Aiptasia eating fish

[Das awesome]

I hope this is the right thread to put this in b/c my tank is more of a FOWLR, but is overrun with mushrooms and polyps. Anyways, I have a huge aiptasia bloom going on in this tank. I can't put peppermint shrimp b/c there is a puffer in this tank and the guy at the lfs told me copperband's usually die once all the aptasia is eaten. What other fish would you guys recommend? The tank is a only a 55g.

 

[scar79]

Do you mind if they eat the mushrooms/polyps? If not, then any butterfly will do.

 

[Das awesome]

I prefer to keep the corals in there. I like how they overrun the tank

 

[snorvich]

Then there is no guaranteed biological solution.

 

[sanchoy]

Matted file fish.
Copperband butterfly


I have both. Eliminated all visual aiptasia. Some say they are hit or miss. Mine are hit

 

[shikhyung]

besides aiptasia, whatelse do you feed the copperband?

 

[650-IS350]

I got one in my tank, wiped out my aiptasia issue but after that, went after a lot of my prized Z's and P's... LOL expensive taste he has.

 

[SDguy]

What other fish are in this FO? My matted filefish is SUPER mellow/timid. I'm not sure how one would do in a rough and tumble FO tank. Same goes for a CBB...

 

[skidoctor]

Aptasia X. Turn off your flow and inject the tubes. I've never had luck with shrimp, heard good things about filefish. Boiling rocks works but you lose bacteria and its a pain in the arse.

 

[auem]

for me pakistani butterfly did the job...as long as there were aipstasia he ate those only..then turned on my mushrooms....so i had to take him out...aipstasia came back within fortnight....:spin3:

 

[R_Hudson]

Ive got a copperband for my aptasia. He is doing a great job. He also eats frozen mysis, and homemade food, and will also pick at pellets/flake. I was worried about him adapting to prepared foods when I got him but figured Id take the risk. With a little persistance and varied diet he has come a long way in the time ive had him.

 

[SDguy]

for me pakistani butterfly did the job...as long as there were aipstasia he ate those only..then turned on my mushrooms....so i had to take him out...aipstasia came back within fortnight....:spin3:

Mine too is an EXCELLENT mushroom eater!

 

[Das awesome]

I've tried aptasia x but when I think I've got them all, babies just start poppin up out of nowhere and the numbers have doubled. As of now, there's a green spotted puffer, a niger trigger, six line wrasse and banded sleeper goby. I don't mind the aptasia that much, but I really like all the mushrooms and polyps that have spread everywhere and don't like them getting stung and dying.

 

[johnike]

I'm with Peter. My Matted Filefish wiped out every last Aiptasia, and hasn't touched anything it shouldn't.

 

[dryworm]

I read on rc there is something called joes juice that works. Or get a syringe with a needle and inject them with vinegar. I also read kalk paste and lemon juice works too. Search aptasia removal there are several threads

 

[Big E]

Muelleri Copperband.................best reef BF there is. Won't touch any corals or host anenomes.

 

[Das awesome]

Did some research and I think I'm definitely gonna give the matted filefish a try. How will it get along with a puffer though? A puffer isn't gonna stress it out will it?

 

[snorvich]

Aptasia X. Turn off your flow and inject the tubes. I've never had luck with shrimp, heard good things about filefish. Boiling rocks works but you lose bacteria and its a pain in the arse.

Use of aiptasia X with very sensitive fish can be a problem because of pH changes.

 

[jnschlesinger]

Has anyone used a green spotted scat for aiptasia removal?

 

[rbla51]

The filefish is going to wipe out your corals quicker than the aptasia. Once the aptasia is gone it keeps picking at everything else