Help on wierd plant

[shaggyboiler]

I have what I think is Aiptasia here are a couple pics you can see some of it.

Is it Aiptaisa? Sure looks like it.

I don't know what to do to get rid of them. I've read about injecting them with lemon juice and such. I have hundreds of these starting up in just the last week. THey are growing everywhere. I can't possibly inject them all. any other options?

 

[Saltcity]

Thats what it is....

I tried to inject a few I had it was really hard. I would say Peppermint Shrimp. How big is your tank?

In my 24g nano I bought 4 Peppermint Shrimp and with in a week they were gone. Since you have such a bad outbreak it will probably take longer but they'll do the job usually...

 

[thecoralreefer]

Agreed Peps will do the job.
So will Camel shrimp, but some say the Camels will eat some corals.

 

[IslandCrow]

I'd avoid using lemonjuice. Vinegar is chemically a simpler compound and just as effective. Personally, I use kalk paste. It's more of a liquid, actually. You just take some kalk powder or pickling lime and mix it with just enough water to make it into a free flowing liquid. Some people also use boiling hot water.

Peppermint shrimp are often effective, but often times don't go after the larger aiptasia. I'd suggest just tackling it a few aiptasia at a time. It will probably take you weeks or longer to get them all, but for a large infestation, manual extermination is probably the best way to go. Then you can get some peppermint shrimp to keep them from popping up again.

 

[shaggyboiler]

I'd say there are probably 400 + starting. They are just all over the place, the glass, the rocks everywhere.

There is no way I could inject them all, some are small and just coming up from everywhere.

My tank is a 40gal.

 

[IslandCrow]

Oh, wow! Ummm. . .good luck? I've never suggested this to anyone, because I'm usually opposed to anyone getting them, but you may actually want to consider a Berghia nudibranch. They are anemone eaters. The biggest problem is that's all they eat, and once you're out of aiptasia, they're going to die. It sounds like they'd live the high life for awhile in your tank, though. Peppermint shrimp would certainly help, but I don't think you could get enough of them to take care of the problem.

 

[shaggyboiler]

I'm picking up 6 pepermints tonight. See how they do in there, Hopefully they will help, if they don't cut it down a little then I'll move on from there.

 

[shaggyboiler]

Ok where can I get Berghia Nudibranch? I think I'm going to have to get one two or 3.

I have 8 pepermint shimp but thes Aiptasia is getting huge and I know the shrimp won't be able to do anything on the huge ones.

 

[BurntOutReefer]

nah....if those peppermints are into it, you tank regardless of the size of the aptasia, will be cleaned out.....

 

[shaggyboiler]

Thats good to know I have 8 of them. But I haven't seen any less of it yet. They have been in there now for 4 days. I'll give them longer. I was thinking of getting some more shrimp. I have 8 in the 40gal right now. But the aiptaisa is huge. Its everywhere.

 

[buccard]

My tank had some aptasia and the pep shrimp wouldnt touch them once they got about the diameter of a penny...I used aptasia x on the ones the shrimp did not get...worked great.

Good luck...

 

[shaggyboiler]

Anyone try a Copperband?

 

[clarence h]

I have a 50 gallon with no corals . I purchased 70 lbs of rock that was covered with Aiptasia. three hundred or so. I put an Auriga Butterfly (not reef safe) in the tank and in three days there were very few aiptasia to be seen. Today after 6 days it is impossible to see any although I suppose some would come back without the butterfly to keep them in check. I also had several fire shrimp a week prior to the butterfly and saw no evidence that they were having any effect. I will eventually be setting up a reef and the butterfly will have to go.

 

[shaggyboiler]

I have a lot of coral already. I thought maybe I could put one in and it see if it would take care of the aiptasia then pull it out and put it in my other tank.

 

[abulgin]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13766369#post13766369 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by shaggyboiler
Anyone try a Copperband?

Yes, and he worked wonders for me. Never saw another Aiptasia. Of course, like anything, they are hit or miss.