aiptasia

ilovemytank

ilovemytank

Member
I have been fighting these for awhile. I have used injections of lime water, kalk m ix, stop aiptasia-x and nothing works. It kills the ones I inject but within days every square inch of rock is covered again. The problem I can't solve is that I have large cave systems where large aiptasias have grown that I can't get to. A bunch of them. It is very bad, I am about to tear the tank down. I thought I would try to take each rock in a tub and try to inject anything I can find and then place it into another tub with other rocks. I plan on keeping all rocks out and maybe treating them over the period of two weeks to try to verify that they are clean before replacing them in the tank. If this doesn't work I will consider boiling the rocks killing everything on them. This is the last thing I want to do but I know they will reastablish over time.
Anyone have a better suggestion to solve this problem ?
 
racingtiger03

racingtiger03

Member
how big is the tank? Depending on the size get a few real peppermint shrimps. I had some aiptasia in my tank that was too big for the peppermint I bought to eat. So I took some scissors and cut one horizontally and vertically (as if you were going to try to encourage it to split). The next morning I had no aiptasia left, the peppermint ate the remaining bits of that one. I only did one aiptasia at a time this way because I only have one peppermint. The largest aiptasia was almost 1.5" just across the oral disc (tentacles were about 3" each). It was game over for the aiptasia with my assistance for the pep to make a meal :)
 
noah's nemo

noah's nemo

Member

Originally Posted by racingtiger03
http:///forum/post/3178937
how big is the tank? Depending on the size get a few real peppermint shrimps. I had some aiptasia in my tank that was too big for the peppermint I bought to eat. So I took some scissors and cut one horizontally and vertically (as if you were going to try to encourage it to split). The next morning I had no aiptasia left, the peppermint ate the remaining bits of that one. I only did one aiptasia at a time this way because I only have one peppermint. The largest aiptasia was almost 1.5" just across the oral disc (tentacles were about 3" each). It was game over for the aiptasia with my assistance for the pep to make a meal :)
these guys did the trick for me 2
 
mermaidgrrl13

mermaidgrrl13

Member
First off I feel for ya man! I recently inherited a tank that has been established for 5 plus years as a trigger tank, that was LOADED with the "devil weed". She just never took care of the problem because she didnt see the need and she thought they were "pretty"
. So first I tried the Lemon juice thing..twice a day i injected the snot out of those buggers. They only seemed to come back stronger and multiply. (smaller ones formed) Then I got some small Peppermint shrimp. I was still also Injecting them with lemon juice. IMO the way to do it right is to get appropriate sized peppermint shrimp, stop feeding them, stop injecting the aptasia (and all other means of banishing the buggers), and be patient. After all would you want to eat something after a giant hand had just injected it with some unknown substance?
I added 6 peppermints 2 sm 2 md and 2 Lg (funny how they are all close to the same size now...as they have had axcess to an all you can eat buffet!) When you buy them at your LFS ask if you can return them if they dont take care of the problem, thats what my "fish guy" does and I think thats a reasonable expectation. My results have been spectacular! I must have had 150-200 of those nasty aptasia and now i have one medium sized one and a couple smaller ones. Of the ones left..you can tell the peppys are pickin at them because the ends are black and "munched on"
. I wish I would have taken before and after pics...and like i told my "fish guy" the other day If I could take each one of those peppys gently out of the water and give them a little kiss...I would!!!
Other things I have heard eat aptasia (but have not had any personal experiance with) Midas Blennys.
Good luck!
 
J

jstdv8

Guest
coral banded butterflys eat aptasia pretty aggressive Ive heard
 
ilovemytank

ilovemytank

Member
My problem is alot more than six pepermint shrimps could handle. I don't think 60 could handle the problem. I have 390 lbs. live rock covered and the more i fight the stronger it comes back. I purchased a copper banded butterfly fish but my yellow tang beat him up. alot of them in my cave systems are making my large fish retreat. My 1 and 1/2 foot carpet anenome has even retreated to a little corner. Also I'm not sure which fish I have but I think one likes to eat shrimp. I had peppermint and cleaner shrimp for along time then they all disappeared. I've put others in but within two days they are gone. Not sure which fish is getting fed.
 
