What eats GSP and aptasia...? (pic)

[Sitarangi]

My tank is full to the brim with GSP, hitchhiking button polyps, feather dusters, bristleworms, and of course the dreaded aptasia. I love the abundance of all these critters around but im afraid it's getting to be a bit too much. I'm looking for a fish that control the population, not necessarily wipe it out. I've been toying with the idea of adding a Acreichthys tomentosus (bristletail/matted filefish). I hear mixed things about them eating polyps yet being relatively tame when well fed.

Here are the specs...

Nitrates: 2.5ppm
Trites/Ammonia: 0
Calcium: ~400 last time a checked. Not many hard corals and I just scrape the coraline sometimes and introduces all that Ca back into the tank.
Salinity: 1.020
pH: 8.3
Temp: 76-80

Stocklist:
Pair of Occy Clowns
pair of bangaii cardinals
Tailspot Blenny (eats GSP around his burrow)
Sixline Wrasse (super tiny and will most likely graduate to the 150g one day)
Banded Goby

Though it seems heavily stocked, all fish are incredibly peaceful and mindful of one another. My tank is mature enough that it could easily handle another 4" fish bioload.

 

[username in use]

As for star polyps, you should be able to pull the mat off of the glass and the rock, then give it away to fellow reefers or lfs for store credit.

Bristle worms and feather dusters are harmless, leave them be.

And I don't think I could sleep knowing that my glass looked like that.

 

[Sitarangi]

I am rather lazy about the algae on my 29g, its been my first tank ever and running non-stop for 3 years despite several other tank upgrades. I throw in all sorts of overgrown 'weedy' corals from my 150 and just sort of let them fight it out. I always loved the look of coralline because it is so colorful. It gives the tank a rustic natural look. I do dose with a Ca+Alk buffer regularly.

 

[Dustin1300]

In regards to the Star polyps....It's like a weed and needs to be trimmed back often or it will take over!

Dealing with Aptasia is rather easy. I'd go pick up a couple peppermint shrimp that will help keep them away. If they do not keep them out then buy some Joe's Juice or mix some kalk/water and make a paste and put on the aptasia. Once you get rid of the large numbers the peppermint shrimp will keep them away.


:fish1::fish1::fish1::fish1::fish1::fish1::fish1::fish1::fish1::fish1:

 

[Fretfreak13]

What about trying a baby copper banded butterfly (along with peppermint shrimp!). As you said, you have larger tanks and when the butterfly got too large for the 29 you could probably move it, no? They eat aptasia, and I think have been known to eat other things that somewhat look like them (ie. button polyps and GSP?). I would much rather see you try to frag up that GSP rather than kill it, though.

 

[Sitarangi]

In regards to the Star polyps....It's like a weed and needs to be trimmed back often or it will take over!

Dealing with Aptasia is rather easy. I'd go pick up a couple peppermint shrimp that will help keep them away. If they do not keep them out then buy some Joe's Juice or mix some kalk/water and make a paste and put on the aptasia. Once you get rid of the large numbers the peppermint shrimp will keep them away.

I have two large peppermint shrimp that don't even touch the little ones. IME I rarely have met a pep shrimp that really does a good job eating them. I have already gone through an entire bottle of aptasia-X. There are just too many small ones.

What about trying a baby copper banded butterfly (along with peppermint shrimp!). As you said, you have larger tanks and when the butterfly got too large for the 29 you could probably move it, no? They eat aptasia, and I think have been known to eat other things that somewhat look like them (ie. button polyps and GSP?). I would much rather see you try to frag up that GSP rather than kill it, though.

I'd love too get another CBB, but alas I already have a full grown at 6". He eats aptasia. I'd toss him in my 29g for a couple days but he's a pretty finicky eater already and I wouldn't wanna push my luck. I'm still debating getting the file for aptasia control. I'll frag up a bit of my GSP as well.

 

[atrox]

Get a bristle tailed file fish. Mine went through GSP Zoanthids and aptasia. He is persistent. They are neat fish too!

 

[Amoore311]

If you have any brain corals or clams that filefish will more than likely take bits of them.

People say, "keep them well fed and they won't touch your corals". If you keep them well fed they won't touch your aiptasia either lol.