What types of butterflies will eat aiptasia (other than CBB)? Doesn't have to be reef safe

[Rattooth]

Totally agree. BERGHIA NUDIBRANCH are the best predator for aptasia.

 

[TJ's Reef]

Hey Daniel, a lot of good choices above here for you. I would recommend in order of preference from personal experience:

#1 Berghia, but would need 8-10 to start or to reach an effective population will take 6-8 weeks to start making a difference. Sell the offspring to recoup initial expense.
#2 Kleins Buterfly, very very hardy and attentive.
#3 Raccoon Buterfly very hardy and more attractive than Kleini ???
#4 Matted Filefish, great with Mojanos but tend to like Palys better than Aiptasia
#5 Peppermint Shrimp, effective but seem to increase overall population dramatically by disturbing the Aiptasia before gaining ground.

Cheers, Todd

 

[Aquaph8]

I used a Chelmon marginalis (like a copper band butterfly, but with 1 less band). Worked perfectly on a terrible infestation, and they are known to be easier to keep (as best I know). I've had it a few years now.

Both are kinda seasonal to find but Chelmon muelleri is also a great option, it's also my absolute favorite fish. This fish is also easier to keep than your average copperband.

 

[eatbreakfast]

I have always had success with klein's, raccoon, falcula, auriga, and the double saddle with eating aiptasia.

 

[miyags]

The larger the fish, the harder it is for them to get at the aiptasia. I have a CB. I had a bad infestation, he wiped them out. (So I thought). A year later I removed CB for ICK treatment. While going FALLOW for 3 months, they came back. The CB has been back in that tank for a year now. And I just saw a aiptasia in the back of tank behind a rock where he can't get to it.

 

[scardall]

peppermint shrimp won't have that issue. best of luck, I hate aptasia. For now I'm free at last. 3 months and no aptasia anywhere. Knock on Wood

 

[Longnose Hawkfish]

I have some aiptasia in my tank but my tank is too small for most of te fish that eat them. I only have a 93 gallon cube and would like to try the nudibranches but would my melanuras wrasse eat them?

 

[Ben jammin]

Any reef safe options for a small tank? I have two or three aiptasia that have just appeared in my 30 gal reef.

 

[Longnose Hawkfish]

Any reef safe options for a small tank? I have two or three aiptasia that have just appeared in my 30 gal reef.

Berghai nudibranches will solve the problem

 

[SeahorseKeeper]

I had an aiptasia outbreak in my 55. Some of them were huge and now they are gone!! All thanks to my berghia nudibranches.

 

[Karliefish]

I used a Chelmon marginalis (like a copper band butterfly, but with 1 less band). Worked perfectly on a terrible infestation, and they are known to be easier to keep (as best I know). I've had it a few years now.

Randy,
came across this old post and was curious to know if you ever had any more problems with aiptasia after getting your chef on margínalos? Also problems with corals being nipped? Still alive?

 

[Slocke]

I had a small infestation in my Refugium. I got a deal on 3 peppermint shrimp and within two hours every aiptasia was gone.

Saying that I have another tank with shrimp eaters and I’m getting a pearlscale for that tank.

 

[Karliefish]

I used a Chelmon marginalis (like a copper band butterfly, but with 1 less band). Worked perfectly on a terrible infestation, and they are known to be easier to keep (as best I know). I've had it a few years now.

Hi Rand, I know this is a very old post, but quite relevant to me right now. Did you continue to have a lot of success with your Chelmon margínalos for getting rid of your aiptaisa infestation? How well behaved was this fish with your SPS & LPS corals? I have a really bad aiptasia infestation in my 365G tank and need to take some drastic action. I have tried all the typical aiptasia eating characters with mised results (with file fish having good results) but my tank simply has to many for my two filefish to eat and other options haven’t work out to well. So I’m willing to risk a semi-reef butterfly if it will wipe them out.

 

[dennis romano]

Hi Rand, I know this is a very old post, but quite relevant to me right now. Did you continue to have a lot of success with your Chelmon margínalos for getting rid of your aiptaisa infestation? How well behaved was this fish with your SPS & LPS corals? I have a really bad aiptasia infestation in my 365G tank and need to take some drastic action. I have tried all the typical aiptasia eating characters with mised results (with file fish having good results) but my tank simply has to many for my two filefish to eat and other options haven’t work out to well. So I’m willing to risk a semi-reef butterfly if it will wipe them out.

Chelmon marginalis is not commonly available. Probably the best aiptasia eating butterfly is Chaetodon kleinii. They are readily available and voracious. The problem is that they also will eat your LPS as will most other butterflies.

 

[ReefGeezer]

I tried a Klien's Butterfly. It ignored the Aptasia in favor of SPS Polyps! However, I think I've broken the code... I just got rid of a bad infestation with a Copperband and AptasiaX. The Copperband would not eat the big Aiptasia, but picked off the little ones. I used AiptasiaX the kill the bigger ones. I originally started with only the AiptasiaX. I killed a bunch per day for a couple weeks to get rid of the big ones. Unfortunately, they would come back. Once I added the Copperband, they stopped coming back.

If you still have the Copperband, get your self some AptasiaX and start apsassinating those bigger ones.