Majano and Aipstasia eaters?
- Thread starter Drjusc00
- Start date
clinicalman
New member
I had 6 to 8 aipstasia destroyed by 4 peppermint shrimp overnight
Aurigas will eat them, but they are not reef safe. A filefish probably will, but they may or may not be "reef safe" (whatever that really means)
That is a problem. What corals do you have in your tank?
Years ago I had a 130g with a million (not actual count)...I added 40 caribbean peppermint shrimp from Reeftopia, and the aptasia were gone in less than 2 weeks.
Recently I had a a few (50+/-) in my QT and 450g DT...I tried the 'majano wand' but that was useless, so I purchased 2 brissletail/tassled filefish and in less than 2 weeks the aptasia are 'undetectable'.
They MAY eat zoas, but I have no proof of that!
.
kingfisherflesh
New member
Butterflies will work...but you will need to get them feeding on something else after they are done chowing...a lot of wholesalers use browned out corals to feed them if they are not eating.
Files will work, especially ones that are known coral eaters...again...same story...might move onto something else - not an issue if you have a huge tank with many large, established, colonies...but if you are having an aptasia issue you probably dont.
Peppermints (TRUE peppermints) will eat these. Gotta get them from a reputable dealer...I have never had this fail.
Peps might work the best because they can get everywhere and will eat all of them (smaller ones are easier for them to see?). At any rate...they will also nip at larger anemones and eat LPS corals after they run out of anemones.
I had a group of four that basically farmed an acan colony...eating it down to the skeleton, letting it regrow, eating it down to the skeleton...etc.
Good luck...animals are really the best way to solve this issue IMO...but there are drawbacks to every natural solution as well.
Files will work, especially ones that are known coral eaters...again...same story...might move onto something else - not an issue if you have a huge tank with many large, established, colonies...but if you are having an aptasia issue you probably dont.
Peppermints (TRUE peppermints) will eat these. Gotta get them from a reputable dealer...I have never had this fail.
Peps might work the best because they can get everywhere and will eat all of them (smaller ones are easier for them to see?). At any rate...they will also nip at larger anemones and eat LPS corals after they run out of anemones.
I had a group of four that basically farmed an acan colony...eating it down to the skeleton, letting it regrow, eating it down to the skeleton...etc.
Good luck...animals are really the best way to solve this issue IMO...but there are drawbacks to every natural solution as well.
Didac
New member
what type of peppermint shimp, do you know ??
I am fighting the same issue, tried file fish 3 times and in all cases were perfectly reef safe and aiptesia safe, peppermints are not a option for me as I have lots of helichoris wrasse in my tank, I recently got a burgessi butterfly and a week ago put him in my refuge that has quite a lot aiptesia, till now i don't see a visible difference but will give it some time.
I have SPS, a hammer coral, colt coral, two huge leathers, zenia, zoas, star polyps. Thats about it. 180 gallon
jr_casteel1999
New member
peppermint shrimp are a hit or miss. if they are from florida they will eat it. i have had the best luck with a copperband butterfly. i had about 200 when i put him in there and i havent seen one in a while. also he never nipped at any of my corals
These are unpredictable. Sometimes they eat aiptasia, sometimes not. Sometimes "reef safe", sometimes not. Sometimes don't eat at all.
I asked to figure out which animal will eat aiptasia and not eat your corals. Of the options mentioned above, none are completely safe with your selection. (sorry). Maybe the file fish would be closest.
prop-frags
SPS Slave
We've had our Tomentosus Filefish for over a year and he devours Aiptasia. He (along with our Regal Angel) will eat Zoanthids, so we moved those to a separate tank. He is easy to catch, so we move him to our frag tank and refugium as needed to keep them Aiptasia free as well.
We feed our fish frequently, so he is well-fed. He also LOVES algae sheets.
We feed our fish frequently, so he is well-fed. He also LOVES algae sheets.
Yes, that is also my first recommendation. Plus they are cool looking and acting fish. The OP had zoanthids which I know they eat.
Froggy
Reef "Hobbyist"...right!?
A matted filefish took care of over a 1,000 Aiptasia in my 120. It took about 4 months to eat that many though. He easily handled small and large ones ( disc the size of a quarter ). My filefish will only eat frozen Mysis and whatever he picks at on the rocks now. I have never seen it show interest in flake or pellet.
My Filefish has occasionally nipped at an acan but no real damage to speak of. I have SPS, LPS, Softies, and a large Derasa clam as well.
Joe
My Filefish has occasionally nipped at an acan but no real damage to speak of. I have SPS, LPS, Softies, and a large Derasa clam as well.
Joe
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