Replacing 100% rock work to remove aiptasia

[canadianeh]

I started to see aiptasia on multiple places on rocks. I have been using aiptasia x, but it seems that after I killed l one and two popped up somewhere else. It is getting frustrating and I am worried that it will get worst.

I can’t get peppermint shrimp or nudibranch because I have melanarus wrasse, royal flasher wrasse, and flamehawk fish on the tank.

My tank has been set up for about a year now and coraline algae just started to grow in the tank.

I am currently using caribsea purple liferock and Fiji pink live sand. In the sump, I have good amount of marinepure balls and refugium.

is it okay to replace 100% rock work with twolittlefishes stax? Do I need to cure them first? Will it cause cycle if I remove all of the rocks?

 

[hds4216]

I would say you shouldn't remove all the rock at once without being prepared. It's where a huge amount of the benficial bacteria live, and moving it very well might cause a cycle. You could probably get around this by dosing bottled bacteria (get the high quality stuff) when you add the new rock.

Whether removing all rock gets rid of aiptasia, I have no idea.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

I would cycle the new rock first.

Are you sure there aren't any hidden aiptasia in the sump? It would be a shame to go through all of this and end up with aiptasia again...

 

[canadianeh]

I would cycle the new rock first.

Are you sure there aren't any hidden aiptasia in the sump? It would be a shame to go through all of this and end up with aiptasia again...

True. *SIGH*

What is the best course of action then for my specific situation?

 

[Dkmoo]

Aiptasia can grow in the sand too

The last two that I treated were "sucked out of the sand" after my aiptasia got under control via pep shrimps

Might be better rehome your predator fish temporarily than doing the massive rock move.

Edit: rehome the fish so you can get pep shrimps to clean the rock, instead of moving the rocks

 

[hds4216]

True. *SIGH*

What is the best course of action then for my specific situation?

How bad is the current problem?

 

[canadianeh]

Aiptasia can grow in the sand too

The last two that I treated were "sucked out of the sand" after my aiptasia got under control via pep shrimps

Might be better rehome your predator fish temporarily than doing the massive rock move.

Edit: rehome the fish so you can get pep shrimps to clean the rock, instead of moving the rocks

But I read often that peppermint shrimp may eat some corals too.

 

[canadianeh]

How bad is the current problem?

I have about less than 10 aiptasia that I can see in my tank

 

[hds4216]

But I read often that peppermint shrimp may eat some corals too.

They can. Nudibranchs are a safer bet.

 

[Dkmoo]

But I read often that peppermint shrimp may eat some corals too.

Read my post here on how I was 4 for 4 on my last reef safe pep purchases for aiptasia control

Post in thread 'How safe are Peppermint Shrimp?' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/how-safe-are-peppermint-shrimp.803122/post-8563811

Do you have sump? Alternatively, can put as much rock as you can fit into the sump and let the peps go to work. No corals in there.

Nudys work too in this method, key is just to separate the nudy/pep from the predator.

 

[Hugh Mann]

+1 to aiptasia isn't confined to rocks. I have them in my sand, on the glass, even growing in my HoB filter!!!

If you only have 10, I would recommend, if possible, housing your preds elsewhere temporarily and using Peppermints or nudis. It would be a pain, but not impossible to do, if you have the space for a big rubbermaid bin or spare tank.

 

[2Wheelsonly]

I started to see aiptasia on multiple places on rocks. I have been using aiptasia x, but it seems that after I killed l one and two popped up somewhere else. It is getting frustrating and I am worried that it will get worst.

I can’t get peppermint shrimp or nudibranch because I have melanarus wrasse, royal flasher wrasse, and flamehawk fish on the tank.

My tank has been set up for about a year now and coraline algae just started to grow in the tank.

I am currently using caribsea purple liferock and Fiji pink live sand. In the sump, I have good amount of marinepure balls and refugium.

is it okay to replace 100% rock work with twolittlefishes stax? Do I need to cure them first? Will it cause cycle if I remove all of the rocks?

wrasse typically don't eat nudi, if they do they usually only do it once because it basically tastes like the Aiptasia. I have multiple wrasse and never had an issue with the nudibranch. Their biggest issue is high flow and filter socks.

