joseayes;901252 wrote: My question here is Dave, that if you do the treatment for that specific coral inside your tank? How could it affect damage the rest of the corals? If they don't get affected how this happens? Thanks!
No problem. I am not sure if you are familiar with what I call "Reef Napalm." I was dealing with a pretty severe aiptasia outbreak maybe 4 years ago or so in one of my other tanks, and had not had a lot of success with the commercially prepared Aiptasia products, like Joes Juice, Aiptasia-X etc. I came across this obscure one page article on the net from about 2002, describing the use of Lye Solution (sodium hydroxide) to kill Aiptasia.
Here is the original page off the web:
http://www.reefscapes.net/articles/breefcase/aiptasia_control.html">http://www.reefscapes.net/articles/breefcase/aiptasia_control.html</a>
Original Thread where I introduced it to the ARC:
[IMG]http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=36190&highlight=chemical+Aiptasia">http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=36190&highlight=chemical+Aiptasia</a>
The stuff works great, with the only caveat being that this is lethal to about any coral it is placed on. It will kill aiptasia, mojanos, nuisance palys, zoas, montis, you get the idea. The product I use to make it is Rooto Drain Cleaner, which is just sodium hydroxide, or lye. It mixes up and releases heat when you make it up.
It is only slightly less buoyant than water, so it has to be carefully applied in completely still water to keep it from getting on desirable corals. When it hits salt water, it forms a slightly cloudy semi solid, that is kind of jelly-like, hence the name Reef Napalm, and it looks like it burns the tissue off the corals or the aiptasia.
Interesting thing about it is it is made up of the same root ingredients as the Aqua Vitro product Balance, which is a mix of sodium hydroxide lye and potassium hydroxide lye, albeit the Reef Napalm is much more highly concentrated.
You leave the Napalm on for about 20 minutes or so, then restart your pumps. The Napalm starts circulating around the tank, but it doesn't hurt anything as it does. It eventually dissipates, and the only net effect to the water I have seen is it can raise the tank KH/pH slightly, which is what Aquavitro Balance does (raises KH without affecting calcium levels).
It has been a part of my reefing tools ever since. You just need to be aware that it will affect whatever it hits, but IME a bit of collateral damage by the Napalm to an acropora or other desirable coral next to something that is being killed is quickly healed.
