First time with aptasia, advice needed.

[JosephM]

I purchased some corals off a fellow reefer and one of the shrooms came on a small piece of rock. Well fast forward about a month I guess he had an aptasia problem he didn't warn me about. On that rock there is about 2 large ones a 2-3 smaller ones. I have yet to see any anywhere else. Is it 100% that if they're on that rock there's bound to be some elsewhere? I have some aptasia-x coming in about a week. Should I just wait or take action some other way. What gets me too is the contradicting info online. Some say aptasia-x is great and others say it'll never fully eradicate the issue and they'll keep reproducing. Ive also heard the berghia nudis are good but not to get them for only a few (they're also really expensive). I'm down to try peppermint shrimp but have heard they are hit or miss. Just any advice Id love to here some opinions on what I should do.

 

[SPR1968]

Aiptasia X works provided you use it correctly

Just ‘hover’ the syringe away from the mouth and then squirt it in, If you go to close the mouth will close and it won’t work

 

[theMeat]

If you beat it down before it spreads you should be ok. Until the next time you unwillingly put some more in.
Sounds like you did your research so won’t go into ripping it off will only spread it.
If there’s only a couple glue them into the hole they’re in.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Is it 100% that if they're on that rock there's bound to be some elsewhere?
No, it's not an absolute, but I'd be keeping a VERY sharp eye for more.

The Aiptasia-X works fine for small outbreaks. If you use Kalkwasser, a paste made with RO/DI water and kalkwasser works just as well.

 

[Research Monkey]

I've been looking into this lately as well because I had some hitchhikers that I didnt see. After reading through threads here and elsewhere it seems everyone's experiences are different. Peppermint shrimp work for some, not for others.... some have suggested buying specific ones from the LFS that are maybe already in a frag tank vs. the tank with all of them. Kalkwasser paste / lemon juice / boiling water / boiling vinegar all with a syringe straight into the things mouth is another way. Superglue or epoxy on top of them is another.

The two that I have seen were very small and no way was I going to be able to get syringe near its mouth when the thing was only a few mm big. 1 i tried to kill with a drop of superglue at the tip of my finger. I thought i got the whole thing but nope. The other one was on a piece of GSP. I cut that piece of GSP off out of the tank so that one is gone.

 

[JosephM]

Aiptasia X works provided you use it correctly

Just ‘hover’ the syringe away from the mouth and then squirt it in, If you go to close the mouth will close and it won’t work

Do I risk it spreading throughout my system if I wait another week for it to come in? Seeing it's been on that rock for a month and I can't see it anywhere else I don't think so but I don't know how they multiply or how quick.

If you beat it down before it spreads you should be ok. Until the next time you unwillingly put some more in.
Sounds like you did your research so won’t go into ripping it off will only spread it.
If there’s only a couple glue them into the hole they’re in.

With this method I basically want to take the rock out of water, irritate it until it retracts, then put a nice glob over it. Correct?

 

[JosephM]

Is it 100% that if they're on that rock there's bound to be some elsewhere?
No, it's not an absolute, but I'd be keeping a VERY sharp eye for more.

The Aiptasia-X works fine for small outbreaks. If you use Kalkwasser, a paste made with RO/DI water and kalkwasser works just as well.

That's good to hear. I'm planning on heavily stocked corals and don't want it everywhere lol. I check my tank out in depth almost everynight so I'll definitely keep an extra eye out for aptasia. I've heard a lot about the kalkwasser but I don't use it and don't have any on hand

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

I would toss the mushroom if its not expensive or remove the mushroom from the rock. I wouldn't keep that sucker in there for any amount of time nor would I risk aiptasia x if its in one spot.

EDIT: nvm you had it for a month, aiptasia has likely already spread. Its a management approach. I prefer aiptasia x as my hands are very shakey and I miss when injecting Kalk a few times. The shakey hands also help make sure I cover the whole mouth haha

 

[theMeat]

With this method I basically want to take the rock out of water, irritate it until it retracts, then put a nice glob over it. Correct?

That”ll work. You don’t necessarily have to take rock out, and slight movement will make it retract. Watch it over the next day or two to make sure it doesn’t pop out another hole.

 

[SPR1968]

Do I risk it spreading throughout my system if I wait another week for it to come in? Seeing it's been on that rock for a month and I can't see it anywhere else I don't think so but I don't know how they multiply or how quick.

With this method I basically want to take the rock out of water, irritate it until it retracts, then put a nice glob over it. Correct?

They tend to spread if you leave them so its best to remove them as soon as you can but you’ll be fine until the aiptasia X arrives

I tend to leave them until there are a few and then hit them in one go, but I’ve got fairly big tanks so it’s easier for me that way

Just follow the instructions and it’s also best if you turn the flow off so it can stay were you put it, hopefully in the mouth

 

[Screwgunner]

There is a fish that only eats aptsasia. They work but they will die with no aptsasia.

 

[JosephM]

There is a fish that only eats aptsasia. They work but they will die with no aptsasia.

Are you talking about berghia nudis? I haven't heard a fish that eats only aptasia.

 

[JosephM]

Also, thank you all for the advice. I will wait until the aptasia-x comes in and kill what I can see on the isolated rock and keep my eyes peeled for others that may pop up

 

[Jekyl]

I saw one in my tank before. I added a peppermint shrimp and never saw any again.

 

[Screwgunner]

Are you talking about berghia nudis? I haven't heard a fish that eats only aptasia.

File fish he is not the most pleasant to look at but thet will make aptasia disappear.

 

[Screwgunner]

Please do not put x in your tank do it naturally. Aptasia spit babys out the middle of the top of them selfs and very rapidly I may ab. if you watch one of the bigger one for a while you will see what I mean. They are very tiny and hard to see and grow like weeds. Get a file fish put him in there for a week and take him back to the store . They will starve with out aptasia.

 

[fryman]

Aiptasia-X didn't work for me just spread them.

Berghia nudis eventually took care of them. Issues are they can be eaten by some fish like wrasses, and they don't handle high flow well. If it were me I'd pull any rock with aiptasia and put it in a secondary tank with low flow and a few Berghia. If the aiptasia spread too much in the main display I'd pull any nudi-eating fish, turn down flow temporarily and seed w/nudis.

It can take a few months, unfortunately.

 

[JosephM]

Okay. That’s good to hear. I’ll look around for some nudis and hopefully can find them cheaper locally.

 

[JosephM]

I had some super glue that I hated working with so I went ham on those buggers and basically superglued the whole back of the rock where they were

 

[nukemdanno]

Also check out Mrs. Wages Pickling lime. $10ish for a one pound bag. Vs. $40ish for 16oz of Aptasia X. I use Mrs Wages to dose Kalk to my tank. Make the slurry, shut the flow off to the tank for a bit and nuke the Aptasia