excitedforfish

So, I was checking my tank out and saw this little feather duster thing and got really excited because I thought it was a cool coral. Turns out after a little bit of research its aiptasia! I am so worried!! I only see one, and my hermit was near it and it retracted so quickly! So that made me 100% sure it was aiptasia. It is in such a hidden location thar I dont even know how I can get to it!!

I think the aiptasia was a hitchiker from the live rock that I purchased from someone's tank. He had a really bad problem of aiptasia in his tank and was treating it with some foam/caulk stuff. Most of the aiptasia was in his filter. Well....my problem is now that I'm scared my new tank might be infested!!

What should I do? Do you think it can die on its own?

Ahh, please help!!! I dont have any livestock in it now but the hermit. Can I drop some chemical in the tank to fix it?

aquarist48

Good morning,

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Thanks!
Ken

Naeusu

There are several kinds of chemicals you could use but it might be harmful to the tank. I don't have alot of experience with aptaisa but i would think the easiest thing to do is to remove the rock and scrape the little bugger off.

ATP

joes juice, lemon juice, boiling water, and electricity.....yes electricity just google DIY aiptasia burner and you'll see what I mean

kloseo

lemon juice, get a turkey baster, fill it with lemon juice, look at where your aptasia is on your live rock as it will retract when moved from water, remove it from the tank add the lemon juice to the afflicted area then rinse with some tank water and replace rock usually only takes one maybe two treatments to remove or you could get a pepperment shrimp (Lysmata wurdemanni) as they are known for eating aiptasia best of luck

lanlesnee

I wouldn't go into panic mode just yet. One isn't a big deal. Just take out the rock and run that spot under hot water from your sink.
I have a couple in mine. I had more, but they are dying out. I think due to me not overfeeding and my peppermint shrimp.

rileyrk190

I just injected mine with lemon juice a couple days ago and haven't seen it since! If you go to a drugstore you can get a syringe for pennies, although you may have to answer a few questions before they sell it to you...I had to. Fill it up with some lemon juice and get close to the aiptasia without touching it. You have to have a steady hand because if you touch it, it will retract. Aim and jab it in the base without going through it completely and inject a very tiny amount. It's kind of hard to tell if you jabbed it because it retracts and/or flails while you are doing it, but i guess i got mine **fingers crossed**

edit: I should mention, I couldn't do the other methods because it was right next to a coral, so i was able to do this without removing the rock from the tank.

Railed2180

i had the exact same thing happen to me. i just got 100 lbs of live rock from a guy on CL.. Same story , get it home, clean it up , put it in and BAM Aiptasia Like crazy... got Joes Juice from my LFS and went on a killing spree.. Stay persistant on trying to get them as soon as you see them.. good luck !!

zeeter

Peppermint Shrimp took care of mine in about a week or so. If your tank was older I'd suggest a copperband butterfly, but they're so delicate that I wouldn't give them a week in a new tank before they were dead on the bottom.