Aiptasia taking over sump

[sanzz18]

I got aiptasia taking over my sump. I only seen one aiptasia in my display for months that is sticking out under a rock that I wouldn't be able to reach, but a ton in my sump. I do not even know what to do at this point. My waterbox sump has multiple compartments and so far I have seen them in all but the skimmer chamber (likely cause it is hard to see in that chamber. I can see them anywhere from an inch or so big to just forming little babies on the glass.

I have battled dinos, actively battling stubborn cyano, fighting high nutrient issues, etc. I know reef tanks are frequently an uphill battle, but this one seems like one I am not going to win. These are the kind of problems that make you want to throw in the towel, but I am not a quitter.

How should I tackle this problem?

 

[A Young Reefer]

Don’t worry apitasia isn’t as bad as bubble algae, bryopsis, or red turf (based on personal experience). You can add a peppermint shrimp and it should take care of it for you (going the natural route). Or you can try certain medications like Red Sea apitasia x or F apitasia. And hopefully that should be it. I would also recommend getting nutrients under control.

 

[kados]

If the issue is in the sump, I'd turn off the return pump and skimmer and any other equipment and clean out the whole sump. Scrape it clean and pull all of the water out. Many do this anyway just as maintenance. I do..

 

[Wasabiroot]

Aiptasia in the sump isn't as concerning as in the display, but they can consume pods etc that are breeding down there. If the sump is large enough, a green filefish ("aiptasia eating") will eventually eliminate all of them. You can also manually remove them as stated above.

 

[T-J]

If the issue is in the sump, I'd turn off the return pump and skimmer and any other equipment and clean out the whole sump. Scrape it clean and pull all of the water out. Many do this anyway just as maintenance. I do..

This.
Clear out that sump, because if they're in the sump, they'll be in your DT too. And people that say they're "not as bad as..." are completely wrong. They have a strong sting and will inhibit your corals ability to grow, and can kill them as well.

 

[A Young Reefer]

This.
Clear out that sump, because if they're in the sump, they'll be in your DT too. And people that say they're "not as bad as..." are completely wrong. They have a strong sting and will inhibit your corals ability to grow, and can kill them as well.

What I meant by my statement is that it is not as difficult to address the issue compared to other certain reef aquarium pests. I am sorry if it wasn’t clear. Never said that it’s not bad I think that part was clear.
you could’ve just simply replied to my post and corrected me directly if you really thought it’s something worth addressing.
happy reefing!

 

[saltyfins]

Don’t worry apitasia isn’t as bad as bubble algae, bryopsis, or red turf (based on personal experience). You can add a peppermint shrimp and it should take care of it for you (going the natural route). Or you can try certain medications like Red Sea apitasia x or F apitasia. And hopefully that should be it. I would also recommend getting nutrients under control.

only if it starts stinging and killing your corals....

 

[CoralB]

Knowing that you have it in the main tank I would address it as well with peppermint shrimp . I’ve never had long term success with the chemical route

 

[sanzz18]

Don’t worry apitasia isn’t as bad as bubble algae, bryopsis, or red turf (based on personal experience). You can add a peppermint shrimp and it should take care of it for you (going the natural route). Or you can try certain medications like Red Sea apitasia x or F apitasia. And hopefully that should be it. I would also recommend getting nutrients under control.

I got to somehow verify the peppermint shrimps that are sold at my LFS are the ones that actually eat aiptasia. The medications I don't think I would be able to access some of the aiptaisa.

If the issue is in the sump, I'd turn off the return pump and skimmer and any other equipment and clean out the whole sump. Scrape it clean and pull all of the water out. Many do this anyway just as maintenance. I do..

I was afraid I might have to do that. It just sucks because I had just really started getting a hold of populating my sump/fuge with pods and chaeto. I also have marinepure cubes in there which I am assuming would be trash as well as the chaeto?

Aiptasia in the sump isn't as concerning as in the display, but they can consume pods etc that are breeding down there. If the sump is large enough, a green filefish ("aiptasia eating") will eventually eliminate all of them. You can also manually remove them as stated above.

