Aptaisia Still driving me Batty!

robbyville · #1 10-24-2003, 07:46 PM

I have still not been able to get my aptaisia under control. I am awaiting to see if I can find a few adult Peppermint shrimp who might be able to fend for themselves xonsidering I have a Flame Hawk (Who I will not remove), and a Bi-Color Blennie (Who I'm happy to remove).

The Aptaisia are now popping up on discs that contain frags, my thermometer, and even the shell just below the mantle of my Derasa! I have been told that a fresh water dip might help but have never done this before and of course am worried about my clam and corals if I were to dip them. I would also like to do this to my rock if possible. I just figure that if it kills the aptaisia then it would probably kill the corals as well!

Any advice?

Thanks,

Rob

Aquattro · #2 10-24-2003, 08:06 PM

Rob, can you put the hawk in the sump for a few weeks? Peppermints would do the job for you. Even adults though would get eaten by the hawk.

sumpfinfishe · #3 10-25-2003, 08:44 AM

Try using a syringe with boiling hot RODI treated water, if you can penetrate the stem before it closes you will succeed

robbyville · #4 10-25-2003, 07:51 PM

Hmm, well I can't put "Eyeball" in the sump since it is built into the back of the tank and is only about 4 inches wide. But I can set up the QT tank and put he and the Blennie in there! Originally I was thinking of doing this, putting the shrimp in the QT and rotating the rock, etc. but that would hurt the feather dusters and not help the frags!

I've done the boiling hot RODI with some success but I'm really beyond that now, these suckers are everywhere. The funny/stupid thing is that for months I was so proud that I was not having any aptaisia problems and that every time one popped up I would take care of it. I think in retrospect that I was probably just helping them propogate. I also think that many may have been somewhat dormant and once I upgraded my lighting that that may have helped them to grow!

If I do put the fish in the QT, how long do you think it would take a team of shrimp to take care of this? Also what to do with the shrimp after? I could put them in the QT but I have very minimal lighting on it, do shrimp need lots of light?

Thanks for the ideas!

Rob

robbyville · #5 10-25-2003, 07:52 PM

On the same thought, has anyone ever heard of a way to get Berghia Nudibranches in Canada? Apparently they do an amazing job with Aptaisia but are very hard to find.

Rob

golden69_ca · #6 10-26-2003, 01:59 AM

go with the insuline suringe and ph up i compleetly got ride of all mine like i said before feed them then hit them with the ph up so when you stickthem they cant retract as much will take some time to get at all but it works the best nothing has come back in a month for me .

robbyville · #7 10-26-2003, 01:14 AM

What is PH Up and can it have any ill affect on my reef? I'm going to pick up a new hyperdermic needle and give it a shot! So to speak!

sumpfinfishe · #8 10-26-2003, 02:21 AM

Rob,

Ph up= Ph buffer, you can pick it up at a LFS mix 1 teaspoon to a half cup of boiling hot RODI and dispence by lethal injection "go to town"

cheers, Rich

golden69_ca · #9 10-26-2003, 02:59 AM

you can find ph up in any hydroponic store or revy homedepo it does nothing at all to your tank and got to any pharmacy and ask for insiline neddles becouse they are a very fine tip . inject until the phup starts to come out of the mouth you wil probably see little white bubles floating around untill the ph up is aborbed into the water dont worry did not harm any thing in my tank. then sitt back and watch them DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
they will start to turn a fuzzy fommmy white color and then disinagrate to nothing .

golden69_ca · #10 10-26-2003, 03:01 AM

i used the ph up pure no mixing with any thing else so you dont afect the strength of the ph up.