Aptasia outbreak

[Salty1962]

Peppermint Shrimp, I had to go through a few before I got some that took care of the issues. Don't have any in the DT now so the shrimp will work on the sump next. I'll put coarse material between the baffles to keep shrimp out of fuge and snacking in my pods

 

[SalinFL]

A manjano wand works wonders. Best money I have spent trying to control them

 

[butesch]

+1 on the Berghia. Takes times but fun to watch aiptasia disappear each day once they reach critical mass

 

[Armydogracing]

+1 on Joes Juice. I have used kalk paste, apstasia x before also but Joes Juice has definitely worked the best imo

 

[john.m.cole3]

The key is a multi prong approach. Get something that will help control them but also do manual removal. Manual removal is a huge pain but will give you the best results.

What do you recommend for manual removal. I used a syringe full of kalk paste once, but months later there is another one in the same place as the previous one removed.

 

[Bunnee911]

I used boiling water today. I used a feeding tube. One just exploded.

 

[WetWhistle]

What do you recommend for manual removal. I used a syringe full of kalk paste once, but months later there is another one in the same place as the previous one removed.

I really like the red sea aiptasia X and I shut off my water flow for about 30 min to an hr and let the paste sit on the aiptasia for this time. I find if you cover most of the aiptasia and let it sit with water flow off you get a better death rate. Sometimes within the week if you missed any, didn't have good enough coverage or the base had daughter aiptasia you will have to do a follow up. The key is not to blast them with the paste but put enough on them that they want to eat the paste mixture but not enough that they pull in. If it is forceful enough they will pull in and you will more then likely have to go back for a second dose. I usually go back over it the day after to a week just in case.

 

[jd371]

I really like the red sea aiptasia X and I shut off my water flow for about 30 min to an hr and let the paste sit on the aiptasia for this time. I find if you cover most of the aiptasia and let it sit with water flow off you get a better death rate. Sometimes within the week if you missed any, didn't have good enough coverage or the base had daughter aiptasia you will have to do a follow up. The key is not to blast them with the paste but put enough on them that they want to eat the paste mixture but not enough that they pull in. If it is forceful enough they will pull in and you will more then likely have to go back for a second dose. I usually go back over it the day after to a week just in case.

My tank is fully stocked so another fish is out of the question and I can't have Nudis or Peppermints because of my Wrasse. I do basically the same thing.

 

[WetWhistle]

Ya sometimes adding fish to help with a problem is not the best option. Manual sucks but it works.

 

[john.m.cole3]

I really like the red sea aiptasia X and I shut off my water flow for about 30 min to an hr and let the paste sit on the aiptasia for this time. I find if you cover most of the aiptasia and let it sit with water flow off you get a better death rate. Sometimes within the week if you missed any, didn't have good enough coverage or the base had daughter aiptasia you will have to do a follow up. The key is not to blast them with the paste but put enough on them that they want to eat the paste mixture but not enough that they pull in. If it is forceful enough they will pull in and you will more then likely have to go back for a second dose. I usually go back over it the day after to a week just in case.

Thank you for the advice.

 

[WetWhistle]

you are welcome.

 

[Clownman727]

Use some reef epoxy and cover them up. They will die and not spread. You can remove the epoxy after a month or so.

 

[bblumberg]

I have a sudden aptasia outbreak and I'm not sure how I want to get rid of it. I'm looking for some advice on the best way to go about this. I'm also open to new ideas.

I currently have a 75 gallon tank with a yellow tang, two clowns, purple striped dottyback, and a damsel. I have a coral banded shrimp, several snails, and hermits as a cleanup.

My thoughts are...
1. buy some peppermint shrimp and let them do it, but I'm afraid my coral band shrimp and dottyback will kill them.
2. buy a copperband butterfly. makes me nervous cause they are hard to get going. love the fish though.
3. buy aptasia X. putting chemicals in my tank make me nervous.

Also, if you know of anything that can kill those little pest starfish, that would be nice too! aptasia first though!

Lots of good advice given already. The bottom line is that the same methods will work sometimes, but not others. Some peppermint shrimp are great, others not. If you use aiptasia-X or Joe's juice just right, then you are good, but if not, you will have a much worse outbreak. If you can take the rock out, torching it works very well, etc.

The solution for me was a matted filefish. It takes a couple of weeks before they get interested in the aiptasia, but once they do, it is game over for the aiptasia. Once the aiptasia are gone, you need to feed the filefish mysis or some other sort of meaty food to prevent nibbling on your corals. I put a Klein's butterfly in another tank and it also got rid of aiptasia quickly, but just as quickly started nibbling on a rainbow trachy. The butterfly is now in my sump.

Bruce

 

[Longnose Hawkfish]

Peppermint shrimp worked for me in my 93 gallon cube, and I only had one

 

[bblumberg]

Worked for me once, too. I had another outbreak about a year later and 10 different peppermints didn't solve the problem. One filefish did the trick.

 

[smokin'reefer]

I've done the file fish, peppermint shrimp and all the while using Aptasia X when I can get them. Finally broke down and got a laser for about the same cost of one round of the berghais with the delivery also. Laser is super fun and it turns into a family event with all of us putting on our laser glasses and listening to them sizzle. off. Plus if I get rid of them all on down the road if I buy a coral and it has one I can save it or if a few more pop up they get that.

 

[jvb89]

+1

 

[MaiReef]

I had no luck with peppermint shrimp. Aiptasia-X works with time. Just may need a few doses.

 

[Ross V]

I have used the manjano wand and it works amazing however it only can reach so many of the aiptasia some angles it just can't get to. I also used peppermint shrimp in tangent with the wand to get the ones the wand couldn't get to.

 

[Waterjockey]

+1 on the laser. Love the popping/sizzle sound. Very satisfying