How long have you been in the hobby? I find that doing these drastic tear downs due to pests is absolutely the wrong way to approach. You WILL get these again, there will be a baby aiptasia on a frag that you can't see. Learn how to manage them unless you don't plan on ever having a tank full of corals and enjoy the look of a tank with bare rocks.

 

[2Wheelsonly]

wrasse typically don't eat nudi, if they do they usually only do it once because it basically tastes like the Aiptasia. I have multiple wrasse and never had an issue with the nudibranch. Their biggest issue is high flow and filter socks.

How long have you been in the hobby? I find that doing these drastic tear downs due to pests is absolutely the wrong way to approach. You WILL get these again, there will be a baby aiptasia on a frag that you can't see. Learn how to manage them unless you don't plan on ever having a tank full of corals and enjoy the look of a tank with bare rocks.

F-Aiptasa works very well if you have access to your rocks and can see the aiptasia. There is really no fear of "missing" and causing a mass of babies because you essentially cover them all in this stuff. I took out about 70 aiptasia in my large display in less than 15 mins using two bottles of the stuff...have not see one in weeks and when I eventually do, I will wipe it out.

 

[JimmyV]

The last time this happened to me I moved the fish to a 20 gallon tank. Then took all rock out and bleached it all, scrubbed it all . Dry it all in the sun
Got rid of all the sand , scrubbed tank with bleach. Yea started over.

 

[GlassMunky]

F-Aiptasa works very well if you have access to your rocks and can see the aiptasia. There is really no fear of "missing" and causing a mass of babies because you essentially cover them all in this stuff. I took out about 70 aiptasia in my large display in less than 15 mins using two bottles of the stuff...have not see one in weeks and when I eventually do, I will wipe it out.

While F-Aiptasia does work to kill them, be careful if you have to kill a lot of them.
The paste is basically Kalk paste and over the next few days you’ll need to keep an eye on your Calcium and Alkalinity:
I had my tanks ALK constantly raise for a week after doing a large batch of F-Aiptasia cause the kalk was slowly dissolving into the tank which is just another headache.

 

[Aqua Man]

You WILL get these again, there will be a baby aiptasia on a frag that you can't see. Learn how to manage them

This!!! Even being careful I still get them occasionally. As soon as I see one, I’m on it with kalk paste.

File fish will eat Aptsasia

 

[JimmyV]

This!!! Even being careful I still get them occasionally. As soon as I see one, I’m on it with kalk paste.

File fish will eat Aptsasia

How are filefish with other fish. Do they actively go after aptaisia big or small. I have never had one

 

[jsker]

How are filefish with other fish. Do they actively go after aptaisia big or small. I have never had one

It is a hit or miss with Matted file fish. I had one completely clean the tank. The present file fish seems to not be helping at all. I am going to introduce Nudi's when I can get my hands on some.

 

[JCOLE]

I tried Kalk paste, F-Aiptasia, and even a 5W laser to burn them off. They worked but they would always come back with a vengeance. I probably had 100 of them in my DT. I put a Copperband in there and he eliminated them in 3 days. I still have a couple that are tucked in cracks that he cannot get to but that doesn't worry me at all.

My frag tank had so many Aiptasia that I was embarrassed to even let it be seen. I tried Berghias and after a month the Aiptasia was getting worse. I decided to put in two peppermint shrimp and a Filefish. I removed as many as I could manually.l and now I only have a couple in the frag rack stands that they cannot get to. I can live with this also.

Some people have luck with other things but I feel the natural predators are the best approach. Lest headache and they will keep them in check.

I would remove your predator fish and add some peppermints and either an Aiptasia Filefish or a Copperband.

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

Kalk paste was suggested to me by @vetteguy53081 and does much better than the adhesive types imo. Inject the mouth with a needle syringe and watch it pop.

You can also use a blow torch to spot burn the rock. This will keep most bacteria alive but will take a few passes/weeks to get them all. I like this method but it won't help the littles ones that are near encrusted corals.

Nuking a tank won't be successful (I tried it myself) and QT my corals for 2 months. I was "aiptasia free" for about 4 months then found one that apparently made it through QT. Learn the manage them.

Also my filefish hasn't touched the one... I wouldn't rely on them unless you like bite marks on coral.