Aiptasia

[jman9331]

Had an out break while I was gone. Anyway of getting rid of them? Friend of mine used a syringe and lemon juice. Any other methods?

 

[Jisko]

I use a syringe and vinegar

 

[jman9331]

I use a syringe and vinegar

How effective?

 

[tangerine3486]

I use Aiptasia-x by Red Sea. Very effective. No noticeable effect on corals. Not that expensive, especially compared to the joy of no more aiptasia.

 

[stevo01]

Copperband butterfly, berghia nudibranch, peppermint shrimp, kalk paste, superglue, epoxy, syringe boiling water, joes juice, aiptasia x

 

[Germ42]

Awe man Cmon! Get you a Aptaisa eating file fish! Call him 3D and then get some peppermint shrimp I think Is what they're called they eat Aptaisa and put one in your over flow and one in your sump and they'll eat it up! Shrimp is like 5$ each and the file fish is like 20 or so.

 

[Germ42]

I had like 50 in my DT and have 2 now with peppermint shrimp only, and I had like 25 in my chill room tank, I have 0 now with a file fish and 1 pepper mint shrimp in my overflow lol

 

[Germ42]

We use them on service routes too

 

[jman9331]

So getc a filefish?

 

[tangerine3486]

It depends on how bad the outbreak is IMO. If you have 100, many of which you cannot easily reach, maybe the filefish is the way to go. I'm always weary of introducing a species to kill something.

If its 20 or so in a smaller tank (like me), i'd go chemical warfare.

 

[Germ42]

Yeah man easy to do and I just rotate him 1 week in overflow 1 week in sump and however long in my DT he will clear it out in pretty good time!

 

[bif24701]

Copperband butterfly, berghia nudibranch, peppermint shrimp, kalk paste, superglue, epoxy, syringe boiling water, joes juice, aiptasia x

I bought 8 berghia nudibranch and added them Oct 15th. They have since reproduced well, I could have as many as 50+ if not more. I have a big aiptasia problem. Once I add my fish back the CBB and aiptasia file fish I'm hoping this will eliminate them for good. The nudis are doing a great job however.

 

[Germ42]

I love the peppermint shrimp too, pretty cheap, and my eel loves chasing them around, they are usually too fast for him to catch as I only feed him frozen food, but it's funny, to watch him think he can catch the shrimp for a good 5 mins then get gives up lol. He's gotten a couple before, but I never saw just noticed one was missing lol

 

[stevo01]

I bought 8 berghia nudibranch and added them Oct 15th. They have since reproduced well, I could have as many as 50+ if not more. I have a big aiptasia problem. Once I add my fish back the CBB and aiptasia file fish I'm hoping this will eliminate them for good. The nudis are doing a great job however.

Wow its all out war. I had a few early on when my live rock was establishing. I went out and bought 2 pepp shrimp from my LFS for my 20g. One was a little larger than the other. There was a cleaner shrimp in there already along with hermits, snails, fish, feather dusters, and lots of corals. In a couple days the aiptasia were eaten. Havent seen one since. I never had to try any of the other methods. I was just listing some known methods here. Filefish is good one too from what ive read, but people should be aware of all the negative side effects to some of these methods. In my case the drawback is these successful pepp shrimp are also driven to attack Euphyllia late at night after my Melanurus goes to sleep. I have witnessed the all out attack on a torch several times. Also have seen the aftermath. The shrimp snip the tentacles and try to rip the torch out. I think its somewhat of a territorial behavior but i really have no idea why they are doing it. I get nervous every time when they are walking across my corals. As far as I know they have not attacked any of the other corals. An upside is the moment something dies in the tank even a coral, they are there to clean it up. Cleaner shrimp do this job very well too.

So whatever method one decides its also good to consider what will happen when the annoying anemone are gone.

 

[stevo01]

I love the peppermint shrimp too, pretty cheap, and my eel loves chasing them around, they are usually too fast for him to catch as I only feed him frozen food, but it's funny, to watch him think he can catch the shrimp for a good 5 mins then get gives up lol. He's gotten a couple before, but I never saw just noticed one was missing lol

I think its a good idea to have another animal in the tank that keep these shrimp in hiding and on defense. Maybe its just me thinking this but I feel like the Halichoeres wrasse are protector of corals and the shrimp know it. Ive witnessed the attacks shortly after he goes to bed. 8pm-10pm the shrimp and other inverts come out and comb the tank.

 

[jman9331]

It's pretty bad at least 50 to 60

 

[stevo01]

Yikes

 

[Bruce Burnett]

Awe man Cmon! Get you a Aptaisa eating file fish! Call him 3D and then get some peppermint shrimp I think Is what they're called they eat Aptaisa and put one in your over flow and one in your sump and they'll eat it up! Shrimp is like 5$ each and the file fish is like 20 or so.

Sometimes file fish will develop a taste for your corals, my Matted file fish got a taste for the polyps on my cup coral. Peppermint shrimp have worked for me but they can become food for some fish and crabs.

 

[Bruce Burnett]

Copperband butterfly, berghia nudibranch, peppermint shrimp, kalk paste, superglue, epoxy, syringe boiling water, joes juice, aiptasia x

+1 Just depends on what else is in the tank for compatibility.

 

[Coronus]

ORA Aiptasia eating file fish $15 and your done. Worked for me. I have over 50