Tips for removing aiptasia from clam (dangerous spot)

[michaelp]

I got some new clams at the swap yesterday and one has two aiptasia on it (ugh, I wish I had paid closer attention when picking them out)

Anyway, one is on the corner outside on the shell, but the other is definitely inside the very corner or the shell in a dangerous spot that wouldn't work with hot water (could hurt the clam).

I'm wondering if heating up tweezers and going after it would work?

Can they spread just via the water column? Or is my reef safe with this clam on the sand bed?

 

[Deanos]

Aiptasia can spread thru the water column, but it would take sexually mature ones (i.e. larger specimens) to do so.

 

[Euroreefer]

what I do with any clams that have aptasia on them is get the loctite super glue gel, and put a spot of gel covering the aptaisa. Bam, no more problems and it cant spread.

 

[BaNDiTo_RoX]

You can try joes juice or take it out the water and scrap it off with a razor I had to that to one of mines a month ago and not seen anymore since then. HTH

 

[House of Laughter]

Michael,

My apologies - take them out asap, set them aside in the sump in a critter container and brush the shell very well with a toothbrush - next day, check to see if they are there or gone - if gone, re-insert into the display.

See Tony at Petland Discounts on Nassau just south of beekman street downtown. They are relatively cheap ($5)

House

 

[michaelp]

House - this wasn't one of your clams I got them from somewhere else, but I appreciate the response. Anyway, this is a common pest so I don't even blame the unnamed vendor anyway.

(I actually forgot my clam from you guys in one of your boxes...will get it later this week).

I did a surgical application of ice-c gel to the aiptasias... we'll see how that goes.

 

[House of Laughter]

:happydance:

:thumbsup:

House

House - this wasn't one of your clams I got them from somewhere else, but I appreciate the response. Anyway, this is a common pest so I don't even blame the unnamed vendor anyway.

(I actually forgot my clam from you guys in one of your boxes...will get it later this week).

I did a surgical application of ice-c gel to the aiptasias... we'll see how that goes.

 

[Dre]

I have tried Joe's Juice, Alkalinty part.1 they did'nt work for me the anemones just keep coming back.I used a hack saw to cut the rock or a hammer to brake off the section with the anemone .For the ones in difficult areas i cover them with a rock so they can't get any light.They move to the rock covering them and i pump the rock in the garbage.

 

[cybermeez]

I've also had less than satisfactory results with Joes Juice and Kalkwasser paste. I recently got some Aptaisia-X from Red Sea and the stuff is awesome! It congeals when it touches the water so it seals off the aptasia and doesn't spread in the water column and put other corals at risk. It also has a MUCH better syringe and applicator than the one that comes with Joe's Juice. I highly recommend Aptasia-X for anyone who hasn't tired it yet.

 

[SevTT]

I got some new clams at the swap yesterday and one has two aiptasia on it (ugh, I wish I had paid closer attention when picking them out)

Anyway, one is on the corner outside on the shell, but the other is definitely inside the very corner or the shell in a dangerous spot that wouldn't work with hot water (could hurt the clam).

For aptasia on rock I've just been using a paste of calcium hydroxide gobbed on the aptasia. So long as it isn't near the mantle or the byssal organ, this oughta work OK on a clamshell too, though I'd let it sit for a couple of minutes and then use a turkey baster to dissolve away any remaining kalk. (Warning: it's only an educated guess that it shouldn't cause a problem on a clam, but their shells are limestone and that shouldn't be hurt by a short-term application.)

 

[Pinkheine]

Feel your pain we picked up a clam with a tiny lil' aipstasia on it as well. I scraped it off and rinsed it off and in the tank it went. Pests are inevitable in this hobby unfortunately so when buying corals from people... Always examine and treat before putting it into your tank. Even if there are no visible signs of pests or you are assured that the tank in question where the coral came from is pest free. You are ultimately responsible for what enters your system. I don't think there is a person in this hobby that hasn't experienced one for of a pest or another. Just par for the course.

No harm, no foul, imo by the vendor. Good luck with the new additions.

 

[bigyankfan]

Auriga butterflies eat 'em like candy.

 

[gnorts]

i had a lot of success with 2 peppermint shrimp in my 90 gallon tank clear it in only 4 days of all aipstasia