What's your experience with Aiptasia KILLERS?

[FreshwaterConvert]

New to the hobby, found my first aiptasia on a recently added drag plug, did some digging on here, and immediately removed the plug into a cup outside the system. Was able to get some aiptasia X but I made the mistake of exposing the frag to the air when I moved it so the main anemone was closed. Waited a few days for it to open, and low and behold not only had it opened, but it had moved off the plug and onto the side of the cup, and I found a small one on the side of the frag. Used the aiptasia X on all the ones I could find, then moved the frag to a different cup with new water and monitored for a few days. That was about a month ago and I haven’t seen any more aiptasia since. I did add a peppermint shrimp recently but that was only because I needed to meet a minimum order requirement to get my mantis shrimp. Peppermint shrimp disappeared a few days later. I believe the reason I likely had success was because I treated the aiptasia outside of my main system with aiptasia X and I rinsed and transferred the frag to avoid any spores or fragments getting spread around. It is totally possible that I’ll have it pop up again later on but for rn I’m confident there’s none that I can find in my system (a 13 gallon nano )

 

[jeffchapok]

The only thing that completely eliminated mine was a filefish. But once all the aiptasia were gone, he wiped out all my RFA's too.

 

[BlackGoldReefs]

Aiptasia anemones are a pest to the nth degree! They almost seemingly appear from nowhere and seem to breed in epic proportions. They are a pain to say the least. So in order to be a good steward of our reef aquarium it is up to us to "eliminate" them. But there are so many different ways that claim to get this job done and knowing what works and what doesn't work can be a challenge. There are aiptasia killing wands, aiptasia killing nudis, aiptasia killing juice, aiptasia killing fish and so on and so forth. So today I would like to ask you about your experience with Aiptasia killers!

1. What has been the BEST and most effective "tool" that you have used to get rid of aiptasia in your aquarium?

2. What are all the ways that have worked and have not worked?

berghia nudis eating aiptasia from this zoanthid colony: image via www.saltyunderground.com

 

[Eagle_Steve]

 

[BlackGoldReefs]

Aiptasia anemones are a pest to the nth degree! They almost seemingly appear from nowhere and seem to breed in epic proportions. They are a pain to say the least. So in order to be a good steward of our reef aquarium it is up to us to "eliminate" them. But there are so many different ways that claim to get this job done and knowing what works and what doesn't work can be a challenge. There are aiptasia killing wands, aiptasia killing nudis, aiptasia killing juice, aiptasia killing fish and so on and so forth. So today I would like to ask you about your experience with Aiptasia killers!

1. What has been the BEST and most effective "tool" that you have used to get rid of aiptasia in your aquarium?

2. What are all the ways that have worked and have not worked?

berghia nudis eating aiptasia from this zoanthid colony: image via www.saltyunderground.com

I have heard Frank’s aiptasia is one of the best killers in the came. Creates a crust that suffocates them.

 

[stanleo]

I have a fair few aiptasia in my tank. I tried the nudibranchs and peppermint shrimp. I didn't put the nudis in right and they were gone and the peppermints I think eat them but they don't eradicate them. My best defense is to tolerate them until one pops up too close to a coral and then zap those with Aiptasia X. It works but I have admitted that I will never be rid of them fully and have accepted them as part of the reef. Now I really have to look for them to notice them.

 

[stanleo]

I have a fair few aiptasia in my tank. I tried the nudibranchs and peppermint shrimp. I didn't put the nudis in right and they were gone and the peppermints I think eat them but they don't eradicate them. My best defense is to tolerate them until one pops up too close to a coral and then zap those with Aiptasia X. It works but I have admitted that I will never be rid of them fully and have accepted them as part of the reef. Now I really have to look for them to notice them.

 

[Dr. James]

I've had good luck with Peppermint Shrimp, not individual shrimp, but 6 to 12 of them at a time.

I've had hit and miss luck with individual file fish and copper banded butterflys. Some were great, some ignored them completely.

The chemicals work but I find that it is impossible to find all of them and prefer biological control.

I just purchased some Berghia last week and am hoping to establish a colony of them. The 3 disappeared pretty quickly in a bare bottom tank with one small rock with several Aiptasia on it. I hope they are still in there and doing well; I hear that they are nocturnal.

 

[Auquanut]

I've always had aptaisia and always kept peppermint shrimp. I've never had a real infestation, but they would keep popping up. I had a much larger problem with mojanos. Drove my wife crazy. I used to hit them with aptaisia-x as part of the weekly maintenance schedule. I finally added a couple of matted file fish a few months apart. They wiped out the majanos immediately. I didn't think they cared for the few large aptaisia that I just couldn't beat, but suddenly, after months of having the file fish in the tank, the aptaisia disappeared. I haven't seen any for the better part of a year.

I know they are in my overflows, and probably in the plumbing. But the weird thing is that I've never seen any in my sump. I run a refugium with all kinds of crazy life in it, but I've never seen a single aptaisia from day one.

 

[WallyB]

I don't see my Aptasia in Display Tank since I have a Copperband Butterfly Fish.
I like to keep aptasia in my Sump....

Aptasia grows in my Sump/Refuge, and then makes its way back to the tank. (But not for long)
The young Aptasia in the Tank is what the Copperband hunts and eats.

I learned with having a few Copperbands over the years, they do NOT really go after the Large Aptasia.

Those LARGE aptasia are best dealt with products like Aptasia X or Joe's Juice, or Berghia Nudi's.

When I lost my COpperband the Aptasia outbreak got out of control and they got large.

For that situation I got a few Berghia Nudi's and they cleaned the visible tank Aptasia. Took a while. But just in time when my Replacement Copperband came out of QT.


