Aiptasia HELP!

[Liam's tank]

I'm at the point in my young cube of the ocean sitting on my kitchen counter where I need a way to eliminate (or at least control) aiptasia. I have spent far more time on this forum than I could possibly assign an accurate time to. And in my time searching, doing my do dalliance, Peppermint shrimp seem to have more negative reviews than positive, the same with emerald crabs. My tank is only 25 gallons, so I believe that eliminates any fish options. I currently have two Zoas & a GSP. I'm interested in mostly softies & LPS corals & 4 or five fish. Is there something that will take care of this? I want/need to make a purchase SOON but don't want to introduce one problem while trying to eliminate another. I've read & read but can't seem to find an answer. Any help would be so greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance.

 

[brandon429]

Build Thread - JD's 90 gallon mixed reef

*90 gallon mixed reef* Ruby Trigger 36 sump Reef Octopus 150 skimmer 2- EcoTech Radion XR15 pro Kessil H80 Refugium Light EcoTech Vectra return pump Icecap gyre Lifeguard media reactor This tank has been up and running for almost 4 years now. Its gone through some periods of neglect as other...

www.reef2reef.com

that is the best way

it works the same as it does for common mushroom anemone surgical removal


it’s not an injection or a doser or an animal

it’s surgical removal. Done in 40 mins completely done.

 

[littlefoxx]

I'm at the point in my young cube of the ocean sitting on my kitchen counter where I need a way to eliminate (or at least control) aiptasia. I have spent far more time on this forum than I could possibly assign an accurate time to. And in my time searching, doing my do dalliance, Peppermint shrimp seem to have more negative reviews than positive, the same with emerald crabs. My tank is only 25 gallons, so I believe that eliminates any fish options. I currently have two Zoas & a GSP. I'm interested in mostly softies & LPS corals & 4 or five fish. Is there something that will take care of this? I want/need to make a purchase SOON but don't want to introduce one problem while trying to eliminate another. I've read & read but can't seem to find an answer. Any help would be so greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance.

Molly miller blennies!

 

[Liam's tank]

Molly miller blennies!

that's the first I've heard of that fish. I'll look into it! Thanks!

 

[littlefoxx]

that's the first I've heard of that fish. I'll look into it! Thanks!

I have two, great fish. Looks like biota sells them captive bred as well. Mine hitch hiked in my tank but I love the little guys

 

[Lavey29]

What have you already done to control your aptasia?

 

[rossco]

Quoting myself from a different Aiptasia thread I participated in. I am still Aiptasia free for well over a year now.

“I have spent over 500 dollars on berghias in the past in 2 separate orders. First time, they did a decent job, but died off before eating every last aiptasia. A year and a half later my display was literally infested. Second order did no good at all, they must have all died from the get go.

I was going to go with a matted filefish (also known as the aiptasia eating filefish) and the two at the LFS did not eat aiptasia in their holding tank. So I skipped them.

I had resisted peppermint shrimp because they have a tendency to poach food out of the mouth of LPS after spot feeding. I have very few LPS these days, not by choice but had some sort of infection that wiped most of my acans and chalices out, so in desperation I bought 8 peppermint shrimp for my 210. A month later, I could not find a single aiptasia and am still aptasia free.

Find a small piece of rubble with aiptasia on it and take it with you to the LFS. If the LFS is cool like mine, they will let you drop the rubble in the peppermint shrimp tank and you can target and catch the shrimp that go for the aiptasia. If they won't let you, the variety of peppermint shrimp that "dance" back and forth while resting seem to do a better job.”

 

[Liam's tank]

What have you already done to control your aptasia?

Nothing yet, the tank is just three months old & it is just starting to show up. I want to get out in front of it before it becomes a big issue.

 

[Liam's tank]

Quoting myself from a different Aiptasia thread I participated in. I am still Aiptasia free for well over a year now.

“I have spent over 500 dollars on berghias in the past in 2 separate orders. First time, they did a decent job, but died off before eating every last aiptasia. A year and a half later my display was literally infested. Second order did no good at all, they must have all died from the get go.

I was going to go with a matted filefish (also known as the aiptasia eating filefish) and the two at the LFS did not eat aiptasia in their holding tank. So I skipped them.