I have thought of a filefish and just moving it from sump chamber to chamber if I see it wiped out.

This.
Clear out that sump, because if they're in the sump, they'll be in your DT too. And people that say they're "not as bad as..." are completely wrong. They have a strong sting and will inhibit your corals ability to grow, and can kill them as well.

I definitely have one in my tank that has been in there for weeks that isn't really reachable for manual removal. I have looked extensively all over the place (obviously can't see behind my rocks cape too well). This is the only one I found so far.

 

[\m/reefsnmetal\m/]

I personally would not strip the sump clean. It would be more of a problem down the road to restart my refugium and get my pod population back. I would try a natural fix first like the shrimp or filefish. Some people use berghia nudibranches to control aptasia but I've never tried it.

 

[Dburr1014]

If the issue is in the sump, I'd turn off the return pump and skimmer and any other equipment and clean out the whole sump. Scrape it clean and pull all of the water out. Many do this anyway just as maintenance. I do..

This plus a rinse with bleach.
Extreme, yes, I hate them buggers. It will kill any tiny particles left over after scraping. Rinse well with tap and a quick r/o rinse.

 

[sphinx15]

Berghia nudibranch are another good option. You can find the online or possibly from fellow reefers. If your sump is truly overgrown, you'll have a breeding population of berghia in no time. Be aware they will starve and die once the aptasia is gone so be prepared to deal with that/pass them on to other reefers.

 

[A Young Reefer]

only if it starts stinging and killing your corals...

I have clarified the misunderstanding in the post directly above yours.

 

[A Young Reefer]

I personally would not strip the sump clean. It would be more of a problem down the road to restart my refugium and get my pod population back. I would try a natural fix first like the shrimp or filefish. Some people use berghia nudibranches to control aptasia but I've never tried it.

+1 to this

 

[GHOSTLY]

If its aiptasia if you could pull the sump out you could vinegar soak it or vinegar soak and dry it out

 

[CoralB]

peppermint shrimp making sure that they don’t get sucked up in the pumps or skimmer or that the current is too strong is the way I would go . Any media that is too constraining for the shrimp reach probably should be removed and cleaned manually or replaced after the infestation is eaten

 

[kados]

@sanzz18, lots good options here. Me personally would attack the problem and be done with it (sump clean). However, if you have chaeto, pods, bio media I can understand the hesitancy. I think you might be chasing an endless battle if not tackled head on. All options mentioned can potentially work.

Things to consider, do you need additional biomedia? Great to use if if you need additional surface area. If you have enough rock in the tank which almost everyone does, not a big deal to pull out. More is not always better. Just enough surface area is what works best. Too much biomedia in place of rocks can increase nitrates instead of lower if they get dirty and clogged.

 

[sanzz18]

Thanks for all the helpful responses. I found one more in my display in a hidden area. These are the only 2 I seen in the main display. So, regarding stripping the sump clean, it makes me nervous to do all that work, just for them to likely come back. I am assuming I have aiptasia in the overflow or plumbing. This is so stressful lol

 

[doodledreads]

Yeah, manual cleaning is just going to slow down the spread (sometimes can make it worse due to how aptasia can multiply when stressed), not completely eliminate the problem. No need to panic, unless there are aptasia growing next to your coral, this is a very common problem.

Looks like your only solution is Berghia Nudibranchs. Put several in your sump and some in your display and they will get to work.

Peppermint shrimp can help in the sump area but wont do much for those in the plumbing and I really advise against keeping them in the display as they can get a taste for (in my case the most expensive) corals.

Source: Currently handling the exact same problem, my sump looks like a Lovecraftian Horror currently. Searching for some Berghia.

 

[sanzz18]

I can definitely put some in the sump. My concern about the display is I have a cleaner and yellow corris wrasse. I have two more wrasse but they are fairy wrasse, so I do not believe they would be a problem. Do you think the berghia would be wiped out in the display?