something like citric acid, then completely drain your overflow into a bucket and discard, refill with RODI and drain a couple times to rinse it out?

You could try Berghia or moving the peppermint shrimp to the overflow, but they might just go down the drain. Depending on how your sump is set up that might or might not be a big problem.

Thanks. The peppermint shrimp is not often seen and would not be at all happy in the over flow. I think a berghia would be okay as there isn't much flow below the drain outlet, but I don't know where to get one. I think the hot water would be safer than citric acid as it is perfectly safe once it cools down. I might try that.

 

[exnisstech]

Aiptasia the an over flow is a myth and does not happen.

I just leave them be

 

[exnisstech]

Thanks. The peppermint shrimp is not often seen and would not be at all happy in the over flow. I think a berghia would be okay as there isn't much flow below the drain outlet, but I don't know where to get one. I think the hot water would be safer than citric acid as it is perfectly safe once it cools down. I might try that.

Once they are there I'm not sure if its possible to get rid off them all. If they are in the overflow there is a very good possibility they are somewhere in the sump and probably behind rock somewhere in the display as well. When I as trying to eradicate them they just kept popping up all over the place. I decided to just coexist with them. They stay in the overflow and I leave them alone. Trying to get rid of every single one is like trying to be 100% algae free in the DT. Just not worth the effort IMO.