Aiptasia HELP!

[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

I'm not familiar with kalkwasser powder I'll research it, thanks.

 

[brandon429]

I get them out of my crevices this way:

1. Have no excuse that puts me in the back seat, I'm the driver of the tank. A rock will comply when I force it to

2. Given the correct incentive, anyone can simply push a polished + cleaned + slightly sharpened flathead screwdriver into live rock six inches in if you want to, it's wet and pushable. A tap hammer gets past tough spots if any. Divot out the anemone and take some surface it was on, to remove pedal cells

3. Doesn't matter where it resides due to rule #1 no anemone is going to take over my system it's man vs blob. A divot in my live rock happens and the problem is gone

Contrast just those three traits above to any offer you ever see in an aiptasia help thread. Only kid gloving occurs within the masses, it's why aiptasia is a real concern in reefing but secretly could be made to be the easiest scourge in reefing to beat. Seeing the first anemone in the tank and opting for something the masses did/ injection or animals added or gluing/ is a violation of rule #1. It's automatic passivity caused aiptasia issues.

If I offered someone fifty thousand dollars to guarantee an aiptasia anemone was dead, they'd take decisive action in one pass

But whittle that down to a middle incentive, delayed anemone invasion or possibly not if we get lucky, people will choose the idle path nearly every time. They will seek an excuse to take no action

 

[vetteguy53081]

I'm not familiar with kalkwasser powder I'll research it, thanks.

 

[Liam's tank]

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

Any cons I should be concerned about with using kalkwasser powder? With a 25 galloon tank that has 38lbs of live rock I'm probably at about 20 gallons of water so I have to be very careful about what I introduce inti my tank.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Any cons I should be concerned about with using kalkwasser powder? With a 25 galloon tank that has 38lbs of live rock I'm probably at about 20 gallons of water so I have to be very careful about what I introduce inti my tank.

Kalkwasser is used to raise alk. For 10 aptasia, what you are using wont have much impact and should be safe to use. If you get corals especially stony corals down the road, you will find yourself using the Kalk powder. Bulk reef supply Kalkwasser is what I currently use

 

[Lavey29]

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.

Then just shirt them with something like aptasia x

 

[Double monti 61]

Do not believe all that bs about peppermint shrimp or aptasia x I have aptasia in my system but they never become a problem they do not grow out of control and when I do see them eventually the peppermint shrimp will devour them.

 

[CoralB]

Peppermint shrimp

 

[CoralB]

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

Never had or heard of one to eat aiptasia . Usually good for algae

 

[skimmerman]

Best fish I ever put in my tank is a asfur angel she eats all the majanoe anemones and aptasia

 

[thecitadel]

I have a thread where you can see my tank covered in Aiptasia. Since then, I've used 1 4 Oz bottle of aiptasia x and killed a lot of it. Ive spent hundreds on Berghia, have a file fish, 20+ Peppermint that probably killed the Berghia lol, previously tried aiptasia x with no luck. But what a difference it did. Bought the large bottle and am going to town when it arrives. I used it on and around coral too, zoa colony that has aiptasia in it. No issue. It's a 220 but it's doing wonders.

 

[rossco]

Forgot to add, in my frag tank I have had 100% success with F Aiptasia. Partly due to the flat frag racks and plugs and small rock rubble things are mounted to.
The product only works if the Aiptasia is located so it can be covered by the F Aiptasia. Any that are attached underneath or on the side of a rock will have to have the rock rotated or removed to access them.

 

[bakbay]

I must confess that I still have aiptasias in the 150g main tank! I’ve given up!

1. Nudies: I bought 8 nudies and they were eaten.
2. Shrimps: I bought 10 peppermint shrimps and now end up with 2 shrimps dancing on the bottom - pathetic!
3. Tried filefish — died and didn’t eat a single aiptasia.
4. I’ve been zapping visible & reachable ones via Kalk but they come back in a month! Argh

I’ve tried everything, except copperband butterfly, which might get killed by other tank mates.

So yes, I’ll be following this thread for ideas!

 

[HankstankXXL750 Verified Sponsor]

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

I added them to my reefs and have not had any problems with them.

 

[Double monti 61]

To quote Charlie Brown uuuuugggghhhh! This is what they look like and maybe supposedly not all of them eat aptasia but the shrimp that I added to my system will eat them along with mysis and calanus that also is ingested by my coral and smaller invertebrates in the tank and I do not have an aptasia problem!

 

[vetteguy53081]

I must confess that I still have aiptasias in the 150g main tank! I’ve given up!

1. Nudies: I bought 8 nudies and they were eaten.
2. Shrimps: I bought 10 peppermint shrimps and now end up with 2 shrimps dancing on the bottom - pathetic!
3. Tried filefish — died and didn’t eat a single aiptasia.
4. I’ve been zapping visible & reachable ones via Kalk but they come back in a month! Argh

I’ve tried everything, except copperband butterfly, which might get killed by other tank mates.

So yes, I’ll be following this thread for ideas!

Here is your answer:

For Aptasia- You cant beat a Kleini Butterfly BUT must be the bluehead- NOT the yellow version. The yellow will go after coral too but bluehead as pictured will eat aptasia like candy, then eat all dry and frozen food offered, colorful, friendly and stays small. I will note that a couple of persons who got the blue had their kleini nip zoa. if so- easy sell, or place in sump as aptasia have likely made it down there already but EVERYONE of them stated it got every single aptasia

 

[bakbay]

Here is your answer:

For Aptasia- You cant beat a Kleini Butterfly BUT must be the bluehead- NOT the yellow version. The yellow will go after coral too but bluehead as pictured will eat aptasia like candy, then eat all dry and frozen food offered, colorful, friendly and stays small. I will note that a couple of persons who got the blue had their kleini nip zoa. if so- easy sell, or place in sump as aptasia have likely made it down there already but EVERYONE of them stated it got every single aptasia

Ok - I’ve tried everything except that so thank you! Any good source to get one?

Also, thanks to my blue hippo — I no longer have any zoa gardens left so I’m good! lol

 

[bakbay]

Ok - I’ve tried everything except that so thank you! Any good source to get one?

Also, thanks to my blue hippo — I no longer have any zoa gardens left so I’m good! lol

@vetteguy53081 I checked some online sources and they said that this fish may not be suitable for stony corals since that are their main diet - really?

 

[vetteguy53081]

@vetteguy53081 I checked some online sources and they said that this fish may not be suitable for stony corals since that are their main diet - really?

Ive never seen them go near stony corals. I not only have one but sold many at my LFS and they are great fish.
If there is an interest with SPS- It would be polyps but never saw that either and the couple complaints, I see is specifically zoa.

 

[bakbay]

Ive never seen them go near stony corals. I not only have one but sold many at my LFS and they are great fish.
If there is an interest with SPS- It would be polyps but never saw that either and the couple complaints, I see is specifically zoa.

Thanks — will keep searching. Much appreciated