Aiptasia Won't Die!

[cwfmegan]

Hey all,

I am new to R2R and have currently had my 30 gallon cube for about a month and a half (it was set up before I got it for 6 or 7 months so we are passed the cycling phase). I am writing because I am having an issue with aiptasia. I recently found 2 in my tank (one attached the the base of a coral, one attached to the live rock). I boiled distilled water and squirted it into the mouth of both. The one on the coral died but the one on the rock didn't. So I attempted again the next day... and it still came back. I'm pretty shore and reaching my arm all the way to the bottom of the tank makes it hard to see at the same time, so I thought I had not hit it properly. Because of that, I had a friend help me the next time and we made sure to get the water right into the mouth. We squirted it even after we thought it was dead, just to be safe. Three days later and that stupid aiptasia is back! I don't know what to do! It is on the live rock closest to the bottom of the tank, so getting the whole rock out would be an undertaking. It's also near coral and I've heard AiptasiaX can be bad for coral? I also have a peppermint shrimp in the tank but he has been in there for about a month and has yet to eat an aiptasia. Should I just boil this guy again? I am ready for it to be gone and out of my tank!

 

[Reefing Madness]

I'd inject it with Lemon Juice.
Or Berghia Nudibranch
You have to inject the Aiptasia right into the stalk or straight down the mouth.

 

[cwfmegan]

Is the lemon juice reef safe?

 

[Reefing Madness]

Yea, your not going o be using enough to do anything to the corals or water params. Just don't dump in the bottle. :bigsmile:
Shoot the Aiptasia slowly, if you get him correctly you will see him dissolve right in front of your eyes.

 

[NanaReefer]

You need to be precise, getting it directly into the mouth. Move slowly or else it will sense movement and close up.

 

[JAWS 32]

you can try getting a peppermint shrimp...they are known for eating aiptasia

 

[natalie.ohare27]

You can also use pickling lime or calcium it flat out melt them but you'll want to use a small amount in the mouth of the aptasia just like with lemon juice. Copper banded butterflies sometimes like them. But the aptasia doesn't really move and so I left mine alone. I have one left in my reef tank and I literally just took the stony.part of gonapora and squashed. It can stink the bottom of the rock all it wants

 

[iretthepirate]

The only tHing that has really worked for me is aiptasia x by red sea its reef safe my sexy shrimp even eat the dieing aiptasia with the stuff in it and are fine