Well like many i have an aiptasia problem, i have had the problem for a little over 1 year and a half now....I am looking for aiptasia sobriety, especially as i start a new life i mean tank. (couldnt resist)
So i have more of an infestation than a problem, anywhere that doesn have encrusted sps has aiptasia, even zoanthid colonies have aiptasia latching on to the sides of polyps.
I had been using kalk with limited success, but there are so many it just bacame too much.
I then tried the zapper, didnt work, and with how many it would probably take 1 year even if they didnt reproduce.
I then moved on to nudibranchs, Still have a colony going, my problems was i liked breeding them so i would pluck aiptasia from the main tank and feed them in their breeding tank. somehow it made sense to not put any in my tank and risk getting rid of the food source.:tongue:...Also the fear of a fish eating them or them finding a pump etc is what i tell myself. to this day i dont question this logic cause i really do enjoy breeding them and alot of the locals are benefiting from this.
Time has come for an upgrade (thread of the new 120 soon to come), i really like a few of the rocks i have in my tank and would love to use them again but they are covered in aiptasia.
The other day i was dipping a smaller zoa colony in some H202 to get rid of some algea from the colony falling behind a rock and having no flow and my 1 yr old daughter came in and decided it was time to play with dad..... needless to say about 2-3 hours later i went back in to feed the fish and went AHH $$$$$$!!!...there was my colony still sitting in the dip (50-60% h202 rest just tank water)
I plucked out the colony with a pair of tweezers and put it back in the frag tank (actually looks like it will pull thru though i havent seen a polyp open up yet.
But i noticed that all of the aiptasia that was on the colony (except 2) had let go and were floating in the dip water. when i went to remove the other two they came off very easily. got me thinking, depending on how long and strengths needed of h202, this could be a very good way to get these suckers off a rock you want to keep without having it sit outside for a few weeks.
this is probably best for rocks but if my zoa's make it i may try it on a few others and see how long it takes for the aiptasia to let go.
Obviously the other way is to put the frags/colonies in with the nudi's which is something i do as well.
Anyone else had experience with this or tried it (by mistake or not)?
So i have more of an infestation than a problem, anywhere that doesn have encrusted sps has aiptasia, even zoanthid colonies have aiptasia latching on to the sides of polyps.
I had been using kalk with limited success, but there are so many it just bacame too much.
I then tried the zapper, didnt work, and with how many it would probably take 1 year even if they didnt reproduce.
I then moved on to nudibranchs, Still have a colony going, my problems was i liked breeding them so i would pluck aiptasia from the main tank and feed them in their breeding tank. somehow it made sense to not put any in my tank and risk getting rid of the food source.:tongue:...Also the fear of a fish eating them or them finding a pump etc is what i tell myself. to this day i dont question this logic cause i really do enjoy breeding them and alot of the locals are benefiting from this.
Time has come for an upgrade (thread of the new 120 soon to come), i really like a few of the rocks i have in my tank and would love to use them again but they are covered in aiptasia.
The other day i was dipping a smaller zoa colony in some H202 to get rid of some algea from the colony falling behind a rock and having no flow and my 1 yr old daughter came in and decided it was time to play with dad..... needless to say about 2-3 hours later i went back in to feed the fish and went AHH $$$$$$!!!...there was my colony still sitting in the dip (50-60% h202 rest just tank water)
I plucked out the colony with a pair of tweezers and put it back in the frag tank (actually looks like it will pull thru though i havent seen a polyp open up yet.
But i noticed that all of the aiptasia that was on the colony (except 2) had let go and were floating in the dip water. when i went to remove the other two they came off very easily. got me thinking, depending on how long and strengths needed of h202, this could be a very good way to get these suckers off a rock you want to keep without having it sit outside for a few weeks.
this is probably best for rocks but if my zoa's make it i may try it on a few others and see how long it takes for the aiptasia to let go.
Obviously the other way is to put the frags/colonies in with the nudi's which is something i do as well.
Anyone else had experience with this or tried it (by mistake or not)?
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