A

ali19

Guest
I have aiptasia pretty bad, my rock was from an established tank that had them for 5 yrs so its all covered. I am thinking of getting some shrimp tomorrow. I have a copper banded butterfly but as of yet it hasn't touched the aiptasia. It has only been in there a week but still i would think it would have started if it was going to, maybe its just fussy!
I will let you guys know how i get on with the shrimp
Ali
 
bswe22

bswe22

Member
I just used Aiptasia-X on one and it seems to have worked great. I will see in a couple of days if it really worked or not.
 
ilovemytank

ilovemytank

Member
Originally Posted by DrTITO
http:///forum/post/3179707
i saw this today on you tube
hope it helps
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qltXI0l3M9E
and another
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkeltpTc9SY
I just ordered a threadfin butterfly fish after watching that first video. I hope mine will be as hungry. I don't have any corals that I'm worried about him eating. The only problem is that I could on find a 2-3 inch one. I'm hoping my yellow tang won't bully him. If so I'll rearange the rock.
I'm also going to order a couple of berghia nudibranch to see what they can do. I'll try anything not to do a tank tear down.
 
drtito

drtito

Member
i hope it works out.

As for that tang check the fish section thread named "mirror trick" it might help.
 
truperc

truperc

Member
The benefit of berghia nudibranch is their diet only consists of aiptasia.
The downside of berghia nudibranch is their diet only consists of aiptasia.
Meaning, they are the most likely to rid a heavily infested tank of the aiptasia, but once they are gone so are the berghia nudibranch.
The other options will eat other food, and are therefore less reliable as aiptasia predators.
This is not to suggest, that many people have not had success with peppermint shrimp or copperbanded butterflys, because they have.
They also then have a fish or invert that will survive once the aiptasia is gone.
Berghia nudibranch are really only for heavy infestations, and should be placed in the tank near the aiptasia.
Unlike the other options, you are expecting the berghia nudibranch to multiply, which they should. It is through the subsequent offspring, and less through the original pair that you expect to see the decline in aiptasia.
 
racingtiger03

racingtiger03

Member
While this is still in debate.. I found the head of my largest aiptasia (the one that from tentacle to tentacle fully expanded was 3"+). After me splitting it with scissors *evil grin* my peppermint made a huge meal of it. There is a tiny peice of the head that I found trying to find a new home a few minutes ago, I didn't even recognise it at first as it was mostly black. Within a minute or so with the flashlight on it.. the peppermint came and made a snack right in front of me lol. No more aiptasia for me.. :)
 
A

ali19

Guest
I saw my Copper banded butterfly have a slight nibble at one of my aiptasia yesterday however considering my infestation i don't think it will affect them! So i invested in four peppermint shrimps, put them in the day before yesterday and haven't seen them since and does not look like they have touched any aiptasia!
Do you think my aiptasia are just not very tasty?
 
truperc

truperc

Member
Originally Posted by ali19
http:///forum/post/3181343
I saw my Copper banded butterfly have a slight nibble at one of my aiptasia yesterday however considering my infestation i don't think it will affect them! So i invested in four peppermint shrimps, put them in the day before yesterday and haven't seen them since and does not look like they have touched any aiptasia!
Do you think my aiptasia are just not very tasty?
Peppermint shrimp do not always eat aiptasia. Mine never did.
You said the peppermints have disappeared. This is not unusual during the day, although mine would usually peek out when I fed the tank.
 
A

ali19

Guest
Nothing from them when i fed the tank the last two days but i have noticed that a few of the aiptasia have been eaten when i left for the day so i hope they are enjoying them! Seems i may have a natural solution for solving this problem! I always prefer the natural opposed to manual or chemical but sometimes its not always the case!
Thanks guys
 
J

jstdv8

Guest
i have hundreds on a buch of LR I jst bought for next to nothing. Ive been kalk pasting thier butts for 2 days. working great. I leave the paste on for about a half an hour and then suck the whole critter and the excess paste out with a turkey baster. ive still got a long ways to go, but ive almsot got 3 rocks cleaned
 
A

ali19

Guest
Looks like i was wrong about the Peppermint shrimp, they don't seem to be eating the aiptasia. Looks like i may have to try a chemical method. What is Kalk pasting and where can i get it?
Thanks Ali
 
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