Hypo/Hyper Salinity VS Aiptasia?

[metalhead]

Is it possible to treat for Aiptasia successfuly via hyposalinty or hypersalinity? I will be storing some infested LR (free of any corals) in a frag tank for a while and was wondering if anyone's tried either approach for Aiptasia eradication and what the results were.

[charlie]

Kalkwasser paste or boiling water. Joe's juice is a joke!!!!

[Steve McKay]

Kalkwasser paste or boiling water. Joe's juice is a joke!!!!

I heard both of that works,I used Peppermint shrimp to get rid of mine.And I had one huge one too.

[metalhead]

I heard both of that works,I used Peppermint shrimp to get rid of mine.And I had one huge one too.

Beleive me guys, I have tried every known method short of salinity and temperature variation to no avail... the numbers will subside for a few days after kalk treatment but within a week they have multiplied again. Just tired of fighting with them, looking to end the problem once and for all before adding aforementioned rock to the new tank when the time comes.

[Steve McKay]

I can say for sure true Peppermint shrimp will work,a little expensive but it will work it did for me and I have none.

[metalhead]

I can say for sure true Peppermint shrimp will work,a little expensive but it will work it did for me and I have none.

There's about 20 peps in there now and as far as I can tell they have never eaten the first aiptasia.

[Steve McKay]

Well shoot me dead.

[Ninong]

Is it possible to treat for Aiptasia successfuly via hyposalinty or hypersalinity? I will be storing some infested LR (free of any corals) in a frag tank for a while and was wondering if anyone's tried either approach for Aiptasia eradication and what the results were.

Yes, you can kill virtually any anemone if you manipulate the salinity enough. However, you will turn the live rock into 'nearly dead rock' in the process. There's a lot of life on and in the live rock even if you can't see it with the naked eye. Some of that life may die off before the Aiptasia.

You would never even think about doing something like that in your reef aquarium but if you're thinking of simply storing this Aiptasia-infested rock in a bare tank in order to eliminate the Aiptasia once and for all, then that will certainly do the trick.

Obviously you can't do that if your frag tank contains a sand bed because you may kill off some of the life in the sand bed. Don't forget, your live rock will then contain a lot of dead organic matter and it will need to be cycled again before being returned to an established aquarium.

If you do decide to try this, let us know how it works out. In particular, let us know exactly how high or how low you had to go to kill off all of the Aiptasia. Natural salinity in the northern Red Sea can reach 42-43 ppt. You may have to get up around 45 ppt before your anemones would die from hypersalinity. If you're going to try hyposalinity, then you might have to go lower than 20 ppt.

A sudden change in the salinity would be much more effective and you may not have to go as high or low as you would if you changed it gradually.

[metalhead]

Yes, you can kill virtually any anemone if you manipulate the salinity enough. However, you will turn the live rock into 'nearly dead rock' in the process. There's a lot of life on and in the live rock even if you can't see it with the naked eye. Some of that life may die off before the Aiptasia.

You would never even think about doing something like that in your reef aquarium but if you're thinking of simply storing this Aiptasia-infested rock in a bare tank in order to eliminate the Aiptasia once and for all, then that will certainly do the trick.

Obviously you can't do that if your frag tank contains a sand bed because you may kill off some of the life in the sand bed. Don't forget, your live rock will then contain a lot of dead organic matter and it will need to be cycled again before being returned to an established aquarium.

If you do decide to try this, let us know how it works out. In particular, let us know exactly how high or how low you had to go to kill off all of the Aiptasia. Natural salinity in the northern Red Sea can reach 42-43 ppt. You may have to get up around 45 ppt before your anemones would die from hypersalinity. If you're going to try hyposalinity, then you might have to go lower than 20 ppt.

A sudden change in the salinity would be much more effective and you may not have to go as high or low as you would if you changed it gradually.

Thanks Ninong, that's kind of what I figured on the residual die-off but did not consider the rapid vs gradual change factor. Since I'm not in any hurry and will have plenty of time to let the rock cycle in the frag tank if necessary... I think I'll give it a shot. I'll update this thread as I go along as well.

