Best Choice for Aiptasia control

[DTECH07]

Do you still have any? I need 3 and pick them up today. let me know

Dtech07

 

[DTECH07]

Send me the info, I'm in
Dtech07

 

[WABlonde]

We added 2 peppermint shrimp to our 75 gallon and have been very pleased to see aiptasia disappearing. It's not completely gone yet but they are making real progress. We don't see them much but when we do, they are a fun to watch 'dance'.

 

[ReefJeff]

Hello Friends,

I have an out-break of the worst kind. These "Nuisance Anemones" are taking over my tank and nothing is killing them. I have tried the syringe method, the peppermint shrimp (5 of them), the calcium method and nothing is working. In fact, the situation is getting worse beyond words. They are intergrated within my SPS corals on the glass, rocks you name it, they are there.

My tank is a 50 gallon reef. Will I have to tear it all down and bleech it? When I say there is an out-break, I am talking around a hunred that I can see (not to mention the ones I can't see).

Suggestions anyone? I was told a Fox Face or Copperband, but will that get rid of the larger ones too?

HELP!!!!!!

Thanks,

ReefJeff

 

[DTECH07]

I had one that was growing at a fast pace and my 3 Pepperment Shrimp didnt seem interested and a friend told me to lower my feeding of the tank for 2-3days and watch what happens? Well the PS where hungry and took after the "Nuisance Anemones" with a passion:target:. I got pic's but after 2 days they (we call them the Three Stooges) had filled themselves with the pest and cleaned the holes they were in nicely:rockon:. They do work but why should they eat a Anemone when we are feeding them Prime Food.

 

[SEAF]

I just registered here today, but have had a reef tank for almost a year now. When I got it, the former owner (several years established) had lost interest and let the tank sit under a burned out light for over a month. She told me that probably everything in the tank was dead. I got it home, set it up with some decent lighting and it began to come alive. There was one hermit, one Nassarius snail, three mushrooms and a few rock critters on about 35 lbs. of live rock (20 gallon long tank). Within weeks, I started seeing lots more signs of life... micro brittle stars, pods, sponges and on and on! Then, after a couple of months, I notice the dreaded Aiptasia growing on one of the rocks... and then another. I ordered a product called Aiptasia Rx and used it religiously for three weeks. It was a complete waste of time and money. I removed the two pieces of rock and squirted lemon juice right down the throat of those pests with a syringe. Then I took some pointed tweezers and removed them from the rocks, trying to take some of the rock also, to prevent leaving any of the pests behind. Then I soaked the spot again with lemon juice, rinsed in fresh water and put the rocks back in the tank. Thought I had completely eradicated them until a couple of weeks ago. I noticed some sprouting in one of the spots I had treated and another colony in a new location. That's when I decided to get a peppermint shrimp. He has been in the tank for a week now, and I see no change. However, I have added livestock that did nothing but hide for over three weeks (a Royal Gramma), so I'm going to give that one lonely little shrimp some time to prove himself. The Aiptasia is on top of the rock and the shrimp hangs out under the rock. So, I can't tell you what works, but at least you know some things that won't work.

I built a 20 long sump/refugium 6 weeks ago with the intent of adding a Green Mandarin Dragonet (commonly called a goby). My main tank is absoluitely teeming with pods, and now, so is the sump. I think I have a healthy enough population to support the Mandarin, but I am hoping to see the shrimp work on the Aiptasia before I get one. The pest is nowhere near being out of control or threatening the few corals I have added. I just hate to see it at all. My other livestock includes an Ocellaris Clown, two Orbiculate Cardinals (not PJ's), a Green Clown Goby who likes to sit atop my Frogspawn, half a dozen hermits and as many snails, some Green Button Polyps, Green Star Polyps, a Kenya Tree, several more mushrooms and thousands of other rock dwellers. I still want to add another Clown, a Small Blue Tang (for algae control) and the Mandarin. I know... I am maxing out my capacity. That will just give me more incentive to build a bigger tank!

I wish you the best with your Aiptasia. IMO, the best route is natural control as opposed to attempted eradication... but I am no expert!

 

[ReefJeff]

I am going to do that as well and see what happens. I am also picking up 4 more shrimp and hopefully between 6 peppermints and my copperband, they will get rid of them. Its just that these darn things are getting over the 1 inch mark in size. I hope its not too late. I would hate to have to lose everything on my rocks just to get rid of them.

I was told to take the rocks in a 5 gallon bucket with the tank water and leave it out in the cold garage here in Illinois (about 20 degrees out, garage about 35). he said in 24 hours the anemones will detach from the rocks and die. Fingers crossed.

 

[SEAF]

Wow! Never heard that one before. Let me know if it works!

 

[the6goat6man6]

hello, i am quite new to the hobby but i think i have found a good way to get ride of aptasia. I've done it 3 times now, and so far it works great!

what I did was remove the peice of rock with the aptasia on it, stuck the rock into a bucket with aquarium water. then i stuck the bucket in a dark closet, put a small peice of rock rubble over where the aptasia is attatched. Then with very little light coming through a crack, that nasty little guy moved! hopped from the rock i wanted to keep to the rubble. Then i just throw them away!!! Works pretty good if you can get the rock out of your tank without too much work.

I accidentally discovered this when i noticed avery small one, mad i stuck a small rock on it, and it moved. Works for me i currently have No aptasia

I have successfully removed 3 from my tank! hope it helps