Natural Aptasia control and erradication

[gkrockman]

I have a pretty nasty outbreak of aptasia in my 55. I'd prefer to use the natural method of eliminating them. Besides peppermint shrimp I want to also try using berghia verruciornis nudibranch to eliminate and control these pests. Anyone know where I can get the berghia verrucornis nudibranch on line? Peppermint shrimp appear to be readily available.
I have a 55 with about 50 lbs of live rock, with several softies and LPS corals. I have a Clarki clown and a blue hippo tang also. Thanks.

 

[frankl15207]

I'm pretty sure that I've seen them in the saltwaterfish.com store. The problem is aiptasia are all that they eat. Once they are gone you either need to get it to someone else or it will starve.
Copperband butterfly fish are also predators. My peppermint shrimp did not eat the ones in my tank. They seem to be hit and miss based on discussions that I have seen throughout here.
Solid calcium chloride did work on the big ones. I finally had to use the stuff put out by Chem Marin to do them in permanently. Everytime I thought they were gone, there was another outbreak a couple of weeks later.
I haven't seen any for about three weeks now, so it's either taking longer, the peppermint shrimp are getting them at night when I don't see them, or the last outbreak was the last outbreak.

 

[b.b.bigbrother]

Do you have pictures? i have two anenome looking things in rock really can't see base, tentacles have brown with white rings do these resemble them?

 

[frankl15207]

If you do a search for Aiptasia or Aptasia you will find links to some pictures. A very commom problem here.

 

[aznxcheapbasta3]

I kno a place where you can get nudibranch online.
But what i have learned from that site is that the nudibranch they sell eats hair algea. Is that true? anyways the website for the nudibranchs is reeftopia.com

 

[javajoe]

I have read that the lettuce leaf nudibranch eats hair algae.

 

[scruz]

you can mix a potnent batch of kalk and apply directly with a turkey baster if room allows.they usually blow up,then check back in a couple of days.i've used this method CAREFULLY and only once did i have to redose-good luck

 

[susiepan]

I did something similar to Scruz, I boiled water, and injected the little ones, and for the bigger ones, I added Kalkwasser right to the water, then injected them, GONE...POOF..It was great...
~Susie

 

[fallen04]

i have some aptasia and i just leave them alone i enjoy their look and the multiple colors that mine have shown. they are a natural part of the tank. i run my tanks as close to natural as i can. i use sea water when i do my infrequent water changes and i use ecosystems for filtration i add as little as possible ie additives since i dont keep fish in the reefs there is no real need to replace minerals that are not being used up between water changes. dont ask me about my parameters because i have no idea i have not done a water test in many years.

 

[crazyelvis]

I liked the look of some of my Aptasia as well, but getting one of my corals stung by one is a chance I didn't think was worth taking...
I blasted mine with turbo calcium mixed with water, 5 cc in a syringe... Stick it right in the middle of the Aptasia , and say bye bye!!!!