Killing Aiptasia with Laser - fact or fiction?

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El Scorpio
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Killing Aiptasia with Laser - fact or fiction?

Post by El Scorpio »

Anybody seen this video on YouTube? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbk7mA5PuAQ
Some dude zaps an Aiptasia with a 750mW laser, and while I can't tell whether it really dies or not, it's clearly not happy about it. Anybody hear about this? And more importantly, does this really work?

I ask because I'm pretty sure I have a few growing on my new live rocks, and need to know how to get rid of them.
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Re: Killing Aiptasia with Laser - fact or fiction?

Post by Pufferpunk »

I bought an aptasia wand that electrocutes them. It's pretty cool to use but they are still coming back & multiplying. :(
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Re: Killing Aiptasia with Laser - fact or fiction?

Post by LRU »

Lemon juice injected directly into the coral with a syringe like used for insulin can work sometimes.

I had better results with some peppermint shrimp, but they are 1) fast, 2) bullies/food hogs, and 3) can eat coral after they finish off the aptasia. I have a little one I kept that is not bothering anything so far after a few months. The bigger two I sold off after the aptasia was solved.
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Re: Killing Aiptasia with Laser - fact or fiction?

Post by bertie 83 »

I was concerned about aiptasia until I met an old school reef keeper in my home town. He has some real large aiptasia in his tank that have not bothered a thing, even things they are touching. Now I am not saying they are safe by any means as other people might have experienced, but he has some really expensive corals and seems to not mind the aiptasia. They are pretty when full grown, wouldn't want them that big in my tank though, my peppermint shrimp keeps them in check, I spot them here and there.
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