cure for aptasia

[shaneh]

i have been shooting the things with joe's joe and they go away for a few days then come back more. I know a fish eats them....i think it is a copper bannded buterfly? Anyone know what fish eat AIPTASIA?

 

[northbay-reefer]

take the rocks out of the water and cut the base and some of rock off to make sure nothing is left on the rock, it is the only sure way. Joejuice works hot kalk paste also work just as well and save you money.

Don't count on any fish doing the work because they rarely do ... LOL all they do for me is looking pretty and eat a lot of food.

 

[jedheuer]

get a syringe and inject them with the calcium solution of your 2 part. This is only thing i got to work and I had a pretty severe infestation.

 

[shaneh]

thanks guys I'll try a few new things

 

[SirToppemHat]

Copper banded butterfly did the trick for me. Cleared them out 100%.

 

[moneytimetycoon]

I still stick to the Boiling Lemon Juice injections.

 

[Grant W]

aptasia x worked for me because it also stops aptasia from releasing their eggs also try bergia nutibranks(spelling) if you can find them

 

[elensius]

as someone with too many tanks, I had a 6 gallon set up in which was I intentionally growing aptasia (and a few other soft corals)... I added a peppermint shrimp to the tank, and not too long after that, the aptasia were completely gone - wasn't my intention to wipe out the aptasia (nor was it the end of the world!), but learned something in the process (and I've observed pep. shrimp snacking on the occasional hitchhiking aptasia that have made it into my big tank as well). Let me know if you you try it/have success in your tank as well!

Good luck!

 

[carne.espada]

Many books speak of things that do this or that....I used to take my rocks out and run a blow torch over the aptasia. Then I tried a "book suggested" peppermint shrimp addition. The absolutely cleared the tank! I have not seen an aptasia since. You can get them for as low as $3 on the internet. Buy 10 and add them to your tank. I guarantee that you will not see the aptasia again!!

 

[gdm42001]

added a few Peppermints from Northbay about a month ago, aptasia are cleared out.
I have always used Peppermints, and always had the same results.

 

[potterjon]

I am bummed because the peppermint shrimp didn't work for me. I put about 8 in a 150 and they just hid all the time. I don't even know what happened to them. My aptasia is out of control. Maybe I will give it another shot, but with around 15-20 of them.

 

[jedheuer]

glad you guys had luck with peppermint shrimp but I didn't. I tried multiple individuals and no luck. I guess you got to try all this stuff until something works.

 

[shaneh]

Will a yellow tang and a copper banded butterfly be ok? Also will a cleaner shrimp and a peppermint be ok?

 

[carne.espada]

Won't a copper band eat coral? Shrimp will get along just fine....unless they don't.

 

[trdofwrkin]

Will a yellow tang and a copper banded butterfly be ok? Also will a cleaner shrimp and a peppermint be ok?

Yellow tangs are very aggressive. I wouldnt do it if I were you. Mine killed by copperband.....cleaner shrimp and peppermint shrimp are fine together. but if you have a wrasse there is a good chance they will eat the peppermint shrimp

 

[Reef Bass]

I had a substantial case of aiptasia going on for over a year despite multiple permanent resident peppermint shrimp. Yes, they reduced the number of anems but never got it all. And worse, there were anems in small crevices that they didn't bother with.

I picked up a copperband butterfly and he / she / it has been tremendously effective. I don't see ANY aiptasia in the tank he's in, which is a HUGE change. Also, he eats mysis, so I stand a chance at keeping him alive once all the aiptasia is gone.

When I notice aiptasia on a rock or frag in my lps tank, I move it to my sps tank and the copperband promptly gives it a going over.

My experience, for what it's worth...

 

[shaneh]

I picked up 5 pepermint shrimp last week and now i don't see one of them. Do they hide at night and day....also i stilll have aptasia...gurrr.

 

[treesmoker]

you'll almost never see them.

 

[GreshamH]

Peppermint shrimp are a real hit or miss, especially since one species will really attach them and several species are sold as "peppermint shrimp".

take the rocks out of the water and cut the base and some of rock off to make sure nothing is left on the rock, it is the only sure way. Joejuice works hot kalk paste also work just as well and save you money.

Don't count on any fish doing the work because they rarely do ... LOL all they do for me is looking pretty and eat a lot of food.

+1. biological methods seem to be a real hit or miss. Removing the anemone with a little rock ensures it won't come back. I like boiling kalk as well but it sometimes doesn't do the trick. Never have much success with Joe's Juice.

 

[Mattik]

I have used peppermints for the past 10 years or so. They always have worked for me. I have heard recently of some people selling a similar shrimp that is not acutally a peppermint. From what I have heard, these "imposters" will not eat them.