Another Aiptasia??

[MikeDeL]

Is this another Aiptasia? I found it today. It wasnt there 3 hours ago before I went to the store.
http://www.aquaticphotos.com/data/media/16/Mvc-020f.jpg
http://www.aquaticphotos.com/data/media/16/Mvc-021f.jpg
I super glued the last one but now it looks like one is coming out of that same spot. The more I look the more I start to find.


Thanks,
Mike

[Tim Marvin]

That is one, but they don't grow over night. Do you want me to get you a tiny CopperBanded butterfly?

[JesterGrin_1]

Yep you have those Salt water Roaches.

[Tim Marvin]

Jester, has the copperband done it's job for you?

[MikeDeL]

I dont know anything about CopperBanded butterflys. Could it have been hiding or something, cuase I know that thing wasnt there this afternoon when I put the snails in. It is right next to where I put one of the snails and I know I would have seen that thing.


Thanks,
Mike

[Tim Marvin]

It could have been closed. If you only have a couple just kill it with kalk or glue. Otherwise if you have a bunch I'll buy you a Copperbanded butterfly fish and it will eat them all up in a short time.

[JesterGrin_1]

Tim neither one of them lived for a full week. And I have no darn idea why. Just call me lucky lol.

[Tim Marvin]

Copperbands eat small anemones, such as the aptasia.

[JesterGrin_1]

Well I had hundreds of them lol. so next lol

[JesterGrin_1]

But the one's I have look nothing like in his pic. I guess I will go get one of those large pots and start boiling some water. ;)

[Tim Marvin]

You had hundreds? What happened to them? Instar bought 6 CBs off me from that same batch and 5 lived. I have one from that batch that lived also? How are you tank parameters? I'm not saying something is wrong with the tank, it just seems weird to me that both would die. I had them for a week, or was it two?

[Tim Marvin]

Mike, you're killing me........What can I do for you? Do you want to trade the rock for some other pieces? At least let me buy you something to eat those...... I'm hoping you just have a couple... At any rate, they are not all that hard to get rid of with a CB butterfly. B. nudibranchs will eat them also.

[JesterGrin_1]

a week. the yellow lived and is now in my main tank. I think it was stress mainly. I put the two copperbands and the yellow in the empty tank and they all did fine till the next day then the tank belonged to the yellow and was running the poor copperbands all over the tank. So one I lost that day sometime as I had to go to work and do not get home till 1:30 am and that is when I took the yellow out. And the one left was going slow and not breathing hard or anything but staying about mid tank. I did try some fine diced clam but he did not go for it. I then helped Argggggggggggg lol Josh to move that little tiny tank and did not get home till late and was going to try some blood worms but by then he was gone. I do not blame you at all Tim really. So no worries there. :)

[MikeDeL]

I counted atleast 8. The big one and 7 smaller ones. There is probably a chance there are more since I missed the big one I just found.


Thanks,
Mike

[MikeDeL]

I would be more then greatful for what ever help you are willing to give Tim.


Thanks,
Mike

[Tim Marvin]

I'll take care of them Mike.

[MikeDeL]

Alright Thanks, what do we need to do?


Thanks,
Mike

[Instar]

I still have 4 of the butterflies. The first of the 6 had no tail from the supplier that I could see. The larger was such a bully he had to go into another tank with bullies. That was not a great place for him. Competetion for food and he would only eat live mussels. The other 4 are not ready to go to anyones tanks yet as even though they are eating all frozen mysis, krill, brine, shredded mussels and clams with a vengence, their weight is not up full yet. They have been cleaned by the cleaner shrimp too. So far as I am concerned, these guys are still in QT and will be for another month. I use all natural methods for them in QT, no meds (so far at least). Since 2 of the four are getting along without fighting, I don't want to bust them up. So long as they can be kept together, I am keeping them. They are all in with aiptasias but at least 2 don't eat them as these butterflies are too small for eating aiptasia. yet. Maybe they will eat some small ones eventually, but, so far at least 2 are not doing that. The larger ones eat aiptasia with a vengence. I just have to put a rock in the tank. He sometimes cleans them of the aiptasia while I hold the rock for him. But this is one that has been here for a while and is larger, about 3.5 inches. These butterflies Tim got were really good. They ate almost immediately, but, you may have to use live mussels and frozen white mosquito larva to get them started. Thats all they would eat at first, but, at least they would eat. Some will take live brine and they like live mosquito larva, but, I couldn't come up with any of the live stuff except the mussels. Thats what you deal with right after they come from the supplier, so long as they have not been seriously mishandled. I would not hestitate to get another bunch of them from this supplier if I had the tanks for them. They were not loaded with parasites like others I've gotten from other sources. Good fish Tim, thanks.