What I learned is Copperbands will get thin and die from starvation if they are hooked on Aptasia for their main food (and the Aptasia runs out).

It's best to Train a Copperband in QT to eat frozen, and if available Clams Meat on Shell, or Clam meat sliced and put on a clip (to reduce waste).

The best way for me to train a Finky Copperband in QT is with MASSTICK Food.

THis helps keep the Copperband from getting thin after he goes into Display Tank.
I keep feeding the Copperband Masstick in the Display tank till he get's settled in, eatting Whatever he likes to eat (Frozen, or APtasia)

He will hopefull learn eat the sprouting Aptasia (which may not be enough), but have a supplimented diet of Frozen Food and Clam Meat.

I did learn from a Fish Supplier, that you can add MUSH UP some extracted Aptasia from you tank and add to the Masstick Food to speed up the Learning Curve on the Copperband to aquire the taste for Aptasia.

Since I'm on the topic of other Aptasia Eradication methods, I did try pepermint shrimp. Since I've never seem them eat aptasia, and actually rarely see the pepermints themselves, I don't know if they are effective.

 

[n21benson]

1. Aptasia X - Very successful but labour intensive
2. Peppermint shrimp x 3 - Awesome! (unsure if I just got lucky as I read conflicting results) but they cleaned the tank completely!

 

[Zionas]

I’d have a Copperband if it wasn’t so hard to keep!

 

[Reefthedayaway]

Aiptasia anemones are a pest to the nth degree! They almost seemingly appear from nowhere and seem to breed in epic proportions. They are a pain to say the least. So in order to be a good steward of our reef aquarium it is up to us to "eliminate" them. But there are so many different ways that claim to get this job done and knowing what works and what doesn't work can be a challenge. There are aiptasia killing wands, aiptasia killing nudis, aiptasia killing juice, aiptasia killing fish and so on and so forth. So today I would like to ask you about your experience with Aiptasia killers!

1. What has been the BEST and most effective "tool" that you have used to get rid of aiptasia in your aquarium?

2. What are all the ways that have worked and have not worked?

berghia nudis eating aiptasia from this zoanthid colony: image via www.saltyunderground.com

Tried everything, nudis probably the best thing I bought but they got ate then bleach, yeah bleach solved my problem after about 3 years!!

 

[Maddlesrain]

Weirdly enough, I feel like the less I mess with the tank or attempt to remove anything, the less problems there are—including aiptasia. I’ll get a couple really massive ones that pop up, but I just let them do their thing. Peppermint shrimp do a really great job IMO of clearing them out (from what I’ve seen in the past), and I’m looking to reintroduce a pair after several years just as personable additions.

 

[mdrobc13]

Had huge problem and Atipsia X did not work..seemed to propagate more when used after a few months. Bought a File Fish and a Racoon Butterly and they nuked them over a 2 mo period. Clean out every remnant of them. Much success...but be careful with other corals. They are not that discriminate eaters.

 

[Gary Grise]

Aiptasia anemones are a pest to the nth degree! They almost seemingly appear from nowhere and seem to breed in epic proportions. They are a pain to say the least. So in order to be a good steward of our reef aquarium it is up to us to "eliminate" them. But there are so many different ways that claim to get this job done and knowing what works and what doesn't work can be a challenge. There are aiptasia killing wands, aiptasia killing nudis, aiptasia killing juice, aiptasia killing fish and so on and so forth. So today I would like to ask you about your experience with Aiptasia killers!

1. What has been the BEST and most effective "tool" that you have used to get rid of aiptasia in your aquarium?

2. What are all the ways that have worked and have not worked?

berghia nudis eating aiptasia from this zoanthid colony: image via www.saltyunderground.com

Had an aiptasia problem, tried joe juice, berghia, zappers, etc. no use. Then had ato failure where too much DI was added. Salinity dropped to 22. All aiptasia disappeared. I got salinity back to 35. Rest of livestock survived.
Don’t know if the salinity change was responsible but none since.

 

[Cobra1311]

Aiptasia anemones are a pest to the nth degree! They almost seemingly appear from nowhere and seem to breed in epic proportions. They are a pain to say the least. So in order to be a good steward of our reef aquarium it is up to us to "eliminate" them. But there are so many different ways that claim to get this job done and knowing what works and what doesn't work can be a challenge. There are aiptasia killing wands, aiptasia killing nudis, aiptasia killing juice, aiptasia killing fish and so on and so forth. So today I would like to ask you about your experience with Aiptasia killers!

1. What has been the BEST and most effective "tool" that you have used to get rid of aiptasia in your aquarium?

2. What are all the ways that have worked and have not worked?

berghia nudis eating aiptasia from this zoanthid colony: image via www.saltyunderground.com

I no longer have that issue In my aquarium but when I did , I had about 3-4 large ones I bought a peppermint shrimp and within a few days they were gone. He now eats any left over food I feed my fish . He’s become an addition to my display .

 

[Peace River]

IME F-Aiptasia from @Frank's Tanks is the only additive that has worked for me.

 

[Robert Ranciato]

I have used bleach, worked
I have used vinegar, not work
F aiptasia, not work(side ways or upside down... No)
Kalk paste, not work( side ways or upside down... No)
Lemon juice, surprisingly, yes
Glue and epoxy, not work
Berghia nudis, yes

The one thing in common to all of those? The aiptasia always come back cuz you missed one or even a part of one somewhere.

I put other cuz I just had to use berghia. I don't see any aiptasia but I know they are in there somewhere.

You put bleach in your reef tank?

 

[Houston Reefer]

Berghia, hands down. Had over 200 in my 150, added a berghia crew and haven't seen one in six months. Downside is that the berghia probably starved shortly after eradicating the aptasia.