Aiptasia Overload!

[jawfish101]

Originally Posted by superH
I went the Copperband Butterfly route and he ate all of my aiptasia in about 2 days. He's in there with a dwarf lion and dwarf flame angel and doing fine. I was going to return him after getting rid of the aiptasia but now I'm starting to like him. Very pretty fish and active too.
Can they eat the giant ones too? Butterflys are so fickle, beautiful, but very fickle. I would hate to get one and have it die instantly. I've stayed away from Butterflys for this reason.
Thanks

 

[aztec reef]

From other threads I have read, you are suppose to INJECT these things WITH A NEEDLE...making sure that you don't 'poke' through them. According to you, all you have to do is find a device and squirt it at them....
maybe someone can confirmed this. cause i have never done it that way.
i would think that would'nt work cause you won't shoot enuf paste in it's disk before starts to retract fast and protect them self from being poisoned and never die, just multiply or relocate...

 

[reefreak29]

well so are so many methods of riding these things to each is own.and jawfish u need to give the peppermints more time then that

 

[coral reefer]

I had these pesky things for years and I am down to 3 left with no new growth. Blasting them the Kalk will only waste Kalk and they will spread, I tried it for 2 years. I bought 15 LARGE peppermint shrimp (look on-line for LARGE ones) and they ate all but 3 in 2 weeks. I am not sure why they left the other three, but from like 300 to 3 in 2 weeks I'll take it!! But you need to go big, 3-5 in a big tank won't do it. If you have a Really bad problem like I did..
1. Nuke them with Kalk to reduce the big ones (hitting them on the outside will work if it is strong enough see mix). DO NOT use too much or try to do all of them at once because the high PH Kalk will raise your PH if your not careful.
2. Send in the troops!! At least 10 if not 15 LARGE peppermints. Make sure you spread them out when you put them in. 5 on left side, 5 in the middle, and 5 on right.
3. Watch the fun. After about a day the troops will start prying the fleshy SOBs from the rock and having a fest! Most of this will be done at night but if your lucky to see the show, enjoy!!
*Mix If you need to use Kalk only do it as a prep for the peps or your wasting your time. Put at least two spoon fulls of Kalk in about 1/2 cup of water in mix well. It should look like milk. Suck it up and let them burn! The PH of Kalk is like 14 i think so when add to a 8.3 water it burns like acid would to us. you'll see the pull in and get all nasty if you get them good.
Good Luck!!!

 

[jawfish101]

Originally Posted by reefreak29
well so are so many methods of riding these things to each is own.and jawfish u need to give the peppermints more time then that
Do you mean I need to give the Berghia more time? If so, okay. If you do mean the shrimp, I have had them since the tank finished cycling, and they have not done anything.
Coral Reefer: many people seem to swear by the peppermint shrimps, so I guess I'll get some more. If they work Halleluiah! If they don't,well...I guess i'll learn to really like shrimp.
Thanks
Any more suggestions pertaining to the Berghia?

 

[quil]

How big are the "large" peps you are referring to? I put a pep in my 60g and it didn't last 30 seconds (literally) before my fuzzy dwarf inhaled it.

 

[reefreak29]

Originally Posted by Jawfish101
Do you mean I need to give the Berghia more time? If so, okay. If you do mean the shrimp, I have had them since the tank finished cycling, and they have not done anything.
Coral Reefer: many people seem to swear by the peppermint shrimps, so I guess I'll get some more. If they work Halleluiah! If they don't,well...I guess i'll learn to really like shrimp.
Thanks
Any more suggestions pertaining to the Berghia?
i did mention earlier you need alot of peppermints like 10 to 15

 

[superh]

Originally Posted by Jawfish101
Can they eat the giant ones too? Butterflys are so fickle, beautiful, but very fickle. I would hate to get one and have it die instantly. I've stayed away from Butterflys for this reason.
Thanks
:thinking: I don't know...I didn't have very large aiptasia. Don't worry about them dying so fast. I read the same thing about them being fickle so I was worried too. Just make sure you don't have fish that will pick on it. After I put mine in the tank, it immediately went to work on the aiptasia. If you have a lot of aiptasia, the butterfly will feel right at home because that is a natural food source for them.
Now that my aiptasia is gone, I crack open a clam ($0.30 each from the grocery store) for him every other day. I bought a dozen clams for him to eat last time I went to the grocery store, and for storage I threw them all in my tank. He loves cruising over the "clam field" looking for one out of its shell. The clams help to lower nitrates until they become a meal for the rest of the tank.

 

[jawfish101]

So, now I have a question: CBB or Peppermint Shrimp??

Thanks

 

[superh]

Originally Posted by Jawfish101
So, now I have a question: CBB or Peppermint Shrimp??

Thanks

I would try more peppermint shrimp first if you don't have anything in your tank that will eat them. What is your fish list?

 

[rylan1]

I've killed alot with hyper salinity, I also got rid of many with watching how much and what types of food a put into my tank.

 

[coral reefer]

Originally Posted by Quil
How big are the "large" peps you are referring to? I put a pep in my 60g and it didn't last 30 seconds (literally) before my fuzzy dwarf inhaled it.
Most of them are almost the size of a small cleaner shrimp, maybe 2 inches. But I do not have anything in my tank that eats shrimp now that I got rid of the eel.

 

[jawfish101]

Originally Posted by superH
I would try more peppermint shrimp first if you don't have anything in your tank that will eat them. What is your fish list?
Midas Blenny
Engineer Goby
Court Jester goby
Red Scooter Blenny
Pygmy Angel
Skunk Clown

 

[superh]

Originally Posted by Jawfish101
Midas Blenny
Engineer Goby
Court Jester goby
Red Scooter Blenny
Pygmy Angel
Skunk Clown
I think you would be fine with a CBB if you want. It will require fresh clams after it eats all of the aiptasia...this may not be a big deal depending on your access to clams, which are about $.30/a piece from my local grocery store and you'll need one every 2-3 days. Peppermint shrimp will be a little easier to keep, but not as fulfilling a pet so it's pretty much a trade off.
Do you want a very pretty fish to look at and to feed? Or do you want shrimps that will get by with little maintenance?

 

[quil]

Originally Posted by Coral Reefer
Most of them are almost the size of a small cleaner shrimp, maybe 2 inches. But I do not have anything in my tank that eats shrimp now that I got rid of the eel.
Yeah, that most definately will not work in my tank, unless I want my Fuzzy to have an expensive live meal whenever she feels like it or until all the peps are gone...