Widespread Aiptasia Removal

If you tear down all the rock in the tank you will need to house the fish somewhere else while it happens. If you're going to do that I'd try to get the fish housed elsewhere to protect the berghia instead. I had at least 100 aiptasia in a 14 gallon biocube (yes, really) and the berghia cleared them out for me. I started with one bergia plus some eggs so it took a month or two to get the population up, but once it was the aiptasia vanished in a week or two and never came back.
 
If you take out 2/3 of your rock, you will not take care of your problem, just delay it a few months.
There is aiptasia in all of your rock, they may be very tiny and you don't see them.
Your only real options to solve the problem are;
1. Completely tear down the system and sterilize in whichever way you choose
2. Get something that will help control them...Butterfly or filefish
3. Get something that will eradicate them...Berghias
 
If I were to take drastic measures as pulling rock out, I would just follow through and do the acid bath, might as well kill all pests and remove bound phos at same time.
The issue though is no matter what anything intro'd to tank can bring apts back again.
You have to get the right type of peps to work, not all CBB's will eat it either, and I'm very surprised your matted file has not handled it.
I would try a new matted file first

The only 100% sure fire aiptasia removal I have found is a raccoon butterfly.
 
The only 100% sure fire aiptasia removal I have found is a raccoon butterfly.

Does this clean the system or just keep them out of sight while the butterfly is still there? I ask because my berghia cleaned my (flooded) overflow box and various other places outside the display that they were growing. I don't see a butterfly doing that, or is that an area you would spot treat?
 
Sadly, I have a fierce Aiptasia problem (100's of them) and I have tried everything, they just keep coming back.

1. Aiptasia-X
2. Mijano Wand- effective if you can catch them.
3. Shrimp-don't eat
4. File Fish-ignores
5. Copperband Butterfly- ignores

At this point, I want to pull out all the effected live rock (about 2/3s) and do something drastic:

boil it? set outside in the sun?

if I washed off all the "die-off" I could put it back in the display tank and maybe it wouldn't give off so much ammonia?, or, I also have a tub that I could re-cure the rock in, if needed.

Any advice is appreciated. Thank you.

how much rock do you have to treat?
 
I wish you great success in your attempt to get rid of aiptasia. I have tried every living fix (fish and critter) and the wand. Nothing worked long term. Tearing down the 150g and starting over after 8 years. My other tanks never had a problem, but this one seems to breed aiptasia everywhere water touches. :)
 
A Copperband took care of my problem. I moved a small rock from the display that was covered in Aiptasia into the QT while he was in there. He went nuts on them. Once in the DT he made short work of the ones in there also. Maybe this could be a test procedure... buy a Copperband and place him in QT with Aiptasia... if he eats em, great... if not, trade him @ the LFS for another... repeat.
 
A Copperband took care of my problem. I moved a small rock from the display that was covered in Aiptasia into the QT while he was in there. He went nuts on them. Once in the DT he made short work of the ones in there also. Maybe this could be a test procedure... buy a Copperband and place him in QT with Aiptasia... if he eats em, great... if not, trade him @ the LFS for another... repeat.

Agreed. It seems the ratio is about one in three will.
 
I received a small Raccoon Butterfly from LA this morning. After acclimation, I released into the QT where he swam to the bottom and ate a aiptasia.
 
Does a raccoon prefer aptasia over coral? Put another way, can you introduce a racoon and then remove them after they have cleaned up the aptasia.
 
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