[MarkS]

I'm looking for Aiptasia. I'll gladly buy the rock their on. If interested, see this thread: http://www.maast.org/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=4496

[StephenA]

Have you tried Joe's Juice. It took care of my large ones. I've tested it in my son's Nano and it doesn't seem to change the water parameters.

[MikeDeL]

So how do these **** thing multiply anyway? Like a worm? So do these things come in just as hitchhikers, or are they like algae, if the conditions are right they just show up? You havent noticed any in your tank have you Tim? I hope not.


Thanks,
Mike

[matt]

Mike;

You have a nano, correct? If so, I would just remove the rocks that have the aiptasias on them. Or, carefully pick up a rock with some, examine it under a magnifying glass, and shoot each one with kalk paste. You should really coat the whole immediate area of the anemone with the paste, and leave each rock out for a while. (This is assuming there are not other animals on your rock that you need to save.) Then, carefully brush and scrape EVERY trace of the anemone off the rock. If you do this, and take time using the magnifying glass to get all of them, you should eradicate the pests.

I'd do this now before you get a real outbreak, and while your tank is still new and relatively uninhabited. You can use "Joe's Juice" instead of kalk paste; it's a little easier to apply, but basically the same results. If you blast several of these in a tiny tank, you'll get a big ph spike, so maybe it's best to take the rocks.

[Tim Marvin]

I haven't noticed any, but I have CB butterflys in these tanks every couple months and they may be keeping them down. If you want you can bring the rock back and I'll trade you for a different rock. There are also people looking for aptasia so you could sell it and I'll get you another rock. It is on just one rock right?

[MikeDeL]

So how long is "a while"? How much of the good stuff am I going to lose in the prosess? Do I just mix up the Kalk as per the directions and spear it on there?
Tim I have found atleast 2 on everyone of the rock except for one of the small pieces. I have found atleast 10 total. Youu think if I go get a peppermint shrimp It will be able to get rid of them?


Thanks,
Mike

[Tim Marvin]

Peppermint will work occassionally, but I haven't found them to be very effective.

[MikeDeL]

So what do you think my best bet will be Tim? Use the kalk? Should I use the Kalk and add a peppermint shrimp? What do you think the easiest solution will be? Anyone in town need Aiptasia?


Thanks,
Mike

[Tim Marvin]

Kalk if there is only 10. Then maybe a couple peppermints to keep them from re-appearing.

[MikeDeL]

Well I super glued everyone one I could find, and super glued things That looked like an aiptasia. Let the rock sit out for half an hour or so and scraped everything off. Anyone know who might have peppermint shrimp in stock around town. I dont remember seeing any at AquaTek this weekend or at Austin Aquariums. Are a pair of these shrimp going to be cool in there long term, or while I have to find a new home for them once they have served their purpose?


Thanks,
Mike

[matt]

What you do with the kalk is make a paste, with a teaspoon of powder and a couple mls of water. Then you use a syringe to inject the paste into the mouth of the anemones. This paste has a ph of 12, immediately killing any animal that injests it.

There are not directions on the KW mix for this, as it is not what KW mix is really for. By "a while" I meant enough time to ensure that the anemone is dead, and you can easily remove ALL TRACES of it from the rock. These things reproduce by pedal laceration, which basically means part of them breaks off and forms another anemone, just like in that movie "the thing."

If you went to reefcentral and did a search for "aiptasia control" or something like that, you'd get enough reading to keep you busy for a week or so. These things are a big problem. Also, because you have a nano, i don't think a copperband, especially one big enough to eat them, is an appropriate fish for your tank. Besides, it's a new tank, you don't have much in there; you can get rid of them now. good luck!

[MikeDeL]

Also do yall think I will see another ammonia spike now that I have had the rock for an hour, and been scraping and rubbing on it?


Thanks,
Mike

[matt]

Naw, you're probably okay with the rock. I'd wait on the peppermints; they are definitely hit or miss on aiptasia control, but for sure they'll decimate any micro-fauna you have in such a small tank. They typically will eat aiptasia only once they've eliminated other food sources.

[MikeDeL]

Well I found and handfull more small aiptasia last night, so I pulled the rock out of the tank and chipped off the rock from around them. I also found a small one living on a small chunk of gravel on the sand bed, so I pulled that out. I guess I will just check my live rock every night and remove anymore I find until I dont see anymore. Hopefully I have just about got them all. I found an article in a magazine ( forget the name ) saying that live live down inside the rock and slowly migrate out to the surface. I wonder if there are still any hiding.


Mike

[brewercm]

Interesting tread. I've often thought about starting up a small tank (around 45) and stocking with nothing but Live Rock for about a year or so and see just what ends up in the tank.

[Tim Marvin]

Mike, give me a call when you get a chance. 656-2928