How to kill Aiptasia (preferably under water)?

[potatocouch]

We had a pretty sizable outbreak when we introduced some live rock last September. We used lemon juice in a 1mL syringe / needle. Inject right in the center and give each one a few drops of lemon juice. They immediately recoil and never recover... very satisfying. We're 6 months since then and haven't had any more issues.

Does this has to be a freshly squeezed lemon juice or can I use bottled lemon juice?

And does it have any ill effect on the water parameters, hence risking the other inhabitants?

 

[DarthSimon]

I took the proper safety precautions and got all of the aipstasia that I could see... Works for me.....

 

[Salt1972]

Does this has to be a freshly squeezed lemon juice or can I use bottled lemon juice?

And does it have any ill effect on the water parameters, hence risking the other inhabitants?

I used bottled lemon juice. Ours is a mixed reef with fish (clowns, chromis, & purple tang), inverts, LPS, & SPS and we did not observe any ill effects. I limited to 6mL per day treatment, but did so daily (or as needed) until they were all gone.

 

[alanbetiger]

How big is your tank and can you easily get to all of them?
If you only have a few then I agree with the various injections, I also have used boiling water in a 20mL syringe.
All the fish/invertebrates are hit or miss except for the Berghia nudibranchs, but with a low poulation they might get eaten before getting all the aiptasia.

 

[vic5hands]

Copper Band Butterfly loves them

 

[jd371]

I've tried Peppermints but they didn't last long with my Wrasse. It looked like my CBB was eating them at first but has stopped now. Throughout all this I was using Aptasia-X on them as well, and it did work for some that were out in the open and easy to get to but the ones in the holes and crevices not so much and now they have multiplied all over the tank and it's gotten really bad. My last hope is Berghia that are being delivered tomorrow.

 

[Haberdasher]

The only thing that worked for me to completely eradicate them from my tank was Berghia nudibranchs.

 

[Jeff Cahill]

Boiling water in a syringe 2-3 squirts

 

[tony'stank]

I tried injecting with lemon juice and applying kale paste. It didn’t work. If you only have three I would recommend what finally work for me. It they are small cover them with superglue Joel. If they are large cover them with reef safe two part epoxy putty. This smothers the and kills them without taking the chance of shredding them and causing them to spread

 

[potatocouch]

Boiling water in a syringe 2-3 squirts

Wouldn't the plastic syringe melt ?

 

[nosmok]

I just got my laser yesterday and it works extremely well on the Aipstasia you can see.....

I also bought this laser. Looks and feels great, very powerful but ultimately doesn't effectively or efficiently kill Aiptasia. Takes a long time and battery life to fry one, but the next day I still see it making a recovery. Kalk paste in a syringe worked better and I could treat a lot very fast. The laser will be reserved for impossible to reach recurrances

 

[Greggy]

• Peppermint shrimp doesn't seem to work (I put in 3 small one yesterday and I don't see them anymore LOL .... let alone them fixing my Aiptasia).
  • I had a bigger Peppermint shrimp earlier this year and it seems to work on those Aiptasia but shame, I think it gets eaten by the BTA; perhaps what I need is a bigger Peppermint Shrimp?
• Prefer to fix underwater (don't need to take rock out if I can).
• (Information if it matters) Inhabitants inside: BTAs, Zoanthids, Euphyllias, Scolly, Rics, Morphs, Acans & 2 Clownfish.

Question: What is the best method in killing these Aiptasia (some is quite big; total of 3 approximately at the moment)?

Picture below is just reference and doesn't depict the real Aiptasia in the tank.

I have tried everything. Matted filefish love them and eat the lot. They are tough and hardy

 

[vic5hands]

Copper band Butterfly likes small ones The larger you have to take care of

 

[jd371]

Copper band Butterfly likes small ones The larger you have to take care of

This is what I noticed too. After I added the CBB to the tank I wouldn't see any small ones just big. After a few months though I started to see all sizes again so I assumed he stopped eating them due to the fact that he fills up on black worms, white worms and assorted frozen foods.

 

[ashley]

I have had great success with warming water is the microwave for about two minutes and using a medicine syringe to squirt the hot water directly on top of the aiptasia and it will shrivel up then you can suck it back into the syringe and POOF gone!

 

[Porpoise Hork]

If possible the best method I have found is to entomb them with epoxy putty and/or super glue. When I tried AptasiaX, kalk, or lemon juice it did either nothing at all or cause them to spread.

 

[AcanthurusRex]

Berghia worked for me, took a couple months. However, they are coming back after about 8 months; they are in the weir. Apparently, the Berghia did not populate the weir.

 

[potatocouch]

Why am I hearing bad things about Red Sea Aiptasia X causing them to spread instead eliminating them?

 

[vic5hands]

I used to mix Kalk Solution and water and inject it into mouth . Gotta kill the large one . You could also try lemon juice, or Aiptasia X

 

[Wicky48]

Ok I think I will try one of these I have quite a bad Aiptasia problem in my tank. I used Aiptasia X and it seemed to make the problem worse. I tried three small peppermint shrimp and of all the fish I didn't think would eat them my strawberry dottyback took the first one I put in the tank down in one gulp. The other three I put in another tank to grow a bit. I will see if I can get one of these and maybe it will do the trick. I have heard that these animals as well can be dangerous if they die in the tank, poisonous to the fish I mean, is that true for all nudibranchs? Thanks.