Identify this....

2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Can inject them with boiling water or there's a number of meds on the market that work as well. I'd try boiling water first. And maybe get yourself a peppermint shrimp they will be helpful in preventing an outbreak.
 
silverado61

silverado61

Well-Known Member
If you try the boiling water, which has worked for me in the past, try to get it to retract into its hole first before you blast it. You don't have to touch it with anything. Just a change in current, like waving something in front of it, would make it retract. Out in the open like that you could lose a piece or pieces and each piece would just grow into a new one. These buggers are resilient bastards.
 
Jesterrace

Jesterrace

Active Member
The boiling water method is a "be quick or be dead" sort of thing you have to get it just right. I don't recommend getting something that eats them unless you have an outbreak, otherwise it will likely seek out a food source that you may not like when it eats that aiptasia. I tried Aiptasia X on a single Aiptasia that hitchhiked on a zoanthid coral I had. I did get it when it was pretty small (about an inch and a half long and maybe 1/8 inch wide) and it killed it deader than dead. This was about 5 months ago and I haven't had any aiptasia since. I wouldn't recommend it for a large outbreak but if you catch one or a few of them before they really take hold then it would be effective.
 
geridoc

geridoc

Well-Known Member
I have found that a combination of attacks is most effective. Peppermint shrimp are very useful for the long-term control of aptasiaq, but they only consume small polyps. the larger aptasia need to be killed by direct injection with commercial products, boiling water or even kalkwasser. It takes patience, but they can be eradicated.
 
jay0705

jay0705

Well-Known Member
This is not an option for your tank due to size, but i believe copper banded butterflies will eat them at this size. Correct fellas?
 
geridoc

geridoc

Well-Known Member
Several butterflies, including the copperband will eat aptasia. However, butterflies are not the easiest of fish to keep, especially the copperband. Many are injured during shipping, and never recover.
 
Jesterrace

Jesterrace

Active Member
That's why I recommended the Klein's. It is one of the hardiest butterflies and one of the smallest to boot.

Here is one in action

 
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