anemone identification and thoughts on keeping

[wizzbane15]

Once they are in the tank, you will likely never be rid of the pest anmenones as they spread quickly and at a size you cannot see. You will ultimately end up chasing a solution for a long time that will likely never materialize. Either bleaching or an acid bath will give you a quick and permanent fix. If you were going to do this, now is the time as once the tank gets established, it is a much more daunting process.

 

[Pet Detective]

Once they are in the tank, you will likely never be rid of the pest anmenones as they spread quickly and at a size you cannot see. You will ultimately end up chasing a solution for a long time that will likely never materialize. Either bleaching or an acid bath will give you a quick and permanent fix. If you were going to do this, now is the time as once the tank gets established, it is a much more daunting process.

I used to think this way...Matted File Fish worked magic, I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it and I am still seeing it right now, ZERO Aiptasia in my tank and I had 100's if not 1000's.

I don't disagree with your solution though, since he hasn't any livestock yet, but those suckers are so good at surviving that I wouldn't be shocked if some even survived a nuke attempt.

 

[hammertime55]

I used to think this way...Matted File Fish worked magic, I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it and I am still seeing it right now, ZERO Aiptasia in my tank and I had 100's if not 1000's.

I don't disagree with your solution though, since he hasn't any livestock yet, but those suckers are so good at surviving that I wouldn't be shocked if some even survived a nuke attempt.

I've got some pretty nice live rock and lots of it that I just dont want to give up on without at least trying. Thanks Pet Detective for leading me down this road. Order the matted file fish and 5 peps today. They will be here Thursday morning. Gotta get the lone fish (yellow chromis) out before then. He is tough as nails but way too agressive for what I have in mind.


Anyone want him let me know, othewise I will donate him to LRS.

 

[Pet Detective]

Your welcome Hammertime....be patient....He'll do the rest.

Good luck to you!

 

[Uncle99]

IMO, if your setting up, burn them all, kill them, or you will spend the rest of your hobby days battling them. This is what I did 16 months ago. Now I am real careful what goes into my tank and I have not seen I for 16 months. Glad I listened to the "burn them" group, it was well worth the wait.

 

[kiMxD]

Nuke it...

 

[afroshacks]

I've got some pretty nice live rock and lots of it that I just dont want to give up on without at least trying. Thanks Pet Detective for leading me down this road. Order the matted file fish and 5 peps today. They will be here Thursday morning. Gotta get the lone fish (yellow chromis) out before then. He is tough as nails but way too agressive for what I have in mind.


Anyone want him let me know, othewise I will donate him to LRS.

Just an fyi hammettime55

Be sure to get that filefish out of your tank before adding any coral or chances are they'll become snacks of his.
Not to flame the idea but you're gambling on this one. Chances are once you think all the anemones are gone and you remove the filefish they will more than likely start to reappear. They can and more than likely will grow in places the filefish or even the peppermint shrimp cant get to and just wait for an opportune moment to spread again. Hopefully this doesnt happen after youve started stocking with new fish and coral or you'll be worse off for it.

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[LauraGreenImp]

I really like my filefish, and he gobbled up all the aptasia in my tank (if there are any left, I can't see them) BUT the ff also ate my clam & 2 small acans. I have to be careful abt adding corals now.

Obvs I could get rid of ff, but I'm fond of him. & some folks apparently have ff that don't bother *any* corals, so GL.


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[hammertime55]

I got my new file fish into the tank today. He was getting constantly harrased by a yellow chromis that I could not capture first to remove so I gave and dumped the ff in wished him luck. The YC chased him several times and nipped at him but he seems no worse of it. He seems to a tough little guy.

Very interesting to watch. Got some pp shrimp also but I know they won't stand a chance with the YC in there. I tried the cut off water bottle trap and it he won't go in.

I've already seen the FF eating off the LR so it seems he's got the idea.

I guess I'll keep the shrimp in the sump until I can get YC out.

 

[Bent]

No QT?

Now in addition to majanos you have possibly risked introducing a pathogen into your display too?

You are making so many decisions here that are going to possibly make your reefing life a living hell, all for the sake of expedience.

 

[afroshacks]

I got my new file fish into the tank today. He was getting constantly harrased by a yellow chromis that I could not capture first to remove so I gave and dumped the ff in wished him luck. The YC chased him several times and nipped at him but he seems no worse of it. He seems to a tough little guy.

Very interesting to watch. Got some pp shrimp also but I know they won't stand a chance with the YC in there. I tried the cut off water bottle trap and it he won't go in.

I've already seen the FF eating off the LR so it seems he's got the idea.

I guess I'll keep the shrimp in the sump until I can get YC out.

Just an fyi hammettime55,

I didn't realize you had a sump or I would have told you earlier that your aptasia more than like will harbor themselves there until it's safe to spread back into your display. One of those hiding places I spoke of before. They can spread anywhere that the water can carry them.

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[Pet Detective]

Just an fyi hammettime55,

I didn't realize you had a sump or I would have told you earlier that your aptasia more than like will harbor themselves there until it's safe to spread back into your display. One of those hiding places I spoke of before. They can spread anywhere that the water can carry them.

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I don't discount this scenario at all, that is why I will always have my Matted File Fish as part of my reef, let them reappear....just some snacky cakes for my savior.

 

[LauraGreenImp]

I don't discount this scenario at all, that is why I will always have my Matted File Fish as part of my reef, let them reappear....just some snacky cakes for my savior.

+1 for Matted File Fish. We have a sump, there may be teeny tiny aiptasia lurking somewhere... I dare them to get big enough for MFF to see them!

(also, ummm... no qt - seriously?)


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[hammertime55]

Sorry haven't posted in a awhile. Update on the Aiptasia and a big thanks to all that encouraged me to take the biological route to eradicating the Aiptasia. First I got a File Fish online (cost double due to shipping) and 7 peppermint shrimp. The Wrasse I had in the tank killed the File Fish within 2 days! Dang $80 meal for the Wrasse. Wrasse had to go before I went down to the LFS and they had a tank in the back that only had Aiptasia and File Fish in it. I asked the lady what's up with that. She said they don't feed the File Fish, that is how that train them to eat the Aiptasia. I picked out the biggest one they had and bought 8 more peppermint shrimp.

By this time I probaly had at least 100 of them in the tank! Long story short, after 2 weeks every single one of the Aiptasia are gone. The coolest thing is my wife screamed one morning, "I just watched him eat a big one." I ran to the tank and watched him slurp down the biggest one in there! This thing was at least the size of a quarter. I was so proud of him, he looked like he was eating an oyster.

So tank was cleared for new fish. Bought a pair of Clarkii's. Within a week both were dead. Obvious bruise mark on the side of one of them. Seems Mr File had claimed the tank as his. So I put him in a 20 gallon in the garage where he will live until I can figure out what to do with him. The shrimp have gotten very large and seem to be getting along great with the new pair of Carkii's and a Lawnmower Bleenie.

I felt bad about the exile of the File but that's that. Thanks to everyone on the advise of the File Fish, they do eat Aiptasia, I guess you have to get the trained ones.