Massive Aptasia proble

[Steph72]

I have an out of hand aptasia problem how do I deal with or massively reduce their numbers? I know it’s possible to contain. Would new rock be better?

I can totally relate. I almost shut down my tank because the aiptasia had taken over everything. It was even growing on the snails and all over the sand bed. Berghias knocked out the problem and are reliable if you don’t have anything in your tank that would eat them. The drawbacks are that this route takes time, patience, and cash. Worth EVERY PENNY though.

 

[Isaac Alves]

I have a kleins butterfly. Not sure how large your tank is but he ate them all and keeps them gone. Also ate my star polyps — small price to pay. But he’s been great.

Also, although I’m not sure, My office tank has a Pygmy Lemon Peel that I think keeps it clean from aiptasia and my Xenia I used to have — although he will nip at bubble tips that aren’t protected by clowns.

 

[Dav2996]

I have a kleins butterfly. Not sure how large your tank is but he ate them all and keeps them gone. Also ate my star polyps — small price to pay. But he’s been great.

Also, although I’m not sure, My office tank has a Pygmy Lemon Peel that I think keeps it clean from aiptasia and my Xenia I used to have — although he will nip at bubble tips that aren’t protected by clowns.

I have a 20 gallon tank

 

[12pack]

Really what? Is it ok to kill what you determine is a pest without concern while what you determine a pest someone else praises? Where is the line? Does that line have ctural boarders? Does that line have geological borders?

OMG, are you for real?

Go ahead and enjoy your aiptasia

 

[Singspot]

..

 

[strawberryfish]

Really what? Is it ok to kill what you determine is a pest without concern while what you determine a pest someone else praises? Where is the line? Does that line have ctural boarders? Does that line have geological borders?

Yes that's precisely how it works, I determine something as a pest and exterminate it with extreme prejudice. What is the point you are trying to make?

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

@Eagle_Steve is it ethical to murder Aiptasia that you don’t want in your tank so long as you do it slowly? Would a faster method be more ethical? Just asking.

Bad Sean

 

[12pack]

to answer the OP question.
Why not try it all, a couple peppermints, a file fish and nudibranch, cant hurt.
Thats what I would do in your case

 

[Lavey29]

I used peppermint on mine effectively but OP why did you let this problem reach plague proportions?

 

[Isaac Alves]

20 gallon would be too small for a butterfly or even a Pygmy Angel.

If you don’t have any wrasses I would go with nudis and peppermints from online vendors like Salty Underground and Reef Cleaners.

In the past, I would even remove rock here and there and literally take an old flat head screwdriver and a hammer to break off portions with either aiptasia or even mushrooms that were growing out of control. Sounds extreme but the coral or anemones that were on the rock did fine as long as I had everything back in the water relatively quickly.

 

[BaliReefBox]

in a field of sunflowers a rose would be considered a weed/pest and taken out. I treat my tank the same and take out what I dislike...Now if only I could catch those camel back shrimp they would be on the BBQ.

 

[Dav2996]

I

20 gallon would be too small for a butterfly or even a Pygmy Angel.

If you don’t have any wrasses I would go with nudis and peppermints from online vendors like Salty Underground and Reef Cleaners.

In the past, I would even remove rock here and there and literally take an old flat head screwdriver and a hammer to break off portions with either aiptasia or even mushrooms that were growing out of control. Sounds extreme but the coral or anemones that were on the rock did fine as long as I had everything back in the water relatively quickly.

I could pull the rock out in a bucket and slowly chip away or use tweezers but I got a gazillion of them

 

[Dav2996]

I used peppermint on mine effectively but OP why did you let this problem reach plague proportions?

I kept using aptasia x the more I used it the more it spread like wild fire

 

[cooltowncorals]

You can scape them off a little for sure out of water use a razor

I would just nuke a bunch of them with aptasia x to shrink them so they don’t eat your nudi

Then let the nudi or peppermint do their work

 

[FinaticReef]

Peppermint shrimp is what I have success with for aiptasia.

I had aiptasias in my first tank. Berghia nudibranchs helped but was a slower process. When I added a Peppermint shrimp, it consumed them to the point of not even being able to see any in the display anymore

 

[i cant think]

I have an out of hand aptasia problem how do I deal with or massively reduce their numbers? I know it’s possible to contain. Would new rock be better?

I have been in this exact situation before and this is what I did;
Hit the bigger ones with Aiptasia killer (Whether that be Joes Juice, F Aiptasia, AiptasiaX).
You’ll want to do this several times a week for Atleast a month if not longer. Every time you see an aiptasia, hit it until you’re only left with the babies in the main tank. Once you get to this stage, use your natural predators. This includes;
- Berghia Nudibranchs
- Aiptasia Eating Filefish
- Copperband Butterflies
- Peppermint Shrimp (Lysmata wurdemanni)

If you go the peppermint shrimp route, make sure it is definitely Wurdemanni. If it isn’t Wurdemanni then you will risk your coral and most likely they won’t feed on aiptasia. Berghia Nudibranchs are the only way that will be 100% however they only go for smaller ones unless in a large group (Of which your tank size would be unable to hold). These also get pricey and are harder to come across due to them only eating aiptasia - Often once they decimate the aiptasia issue, they starve to death.

I then also, took a torch and any rock that DID NOT have coral on it, I scorched until the aiptasia was gone. This worked for me and now if I see an aiptasia that worries me, I will hit it with Aiptasia X. I do currently have a couple of young aiptasia however they’re small and as of now don’t worry me.
For the aiptasia I couldn’t get hold of, I got them with a Peppermint Shrimp and they worked just fine for going at the aiptasia.

I kept using aptasia x the more I used it the more it spread like wild fire

The reason they spread is due to you MUST cover their disc. No part of the aiptasia should be able to stick out of the aiptasiaX. These will reproduce when stressed so when you take them out of water you must do it fast and you can’t leave them in the water for too long. And when you cover them in the aiptasiaX, if they stick out then they will more than likely be able to reproduce.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

Do you have to quarantine a file fish???

 

[Dburr1014]

to answer the OP question.
Why not try it all, a couple peppermints, a file fish and nudibranch, cant hurt.
Thats what I would do in your case

No, peppermint will eat the berghia.

I have been in a similar situation. Kalk paste spread them everywhere.
Your situation is ideal for berghia nudies.
They work best when you have lots of aptaisia. They will get in every part and find 99% of them. I don't think anything is 100%

What's in your tank for fish or shrimp?
Wrasse will hunt berghia as some shrimp also.
But, I added berghia with both shrimp and wrasse. They should be added at night and near aptaisia, not on them....near them.
You don't "need" the big ones for high flow. That is marketing. Medium ones will lay eggs and the eggs will hatch. Babies will grow the population. The aptaisia infestation will collapse.
Remember, they feed at night so you may never see them. I give it about 4 months after adding and you will see a big improvement.

 

[Dburr1014]

Do you have to quarantine a file fish???

You should qt everything

 

[i cant think]

Do you have to quarantine a file fish???

It’s hard, some people will say you MUST quarantine all fish you get however others will say it’s not a problem if you don’t QT.
Then you have the ones in the middle like me, I don’t like QT however I’m not totally against it. I’m also not totally against putting fish in without QT. None of my fish get QTed and they’ve all thrived since day 1.