Aiptasia treatment success or failure.... A poll

[ryeguyy84]

I've had luck with this:

Frank's Tanks F-Aiptasia

If you've ever had aiptasia anemones in your prized aquarium, you'd certainly understand how this product got it's name. Aiptasia anemones can kill your corals and even small fish. They are capable of stinging and stressing even larger specimens. So why not just kill them??? F-Aiptasia Killer...

clearchoiceaquatics.com

I've also used Aiptasia Rx from blue line with some success but f-aiptasia is more forgiving since it basically forms a shell around the aiptasia and works great in tight spaces.

 

[jazzfisher]

Red Sea aptasia & peppermint shrimp. The ones that were small and in the sand, turkey baster them out and squirt into hydrogen peroxide tub.

 

[Tamberav]

Boiling water but I don't inject them with it. I use a syringe without a needle and squirt them with it till they are just a pile of mush. Pull back on the plunger and you can usually suck out the mush too.

 

[Streetcred]

Over the years I have tried nearly every solution listed in the poll as well as Aiptasia X, lemon juice, super glue, and more. Most of those solutions just annoy the aiptasia enough that they reproduce rapidly and a few have knocked the aiptasia crop back but never really eliminated it. The only thing that has worked for me is F-Aiptasia Killer by @Frank's Tanks.

I've done everything, including predators ... they disappear for a month or 2 then come right back.

 

[Streetcred]

Should have a response for "tried everything to no avail"

 

[fnlyreefready]

I iodine inject them. Got some on frags and within a week I went from 20 to 0

 

[swishtony]

I've got 2 bergula nudibranch and 2 peppermint shrimp, hopefully they get their game on soon and attack the hell outta mine...some are neat, most others look like poo poo.

I was reading somewhere that Berghia are likely to get eaten by peppermint shrimp. I was thinking of adding some but was worried they’d get snapped up, expensive snack!

 

[HildebrandRarity]

What's your experience?

Green File fish worked for me - also peppermint shrimp

 

[Mickeyt1reef]

Berghia Nudibranchs 100% for me.

 

[rgulrich]

Had a problem infestation of another pest anemone:

Came in on the rock from Vanuatu back in the day, as well as some majano and aiptasia starting to multiply - in a 300. Friend sent me a juvenile Koran Angelfish. Over the course of the next few years it wiped out all of them, as well as my handful of zoas. It also really liked munching on palythoa. I wanted to bring in a few Tridacna, so I re-homed the Angelfish - at around 8".
Not a solution for a small aquarium, nor for one with desirable anemones, zoanthids, palythoas, tridacnids, and probably a few other things I've missed. Like some decorative sponge. Possibly some LPS. But it is built for eating anemone and their biology makes them "immune" to palytoxin, so probably good for keeping zoanthids and palythoas in check as well.
Other angelfish may provide similar results, but should be thoroughly researched prior to use.
Cheers,
Ray

 

[154162]

Other: inject lemon juice with a syringe

 

[Mical]

The only thing I've found to eliminate aiptasia has been filefish. I have a pair in both tanks and they're model citizens around corals. I tried aiptasia X - the irritated my nems, I tried caulk and that was a daily hunt, I tried the laser rec by Mark at Melevs Reef and all that did was irritate the aiptasia and make them multiply (IE: they are a form of anemone)

After adding Filefish, for about the first week and half I saw no improvement. Then within days started noticing the aiptasia population dropping but never saw them actually eating it. It turns out Filefish are shy and eat mostly at night and within two weeks aiptasia was gone. I left the aiptasia in my sumps as I scrape a few off during weekend maintenance and feed them directly to my filefish.

 

[1Bigfish]

Molly miller blenny likes to eat aptasia as well.

 

[Mhart032]

I ordered nudies 10 of them from reeftown about 3 weeks ago. after I put them in the tank I have yet to see them or any eggs, but I have noticed that my aptasia on one side of the tank is pretty much gone. but the other side there are still a couple. i use kalk paste on the ones I can get to. I had 2 of them pop up in my garf bonsi and decimated the colony.

 

[ShepherdReefer]

We have tried many of these above. The filefish was the best. After he had eaten every one of them, we still have a great fish. Actually, this is my wife's favorite fish.

 

[pseudorand]

We have tried many of these above. The filefish was the best. After he had eaten every one of them, we still have a great fish. Actually, this is my wife's favorite fish.

Where did you get your filefish? And for those who have had success with peppermint shrimp, same question.

My understanding is that only some species of filefish and peppermint shrimp eat aptasia, so all the reports of those things not working could be the wrong species. How's a hobbiest to know if we're getting the real thing?

I got my peppermint from AlgaeBarn, and they also sell aptasia-eating filefish (as well as a non-aptasia eating variety). My "problem" consists of a single nem (that I know of), and my peppermint hasn't eaten it. It could be eating a bunch of others I never see through.

 

[Reeferfrank]

SO - somehow - no clue how - I ended up with some aiptasia anemones. I just tried to kill them with 'removal' - and a month later - I had 50. They weren't spreading - and I personally don't mind them - they didnt seem to hurt anything - when it increased to more than that - I thought - hmmm. I should do something. I did something that I thought would never work - but - they are disappearing - day by day. So - thus the Poll - when everyone has answered - I'll give 'my experience'.

I did the trifecta peppermint shrimp, nudibranchs,and one file fish by by Aiptasia

 

[Naso180]

I voted Copperband Butterfly because that's what I have in my DT. He's one of my favorite fish! I have aptasia in my sump and none in the display. He eats mysis like a pig and I'm sure the occasional aptasia that appears, although I never see them! I used berghia in my coral flat and now have extra that I'm going to try to culture.

 

[64Ivy]

Copperband for me also. At least, for awhile anyway. Several years ago, I had a moderate outbreak in my 500g display. Got a Muelleri Copperband and in a few weeks, all traces were gone. The fish then proceed to live (and thrive) on a diet of Mysis, clam, and Rods Food. After a few years, it died and immediately the Aiptasia came back...with a vengeance this time. So be careful when you say ‘eradicated’. Just because you can’t them, doesn’t necessarily mean they’re not there.

 

[pcon]

Copperband were hit or miss for me so I went with other butterflies. Primary one is a roaops butterfly a burgess specifically really goes to work. Though I suspect both my prognathodes and true Roa eat them.