Hot water method for killing aptasia

Fishward · #1 01-07-2010, 11:53 PM

Hey, im giving this a go on one little guy and im wondering how much to give him? is one or two squirts from the turkey baster enough? he's limp but still has some color... should i keep going till he's white? anyone have experience/success with this?

Binare · #2 01-08-2010, 01:07 AM

Before you get any closer to that tank I'd like to seriously consider using a syringe with needle over a turkey baister. Syringe=precise delivery, a couple cc of hot water will do the trick. A baister will blast a pretty good area... Not a good idea. I've had great success with syringes.

burgerchow · #3 01-08-2010, 01:13 AM

better than hot water? Heat up a little white vinegar to a boil and then inject the sucker. Dies right away. Try to suck up the remains with the syringe and you'll never have a problem again.

burblecut · #4 01-08-2010, 01:13 AM

I did this last week with my aptasia and it worked great. All I used was one of those small water basters from my test kit and a cup filled with hot water. I used about 4 squirts and it worked good.
Cheers,

prodogg02 · #5 01-08-2010, 05:29 PM

if its a smaller rock i pull it out and run the hot water tap over the aptasia and scrape it off works good

#6 01-08-2010, 06:35 PM

I use a syringe no needle needed just spray the aptasia till white then you know it is dead and any spores are also dead do this out of the tank. Make sure that you angle the rock so the water run off is the most direct so you don't kill off to much life. I have done this in a spot close to where I know that there was a mini bristle starfish and the starfish was fine. so if you are carfull you will be fine once the aptasia id dead you should give the area a rinse with salt water from the tank this cools it of hold the roch in the same manner so the cool water follows the same path as the hot water did. This limits the die off, also remove the dead aptasia. I have moved on to the use of peppermint shrimp they work better, I don't have to hunt for the little buggers any longer. Not that it was that much of a hassel but when I work out of town my wife does not go around looking for aptasia and killing it for me, now I have more free time to do what I want.

Bill

Fishward · #7 01-08-2010, 07:18 PM

All great advice, thanks guys... only issue is that its growing on my wall.. not really possible to take it out of the tank without destroying the entire aquascape. is it terrible to squirt with the hot water while in the tank? Also, apparently shoppers drug mart will give away syringes for free! (no needle tho) will try that next..