Aiptasia! Aiptasia! Aiptasia!

[daisy]

I know there are other threads about dealing with aiptasia, but I have not seen any that deal with the situation I am facing. I have a 65-gal oceanic tank with a 20-gal fuge. In the fuge, I have HUNDREDS of aiptasia - living in my field of caulerpa, stuck to the glass, attached to the rocks. They are everywhere. I sometimes get aiptasia in the oceanic tank, but I have dealt with them using joe's juice. I know I can never find and kill all of the aiptasia in the big tank, but there are far fewer of them there. I am more worried about the fuge.
Is there some way to treat the entire tank and kill all of the aiptasia? Given the size of the population, the only thing I can think of is to get some peppermint shrimp and let them go crazy. I would put a bunch in the fuge and 1 or 2 in the oceanic. Outside of the shrimp, is there any thing I can add to the water to kill the aiptasia. Again, it is impossible for me to kill each one by injecting it with joe's juice, kalk, lemon juice, pickling lime or boiling water. I need something that will kill all of the aiptasia at once.
Any thoughts? Thanks.

 

[kimkissyfish]

Geez Daisy, I have No idea.. I usually NAB one when I see it. I just blasted 3 I saw today rearranging my rock...
How on earth did you get so many? Sounds as though you have the plague going on there. I dont know of anything to help out a whole tank of them, Sorry!

YOu caould try mounds of shrimp...
Kim

 

[sweetreef]

yep i would get a few pep shrimp

 

[tony detroit]

Peppermint shrimp only work on really really small ones. Any that are remotely large will not get eaten. The most effective way to get them is with kalkwasser mixed up as thick as toothpaste. Then shoot it on them with a syringe. Make sure your pumps are off when you do this.

 

[promisetbg]

I added three peppermints to my refugium,and as there is'nt access to feedings like in the display..they took them out completely.Here is a tip;if you run an overflow box and have a sump...check there for aptasia too.Use a credit card or something similar to swipe them out,or they will continue to spawn new ones from these hidden places.

 

[daisy]

Thanks for the replies and the support. Most of the aiptasia are in the fuge - so I will get several peppermints and see what they can do. I will also put 1 or 2 peppermints in the show tank as well.

 

[daisy]

I just bought an order of Joe's Juice as well. I'm in the process of moving everything into a new tank - it's all been sitting since my old tank broke waiting for my new tank to be ready... and the aptasia is in the tank full of LR and no corals or fish... Just a powerhead, lights, micro and macro fauna... and aptasia! It's gonna be an adventure setting up this new tank!
thanks again --