Aiptasia Control Question

[MuralReef]

So we’ve tried a variety of solutions and the problem has continued to grow. Things we’ve tried:
1. Joe’s Juice no notable changes
2. Aiptasia X-seemed to have the opposite effect once they recovered plus I think it killed our blue hippo it should be noted that Jodi disagrees.

What we can’t use:
1. Berghia nudibranchs- we have three wrasses
2. Peppermint shrimp-we added some last week and my hand wasn’t even out of the tank when our hawkfish engulfed one. Didn’t even know his mouth was that big.

What ideas do you guys have? I’d love a copperbanded butterfly but I hear they’re hit or miss and finding a fat healthy one that’s feeding is a challenge.

 

[kchristensen8064]

Have you considered an aiptasia eating file fish? I have one and he keeps the aiptasia at bay in the display.

 

[SynDen]

Ya, ime all those liquids and things to kill them don't really work and only serve as a means to spread them instead.
I'd stay away from copperbands unless you manage to find one that is eating well and is nice and fat already, otherwise its very likely it will die fairly quickly.

I have a file fish that has been doing a pretty good job at knocking down the aptasia. I have a bunch of wrasses too, but still added a few berghia anyway, although more room to hid in my tank. Time will tell if they survive long enough to make any difference though, but if not the file fish has cleared the sandbed so far and is working slowly on some in the rocks now.

Another option for some in the future might be Spurilla nudibranch. Biota just started breeding these and they also eat apstasia like nobodies business. They are bigger the berghias by quite a it and they just vacuum up apstasia

 

[MuralReef]

Hoping to find a filefish tomorrow.

 

[MuralReef]

Those bigger nudis look cool though

 

[JuanGutz]

Nudis were fine with my wrasse. They don’t come out until night and wrasses were asleep. When I was growing the berghia to sell they were so freakin hard to find during the day and that was removing rocks looking.

 

[jda123]

Joes and AipX are watered down Kalkwasser with some lemon juice, vinegar or some other additive, so just mix your own next time in a bit of water. Home made mix is usually stronger and more effective. Red Solo Cup, Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime and an old Salifert Test Kit syringe. I mix it thick enough so that it holds it's consistency under water with the pumps off.

File fish usually work OK, but they can sometimes eat other fleshy corals too. I have one in my reef and it does not touch my stonies or clams - have a few chalices that are safe. I only have ever had this one and it is an ORA captive bred dude, but heard that some wild ones don't always eat them. They are peaceful fish and good tank mates at my house. I would risk it in a mixed reef.

Personally, I would move the hawk to another tank. Rather not have a hawk than have aips. Peppermints are wonderful if you get them from the Florida Keys. They only live like 3 years, so you have to replace them, but a good chance to order other new stuff from a local diver.

 

[Vested]

Joes and AipX are watered down Kalkwasser with some lemon juice, vinegar or some other additive, so just mix your own next time in a bit of water. Home made mix is usually stronger and more effective. Red Solo Cup, Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime and an old Salifert Test Kit syringe. I mix it thick enough so that it holds it's consistency under water with the pumps off.

File fish usually work OK, but they can sometimes eat other fleshy corals too. I have one in my reef and it does not touch my stonies or clams - have a few chalices that are safe. I only have ever had this one and it is an ORA captive bred dude, but heard that some wild ones don't always eat them. They are peaceful fish and good tank mates at my house. I would risk it in a mixed reef.

Personally, I would move the hawk to another tank. Rather not have a hawk than have aips. Peppermints are wonderful if you get them from the Florida Keys. They only live like 3 years, so you have to replace them, but a good chance to order other new stuff from a local diver.

Yup kalk and lye, it will raise your ph though so be careful I usually like to let it sit for an hr and then suck out as much as I can. Peps or copperband ultimately though

 

[97turbotalon]

I've got an aiptasia issue I'm dealing with. My filefish doesn't seem to be helping. Where did you pick up your Berghia Nudibranch?

 

[SynDen]

I've got an aiptasia issue I'm dealing with. My filefish doesn't seem to be helping. Where did you pick up your Berghia Nudibranch?

Fins Up Reef and Aquaculture are both breeding them. Don't know if they have any currently but I would check with them

 

[rajah]

I added some peppermints to my system recently and they did a decent job on the aiptasia, but then started eating coral. They completely consumed a rainbow stylophora and then started on my purple stylo. So they do sometimes eat coral - from reading, it seems they like pocilloporidae in particular (birdsnest, stylos, pocis).

Australian stripey are another fish I hear about for aiptasia, but never had one. Sounds like they might munch LPS.

 

[jda123]

Lysmatta Wurdemanni are from the Flordia Keys, are the best at eating aiptasia and almost never eat coral unless they are starving - we would eat coral too in this situation. The others are hit and miss on both. Don't take a chance and buy peppermints unless you know where they come from. There are divers in the Keys that will ship directly to you with a free shipping on a not-so-large minimum order.

I once got 10 peppermints from an online place, probably Live Aquaria when they were still good, and got 5 different types in 10 shrimp. The ones up the gulf near Texas are supposed to be the worst about eating corals.

The different species of peppermint shrimp are totally different animals.