Back in early November, we stumbled across an innovative and fun way to decimate Aiptasia anemones and other pests by using laser beams. Well, it seems that aquarium hobbyists can hardly contain themselves when it comes to dishing out the pain to those pesky anemones, as the use of laser beams as a pest removal tool has a steadily increasing following. Recently, Reef2Reef user “CalmSeasQuest” (whose real name is Tom) started a thread based on his own personal use of the laser beams. He purchased a SurvivalLaser brand laser that uses 1800mW of juice and generates a 445nm beam and began frying all sorts of stuff. The Aiptasia anemones were first on the list, but Tom soon realized that this device could kill everything in the aquarium. Corals and some algae were affected very similarly, often sizzling and popping as the laser beam heated them up.
As seen in the video above from JVanore and also posted on the same Reef2Reef thread, the pest anemone almost immediately reacts to the laser beam. It shrivels up quickly and it even sizzles as it is being cooked alive. And while most comments on this video and in the forums question the laser’s ability to kill the anemone and prevent their spread, JVanore has indicated that the anemone died shortly after this video and hasn’t come back.
If you would like to venture into the pest killing laser world of aquarium keeping, please keep in mind all of the safety hazards. Even the reflections of the laser can cause skin burns and eye damage, so be sure to wear all of your personal protective equipment. Also, be mindful of other aquarium livestock in the aquarium, as they can also be damaged by the laser.
