What does it take to kill Aiptasia

[Florida Sunshine]

Ok I know all of the answers and they have all failed.
I've tried every predator and every product and it just isn't happening. I can keep them beaten back by using Aiptasia X on a regular basis but they re-grow again.
So I have decided the answer is to re-boot my rock. I have already taken out several pieces of rock that were the most covered and replaced them with live rock that was in my sump and not as pretty but no aiptasia.
So I am going to take this now dry rock (That is covered with aiptasia) and I am going to soak it in Clorox water 1:10 ratio for 24hrs then scrub rinse and re-soak in Clorox water. I am then going to leave it in the sun to dry at least a week.
Ultimately I want to put this rock back in my tank and let it gain some life and then take other pieces out selectively until fingers crossed they are all gone.
Do you think drying out, 2 Clorox soaks, Thorough rinse, lay in the sun to dry for two weeks will kill the aiptasia and all of their spores?
If not, what do I have to do to this rock to destroy any part of any aiptasia left on it to be sure not to re-introduce them to the tank.

 

[siggy]

 

[Sailingeric]

I had a few in my sump. Not wanting to spread to my DT I did nearly what you did, I removed everything down there and scrubbed it real good. I did find one on some chaeto this morning so when I get home it will be gone.

 

[WVNed]

Tried that
didn't work. They came back

 

[Sarah24!]

Hello,

I feel the pain I have used aptasia x on some of mine so many times and they grow back. Even the flow is left off for about an hour and they still come back. They are annoying little buggers that’s for sure. But stay on it and keep tagging them, because then they will get dominant control. But spending 19.99 on aptasia x often at times gets old also. I haven’t tried other ways (except organic like file fish etc) but they come right back. I do wait for them to get a tad bigger so it’s easier to chalk them. But again in 90 days they are back if not sooner. I have bleached rock etc but as soon as one gets threatened it releases seeds so there is no point in doing that. It could be brand new piece going in and you chalk another one and it can seed the rock you just cleaned. But they are frustrating and always grow in the strangest places.

 

[siggy]

I guess you could start over and go sterile, a week in strong bleach should do it. My money is you will get them again from introductions. I have a peppermint shrimp that has done a good job and I dont have to go hunting for them, all though I do have one small one he has overlooked but that's it.
APT-X worked for me. LFS told me to sneak up and slowly feed then completely cover the thing before it retracts. Good Luck

 

[WVNed]

I did the nudibranchs

They worked.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Have you tried berghia nudis? We just did a friends tank that was loaded and they ate every bit of it, and none back yet. Granted they need to be rehomed when all gone or they die, but we put 10 in and ended up with about 20, as they had babies lol. They are guaranteed to eat it, as it is their only food source. The one exception, is if you have a lot of wrasses. They may get eaten before they can eat.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

I did the nudibranchs

They worked.

Beat me to it Ned lol.

 

[siggy]

But they are frustrating and always grow in the strangest places.

x

 

[Eagle_Steve]

x

OMG. I needed that after the conf. call I just got off of.

 

[Tautog]

I tried lemon juice, then Apitasia X, filefish, copperband butterfly, $200.00 in nudis. None worked.
My bio-bricks broke up, thus pushing my nitrates and phosphates beyond any test kit results. The worst thing I did prior was to feed my corals heavy, which of course complicated everything. Unfortunately, this was my first crash, and most of my Acros died, but some survived. Monti’s, Zoas, Chalices were not affected, and Acans are recovering. The only good thing was the Apitasia is gone, as well as another invasive palm leaf stuff.

 

[|sCRIBe|]

I stopped and threw out my Aip-X because it just made things worse and didnt work. I got F-Aiptasia and so far its been good. The spots I cover dont have them return, no little babbies appearing near the area

 

[User1]

Tried that
didn't work. They came back

Then you didn't try hard enough. B61 mod 12 configured for bunker busting will do the trick.

On a more serious most people will recommend the nudibranchs but personally I'm not a fan due to the cost gouging - it is has bad as boutique chop/shop corals. Matted file fish is what I always use and things are cleared in about a month. Two worse case.

 

[Turnage]

 

[BadFish619]

I used aptasia x and it rocked. Handled it all in about 5 minutes

 

[reefwiser]

The problem once the display is clean you will reintroduce them from corals purchased at frag swaps or LFS. Need to QT all corals before you place them in a display for a couple of months. Aptasia are very good at sneaking back in on a new frag. Had it happen too many times.

 

[tehmadreefer]

Only one thing will completely eradicate them unless they are reintroduced.

Berghia Nudi's....

 

[tehmadreefer]

I tried lemon juice, then Apitasia X, filefish, copperband butterfly, $200.00 in nudis. None worked.
My bio-bricks broke up, thus pushing my nitrates and phosphates beyond any test kit results. The worst thing I did prior was to feed my corals heavy, which of course complicated everything. Unfortunately, this was my first crash, and most of my Acros died, but some survived. Monti’s, Zoas, Chalices were not affected, and Acans are recovering. The only good thing was the Apitasia is gone, as well as another invasive palm leaf stuff.

Curious to know how nudi's didn't work because that is the ONLY thing they eat.

 

[road_runner]

Over the years i tried many things from chemical treatments, the wand, nudibanches, kalk paste to peppermint.

Best solution was peppermint shrimp especially if you do not have aggressive wrasses that will bug the shrimp
2nd best was the nudibanches. But they need special care, acclimation and being vigilant in picking it up if it end up making it to the sump.
Ither than these 2, anything else was a temp solution that ended up magnifying the problem...