Plagued With Aiptasia

[tdileo]

I have stopped buying Aiptais X when I discovered that squirting straight vinegar (maybe 2 mls) right at them and leaving the water still for 10 minutes works at least as well as Aiptais X but probably better. Still a hopeless solution. Only contains the problem at best. I have been going to get a Copperband as my next step. I am concerned with Peppermint shrimp that they might eat the fins on my sleeping wrasse...I cant keep Hermits for that reason. Anyone got Peppermint Shrimp with Wrasse..???

Your hermits eat your sleeping wrasses fins? I found my lineatus with a really ripped up fin today. Now I’m curious if they could have any effect on that..

 

[jeffscooby13]

I never respond to these posts but feel I had to share. I have a 210 gallon spa dominant tank that gets full quarantine with anything new. Despite this, I’ve had gradual aiptasia showing up for the past year. One week ago I put 16 Berghia nudibranchs in the tank and all visible aiptasia are gone. Granted the critters will likely starve to death once they are done but they are certainly effective.

 

[Jesterrace]

Get a Klein's butterfly. Reef safe and an easy butterfly. Not too expensive.

Or for beauty--if you can afford--the Tinkers complex are SPS LPS safe and super hardy, great eaters.

I have had both with excellent results.

Really? I heard that Klein's are hit and miss and generally go after softies. I would personally love to add one to my tank, but I don't want my Frogspawn and Hammer to disappear.

 

[O'l Salty]

I have what I thought was just bad algae bloom but cannot get it under control after months of hand removing, weekly water changes...thought about removing rocks to just scrub real good with DI water. Rocks have lots of detritus too on lower areas. 5 yr Established 75g DT with 20g sump. Any thoughts?

I scrubbed and dipped my rock in a hydrogen peroxide water mixture. You can also scrub the rock and apply the HP directly to the area of algae. I use HP a lot and it hasn't damaged anything else that I know of.

 

[Gamma]

I scrubbed and dipped my rock in a hydrogen peroxide water mixture. You can also scrub the rock and apply the HP directly to the area of algae. I use HP a lot and it hasn't damaged anything else that I know of.

Thanks...I will give that a try with one that has no corals and see how it goes.

 

[Greg Curiale]

Peppermint shrimp is the way to go

 

[Greg Curiale]

At one point I had so much Aiptasia in my 125g that you couldn't see rock in between them. Literally hundreds of them.
I added 10 Peppermint shrimp and a Matted File Fish. It took a while, but they got rid of them.
I believe the Peppermint shrimp did most of the work.

I also had luck with Peppermint shrimp years ago in a 90g. 2 for 2 so far.

This question is for all peppermint shrimp owners. Can I add these to my tank without my blue throat trigger chowing down on them???

 

[Hammer100]

get some Berghia nudibranchs, they will clean them up in a month

 

[Greg Curiale]

Thanks Hammer100 appreciate your valued imput!!!

 

[Sea MunnKey]

I've got peppermints and they don't do squat at all. This may have been my many purchases of peppermints to no effect & wasted my money as well. Plus they don't touch the big aiptasias. Right now I've got a Matted filefish who's done nothing and may swap him out for another filefish. Used to own a filefish that ate aiptasia and gave him away to my lfs when work was done in the old system. Downside is when aiptasia is gone, it'll turn to lps & softies instead.

Berghia nudis are not cheap & hard to come by and I was told that it's not advisable to add Berghia when you have peppermints ...

Tried Copperband and it got "munched" up by powerhead ... I have no clue why . Aiptasia X another waste of $$$ ...

 

[motohead400]

I tried Aiptasia-X and it was worthless, other than killing my zoas I managed to accidentally squirt some on. If anything it just seemed to make more aiptasia pop up. As others have said peppermint shrimp is the way to go.

 

[mroche100]

Will the peppermint shrimp eat my sea urchin?

 

[mroche100]

Will peppermint shrimp try to eat my sea urchin?

 

[Sea MunnKey]

Will peppermint shrimp try to eat my sea urchin?

No

 

[mroche100]

No

Thanks
Peace

 

[gonioporagirl]

Peppermint shrimp and copperbands should eat the babies, but they won't eat the adult apitasia. I would dip new corals more thoroughly to prevent more aiptasia from entering the system. Lemon juice also works well to kill aiptasia, you just use a syringe and inject it into the mouth.

 

[xabo]

A Burgess Butterfly fish worked for me.

 

[nhlives]

If tearing down your system and starting over is an option, I would consider doing it. Once your system is taken over by aiptasia, it is extremely difficult to eliminate.

You never get rid of them. Just control. Don't use chemicals as that will make things worse. The early hobby thought they were cute. Learn to enjoy and control.

Berghi work very well but be careful if you gave shrimp critters.

 

[Sea MunnKey]

I don't mind a Copperband but it's a hit 'n miss thing. Oh heck I'm gonna catch the Matted filefish and swap it for another one and hope the new one'll eat them aiptasia

 

[Szigedi]

Depends on how much money you want to spend, Berghia Nudibranchs they only eat aptasia so they will starve and die once you run out.

I use lemon juice to kill aptasia, i target a few every other day, two hits and they let go of their base and i siphon them out.