Aiptasia problem.

Jbr2389 · Jan 20, 2015

So I had a little aiptasia problem maybe 4 months ago in my 90g, not many but enough I didn't want them stinging my fish or coral. I have used Aiptasia X from Red Sea multiple times now and I do as directed, or at least I've tried to. I cover them in it have all my pumps/powerheads off except the returns which I try to direct away from the areas(I've left them off for several days the past time again with no luck). They're gone for about a week or two but then they come back with almost double the amount than the previous time. It's come to the point where I wished I'd left the few I had in the beginning because now they are out of control throughout my tank, sump and frag tank connected to the same system. They're stinging all my zoas on one side, growing all around them and a lot of other corals and in my frag tank which they never were before. Is there something else I can do? I'm becoming so frustrated with the problem that I want to shut the tank down entirely now. Only thing I've seen is a laser to kill them but unfortunately I can't afford that and I can't find a Majano wand but would the want make any difference?

I'm sorry if this is a repeat post, I didn't see any others. I would really appreciate any input from others have had this problem and were able to control them, thanks.

saltyphish · Jan 20, 2015

butterfly fish and filefish eat them I believe. I have also heard peppermint shrimp do as well. Some are also coral nippers as well though so use caution.

Jbr2389 · Jan 20, 2015

Copperbands don't usually eat at the store, do you think they'd eat just aiptasia exclusively if I put one in the tank? I've tried filefish but they like to eat zoas from what I've seen but if they eat the aiptasia I'm all for, I don't mind losing some zoas to wipe them out. Unfortunately, I do have a Marine Betta who likes to eat any shrimp I put in the tank so peppermints haven't lasted for more than a couple days. My chromis are really annoyingly aggressive towards anything I put in the tank as well.

Knuckledragger · Jan 20, 2015

I've had good luck with copperband butterflies for natural predation of aptasia. I've had a few that would go to town and eat every bit of it. I've also heard people say that they got one to get rid of aptasia, but it got used to the food they were feeding and would leave the aptasia alone. They're nice looking fish and have a good temperament. I have had some trouble keeping copperbands alive, but I'm pretty sure it was due to a sail fin tang I had over stressing it. I've had friends who kept them for years with no trouble.

hart24601 · Jan 20, 2015

I have used peppermint shrimp in a tank that worked well. In another system that had shrimp eaters I used berghia nudibranchs. I had great results from both. Berghia are spendy little things though. To do it again, I would put my shrimp eaters in a QT tank and try several shrimp 1st before I get the berghia.

ERIC1975 · Jan 20, 2015

I bought a small CBB and it wiped out my aptaisa in my 180 in less than 2 weeks. After the aptaisa it started eating all the little feather dusters it could find. Now it's eating frozen Mysis and brine plus whatever it could find between the rocks. Before that I've tried file fish, peppermint shrimps but didn't work. AptaisaX works but it's too much labor and you can't get them all behind the rocks.

ca1ore · Jan 21, 2015

'Control' is the key word, because once aptasia (or majanos, or flat worms, pick your pest) become established it is very difficult to eradicate them. Majanos have been my particular scourge. Biological controls are best, though obviously unpredictable. Apatasia-X can be a useful tool for control as well. My all time best pest anemone eater was an Asfur Angel, unfortunately it was apparently unable to distinguish between pests and Zooanthids.

FWIW, copperbands are very delicate fish and more likely to die on you than actually eat any aptasia.

Reefing Madness · Jan 21, 2015

Matted Filefish
CopperBand Butterflyfish
Peppermint Shrimp
Berghia Nudibranch

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 21, 2015

I had a bad infestation that could not be dealt with by peppermint shrimp (even a lot of them).

Finally I got a Chelmon marginalis (a type of copper band butterfly) and the problem is gone. FWIW, he also loves Rod's food.