Aiptasia control?

[travis32]

Well, it's time I start thinking about Aiptasia control.. I got large sections of my tank dedicated to growing aiptasia. Some of them are getting close to 3/4 " in diameter.

I've got them growing on my caps, and some of my other corals just in random spots. Time to start nipping them in the bud and/or at least controlling them. I would like to do it naturally if possible. Either a fish that eats them, a crab, something or other. I have a wrasse, and I have the feeling it ait one of my peppermint shrimp. So, Shrimp are probably out of the question. Plus some of these are large aiptasia, so some bigger than a shrimp. I've tried a copper band in the past, but it wouldn't eat anything. And died of starvation. So, I'd like to limit myself to something easy to keep, healthy, and something that either would survive on the reproduction rate of my aiptasia or would eat other food if aiptasia is not available.

What works? What doesn't?

 

[jrb466]

I'm getting ready to try this from about dot com

I picked up syringe with needle (insulin needle) for .25 at Walgreens. I have wasted $30 on peppermint shrimp over the last couple of months. I hope this works.




Items Needed:

1 Bottle or squeeze dispenser of Lemon Juice From Concentrate.
One 3ml Latex Free Syringe with a 0.5mm x 16mm needle. Your local pharmacist can provide you with the syringe and needle for about a half a dollar. Don't be surprised if your pharmacist asks you a few questions as to what you plan to use the syringe/needle for.
Procedure:

Remove the syringe and attached needle from the wrapper.
Twist the needle cover to tighten on the syringe.
Remove the needle cover. Shake the bottle (or dispenser) of lemon juice.
Fill the syringe with 3ml lemon juice by inserting the needle into the lemon juice and pulling back on the syringe plunger.
Insert the needle into (not through) the base (not the top) of the anemone.
Inject about .5ml of the lemon juice into the anemone. Withdraw the needle and proceed to the next one.
When you are finished, disassemble the syringe/needle, rinse in clean freshwater, dry, reassemble and store for future use.

 

[pstank1]

I have used lemon juice in the past and it does wipe out the aptasia. You just have to get them early before they start getting deep in the rock work. Only successful method I've found for wiping out a major infestation is by getting berghia nudibranchs. The ONLY thing they eat is aptasia. Just make sure your tank doesn't have anything that will eat them, and you will be aptasia free in a few weeks.



If you're worried about keeping them alive, you can cultivate aptasia on rocks in your sump and rotate them in when all the aptasia is gone. Or just sell or trade them to the next reefer in your area with an aptasia problem.

 

[ALH]

My tank was an aiptasia wonderland. I tried to control it with chemicals, but to no avail. Then I got a pair of bristletail filefish. Nothing happened for a couple of months and then, all of a sudden, total aiptasia decimation. I could almost hear their screams. I was so happy. They took out some of my zoas, but i didn't care.

 

[strout]

I have, as have pretty much all reefers have fought this battle. I am trying something new, at least new to me, don't know if this will work, its not a cure, more like just trying to keep a handle on the problem. The problem with Aptisia is that when you go to kill it, it releases spores into your tank that will pop up every where else. So what I am doing, is when I do a water change or any time I see one, I put my sphion hose over the Aptisia so that any spores that are released will be sphioned out of the tank, the Aptisia sucks back into the rock and then I place a pre made Kalk paste ball over that spot on the live rock.