Battle with aiptasia anemones

[rcreations]

My small reef tank is being taken over by aiptasia anemones. They're all over! They're on the rocks, on the glass, even on the powerheads!!! It's now at the point where I can't squirt them with Joe's juice because there's too many and too wide spread. So I was thinking of getting a coral banded butterfly. Is there anything else I can do? I can't get any shrimp because of my fuzzy dwarf lion.

 

[spanko]

CBB is known to work just be ready to get rid of it when there is no more as they will normally starve after that.

 

[rcreations]

Yea, I plan to. This tank is only like 45gal so it's too small for a CBB longterm. Once all the aiptasia are gone, I will trade the fish back to the store.

 

[spanko]

You may also have to keep up on them with Joes or Aiptasia X. Too bad you can't get a shrimp to eat the small ones as they pop up though.

 

[aquaknight]

I am battling them in my 25 as well. Using the kalk bombing method, though in a 25, I have to be careful not to over do it and spike the tank, and that's only for the larger ones I can reach. A 25gal is sadly not even enough for a CBB short-term, and I went to get a peppermint, but only found tiny ones, that I fear some of the aipstasia would eat, or ones that appeared to actually be camel shrimp. I have too many corals to risk that.
What has seemed to have to helped, is a ground up approach, reducing feedings. There is 2 occels. clowns and a cardinal in there, and they only get what they can eat, 2 small feedings daily. And I no longer feed the corals, only the plate coral twice a week. I've also added caulerpa to the display. I did this to help with the nutrient removal. I don't have a sump, so it had to go in the display. Working so far. No longer get random aiptasia attaching to the glass.

 

[mr_x]

i have never had a problem with aptasia in my 195 until after the power outtage that killed most of my livestock. part of the livestock was 4 peppermint shrimp. i guess this was the reason why...
meanwhile, as soon as i see a good deal on peppermint shrimp, i'll grab a couple. up till now, i have been kalk pasting them as i see them. usually about 1 or 2 a week.
the copper banded butterfly has been known to pick at corals as well, so that's an "iffy" solution.

 

[rcreations]

I only have 2 clowns and a fuzzy dwarf in this tank. Tried to buy 2 peppermint shrimps before, I even got the largest ones they had. One was even bigger than the lion. He ate both in no time at all. The large one was halfway sticking out of its mouth. So shrimps are out for me. Can't figure out why they're spreading so fast. The nitrates in the tank are always low, under 10 and I don't overfeed. Guess I'll have to try the CBB and hope it doesn't eat my coral before the anemones.

 

[1knight164]

Is it possible to remove the LR? If so, you could use boiling water or vinegar in a syringe and zap them one by one. Doesn't take long and you won't spike your tank.

 

[natclanwy]

I have successfully treated an infestation of aiptasia in my 55g that was in the thousands every square inch of rock was covered and a good portion of the sand bed and glass also. The trick I found was to be diligent and treat them every other day in order to stay ahead them. I used about 12ml of kalk (Joe's juice) each time which is enough to treat several hundred aiptasia with no negative effects other than a slight change in PH which would correct itself in a few hours. I actually in my hours of desperation used as much as an entire bottle of Joe's juice at once with no ill effects but I don't recommend that method.

 

[rcreations]

Originally Posted by natclanwy
http:///forum/post/2760326
I have successfully treated an infestation of aiptasia in my 55g that was in the thousands every square inch of rock was covered and a good portion of the sand bed and glass also. The trick I found was to be diligent and treat them every other day in order to stay ahead them. I used about 12ml of kalk (Joe's juice) each time which is enough to treat several hundred aiptasia with no negative effects other than a slight change in PH which would correct itself in a few hours. I actually in my hours of desperation used as much as an entire bottle of Joe's juice at once with no ill effects but I don't recommend that method.
So how did you target squirt all those aiptasias with that many of them? Also does Joe's Juice affect corals at all? Like some of the aiptasias are right next to some coral and I'm afraid if I squirt them I get some on the coral too.

 

[spinylobster]

thought id chime in and give a plug to aiptasia x. i started treating about a month ago and it works pretty good, some come back and if they do i squirt them again. wont hurt your corals!

 

[al mc]

--...Have you considered putting the Lion in a QT/HT/smaller display and adding the shrimp to remove the aptasia, then switching the shrimp into the HT/QT/refugium when you move th Lion back to the DT?
I used Joe's Juice, high alk hot water, Berghia Nudis and peppermint shrimp.
The Berghias work but don't live long..the shrimp totally wiped the anenomes out. Just one person's experience.

 

[natclanwy]

Originally Posted by RCreations
http:///forum/post/2760469
So how did you target squirt all those aiptasias with that many of them? Also does Joe's Juice affect corals at all? Like some of the aiptasias are right next to some coral and I'm afraid if I squirt them I get some on the coral too.
Be sure you have all of the powerheads and pumps shut off and leave them off for about 30min after treatment.
You don't have to inject them just gently squirt the paste on the oral disc in fact if you try to force feed them they will just expell the kalk and it won't kill them. Over a thick patch you can just hold the syringe a couple of inches above the aiptasia and let it fall onto them.
As far as the coral goes be very careful with zoas it doesn't seem to bother them if you get some on the stalks or base but if they ingest it, it will kill them. It will burn other corals or clams if you get any on the tissue but you can use a turkey baster or something similar to blow it off and as long as you do that within a minute or so it doesn't seem to have any lasting effects. Just be careful, I am what you might call a clutz so I have gotten kalk on just about everthing in my tank and so far with the exception of a couple heads on my zoa colonies I have had no losses.

 

[n8ball2013]

 

[rcreations]