[metalhead]

Yes, you can kill virtually any anemone if you manipulate the salinity enough. However, you will turn the live rock into 'nearly dead rock' in the process. There's a lot of life on and in the live rock even if you can't see it with the naked eye. Some of that life may die off before the Aiptasia.

You would never even think about doing something like that in your reef aquarium but if you're thinking of simply storing this Aiptasia-infested rock in a bare tank in order to eliminate the Aiptasia once and for all, then that will certainly do the trick.

Obviously you can't do that if your frag tank contains a sand bed because you may kill off some of the life in the sand bed. Don't forget, your live rock will then contain a lot of dead organic matter and it will need to be cycled again before being returned to an established aquarium.

If you do decide to try this, let us know how it works out. In particular, let us know exactly how high or how low you had to go to kill off all of the Aiptasia. Natural salinity in the northern Red Sea can reach 42-43 ppt. You may have to get up around 45 ppt before your anemones would die from hypersalinity. If you're going to try hyposalinity, then you might have to go lower than 20 ppt.

A sudden change in the salinity would be much more effective and you may not have to go as high or low as you would if you changed it gradually.

Forgot to ask Ninong... Which would you recomend - hypo or hyper?

[charlie]

If one works, you won't have to try the other!!!! Your choice!!!

[metalhead]

If one works, you won't have to try the other!!!! Your choice!!!

Thanks Mr. O, I never made the connection...

Reminds me of the time my Ford Escort broke down and I called the escort service to come fix it!

Seriously though, it would definitely be easier to go hyper since my make-up water's already mixed so I guess that's my plan.

[charlie]

If it starts to fry right away, please take pics.

[metalhead]

If it starts to fry right away, please take pics.

Will do!

[Ninong]

Forgot to ask Ninong... Which would you recomend - hypo or hyper?

I would recommend hyposalinity. Assuming your frag tank's salinity is already the same as your main tank, then just do a 60% water change on the frag tank using freshwater, then remove the Aiptasia rocks from the main tank and place them in the frag tank.

If your salinity is 35 ppt and you do a 60% water change with freshwater, the new water will be 14 ppt. That should definitely do it in no time at all.



P.S. -- If you go with hypersalinity, you won't be able to achieve the same dramatic difference in salinity with just a single water change. How large a water change can you do, percentage-wise, with the amount of make-up water you have now? I'm trying to figure out how much your salinity will rise in the frag tank assuming you double the salt mix in the make-up water. That's assuming you remember how much salt mix it took to make up the water you have now.

[metalhead]

I would recommend hyposalinity. Assuming your frag tank's salinity is already the same as your main tank, then just do a 60% water change on the frag tank using freshwater, then remove the Aiptasia rocks from the main tank and place them in the frag tank.

If your salinity is 35 ppt and you do a 60% water change with freshwater, the new water will be 14 ppt. That should definitely do it in no time at all.



P.S. -- If you go with hypersalinity, you won't be able to achieve the same dramatic difference in salinity with just a single water change. How large a water change can you do, percentage-wise, with the amount of make-up water you have now? I'm trying to figure out how much your salinity will rise in the frag tank assuming you double the salt mix in the make-up water. That's assuming you remember how much salt mix it took to make up the water you have now.

Thanks Ninong - Consider it done... Pics coming this weekend (hopefully).

[Ninong]

Why don't you simply not use the make-up water you have now. Just save that for your main tank's next water change.

Just remove 50-60% of the water from your frag tank and then refill it with tapwater using the garden hose.

P.S. -- Don't forget to take pics!

[Ninong]

You will have to leave the rocks in the low salinity long enough to make sure that no pieces of tissue remain viable. Remember, Aiptasia anemones can regenerate from even a tiny piece of tissue.

[Ninong]

The most interesting method that I remember reading about several years ago was posted by somebody whose regular job was working in a restaurant. He borrowed one of those little blow torches that chefs use to caramelize the tops of creme caramel. He removed each piece of live rock just long enough to blast each of the little beasties with the blow torch.

[charlie]

The most interesting method that I remember reading about several years ago was posted by somebody whose regular job was working in a restaurant. He borrowed one of those little blow torches that chefs use to caramelize the tops of creme caramel. He removed each piece of live rock just long enough to blast each of the little beasties with the blow torch.

It worked, didn't it???