Aiptasia! But How?

[danieyella]

I’m tellin ya I had a great experience with berghia nudibranchs. Was skeptical as everyone is but I spent the money on (4) 1/4” in my 90 gallon. 2 months and completely eradicated! Moderate infestation. I had at least 2 aiptasia that the oral disk was the size of a quarter. My experience but will definitely try them again if the need arise.

I thought I was free since my berghia purchase a few months back, I hadn't seen anything in ages. Looked in the tank last week and spotted a tiny one, looked in the tank this week and that guys on steroids because it's huge now. Getting ready to make another purchase of them.

 

[ScottB]

Like roaches, there’s always one that sneaks through the cracks.
Like i do- get yourself a kleini butterfly. You’ll never see one again

All the descriptions I've read on Kleins suggest they nibble corals. No issues with sticks & zoas?

 

[Richard Newman]

Just a FYI, based on personal experience.
Klein Butterfly is not reef safe. They will eat corals. It was a hard 3 day lesson that I learned. My 3 peppermint shrimp were not taking care of the aiptasia so I had read that a Klein Butterfly was better. It was, but my acans were almost eaten down to the stumps. Rocks on the table and floors, crabs crawling on the floor, shrimp/fish on the floor and an hour later the butterfly was finally out of the tank and the rocks and live stock all back.

After a week and a half the acans are finally looking better and have recovered some of their color. The fish also seem happier. While the Klien was in the tank everyone else hid. I didn't see my yellow coris wrasse for 3 days. He is out now and happily swimming the tank.

Thought I'd share my experience. There may be Kleins that wouldn't eat corals so aggressively, but it wasn't my experience. For now, the aiptasia is still around, but not multiplying like it was earlier. Hopefully the shrimp will get off their lazy behinds and eat the stuff.

Best of luck!

 

[ReeferBob]

Here is a picture of that biomass. Anyone recognize it?

 

[vetteguy53081]

All the descriptions I've read on Kleins suggest they nibble corals. No issues with sticks & zoas?

None and i have one in each tank

 

[ScottB]

None and i have one in each tank

May have to give one a try; peppermints previously helped (I think) but somebody seems to have developed a taste for peppermints.

 

[ReeferBob]

Epilogue - I was looking very closely in my sump and sure enough there is a fairly large Aiptasia in there. Since the sump gets very little light it is almost totally colorless and clear. I am planning on its eradication without disturbing it. Perhaps a big scoop to get it all at once and all the rock surrounding it. It is all rubble so should not be too hard. I am scared to put shrimp in there because I think they might end up in the return chamber and get ground up through the return pump.