Raccoon butterfly in a 300g mixed reef to eat aiptasia?

[gsiegel]

I have a bunch of aiptasia and have tried a copperband, berghia nudibranches (the wrasses ate them?) without success.
My LFS has a good size raccoon butterfly that immediately ate aiptasia on a rock that we introduced into the tank at the LFS.
I do have hammers and anemone's and other lps though.
Thoughts in a mixed reef to get rid of the aiptasia or will I also then be getting rid of the coral...?

 

[on the spot]

My LFS has a good size raccoon butterfly that immediately ate aiptasia...I do have hammers and anemone's and other lps though.
...will I also then be getting rid of the coral...?

Unknown, but likely.

 

[journeyman]

How about some peppermint shrimp instead? They worked really well for me.

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[gsiegel]

The fish ate the peppermints

 

[puffster]

I have a wand for sale...

 

[jimmy n]

Majest angel always works for me. Will be a problem for softies and possibly clams.

 

[kmbyrnes]

CBB are hit or miss. I got lucky, and my third attempt wiped them out.
Berghia and peppermints didn't help me. Weekly kalk pasting only kept them in check.
Every success story is different. You may have to try multiple angles of attack and spend months in the effort. Don't give up! Good luck.

 

[tlc]

i got some captive bred file fish from live aquaria. they devoured the aiptasia.

 

[gsiegel]

i got some captive bred file fish from live aquaria. they devoured the aiptasia.

What about with coral?

 

[gsiegel]

CBB are hit or miss. I got lucky, and my third attempt wiped them out.
Berghia and peppermints didn't help me. Weekly kalk pasting only kept them in check.
Every success story is different. You may have to try multiple angles of attack and spend months in the effort. Don't give up! Good luck.

I may try a pair of CBB's added together from LA. Aside from whether or not they eat the aiptasia is also how they do with my purple and chevron's so thinking a pair together may defer the aggression a bit.

Are the raccoon butterflies a definite NO with the cora? I saw one at my LFS that I was tempted to get because he immediately ate the aiptasia when added to the tank at the LFS - concern though that he does the same with the coral.

 

[tlc]

the file fish havent touched any of my corals. i dont have any zoas but heard a few say they may eat them.

 

[kmbyrnes]

I have lots of butterflies. But the only one I trust in a mixed reef is the CBB. The rest are in a FOWLR.
When I trim the Xenia in the reef, I toss the trimmings into the FOWLR and the butterflies devour them instantly. YMMV

 

[norton503]

I have lots of butterflies. But the only one I trust in a mixed reef is the CBB. The rest are in a FOWLR.
When I trim the Xenia in the reef, I toss the trimmings into the FOWLR and the butterflies devour them instantly. YMMV

What is a fowlr? I have the same in a 50g cube have always done apostasia X but really want to kill the problem rather than react to it. Would you guys recommend a copper banded butter fly ?


Lots of LR , and some polyps , mixed mushrooms and some frog's spawn.

Also a damsel, a clown and lots of clean up crew .

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[Breadman03]

Fish
Only
With
Live
Rock

 

[WVfishguy]

I thought a lot of others would chime in here.
I had some butterflies in quarantine several years ago - a couple raccoons, and, I believe, a Yellowtail and a Merten's (Pearlscale). To my surprise, the 5-inch wide Red-spined star in the tank was missing all its' legs the next morning. They were obviously chewed off. I'm pretty sure it was the Raccoons. I wouldn't trust a Raccoon anywhere near any invert.
I've used Copperbands in nearly every tank I've maintained for the sole purpose of getting rid of aipstasia. I mentioned this to the local LFS's and they used so many copperbands for the same purpose it was a long time before I could get any for myself! I still see them in frag tanks around here.
BTW - I did a freshwater dip on the butterflies mentioned above prior to quarantine. The flukes poured out from under their scales like black rain. :fun5: Until then, I didn't know you could see flukes with the naked eye. I'll never obtain butterflies without doing a freshwater dip.