A selection of useful tidbits of information and tricks for the marine aquarist submitted by our readers.

When I see Aiptasia I nuke them with Kalkwasser. I just mix a bit of kalk in a small glass with warm water untill it is thick. I use a test kit syringe and suck the slurry up. Turn off the circulation pumps and pump a bit of kalk paste on the anemones oral disk. It should stick being so thick and cover the area. You can turn the pumps back on after kalking is all done, it shouldnt blow around the tank. If the infection is bad just do a few a day so you don’t have to worry about a pH jump.

Ben

It took two doses on the big mother Aiptasia and I introduced a pepermint shrimp. Though I’ve never seen her eat them, there are no more new baby pests.

NathanLando

I’ve hadgood luck with pepermints. The first one I put in my tank went right for the biggest aptasia I had. It reached right down the oral disc and ripped it’s insides out. I wish I would have been filming!

Bingo

My very easy, very cheap, 100% effective method is to get a stick lighter that people use to light BBQs and just torch the spot the anemone is on for about 20 seconds. Kills a dime sized spot of rock, but it quickly recovers. Works well for majano anemones as well, or for killing any living thing you don’t want in your tank.

Peppermints are great if you can keep them in high density and they are permanent. Aiptasia will come back if you remove the shrimp though. There are also issues with peppermints occasionally eating zoanthids and clam mantles as well.

Matt Wandell

My 100% effective approach is to quarantine all rocks and corals: no pests!

Mihai

Berghia verrucicornis

Dizzy