D**n Aiptasia!

ezerasurfr

ezerasurfr

New member
So I've been fighting an aiptasia outbreak, but like most of us who fight this battle am having difficulty. Others have been through this, and it's going to come down to the best of the worst for me.

So here it is:

(The reason I'm posting this in SPS will be evident soon)

My first attack (and only so far) has been aiptasia-X. I've been fighting 2 returning aiptasia since July - I keep thinking I'm getting them, but then they come back (and in numbers). Now I have about 16 (that I can see).

My next line of defense is what I'm posting about. Here are my options, and my arguments against each:

Peppermint shrimp: So these would be the easiest live solution I've come up with. I've heard they will make short work of aiptasia within a few weeks, and would then be unseen tank inhabitants there-after. A plus would be if I got multiples they can mate and I can have free live food for my fish. I would do this in a heartbeat and we could skip this post easily - except for my bluethroat trigger. I believe he would tear them apart in seconds of introduction into the tank, and even if he didn't catch them I fear they would never be seen for fear of him. Anyone have advice on this?

Butterfly fish: I've had 3 CBBs in the past with varying degrees of failure. While I have room in my tank for more fish, I hate throwing fish at a problem. Though I would be more than happy to get a beautiful fish that will serve more than one purpose - I would hate to use a CBB due to poor success rates in captivity. I would best view them in the wild. So I was thinking of what other butterfly fish people who keep SPS have had success with in the past that are more hardy. Anyone have experience with Raccoons or Auriga butterfly fish - or is this just not the right path to take? Any advice would be appreciated (if directed properly of course :D)

Thanks in advance..
 
CBB, first get it to eat frozen mysis. once that's done. use a toothpick to destroy one of the aiptasia then put some mysis on top of it. once the CBB eat a bit of the aiptasia you wont ever seem them in your display tank again.
i love the CBB so much i got 2 in my display tank. :D
 
Wow I guess I lucked out with my CBB. Just threw him in and 1 week later no apstasia and he eats anything I throw in. However, the one I bought before him jumped out of the tank!
 
I know a reefer tried the new wand that is out to try to eradicate the aiptasia, do not waste your money! No success, I have had good luck with peppermint shrimp, good luck with your battle! CBB introduced to aiptasia as feeding as clown nut explained sounds like a great idea!
 
Awesome advice guys! Everyone really did exactly what I requested! I believe at this point I'm going to look more into the Berghia Nudibranchs. While I love the CBB, I just dont want to "kill" anymore - having a gorgeous fish for 3-6 months (1 only lasted 6 days) just tears me apart inside. I would even be really upset if my Bluethroat ate peppermint shrimp. So I believe I just need some more research into the nudis and I may try that route. I just dont like that they will starve without aiptasia in the tank, and they seem to be quite expensive for such a little creature.

I thought filefish were deemed "not reef compatible", what is it they're supposed to eat?
 
ezerasurfr said:
Awesome advice guys! Everyone really did exactly what I requested! I believe at this point I'm going to look more into the Berghia Nudibranchs. While I love the CBB, I just dont want to "kill" anymore - having a gorgeous fish for 3-6 months (1 only lasted 6 days) just tears me apart inside. I would even be really upset if my Bluethroat ate peppermint shrimp. So I believe I just need some more research into the nudis and I may try that route. I just dont like that they will starve without aiptasia in the tank, and they seem to be quite expensive for such a little creature.

I thought filefish were deemed "not reef compatible", what is it they're supposed to eat?
Click to expand...

the "aiptasia" eating filefish, once they done with aiptasias they most likely will start on your LPS.(they seem like scoly, acans alot.) i have a few friends have luck with the filefish, once remove from the tank, aiptasias slowly comes back.
and same issue with the nudi, once they all died. aiptasia seem comes back after awhile.
also everytime you add corals always have a chance bring aiptasia back into the tank.
if you cant keep the CBB for long term, try this. find some small feather dusters have them in your sump with some small LR, once you find a healthy CBB, every month move a small piece of LR with feather dusters into the DT. a few years back i cant keep CBB for more than 1.5 years. everyone of them did extremely well and around 1-1.5 year it always died without any reason. ever since i am doing that i can keep them for 2+ years. the one oldest one i got now almost 3 years. i am not sure if that actually do anything but have good luck doing that.
 
Well I was in the city to get my car inspected today and stopped by Manhattan Aquariums. They have cheap peppermint shrimp ($3 each) so I picked up half a dozen to see if they are going to be a snack themselves or not. I think fish will be a last resort still, but that is really cool to hear about the CBB. Good trick, but I guess it can get expensive with the feather dusters, no?

Has anyone ever used live food for butterfly fish, like a brine shrimp hatchery?
 
Quick update:

So the shrimp are a complete bust. I believe they ate 1 aiptasia (that I knew of), but I don't think I'll ever see the shrimp in my tank again. I think they are way too fearful of my BT Trigger, and even my larger female clarki has been seen hassling them. But oh well, maybe they'll serve some other purpose in the tank.

Onto the next attempt:

Today I'm taking the risk of a butterfly. I picked up a healthy looking, young Vagabond Butterfly to see how he will do. He is just getting himself acclimated to his new tank mates and is actively picking on rock, featherdusters and even some polyps from my frag rack (doesnt matter, only thing on my frag rack is a colony I'm trying to nurse back to health after a serious STN issue. It has been fragged and some are slowly growing back ). He seems to be picking on the frags that are in the worst condition - My Kole tang kind of "owns" the tank and is not letting the new guy near the rock that has all the aiptasia on it - even though he keeps trying to get there. I will keep everyone posted as to the success or failure of the butterfly.

(why do I feel like I'll be dropping money on the Nudis?)
 
Ezerasurfr,

I myself am in a bit of trouble with aptasias in my Reef, I got a Longnose butterfly about 3 weeks ago, and it really didn't eat to many of my aptasias, 1 or 2, but however it murdered them in my QT tank...go figure.Im thinking of trying kalk paste, I really don't want to try Aptasia X, I really try to avoid dumping chems in my tank when I can.I have 2 that are visible, and probably 15 that aren't.I have tried peppermints before with no luck.Any help I can give, just ask.

Cheers!
 
Well the vagabond hasn't really done anything, and his picking on corals is pretty minimal so far. I too am done with Aiptasia X, all it does is spread them when you don't hit them right (and those are the ones I can get to). I will probably break down and buy some Berghias...
 
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