aptasia treatment question

leahski

leahski

Member
i just got several new litte zoa frags and they all look healthy and great, except for one of the rocks has three aptasia anems on it. is there a way to treat just this rock? can i like soak it in something? i'd rather not kill the zoas on the rock, just the nems.

also, how do they spread? it's not like an airborne virus right? the rock has been in my tank for two days now, they haven't propagated themselves by now have they?
 
in_a_days

in_a_days

Member
leahski said:
i just got several new litte zoa frags and they all look healthy and great, except for one of the rocks has three aptasia anems on it. is there a way to treat just this rock? can i like soak it in something? i'd rather not kill the zoas on the rock, just the nems.

also, how do they spread? it's not like an airborne virus right? the rock has been in my tank for two days now, they haven't propagated themselves by now have they?
Click to expand...

I believe most the posters here will recommend a product called Joe's Juice. Just inject the 'nem with a little and it's toast. I've also read that you can use lemon juice.
 
lcstorc

lcstorc

Well-Known Member
The best way to get rid of them is to target the individual animals and not the entire rock. I have the best luck with Joe's Juice. A small amount is put in the center of the anemone with a syringe. This rapidly kills each anemone. As long as you are careful to not get it on the zoas they should be just fine. The quicker you remove the ones that are there the less likely they are to spread. Just treat the ones you see and keep a sharp eye out for any new ones.
 
leahski

leahski

Member
yeah, i've heard alot of people talk about joe's juice, but they are REALLY small. the largest is MAYBE a quarter of an inch tall.
would the syringe still work?

does lemon juice work on the outside of an aptasia or only injected? and does it hurt the polyps too?
 
mps9506

mps9506

Well-Known Member
I would recomend Joe's Juice. Before Joe's Juice came on the market I used thick kalkwasser paste, but you have to be careful using that as it can burn nearby corals. Vinegar works well also. The reason I recomend Joe's Juice is it doesn't seem to negatively affect nearby corals. They might close up for a bit, but it won't harm them.
Even the little guys you have can be killed with Joe's Juice. Just try to get really close to the aiptsia mouth and squirt down into them. Might take two or three tries but they will go down.
 
leahski

leahski

Member
should i try to contain the rock in a separate container while i do it or does it really not matter if some of the juice gets in the aquarium. i remember hearing something about having to remove the dead animals so that the pH isn't affected...is that only for using kalwasser? or do i have to worry about that with joes?
 
mps9506

mps9506

Well-Known Member
No, it should be fine if you leave it in the aquarium. That's more a concern with Kalkwasser or vinegar than with Joe's Juice. When you remove the rock those aiptsia's will be close up and hide in the rock anyhow.
If you are worried about the pH just aim at one aiptsia a day so you aren't squirting to much JJ into the tank.
 
lcstorc

lcstorc

Well-Known Member
It is easy to get the small ones with Joe's. The syringe tip is quite small and you just squirt a small amount directly into the mouth. If you remove the rock you won't be able to get to the mouth. A bit of extra Joe's is not going to hurt anything I have seen. A very large amount can cause a PH spike but not the amount you are going to use for a few even if you use a lot more than needed.
 
Nxpmike

Nxpmike

New Member
leahski said:
should i try to contain the rock in a separate container while i do it or does it really not matter if some of the juice gets in the aquarium. i remember hearing something about having to remove the dead animals so that the pH isn't affected...is that only for using kalwasser? or do i have to worry about that with joes?
Click to expand...

leahski....

When i started with my 1st tank 4 years ago the rock i bought was littered with them, From tiny to rather big. Joes juice is the way to go - killed them all and havent had any since. Left the rock in place and all the coral oround wasnt harmed....good luck!:guns: :guns:
 
nikkipigtails

nikkipigtails

Well-Known Member
We've had a problem with aptasias in the past. The easiest thing to do is to get a syringe and the hottest water you can. Fill up the syringe with the hot water...nearly boiling...insert the tip into the aptasia as close to the base as possible and inject the water. It may take a couple of injections, but the aptasia will instantly discentigrate and pieces of it's flesh will fall off the rock. It's the easiest way to treat just the aptasia without adding chemicals to the water.
 
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