General Question on Overflow Pests

[ShadowMan]

Like a fair few in this hobby, I've suffered outbreaks of Aiptasia from time to time but opted for the natural approach to removal/control.

I've achieved a fair amount of success by having a very happy and healthy Copperband in the display and about 3 peppermints in the sump.

Recently I was doing a big of a deep clean on the tank, and was shocked when I gazed into the overflow box, to find literally 100's of Aiptasia thriving.

So my question is this, how do my fellow reefers deal with pests in the overflow box? (or is it out of sight,out of mind?)

 

[Gtinnel]

I have ultimately gone with the out of sight out of mind as long as there is still something in the display that will eat them.
I have asked this question before and answers I got were to either put a peppermint shrimp in the overflow, which didn’t work because he got sucked down to the sump before eating them. The other thing mentioned was to turn off flow and drain the water out of the overflow then fill it up with hot water, give it some time to kill them, and suck that water back out of the overflow. I never ended up even trying this method.

 

[ShadowMan]

I have ultimately gone with the out of sight out of mind as long as there is still something in the display that will eat them.
I have asked this question before and answers I got were to either put a peppermint shrimp in the overflow, which didn’t work because he got sucked down to the sump before eating them. The other thing mentioned was to turn off flow and drain the water out of the overflow then fill it up with hot water, give it some time to kill them, and suck that water back out of the overflow. I never ended up even trying this method.

Thanks @Gtinnel, I did consider adding a shrimp although quickly questioned whether that was a death sentence for the poor shrimp!

I did actually drain it down and then proceeded to scrape the walls and pipes that I could,but Aiptasia being what it is, quickly recovered... I wouldn't want to add anything in there that could make it back to the DT.

My current consideration, is nudibranchs... because at least there are no predators,but would they survive the flow?!

 

[Gtinnel]

Thanks @Gtinnel, I did consider adding a shrimp although quickly questioned whether that was a death sentence for the poor shrimp!

I did actually drain it down and then proceeded to scrape the walls and pipes that I could,but Aiptasia being what it is, quickly recovered... I wouldn't want to add anything in there that could make it back to the DT.

My current consideration, is nudibranchs... because at least there are no predators,but would they survive the flow?!

In my case the peppermint just got sucked into the sump and didn’t seem to harm him.

I was told berghia wouldn’t do well with the flow, but I have no experience with berghia so I can’t say from first hand experience.

Any aiptasia that make it into the display will just be free food for my copperband. I am to the point where I assume I will never be able to get rid of every last aiptasia so I no longer even try, as long as they aren’t in my display.

 

[SPR1968]

Like a fair few in this hobby, I've suffered outbreaks of Aiptasia from time to time but opted for the natural approach to removal/control.

I've achieved a fair amount of success by having a very happy and healthy Copperband in the display and about 3 peppermints in the sump.

Recently I was doing a big of a deep clean on the tank, and was shocked when I gazed into the overflow box, to find literally 100's of Aiptasia thriving.

So my question is this, how do my fellow reefers deal with pests in the overflow box? (or is it out of sight,out of mind?)

I just leave them alone, it’s all part of the diversity of the system, and creatures will adapt to their surroundings very often.

I don’t like them in the display, and occasionally need to address this, but other than I leave them alone.

 

[ShadowMan]

I just leave them alone, it’s all part of the diversity of the system, and creatures will adapt to their surroundings very often.

I don’t like them in the display, and occasionally need to address this, but other than I leave them alone.

Thanks @SPR1968. I do agree that it definitely adds to the diversity of the system and given I'm not seeing outbreaks anywhere else means the current measures are at least working.