I had resisted peppermint shrimp because they have a tendency to poach food out of the mouth of LPS after spot feeding. I have very few LPS these days, not by choice but had some sort of infection that wiped most of my acans and chalices out, so in desperation I bought 8 peppermint shrimp for my 210. A month later, I could not find a single aiptasia and am still aptasia free.

Find a small piece of rubble with aiptasia on it and take it with you to the LFS. If the LFS is cool like mine, they will let you drop the rubble in the peppermint shrimp tank and you can target and catch the shrimp that go for the aiptasia. If they won't let you, the variety of peppermint shrimp that "dance" back and forth while resting seem to do a better job.”

My concern with the shrimp is all of the posts about them eating some of the CUC and on occasion certain corals

 

[Cichlid Dad]

+1 peppermint shrimp. Works for me.

 

[Liam's tank]

+1 peppermint shrimp. Works for me.

how long has the shrimp been in your tank? Has it been disruptive in any way?

 

[polywise]

matted file fish would be a good choice...

 

[Liam's tank]

matted file fish would be a good choice...

Might be too big for my 25 gallon. Aren't they know to eat some crustations?

 

[Cichlid Dad]

how long has the shrimp been in your tank? Has it been disruptive in any way?

I tried nudibranch first added them, never saw them again, then copperband, love the fish, never touched the aptaisia. Added 6 peppermint shrimp and it took less than a month to clear the aptaisia. 70 pounds of rock. The only fish that went after the shrimp was my lunar wrasse. So I put the rock in a 55 gallon spare tank I had and the shrimp went to town. Depends on your stocking. Do you have any fish that would eat them?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Agree on leather matted that is also hard to trust and if a few aptasia- Keep it simple. . . Using a syringe or pipette, inject either lemon juice or better yet. . kalkwasser powder mixed with tank water into a paste the consistency of toothpaste and inject into the very center core and it will melt away
If on a single rock, you can place rock in a container of tank water and scrape them off with edge of a paring knife and return rock to tank

 

[Liam's tank]

I tried nudibranch first added them, never saw them again, then copperband, love the fish, never touched the aptaisia. Added 6 peppermint shrimp and it took less than a month to clear the aptaisia. 70 pounds of rock. The only fish that went after the shrimp was my lunar wrasse. So I put the rock in a 55 gallon spare tank I had and the shrimp went to town. Depends on your stocking. Do you have any fish that would eat them?

No fish in my tank yet. My concern is not the Peppermint shrimp getting eaten, but the shrimp eating some of my CUC and corals.

 

[ScottJ]

Build Thread - JD's 90 gallon mixed reef

*90 gallon mixed reef* Ruby Trigger 36 sump Reef Octopus 150 skimmer 2- EcoTech Radion XR15 pro Kessil H80 Refugium Light EcoTech Vectra return pump Icecap gyre Lifeguard media reactor This tank has been up and running for almost 4 years now. Its gone through some periods of neglect as other...

www.reef2reef.com

that is the best way

it works the same as it does for common mushroom anemone surgical removal


it’s not an injection or a doser or an animal

it’s surgical removal. Done in 40 mins completely done.

Brandon, the aiptasia hide in their holes when they are disturbed, like when the rock is removed from the tank. I have tried to remove them this way several times, but loose track of exactly are once the rock is out of the water. Then a day later, they pop up again when I thought I got them. I end up using kalk paste, which I don't like to use but seems to work.

I really think chipping them out is the most effective removal method, how can I keep track of them?

 

[Cichlid Dad]

No fish in my tank yet. My concern is not the Peppermint shrimp getting eaten, but the shrimp eating some of my CUC and corals.

I have not had that issue, but it has been only a month or so that I've had them. Hopefully someone else will chime in on this for you

 

[Liam's tank]

Agree on leather matted that is also hard to trust and if a few aptasia- Keep it simple. . . Using a syringe or pipette, inject either lemon juice or better yet. . kalkwasser powder mixed with tank water into a paste the consistency of toothpaste and inject into the very center core and it will melt away
If on a single rock, you can place rock in a container of tank water and scrape them off with edge of a paring knife and return rock to tank

That sounds like a good idea, I count around 10 in the tank now but it's hard to see in all the nooks & crannies.

 

[vetteguy53081]

That sounds like a good idea, I count around 10 in the tank now but it's hard to see in all the nooks & crannies.

With 10, no reason to go out and buy nudibranchs that will starve when theyre gone or a filefish that will potentially have minimal swimming space and nibble on zoa and other soft coral