Help Sea Spiders!

[Marine/Freshwater?]

Help my aneones are getting sucked dry by sea spiders! My anemones are getting irratated and secreting a lot of gook. I have already killed 2 sea spiders. I think the sea spiders killed all of my brittle stars. The brittle stars in my micro tank are safe, however the ones in my main tank are gone. I am really frustrated because I cannot think of a way to get rid of them. Do sea spiders multiply to fast, or can I kill them one by one? How? Any advice would be much apreciated.

 

[WILDER]

Tropic Marin Elimi-Aiptas, Pro-Coral Cure
Tropic Marin ELIMI-AIPTAS is effective against Aiptasia anemones and other unwanted cnidarians; quick and reliable with no effect on water chemistry. PRO-CORAL CURE is effective against flatowrms, parasitic sea spiders (Pantopoda) and microbial diseases.

 

[Marine/Freshwater?]

One problem I do not want to kill my anemones! I am keeping Aiptasia anemones and certainly do not want to get rid of them. Could I possibly lower the oxegen levels? I read that sea spiders are so primitive that they do not have a respitory system. They have direct oxegen exchange with thier environment.

 

[andywg]

Tropic Marin Elimi-Aiptas, Pro-Coral Cure
Tropic Marin ELIMI-AIPTAS is effective against Aiptasia anemones and other unwanted cnidarians; quick and reliable with no effect on water chemistry. PRO-CORAL CURE is effective against flatowrms, parasitic sea spiders (Pantopoda) and microbial diseases.

Are you really suggesting using chemicals designed to kill anemones to solve a problem where anemones are being eaten by a pest? Mind you, one way to stop the sea spiders eating the nems would be to kill all the nems in one hit. Not sure if it is a desirable outcome for the OP...

->"Marine/Freshwater?"

I forget what salinity you were running this tank at, but you can look at controlled biological control. Bob Fenner suggests either the lined or the 6 lined wrasse as potential answers. I am unsure of their tolerance to lower salinity, but it might be possible to slowly change the salinity to meet in the middle where they could work their magic.

Another (potentially damaging for the nems) solution is to freshwater dip the nems, though this carries with it the risk of the medicine being worse than the ailment. While sea spiders have direct oxygen exchange with the environment, my understanding is that many Cnidarians do as well.

 

[Marine/Freshwater?]

My specific gravity is at 1.018 due to alot of evaporation and my lazyness. I am going to bring the salintiy back down to 1.016. To my knowledge pycnogonids need marine conditions. What I do not get is were the sea spiders are coming from. My tank used to be at 1.015 for many months, far to low for sea spiders to survive. All I know is that the sea spidrs are a pain and I I will squish every one I find!

 

[WILDER]

Just found a med to kiill the seas spidars, down to you if you use it.
Fine if the tank dosn't have many just kill them with your fingers, if infested with them you will have to look at another way of getting rid of them.

 

[andywg]

Just found a med to kiill the seas spidars, down to you if you use it.

The problem is that the OP wants to save his anemones. You have found a med which kills anemones. This would be like someone saying their FW tank has ich and you suggesting cyanide. It kills the problem and that which you want to save.

 

[Revision17]

What about the following? I think it should work, and doesn't deal with chemicals:

1. Put the anemones and the rocks they're attached to in a temporary tank with some water from the main tank. If it won't suck up your other residents, maybe hook your filter up to it as well. Otherwise hook your filter up to yet another bucket of tank water and a few drops ammonia.
2. Lower the SG of your main tank to 1.010 or even lower for a day or two. Hopefully this would kill the sea spiders in the main tank.
3. In a 3rd tank/work area, detach your anemones from their rocks. Give the rocks a freshwater drip or throw them out, and reattach the anemones to their rocks (which I'm guessing might be a pain). This should kill the sea spiders/spider eggs on the rocks.
4. Raise the SG in your tank to 1.015. Acclimate anemones to the tank. Hopefully it should be spider free.

Seems like it would be a good day worth of work.

PS I always enjoy reading threads about your oddball inverts (and now their associated problems ).

 

[Marine/Freshwater?]

Most of my anemones cannot be moved so that idea is out, great plan though. I was down at the cape and I bought some Gulf Killies. They are one of my favorite native fishes, they do an excellent job cleaning fine substrate. In theory they should eat the sea spiders, and unfortunately all of my other more desirable arthrapods. I have not seen a sea spider for a while so I am happy. My anemonesare breeding insanely, 1 becomes 9, 9 becomes... They make everything look natural. But they are a pain when renovating. I added a few pvc caves partially covered with rocks and I cannot finnish them because they are covered with anemones. I am going to try to make a rock backround, and post pics soon. The aneones would look great on it, if only I could get some macroalgae .

 

[el_vulture619]

just keep swishing every one you see yelling DIE DIE DIE !!!

Why cant you remove the nems?? Do you know how? Use your finger nail ( grown out a lil) and pick at the outside base, going around in a circle. Evenualy it will let go. I have done this with my bubble tip nems in my nano, so I know it will work.
I think since you have way to many of them you should send some to me!

 

[andywg]

just keep swishing every one you see yelling DIE DIE DIE !!!

Why cant you remove the nems?? Do you know how? Use your finger nail ( grown out a lil) and pick at the outside base, going around in a circle. Evenualy it will let go. I have done this with my bubble tip nems in my nano, so I know it will work.
I think since you have way to many of them you should send some to me!

And how would you do that with a smaller nem that is wedged with its foot deep inside the rockwork?

Have you ever tried doing it they way you describe with Aiptasia spp? They will just retreat into the rock.

 

[TammyLiz]

just keep swishing every one you see yelling DIE DIE DIE !!!

Why cant you remove the nems?? Do you know how? Use your finger nail ( grown out a lil) and pick at the outside base, going around in a circle. Evenualy it will let go. I have done this with my bubble tip nems in my nano, so I know it will work.
I think since you have way to many of them you should send some to me!

And how would you do that with a smaller nem that is wedged with its foot deep inside the rockwork?

Have you ever tried doing it they way you describe with Aiptasia spp? They will just retreat into the rock.

They're quick, too.

 

[el_vulture619]

place the aptasia right in the flow of a power head or filter return. It will get blasted by the water to the point that it will move. I never thought I would be discussing how to move aptasia to keep them. I only talked about destroying them!! Wow, thing are different in the brackish world arent they!

I guess in a brackish tank they dont bother as much because you have no coral to worry about. In my SW nano Ive only wanted to destroy them

 

[andywg]

place the aptasia right in the flow of a power head or filter return. It will get blasted by the water to the point that it will move.

Hmm, I have Aiptasia which sit in the direct flow of my Wavebox which pushes all 100 gallons of water through the tank at a time, as well as directly in the way of some 4,500 LPH powerheads. No sign of them moving, so I am unsure whether your idea would be entirely successful, though a more narrow flow from regular powerhedas may provide the answer.

One thing to point out is that losing a few Aiptasia is not the end of the world as they reproduce quick enough, but I believe that the OP has some other nems collected from a brackish area.

 

[Marine/Freshwater?]

The only powerhead I have generates a lot of heat so that is out, however I figured out a way to work aroung my anemones so I wont need to move them. The rock wall I am making looks great.