Dosing to kill aiptasia?

[labrown]

I've got a hand me down 8 gal cube with nothing in it but rock and sand. The rock has approx 12-15 heads of aiptasia on it, from small to shockingly large. I have read many archived threads about home remedies or store bought chemicals that are applied via syringe. I was wondering if anyone knew of a dosing method that would save me from having to attack them one at a time. I kind of like the torching method some have suggested, but think I'd just end up burning the whole rock in a bonfire to kill them all.

Needless to say, shrimp/butterflies and the like are out because I am not ready to start stocking my tank.



general ps- hello to all my old maast buds I have made in the past! I have returned; don't we all??

[Regric25]

Okay so you are a lucky one since you dont have ANY livestock. but its hard to dose anything too harch because the rock its self might absorb whatever you add to the tank. I was gonna suggest raising the salinity to something obcene then dropping it drastically in a matter of a week. Maybe drastically raising the PH then dropping it. Raising the temp really high. Basically I was gonna suggest you do everything we always say not to do to a tank. lol It would be interesting to see what these aiptasia can survive through!

[stoneroller]

I'd start with new rock. With 8 gallons of water, it can't be that much rock. you'll happier in the long run.

[labrown]

I'd start with new rock. With 8 gallons of water, it can't be that much rock. you'll happier in the long run.

Yes, I was considering this. I'd hate to buy new rock only to discover that it is infested as well. It's hard to find a piece that is completely aiptasia-free.

[tebstan]

Okay so you are a lucky one since you dont have ANY livestock. but its hard to dose anything too harch because the rock its self might absorb whatever you add to the tank. I was gonna suggest raising the salinity to something obcene then dropping it drastically in a matter of a week. Maybe drastically raising the PH then dropping it. Raising the temp really high. Basically I was gonna suggest you do everything we always say not to do to a tank. lol It would be interesting to see what these aiptasia can survive through!

This situation does provide you with a situation easy to experiment with. Small tank, no livestock. Could be fun. If you like methodically killin stuff.

[robalv]

cook it

[Reefer4ever]

I like when you said torching it in a huge bonfire!

[CoryDude]

Pull the rocks and let them dry in the sun for a few days. Then put them in the freezer for around 48 hours. Thn scrub and wash them and return them to the tank. Should take aprox 5 days in all and will ensure you start with a pest free tank.

[labrown]

Pull the rocks and let them dry in the sun for a few days. Then put them in the freezer for around 48 hours. Thn scrub and wash them and return them to the tank. Should take aprox 5 days in all and will ensure you start with a pest free tank.

Am I risking killing the liverock by doing this? Or would it just most likely have to cycle again?

[CoryDude]

Yeah, you'll be starting off with dry rock again and looking at another cycle. The bacteria and micro fauna will be killed off, but you can reseed them again. After a month or so back in the tank, you won't be able to tell the difference, except for the lack of aptasia.

I did this to my liverock because of aefw and a lot of bryopsis. I thought about cooking the rock, like someone else said, but that process takes 1-2 months. I couldn't keep my livestock in holding tanks for that long, so I opted for the freezing process.

Either way, I think you'll be happier in the long run if you bite the bullet and nuke the rock instead of fighting those little boogers for months and months.