Hardy Reef Safe Fish for Aiptasia Control?

[CoralReefer1019]

anyone with a good fish recommendations?

 

[standam]

Acreichthys tomentosus.
a great Aiptasia killer,sometimes it is not a reef safe.

can try

 

[CoralReefer1019]

Acreichthys tomentosus.
a great Aiptasia killer,sometimes it is not a reef safe.

can try

kinda need it to be reef safe and not attack expensive zoas

 

[eatbreakfast]

Anything that will eat aiptasia may nip at corals. Both aiptasia and corals are sessile invertebrates.

 

[CoralReefer1019]

Anything that will eat aiptasia may nip at corals. Both aiptasia and corals are sessile invertebrates.

anything you recommend that eats less corals?

 

[eatbreakfast]

Peppermint shrimp, aiptasia filefish and copperband butterflies are among the safest choices, but they are all a risk for nipping. If there were a better choice then aiptasia wouldn't be such a problem.

 

[CoralReefer1019]

matted filefish vs some sort of butterfly fish...what’s everyone’s thoughts

 

[ChrisOFL]

how about a pyramid butterfly fish? will these eat Aptasia and whats the difference between Aptasia and Majano?

The way I always deal with my aiptasia problem is with the berghia nudibranch. You can order them online and they ONLY eat aiptasia so you don't have to worry about them even looking at anything else in your tank.

Aiptasia Anemone

More translucent, clear - pale green, long slender tentacles.
Majano Anemone

Looks like something you would want to keep, kill it with laser beams and the majano wand.

 

[CoralReefer1019]

The way I always deal with my aiptasia problem is with the berghia nudibranch. You can order them online and they ONLY eat aiptasia so you don't have to worry about them even looking at anything else in your tank.

Aiptasia Anemone

More translucent, clear - pale green, long slender tentacles.
Majano Anemone

Looks like something you would want to keep, kill it with laser beams and the majano wand.

can’t do Aptasia eating nudis my Melanarus Wrasse will eat them...has to be a fish of some sort

 

[Roy 9121]

So you do want a peppermint shrimp?

 

[CoralReefer1019]

So you do want a peppermint shrimp?

I threw in 6 peppermints one time and the next day found shrimp body parts in tank

 

[CoralReefer1019]

my two most somewhat aggressive but nice fish are my yellow tang and Melanarus Wrasse

 

[Roy 9121]

I threw in 6 peppermints one time and the next day found shrimp body parts in tank

So then something in your tank does not like peppermint shrimp? Lol

 

[ChrisOFL]

can’t do Aptasia eating nudis my Melanarus Wrasse will eat them...has to be a fish of some sort

They are exclusively nocturnal and tuck themselves inside the rocks during the day so I wouldn't be too worried about your wrasse munching them. I understand the concern about them becoming fish food before they can do their job as they are not the cheapest solution, especially for larger tanks.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Matted filefish are less likely to nip corals than the butterflies that will eat pest anemones.

 

[Osteoclast]

If you are willing to not having some types of LPS then a butterfly fish is an excellent way to control aptasia. The Klein's Butterfly will eat them and the fish is not expensive relative to the others on this list. The Burgess, Declivus, and Tinkers are also good aptasia eaters and hardy fish but more expensive.

I have had Klein's, Burgess, and currently a Tinkers. The Tinkers was costly but super hardy and keeps my reef Aptasia free. He bites at clam mantles and some Acans. I see him mouthing my SPS but not eating the coral per set as all my SPS are growing very well. I have Aptasia growing in overflows and my sump so they are very hard to totally eradicate once in your system. My display is well controlled though.

 

[Reef of Fillory]

I caught aiptasia in my tank early on, and I hit it with aiptasia X which worked miracles to get rid of them. Then I bought a peppermint shrimp to keep them down, have never seen another aiptasia in my tank, and I feel like I'm feeding the peppermint to sit in my tank and look cool [when he comes out]. If there are any aiptasia left, they never get a chance.

If you follow the instructions on Aiptasia X it works great! But if you have a large number, it can be cumbersome. I treated my tank 3 times in a week with the aiptasia X and was very thorough.

 

[CoralReefer1019]

hello everyone ended up getting a matted Aptasia eating file fish let’s see how this goes with my Softies and Zoas

 

[saltyhog]

Copperband butterfly fish can be difficult to get eating but once you do they can be very hardy. Mine is deadly on aiptasia. He also does not bother any corals. The only thing that he eats that would be considered desirable is feather dusters.

Another choice is Chelmon marginalis. This fish is very similar to the CBB but is a little easier to get eating and just as hardy.

No fish is going to be fool proof......for either aiptasia control or reef safeness.

 

[CoralReefer1019]

Copperband butterfly fish can be difficult to get eating but once you do they can be very hardy. Mine is deadly on aiptasia. He also does not bother any corals. The only thing that he eats that would be considered desirable is feather dusters.

Another choice is Chelmon marginalis. This fish is very similar to the CBB but is a little easier to get eating and just as hardy.

No fish is going to be fool proof......for either aiptasia control or reef safeness.

your thoughts on the Aptasia eating filefish?