Aptasia Control Methods...

[twistoflime]

I'm having a little problem with aptasia :yuk:. There are 4 solutions I can think of, unfortunently none of them seam very good/practicle for my tank.

1. Take a syringe with lemon juice and inject the aptasia. I tried this ween there wern't very many and they wouldn't die!! plus I can't reach the bottem of the tank.

2. Buy a fish that will eat them
a. Copper band butterfly-I don't want them eating coral and they don't always eat the aptasia. I'd need to find one that has been in someone elses reef tank that has proven both things. Plus I also have 2 pyramid butterflies that may not get along with a copperband
b. Aptasia eating file fish-Unfortunenly most of these will pick at or eat coral once they're done with the aptasia.

3. Buy aptasia eating nudibranchs
My tank is a 420g system with high flow. I think they may just get lost or sucked into the sump or somthing.

4. Take out the rocks with aptasia-I can't do that because i have a custom rock wall. If I take out any rock it may become unstable an colapse.

I don't really see a good option :sad: If you guys have any thing that might work please let me know.
Thanks, Diane

 

[mapleredta]

5. Pepperment shrimp

 

[supra930]

pepperment shrimp...i had alot of aptasia than i got 2 peppermint shrimp and within a couple of days...all of it was gone.highly recommend peppermint shrimp.

 

[rbredding]

yeah... in a reef tank... an army of peps are a GREAT way to control Aiptasia...

(plus, they've got to be the cheapest shrimp you can buy - $5)

 

[twistoflime]

In my experience peppermint shrimp have gotten lost or not even eaten the aptasia. I guess I just might be unlucky but I havn't had any good experience with them.

 

[tehawesome]

We used Joes Juice and it killed them all, we had a copperband and he ate all the feather dusters and 99% of the aptasia, he didn't touch the coral.

 

[supra930]

twistoflime;556850 wrote: In my experience peppermint shrimp have gotten lost or not even eaten the aptasia. I guess I just might be unlucky but I havn't had any good experience with them.

if the aptasia is too big they will not eat it.the first peppermint shrimp i got dissappeared the next day and i've never seen it again,i still dont have a clue where it went but then i picked up 2 more and they are doing awesome,they are eating everything,aptasia is gone and they just feed on left over food or mysis.

 

[midas]

We've been pleasantly surprised with our Matted Filefish.</em> Our 29g biocube had perhaps 20~30 aiptasia, and after one month we cannot see any remaining. We only have softies in this aquarium and the only other coral it bothered were Yellow Polyps, after the aiptasia started to run out - so I am moving the filefish into our 90g to see how it will do in the larger system.

 

[spacepony]

Joe's juice for large aiptasia - btw I've used *boiling* vinegar and that really hurts 'em...just don't use large amounts (oh, and boiling vinegar fumes are REALLY nasty!).....In retrospect, after gleefully watching Melissa at ATA with Joe's juice on aiptasia, I think I'll just recommend Joe's juice on the large ones.

And +++1 to peppermint shrimp - that is what really cleared out my aiptasia. Haven't seen it since.

 

[acroholic]

Reef Napalm.

 

[kzoo]

Try one of these, took out all of mine in my 200 gall and he is cool to look at.

 

[acroholic]

kzoo;556912 wrote: Try one of these, took out all of mine in my 200 gall and he is cool to look at.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+30+2562&pcatid=2562">http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+30+2562&pcatid=2562</a>[/QUOTE]

Filefish are risky in they can eat corals as well. I think the OP has touched on them in the first post.

 

[enderg60]

turn your pumps off and squirt kalk paste on them(same thing as joes juice) just mix it nice and thick(almost milk shake consistancy) let it sit for 5-10 min then turn your pumps back on.

I also like to just take a small bit of epoxy and cover then up.

 

[thbrewst]

What is the difference between Joe's Juice and AptasiaX? I have read good things about the later.

 

[skriz]

twistoflime;556850 wrote: In my experience peppermint shrimp have gotten lost or not even eaten the aptasia. I guess I just might be unlucky but I havn't had any good experience with them.

You have to make sure they're Atlantic peppermint shrimp. Those are the only ones that will eat aptaisia.

 

[drnecropolis]

Skriz;557204 wrote: You have to make sure they're Atlantic peppermint shrimp. Those are the only ones that will eat aptaisia.

Beat me to it..

A lot of store also sell Camelback(maybe) shrimp as pepperments.. They look similar at anyrate..

 

[smoothie]

Skriz;557204 wrote: You have to make sure they're Atlantic peppermint shrimp. Those are the only ones that will eat aptaisia.

Yep. They are the only ones that live with and feed off of aiptasia in the wild

 

[mikesommers]

acroholic;556908 wrote: reef napalm.

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=47129&highlight=aiptasia">http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=47129&highlight=aiptasia</a>[/QUOTE]

+100!