Livestock for Aiptasia Control

[Hugh Mann]

It's hard to be patient, I want this aiptasia to hurry up and go away. Dang stuff is persistent, even growing out of my chaeto and other macro algae. But as with many things in this hobby, it's all about waiting.

 

[Hugh Mann]

I tried a file fish to no success. He did nip at the nassarius snails.
can’t find the specific nudis in Canada so didn’t try this even though I’d like to.
I bought three peppermint shrimp, two survived. I went really light on the feeding for the first couple of weeks and combined with Aptasia x, my aptasia has really come down. Certainly not gone but the tank looks much better.
I did get a Copperband that didn’t make it through quarantine sadly.

Bigshowfrags, based I believe in Ontario often carries nudibranches.

J&L Aquatics in BC sometimes has them, it's where I got mine. Had to call and ask though, they weren't on the stock list.

Canada Corals, also in BC can get them in too.

All about the same price, $25 each, and all offer shipping at various costs, though I am warned Peppermints will eat aiptasia flavored berghias.

 

[Kenneth Wingerter]

i believe these are still available from time to time. https://www.reef2rainforest.com/2016/08/03/molly-miller-blennies-for-aiptasia-control/

 

[Samsquanch]

I had a decent aiptasia problem, I tired peppermint shrimps but they never really did much and I think my pistol shrimp might of killed a few. Next I tried a majano wand but that was kinda hard to get the base and they'd just grow back. I eventually got a file fish, now I contemplate getting aipasia covered rocks just to give him a snack because he took care of all the aiptasia in my tank, I havent seen a single one in almost a year! He's a model citizen in my tank never had a issue with him eating my LPS or anything I wouldn't want him to eat. Him and my yellow tang kinda team up and pick at rocks all day. He's also my most alert fish, simular to a puffer with his eyes, I can see him watch me as I move around the tank.

 

[marcusbacus]

I've come to the conclusion that I suck at manually controlling aiptasia. Boiling water, lemon juice, the various kalk pastes, all I end up doing is turning 1 into 4-5. As I move to upgrade to a 230 Gallon, I will barely be able to reach the bottom of the tank, so the precise application needed for the chemical methods is a no go anyways.

I know there's an assortment of livestock out there that will eat it. I'm aware of a few, but I'm sure there's more I don't. What are these animals, and what are the pros/cons of keeping them?

Berghia: Devours aiptasia, but as I understand it, they'll often starve to death after eating it all. At $25-$40 each, not exactly ideal.

Filefish: Won't stop at aiptasia, and can/will eat any and all anenomes.

CB Butterfly: Doesn't always eat aiptasia, can be a delicate fish from what I've read.

Peppermint Shrimp: Expensive yet equally tasty eel snacks.

Berghia is really effective, and they reproduce like crazy. You probably can find someone that has a big population and can sell you some much cheaper than that (I bought mine for like $5 each a couple years ago, just 4 of them, that turned into a hundred pretty fast) or you can even get some for free.

 

[Hugh Mann]

Berghia is really effective, and they reproduce like crazy. You probably can find someone that has a big population and can sell you some much cheaper than that (I bought mine for like $5 each a couple years ago, just 4 of them, that turned into a hundred pretty fast) or you can even get some for free.

Not around me. It's a very uncommon hobby. Though I did pick up 4 berghias this weekend. Haven't yet seen them do their thing, but I am told it will be weeks or months.

 

[[Cameron]]

I strongly suggest you do not kill aiptasia without managing its "babies". Killing one can cause them to explode in a tank. The method we used ages ago was to irritate it until it retracted, nuke it with kalkwasser then use putty to seal it off. This prevents it from spreading as it dies off. Wear gloves.

Livestock is very hit and miss.

 

[DinoMagnet]

Following ! I am trying peppermint shrimp and they have yet to go after any aiptasia. I’d love to get some berghia but just like you said at that price point and needing to get multiple doesn’t seem ideal for them to just die off eventually .

See if you can trade them, I had about 20-25 aptasias I couldn’t keep up with aptasia x. I got two pep shrimps n they literally ate them in a 24 hr span.

 

[[Cameron]]

Quick google and it seems there are better solutions to the old school kill and cover method.

 

[HockeyRooster]

Bigshowfrags, based I believe in Ontario often carries nudibranches.

J&L Aquatics in BC sometimes has them, it's where I got mine. Had to call and ask though, they weren't on the stock list.

Canada Corals, also in BC can get them in too.

All about the same price, $25 each, and all offer shipping at various costs, though I am warned Peppermints will eat aiptasia flavored berghias.

Thanks for the tip! Lots of good info. As soon as the weather warms up in a few months, I think I’ll order some.

 

[jaganshi066]

I guess I was lucky......spend $25 for 5 peppermint shrimps, and they wiped out 10-15 aiptasia (and a few big ones) over the next few days. I haven't seen neither the shrimps nor aiptasia for almost a year now.

I bought 4 peppermints and they have never touched the aiptasia. I have a 40 gallon and only 3 aiptasias, but they didn’t go near it. They got hungry and even flipped over my snails and ate them

 

[jaganshi066]

It's hard to be patient, I want this aiptasia to hurry up and go away. Dang stuff is persistent, even growing out of my chaeto and other macro algae. But as with many things in this hobby, it's all about waiting.

I’ve tried peppermints and they didn’t touch it and instead went after my nerith and cerith snails. Literally flipped them over from the glass and I had to keep pushing them away. I tried aiptasia x and the thing worked and it hasn’t been back

 

[Sudaien]

Following ! I am trying peppermint shrimp and they have yet to go after any aiptasia. I’d love to get some berghia but just like you said at that price point and needing to get multiple doesn’t seem ideal for them to just die off eventually .

i put many peppermint shrimp in my tank to get some aiptasia , they did nothing, they did however wreak havoc on my zoa colonies , so i used coral glue on the aiptasia and bought a marine betta to eat the peppermint shrimp. all is well in my tank now

 

[jaganshi066]

i put many peppermint shrimp in my tank to get some aiptasia , they did nothing, they did however wreak havoc on my zoa colonies , so i used coral glue on the aiptasia and bought a marine betta to eat the peppermint shrimp. all is well in my tank now

The 4 peppermints I got for my 40 gallon kept flipping my snails over from the glass and tried to eat them, but didn’t touch one aiptasia

 

[Midrats]

Every time I use F Aiptasia I notice new little ones popping up all over, and I entomb them in the stuff.

 

[Mjl714]

I have a Kleini Butterfly on order to take care my aptasia. My understanding is that they clean it up really quick and are safer for SPS, but not so much for LPS and softies, so not sure if that is an option in your tank.
Also I had some small aptasia starting in my frag tank, added a peppermint shrimp and they were gone the next day, downside I think it has been snacking on a couple of LPS in the tank.

Any update on the effectiveness of the butterfly?

 

[Bossman]

I had a Kleini Butterfly and a Brown Butterfly (Heniochus varius) and both did indeed control the aiptasia. But overtime my soft corals all started to recede. The butterflies were constantly picking at everything. My muschrooms, rics, palys and even leathers. Beautiful fish and I almost kept the Brown Butterfly but don't want a fish only tank.

 

[Buffalou]

I've tried everything and the only thing that worked was Berghia, not cheap but you may be able to recapture and sell if your part of local reef crew. That's how I got mine.

 

[danieyella]

I've tried everything and the only thing that worked was Berghia, not cheap but you may be able to recapture and sell if your part of local reef crew. That's how I got mine.

They work the best for sure, but don't spend the money on them if you have wrasse, they'll knock them out before they can do their job.

 

[DaddyFish]

High-power laser fish.