Aptasia!!!

[member 99594]

Hey all,

I have been battling aptasia for a couple of months now and have had no luck.

I have used Aptasia X, that works however, they keep coming back, and two peppermints that don't really do anything.

What should I try next, Copperband or Filefish? Does anyone have better luck with one or the other?

 

[SPR1968]

The Aiptasia X should work, and does work, but it’s all about timing.

You need to slowly hover the needle around the mouth but not so close that it detects you, and then squirt it into the mouth part before it closes up.

If you don’t time it right it won’t work, but you’ll soon learn the ‘marksmanship’ skills!

 

[member 99594]

The Aiptasia X should work, and does work, but it’s all about timing.

You need to slowly hover the needle around the mouth but not so close that it detects you, and then squirt it into the mouth part before it closes up.

If you don’t time it right it won’t work, but you’ll soon learn the ‘marksmanship’ skills!

It does work, however, I can't keep up to it. I knock out 4 and 5 more show up in different locations. *I was not clear on that at all

 

[BeejReef]

No experience with it personally, but have heard good things about Berghia (sp) nudibranch. The peeps at BRS give them a hardy endorsement.
My peppermint shrimp is absolutely useless as well.

 

[SuncrestReef]

I put a dozen berghia nudibranchs into my tank in February when my aiptasia was getting out of control. For the first month, I didn't notice any improvement, but today I can only find 3 aiptasia. They did an amazing job!

 

[BeejReef]

I put a dozen berghia nudibranchs into my tank in February when my aiptasia was getting out of control. For the first month, I didn't notice any improvement, but today I can only find 3 aiptasia. They did an amazing job!

I, very occasionally, notice a small aptasia here or there. So far, they've been in spots I could easily remove them. Had considered a Berghia or two, but feel bad about the possibility of starving them after their work is done. Are they large enough/visible enough to remove and re home?

 

[member 99594]

I put a dozen berghia nudibranchs into my tank in February when my aiptasia was getting out of control. For the first month, I didn't notice any improvement, but today I can only find 3 aiptasia. They did an amazing job!

Holy crap, I have only seen them for $19 each, $15 at the cheapest.. that is a pretty pricy no, or is there another way to get them cheaper?

 

[Spar]

Aiptasia X is how I ridded them in my 450g years ago. It is time consuming, but as long as you get to them as you notice them they eventually go away. I'd personally do a combo of peppermint, nudi's and aiptasia-x.

Also, if you want to get expensive and fun, with a vengeance, go laser beam!

 

[tehmadreefer]

The only 100% way to eradicate is using berghia nudis

 

[Spar]

The only 100% way to eradicate is using berghia nudis

I didn't use nudis and i was 100% successful. in a huge tank that was infested at that. i do however agree that adding nudis is a wise move!

 

[member 99594]

Aiptasia X is how I ridded them in my 450g years ago. It is time consuming, but as long as you get to them as you notice them they eventually go away. I'd personally do a combo of peppermint, nudi's and aiptasia-x.

Also, if you want to get expensive and fun, with a vengeance, go laser beam!

I just feel bad about the Nudi's after there is no food left.

 

[SuncrestReef]

Aiptasia X is how I ridded them in my 450g years ago. It is time consuming, but as long as you get to them as you notice them they eventually go away. I'd personally do a combo of peppermint, nudi's and aiptasia-x.

Also, if you want to get expensive and fun, with a vengeance, go laser beam!

I didn't mention above that I do have a laser and had been zapping them for months. The problem with a laser is that you need a direct line of sight to hit the aiptasia, but there will be many behind rocks or with corals blocking you, so a laser will never eradicate them. The nudibranchs don't have this limitation.

 

[SuncrestReef]

Holy crap, I have only seen them for $19 each, $15 at the cheapest.. that is a pretty pricy no, or is there another way to get them cheaper?

I found them on sale in February for about $7.50 each.

 

[reeflife3]

may experience with aptasia. Get them quickly before the get out of hand
Aptasia x - worked but they always came back
file fish - ate all the polyps off my sps
peppermint shrimp - didn't do anything
Cooper band - great fish but mine doesn't eat aptasia
Nudi's - added 10 on April 10, they cleared a small section of rock hopefully they are multiplying.

Salty underground sells them for 12.99 and free shipping for over $75
https://saltyunderground.com/category/berghia-nudibranch

 

[Scubabum]

may experience with aptasia. Get them quickly before the get out of hand
Aptasia x - worked but they always came back
file fish - ate all the polyps off my sps
peppermint shrimp - didn't do anything
Cooper band - great fish but mine doesn't eat aptasia
Nudi's - added 10 on April 10, they cleared a small section of rock hopefully they are multiplying.

Salty underground sells them for 12.99 and free shipping for over $75
https://saltyunderground.com/category/berghia-nudibranch

You have me second guessing my decision to try a File Fish. Currently in QT. Definitely don't want it munching on my SPS polyps. Dang!!!!!

 

[reeflife3]

he ate the polyps off my MT dew acro and the green slimmer, people says there's a 50/50 chance. its sucks because i have a ton of aptasia he could have ate.

 

[member 99594]

I am leaning towards maybe 2 nudis and see what happens, drop them off right in front of a couple of aptaisas.

 

[PEP12]

Aptasia X I am using now I will not risk a file fish and peppermint shrimps are a no-no as I have a comet which would eat the shrimps, expensive meal!! I will persevere with Aptasia x as I will not give up till they are all gone

 

[Cment]

My choice would be berghia nudis. They take a while but man they get the job done. I purchased 10 for a 40 breeder with a pretty bad infestation of aptasia 4 months later the tank was aptasia free and I had about 40 of them. I sold some to local reefers and traded the rest in to my LFS and made double my money back.

 

[jd371]

Like was mentioned nudis will take care of the problem. They get into the crevices and deep in the rocks where you can't get to the aptasia and eat those first before working their way out, that's why you'll think nothing is happening until you'll start noticing the ones that are visible start disappearing a few weeks after introducing the nudis. With that being said you also have to make sure there's nothing in your tank that'll eat the nudis, in my case it was my melanurus I was worried about but he was buried in the sand way before the nudis came out after lights out to do their work.
I bought a total of 16 for my 75g and it was clear of aptasia 3 months after introducing the nudis. I was hoping to see them after the aptasia was gone so I can pass them on to other reefers but I never saw them again. Recently I've noticed some aptasia again and will definitely use them if it gets out of control. What I'm using now for the few I see is F-Aptasia (sold by a sponsor on this forum) and this does the job a lot better than aptasia-x. The ones I've killed so far haven't come back like they used to when using aptasia-x.