How to kill an aiptasia that is on a coral?

[Larry101]

As my title says, I am wondering how to kill an aiptasia that I have that is growing in between my candy cane coral polyps. I know that I could inject lemon juice, use aiptasia x, use a kalk slurry, etc. but I was wondering what an effective method would be so that I kill the aiptasia but don't harm my candy cane colony. If anyone has any ideas please let me know, Thanks!

 

[yuzu]

Perhaps you could cover just the aiptasia with a drop of superglue.

 

[R.Weller]

I have used Aiptasia-X to destroy those awful creatures inside Zoa colonies without harm. I would definitely try on candy cane as well.

 

[Cole.mormon]

Try lemon juice

 

[Cole.mormon]

Or reef safe superglue

 

[Larry101]

Try lemon juice

Do you think lemon juice would be ok near the coral?

 

[Larry101]

Perhaps you could cover just the aiptasia with a drop of superglue.

I think that’s what I might end up doing

 

[Cole.mormon]

Plus one on superglue

 

[ThRoewer]

If it's just one in a hole or crevice and you can easily remove the colony from the tank, take it out, inject it with some H2O2 and wait a minute or two. Then flush it with some more peroxide and seal all access openings to that hole/crevice with superglue.
If you just seal the opening you see it in it may have a backdoor you can't see. And if it can escape you may end up with a much bigger problem.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

Peppermint shrimp will eat them pretty well and don’t mess with coral.

 

[sunken3]

i would likely use aiptasia -x for just one or two.. if you have a bigger problem, berghia will target only the pest.

 

[King Turkey]

Aphasia x

 

[vetteguy53081]

Best approach is with a syringe allowing you to target them.
Mix kalkwasser powder into a thin paste and inject via syringe into center core of each aptasia and they will safely melt away

 

[salt2salt]

Matted filefish. Destroyed my aiptasia. When I got him he was the size of my fingernail, I ordered a small. He went in the sump. I feed him till he was tripled in size(about 2 months) Then started to feed him sparingly and after the next couple weeks my aiptasia was gone in sump. Took him out of sump at nite when he was sleeping. Just used my hand as he sleeps at the top corner of the tank. I fed the tank as usual for a few weeks then reduced feedings. A few weeks later and not one aiptasia in the DT. He is a model citizen, eats from my hand, and is the favorite fish in the tank. Just a very mellow trigger.

if he ever starts to eat any corals, back in the sump he’ll go , so easy to catch. Highly recommended as I have tried everything over the years.

 

[EvanDeVita]

If possible, remove the coral from your system into a bowl of clean water. Then treat with aptasia-x and let sit for awhile. Then return coral to main system. If aptasia is a problem in the rest of your tank, I would recommend a predator like:
Filefish, peppermint shrimp, bergia nudibranch. If you want the nudibranch I can recommend a seller.

 

[Cole.mormon]

Try a combination of peppermints and file fish
My best bet with algae was a multi pronged approach

 

[mahig]

Best approach is with a syringe allowing you to target them.
Mix kalkwasser powder into a thin paste and inject via syringe into center core of each aptasia and they will safely melt away

I noticed one on the base of a hammer frag. Would you remove it first if possible then inject with lemon juice, or inject in the tank? Didn’t know if removing the coral would stress the Aiptasia making it worse. Thank you

 

[vetteguy53081]

I noticed one on the base of a hammer frag. Would you remove it first if possible then inject with lemon juice, or inject in the tank? Didn’t know if removing the coral would stress the Aiptasia making it worse. Thank you

You can inject with lemon on preferably paste within tank
Won’t alter your chemistry or scrape off outside the tank

 

[Sleeping Giant]

if you're able to remove from the tank, that would be best. then add superglue the the area with care to not hit the coral. they spread like fire when they get irritated in a tank.