Aiptasia and problem solving

[YHSublime]

So I've had a small outbreak of aiptasia. Nothing crazy, but I don't want it getting out of hand. I've added a mysis eating copperband, who of course has decided that it want's to decimate my pod population instead, and wont give aiptasia time of day.

 

I would overrun my tank with peppermint shrimps, but I think that would just be an expensive meal for the Melanurus.

 

I have a mixed reef, and understand that some options are not reef safe. What's the best approach here?

[YHSublime]

The copperband also has an confirmed appetite for featherdusters, maybe it will come around?

[flooddc]

I mixed a small amount of kalk and tank water and squirt generously on the aiptasia and/or majano. Most of them were killed within minutes.

[AlanM]

I mixed a small amount of kalk and tank water and squirt generously on the aiptasia and/or majano. Most of them were killed within minutes.

 

I'm gonna try this.  About what proportions of kalk and water do you use?  One aptasia did disappear without me doing anything so I assume a peppermint got it from the batch I got from BRK.  I still see one in there from time to time, so I assume there are more since they all look alike to me. heh

[Rosco's Reefs]

make it a kind of paste, thick enough to cover the beast but not too runny

[zygote2k]

using kalk paste, joes juice, aiptasia x, is a 2 or three application treatment but does nothing to stop new ones from popping up.

using peppermint shrimp only works if you use lots of them. 24 peppermints = $100

copperbands are notoriously picky and have as much chance of Goniopora in the average reef tank. $40 and might die suddenly.

berghia nudibranchs are expensive, delicate, and easily killed by anything. you need many of them. 10 nudis $100 and might die suddenly.

tassled or green filefish are the best and easiest way to control aiptasia and do best when kept in pairs or trios. $20 and live 3+ years.

Edited December 28, 2013 by zygote2k

[flooddc]

I'm gonna try this.  About what proportions of kalk and water do you use?  One aptasia did disappear without me doing anything so I assume a peppermint got it from the batch I got from BRK.  I still see one in there from time to time, so I assume there are more since they all look alike to me. heh

 

 

make it a kind of paste, thick enough to cover the beast but not too runny

Yup!

 

I do 2:1 (water:kalk) mixed in a medicine cup.

I used a seasquirt feeding, so it have to be a little watery to target the aiptasia. 

Turn off your pumps and don't use too much kalk at once.

[zygote2k]

you can kill 2 birds with one stone here Isaac-

dose the correct amount of kalk paste on your ever present aiptasia and you can raise the kH at the same time.

[YHSublime]

you can kill 2 birds with one stone here Isaac-

dose the correct amount of kalk paste on your ever present aiptasia and you can raise the kH at the same time.

 

I like where you are going with this.

 

I think I might try a temporary filefish. I should have done the peppermints while I was QT'ing the fish, oh well.

[gmerek2]

Does aptasia ever go away? I take care of mine the second I see one and I still get one pop up once every week or two. I like all the suggestions. I have never owned a filefish have read that some people have had great luck, some have had corals eaten and some just plain didn't eat aptasia. Im a kalk paste guy. If it's a hard angle for a syringe to get to, I make a tiny amount of playdoh for my index finger and smear it over the tiny crevice the aptasia is in. I only typically get one aptasia at a time and have a lot of water volume so the kalk won't affect parameters too bad.

[YHSublime]

Does aptasia ever go away? I take care of mine the second I see one and I still get one pop up once every week or two. I like all the suggestions. I have never owned a filefish have read that some people have had great luck, some have had corals eaten and some just plain didn't eat aptasia. Im a kalk paste guy. If it's a hard angle for a syringe to get to, I make a tiny amount of playdoh for my index finger and smear it over the tiny crevice the aptasia is in. I only typically get one aptasia at a time and have a lot of water volume so the kalk won't affect parameters too bad.

 

If left on their own, they can quickly over take, a quick google search will yield results of folks who have shut down tanks because of it spiraling out of control.

[Tracy G]

I had a ton of them about a year ago and since I added a few peppermint shrimp I now have 0. I have not seen one in some time. What I will tell you is to get it to squirt its stuff and the peppermint swill go nuts on them. After I did that a few times they got a taste for it and that was that. I think I put 4 or 5 in my old 40. Now I have 7 or 8 and still clean and clear. Hydroids are my new thing.......

 

 

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[jimlin]

I also have an aiptasia problem. I added a copperband and it rather eat shrimp than aiptasia. Since peppermint shrimps are not an option for me, I used pickling lime mixed with tank water and injected it in the base of the aiptasia. The aiptasia died in less than a day.

[TheyCallMeMr.703]

If possible... remove the rock, put it in sump, or another tank, where the shrimp can do some work on it... Away from predators and all. I put mine in my sump, and he went to work, petco, is also having a sale on peppermint if anyone out there is in need.

Edited December 28, 2013 by TheyCallMeMr.703

[Marc Weaver]

My copperband tears them up!!  I have aiptasia in my frag tank (plumbed to the main system) and all I have to do is put the frag in the main tank for a few minutes and any aiptasia on the plugs are gone.  The copperband actually lurks waiting for my hand to move and immediately comes over to inspect the frags.  Mine also ate all of the feather dusters in the tank.  Hold out for a little while and it should come around.  Destroy all of the large ones and the copperband should eat the smaller ones in time.

