Absolutely there is potential danger, and there are other safer ways to accomplish the same thing. While i have not read any reports on Aiptasia specifically, "rock" is never just rock: there is algae, bacteria, cryptic organisms, and all other manner of things that are also residing in and on the rock. One of the most dangerous possibilities is to have palytoxin-containing zoanthids, which, when boiled, will aerosolize the toxin. This, by far, is the best and most efficient way to injure yourself. And not only you--your family, your pets...it's just not a good idea.
When people talk about "cooking" rock, I think the intent is not to literally cook it, although people do that. Instead, the rock could be placed in clean saltwater with lots of flow, in the dark, much the same as you would cure new rock. Eventually the photosynthetic organisms will die off, but with luck you will have maintained a healthy bioload of bacteria and possibly pods as well. I have used this method, but find it doesn't always really rid the rock of every last pest. My choice is usually to just leave the rock out in the sun, dry, and everything dies off. Then you can reseed it with new clean live rock.
With pest anemones, my favorite cure is a combination of chemical and biological attacks. I try to kill off as many Aiptasia (or majanos) by injecting them with warm kalkwasser. Jabbing them through the top of the anemone isn't nearly as effective as going into the stalk: if you inject down, often they just retract into a crevice. If you go into the stalk from the side, they can't retract, and you have the satisfaction of watching the body fill up with poison (terrible, I know). Of course there will always be ones you can't reach, and for these peppermint shrimp help keep the numbers down. |