# What the heck is this growing on my live rock?



## lybrian1 (Aug 10, 2010)

i see all these things sprouting out of my live rocks.
no clue what it is. im guessing it s a feather duster or something.
i hope its not something bad, they are all over the place.


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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

Never mind...oops...


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## Fish_Man (Apr 9, 2010)

Picture one looks like aiptasia to me but I could be totally off. Just using google image to see if they look the same.


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## Cypher (Apr 15, 2006)

First picture looks like aiptasia. It's a baddie... will sting fish and corals and multiply like crazy if you don't get a handle on it. You need a peppermint shrimp.


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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

Cripes, looked again, and I guess I was wrong...I was fooled by the white instead of brown, but I guess they vary :-(


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## sig (Dec 13, 2010)

Looks like aphtasia. I had two in my tank. Took out the LR and used plumbing torch. Never seen that peppermint shrimp has interest in it

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## lybrian1 (Aug 10, 2010)

crap. they are all over
how do I burn them?


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

Definitely aiptasia. Don't torch them inside...it'll stink...been there and done that .

Seeing that it's on the lower LR that's the foundation of the aquascpae...you have to ask yourself...do you like the aquascape and will you be able to recreate it or can live with the version. If so, then torch away w/a propane torch that they use for soldering copper plumbing. You can also use a torch style lighter you can find in Canadian Tire.

This is what I use:
Link

Cheaper alternative

If you are a smoker looking for a cool lighter. Also works great for cigars 

It's a time conuming, smelly, messsy and potentially hazzardous process if you are Mr. Butter fingers. Alternatively, get ~3-6 Peppermint shrimp (SUM has lots) or use a slurry of 3/4tsp "kalkwasser" powder in a shotglass of FW. Turn all the pumps and wait ~5mins for the water to become still. Get a 5mL syinge, suck up the slurry and working from the bottom up, slowly squirt the slurry where the buggers are. wait ~15-30mins and turn the pumps back on. Repeat every few days as required.

HTH


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## Cypher (Apr 15, 2006)

Your tank dosen't look too big... if it's a 20 gallon, all you'll need is 2 peppermint shimps IMO, just dont feed your tank and the shrimps and they'll start eating the aiptasia. Hopefully you don't have other corals of animals in that tank that you need to feed. 

One thing to note with peppermints is that they'll eat the small/young aiptasia but won't touch any that are over 3/4" - 1" in diameter (face of aiptasia).


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

+1 on Cyphers' post


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## Will (Jul 24, 2008)

I wish you could just rent Racoon Butterfly Fish as temporary Aptasia Assassins...

lybrian1, it's only a matter of time before every marine keeper has an aptasia experience, it can be several times before a marine keeper figures out it should be delt with much sooner than later.

Carmen, they probably look white because the heavy blue in the light coupled with small aptasia being more transparent and far less brown than larger aptasia.


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## GT3 (Nov 24, 2010)

Aiptasia-X


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## mr_brixs (Jun 18, 2009)

AHHH aptasia!!! kill that sucker.. use aptasiaX that was i use.. kill it ASAP before it suck all the nutrients in your tank


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## Kweli (Jun 2, 2010)

There are multiple solutions for aipistia (Sp?). Pick one and attack it ASAP before it takes over.

Theres also a method of using a needle and injecting:
kalk solution
some boiling water w/ lemon

Then theres also store bought stuff like aipista-x or joes juice

then you have the barbarian way (which still works) which is putting fire to it....

I actually got rid of mine by crazy gluing them in. Although this is only possible for smaller rocks


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## lybrian1 (Aug 10, 2010)

ok well i look out those 2 pieces of rock that had the larger ones and i burnt them with a butane lighter. it was very difficult because they hide when you take them out of the water so i had to burn the spot from memory.

i bet there are many more...


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## lybrian1 (Aug 10, 2010)

anyone selling a peppermint shrimp or would be willing to let me borrow one?


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## Fish_Man (Apr 9, 2010)

lybrian1 said:


> anyone selling a peppermint shrimp or would be willing to let me borrow one?


Just get it at SUM or BA they aren't expensive.


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## acer (May 18, 2010)

NAFB has them on special I think until wednesday..


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## teemee (Aug 29, 2009)

I have been able to get rid of aiptasia and majano's in the past with the help of peppermint shrimp, and the lemon juice syringe method, though I don't water it down. I just shoot it up with straight lemon juice. works like a charm. 
Good luck, and whatever you do - don't wait too long, as it can get much much worse very quickly.


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## lybrian1 (Aug 10, 2010)

i bought a peppermint shrimp today.
are they good to keep in a reef tank with corals after they fix the Aiptasia problem?


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## Fish_Man (Apr 9, 2010)

lybrian1 said:


> i bought a peppermint shrimp today.
> are they good to keep in a reef tank with corals after they fix the Aiptasia problem?


Supposedly they are "OK" in reef tank but some people on this forum that have peppermint shrimp said that it has developed some taste for certain corals. So my suggestion would be to watch it closely and see what happens.


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## sinner (Sep 25, 2010)

electrocute it..


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## lybrian1 (Aug 10, 2010)

the peppermint shrimp doesnt seem to be doing anything. although it has only been a few days so he might not be hungry yet.
i have tried injecting lime juice around the base of the aptasia and i have to say it is very effective. i only see one left and i will be dosing it once more. i will keep the shrimp in there for a while just to control any more aptasia i may have


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## teemee (Aug 29, 2009)

lybrian1 said:


> the peppermint shrimp doesnt seem to be doing anything. although it has only been a few days so he might not be hungry yet.
> i have tried injecting lime juice around the base of the aptasia and i have to say it is very effective. i only see one left and i will be dosing it once more. i will keep the shrimp in there for a while just to control any more aptasia i may have


You might try injecting it directly. That's what I do, and it pretty much always works. As far as I can tell, peppermint shrimp only like aiptasia when its really small.


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## acer (May 18, 2010)

yeah, mine took a couple days to get the aiptasia... figured it was just acclimating to the tank.


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