 

I bought mine as a baby from Adam when Mr. Coral changed owners and now it is 4" long.  I also had one before that ate aiptasia but I made the mistake of feeding it littleneck clams, which it loved.  So, naturally, when I added a clam it constantly nipped at it.  I sold that one to Cris on WAMAS a few years back.  That one would eat right from my fingers.

 

One thing I did is to only buy one that was eating frozen foods in the store.  I passed over several that did not.  I didn't want to watch a fish die from starvation.  That drastically improved my odds.

The only problem they had was lympho, which went away. 

[YHSublime]

I had a ton of them about a year ago and since I added a few peppermint shrimp I now have 0. I have not seen one in some time. What I will tell you is to get it to squirt its stuff and the peppermint swill go nuts on them. After I did that a few times they got a taste for it and that was that. I think I put 4 or 5 in my old 40. Now I have 7 or 8 and still clean and clear. Hydroids are my new thing.......

 

 

Melanurus will snack on them for sure, an expensive fix for me.

 

I also have an aiptasia problem. I added a copperband and it rather eat shrimp than aiptasia. Since peppermint shrimps are not an option for me, I used pickling lime mixed with tank water and injected it in the base of the aiptasia. The aiptasia died in less than a day.

 

All gone? I don't think it's a manual job :(

 

If possible... remove the rock, put it in sump, or another tank, where the shrimp can do some work on it... Away from predators and all. I put mine in my sump, and he went to work, petco, is also having a sale on peppermint if anyone out there is in need.

 

I don't think it's a realistic solution, albeit a good one.

 

My copperband tears them up!!  I have aiptasia in my frag tank (plumbed to the main system) and all I have to do is put the frag in the main tank for a few minutes and any aiptasia on the plugs are gone.  The copperband actually lurks waiting for my hand to move and immediately comes over to inspect the frags.  Mine also ate all of the feather dusters in the tank.  Hold out for a little while and it should come around.  Destroy all of the large ones and the copperband should eat the smaller ones in time.

 

I bought mine as a baby from Adam when Mr. Coral changed owners and now it is 4" long.  I also had one before that ate aiptasia but I made the mistake of feeding it littleneck clams, which it loved.  So, naturally, when I added a clam it constantly nipped at it.  I sold that one to Cris on WAMAS a few years back.  That one would eat right from my fingers.

 

One thing I did is to only buy one that was eating frozen foods in the store.  I passed over several that did not.  I didn't want to watch a fish die from starvation.  That drastically improved my odds.

The only problem they had was lympho, which went away. 

 

I'll trade ya! Hopefully it will come around. It's a Quantum get, and was eating frozen mysis in store. I have not seen it eating anything I feed yet, and I have been feeding 4 times a day or so since I've been on staycation. I'm with you, and wouldn't add anything knowing it wasn't eating.

[Epic Reefer]

Any one try any of these methods on majanos? i have had no luck riddin these guys.

[Jim Mc]

I have 5 peppermint shrimp in a 150g and no aiptasia problem.  You don't have to go nuts with them they will eat them.

[flooddc]

Any one try any of these methods on majanos? i have had no luck riddin these guys.

 

 

I mixed a small amount of kalk and tank water and squirt generously on the aiptasia and/or majano. Most of them were killed within minutes.

I had to do it twice on one majano! I think the first time I did not get enough kalk on the little bugger

[AlanM]

Anyone use the wand?

[jimlin]

 

 

 

All gone? I don't think it's a manual job :(

 

 

 

 

 

I only got rid of the bigger ones which were stinging the corals. I left the other ones. My wife kind of likes the aiptasia because it makes the tank look cool and natural. The ones that I killed, I did not see any new baby ones in the tank even weeks after the injections. I think I only have 20 in my tank now. Since the shrimps are not an option for you, this or Kalk may be the cheapest way for you to get rid of aiptasia in a short amount of time. Filefish and copperbands are always hit or miss as far as eating aiptasia.

[Geoffwehler]

I got a tasseled filefish. Cleared the apps in no time. The added bonus was that he's easily one of my favorite fish these days. Tried peppermints before that with not much success.

 

 

 

[Rosco's Reefs]

I got a tasseled filefish. Cleared the apps in no time. The added bonus was that he's easily one of my favorite fish these days. Tried peppermints before that with not much success.

 

I bought a filefish from Quantum, wrote them back that night and told them I thought that fish was almost dead! Talk about slow, that fish swims around my tank so slow even I think it's tired.  It took a day or so but the aiptasia is gone.  The fish is doing fine long as you don't expect him to get in a hurry!  

[Rosco's Reefs]

Apologize for the potential hi-jack but saw a mention of aiptasia-X for majano...does that work?

Edited December 29, 2013 by Rosco's Reefs

[Deavo]

I have 6 peppermint shrimp in my 120 and zero aiptasia. Plus they help keep the tank clean.