00W's AIO Smorgasbord

[Rocks reef]

I'm not a proponent of peroxide for Aiptasia. It seems to kill them but mine always came back eventually. Only things I've ever used beside Peppermint Shrimp or Berghia Nudibranchs that actually worked were epoxy or F-Aiptasia and they only work if you can really get the Aiptasia to close up and completely engulf it. Most cures kill the one but it spreads spores or whatever they are and it just makes it worse. Underwater Whack-A-Mole.

They spread by pedal laceration, not spores. However, I do get your point. I've had great success with peroxide and vinegar when I've had a couple.

 

[tharbin]

They spread by pedal laceration, not spores. However, I do get your point. I've had great success with peroxide and vinegar when I've had a couple.

Great to hear. It sure seemed to work for me but it seemed like they always came back a month or so later. I never tried vinegar though.

I think that with all of the chemical/mechanical interventions it comes down to luck, skill of application, and location of said pest. I had one Aiptasia in an especially porous rock that I F-Aiptasia'd four times. It kept popping out of new holes after a week or two. Maddening. The nudis finally tool care of it.

 

[kevgib67]

I got my nudis from Reeftown as well. Great customer service and the nudis went right to work. I now spot maybe one new Aiptasia a week and it is gone in a few days. I was surprised that they even went after one on a frag rack half way up the back wall.

Same and same experience, they are great.

 

[luis angel]

ive got a sandbed. i cant attach pics anymore. i guess something is going on with the site. idk. i have them on a stand to keep them up off the sand a bit, but in a shaded area. just wondering if thats the problem...

@tbrown

 

[kingranch2003]

I'm not a proponent of peroxide for Aiptasia. It seems to kill them but mine always came back eventually. Only things I've ever used beside Peppermint Shrimp or Berghia Nudibranchs that actually worked were epoxy or F-Aiptasia and they only work if you can really get the Aiptasia to close up and completely engulf it. Most cures kill the one but it spreads spores or whatever they are and it just makes it worse. Underwater Whack-A-Mole.

That is the best description of it I've ever heard lol

 

[kingranch2003]

Low PAR... say 75-120ish range, low to moderate flow. You want the tentacles to move gently, not be whipped around. Lastly, they like some sort of extra food, like reef roids or dose phyto.

Flow maybe definitely gotten me in the past. They are way too awesome not to try again!

 

[kingranch2003]

nothing wrong with that!!
some of my plates arent looking the best. ive noticed that some people have them on stands partway up the tank. maybe mine arent getting enough light. anyone have advice? @VintageReefer ?

Could be flow, lighting, or irritation of some sort, Jill. Do you have any pics?

 

[kingranch2003]

ive got a sandbed. i cant attach pics anymore. i guess something is going on with the site. idk. i have them on a stand to keep them up off the sand a bit, but in a shaded area. just wondering if thats the problem...

Yes it very well could be. They like a little more part than that usually

 

[Üter]

Peroxide? Interesting, that is the one thing I haven't tried. I had one and I blasted it with boiling water. Now I have a beautiful aiptasia garden there!!

I’ve heard lemon juice too but I don’t have any to try it on.

 

[Üter]

Heat wave. Sure is different than the 3” inches of snow the other day.

 

[smitten with ocean life]

id send pics but for some reason the site wont let me. not sure whats going on

 

[kingranch2003]

I’ve heard lemon juice too but I don’t have any to try it on.

 

[smitten with ocean life]

@JoJosReef i saw you just posted a plate pic! any advice for me? my mag is at 1425 and cal 450. sorry i cant post pics... or emojis!

 

[kevgib67]

I’ve heard lemon juice too but I don’t have any to try it on.

I’ve used it it works.

 

[JoJosReef]

@JoJosReef i saw you just posted a plate pic! any advice for me? my mag is at 1425 and cal 450. sorry i cant post pics... or emojis!

I feed mine a couple of times a week, sometimes more. TDO pellets work fine, or leftover slurry from my Reef Nutrition mix (PacPods, ROE, RotiFeast, OysterFeast, Mysis). It tolerates a range of PAR, and I currently have it at a pretty intense spot (probably hitting 180-200 PAR on the sand bed), but I'd definitely work up to there and not start at high PAR. I've found my plates do better when they are on the sand bed surrounded by something. I keep my two plates in the front of the tank surrounded by zoas.

They seem to like that, as they get some flow and don't get lots of sand blowing on them. The zoas on the other hand... they are getting blasted by the wrasses.

Oh well, they bounce back, and I'd rather have a few ticked off zoas than ticked off plates.

My plates aren't in optimal position just now, as the zoa garden is being reorganizes/regrown, but here is what it was like in the 40--which was too crowded.

Optimal:

 

[smitten with ocean life]

thank you! ill try to move stuff around. i wasnt sure what they were ok with touching

 

[kevgib67]

I feed mine a couple of times a week, sometimes more. TDO pellets work fine, or leftover slurry from my Reef Nutrition mix (PacPods, ROE, RotiFeast, OysterFeast, Mysis). It tolerates a range of PAR, and I currently have it at a pretty intense spot (probably hitting 180-200 PAR on the sand bed), but I'd definitely work up to there and not start at high PAR. I've found my plates do better when they are on the sand bed surrounded by something. I keep my two plates in the front of the tank surrounded by zoas.

They seem to like that, as they get some flow and don't get lots of sand blowing on them. The zoas on the other hand... they are getting blasted by the wrasses.

Oh well, they bounce back, and I'd rather have a few ticked off zoas than ticked off plates.

My plates aren't in optimal position just now, as the zoa garden is being reorganizes/regrown, but here is what it was like in the 40--which was too crowded.

Optimal:

Beautiful, I love the yellow. Not a color you see a lot of.

 

[00W]

I'm not a proponent of peroxide for Aiptasia. It seems to kill them but mine always came back eventually. Only things I've ever used beside Peppermint Shrimp or Berghia Nudibranchs that actually worked were epoxy or F-Aiptasia and they only work if you can really get the Aiptasia to close up and completely engulf it. Most cures kill the one but it spreads spores or whatever they are and it just makes it worse. Underwater Whack-A-Mole.

Agreed.
Have had peps and they worked great but shrimp aren't an option with the trigger.
Tried peroxide, not really a fan.
Unless you can get the aiptasia to "play along ", if you will it won't work.
Plus you don't want to overdose on peroxide, just like using vinegar.
They do melt but you are carbon dosing and only want to do that sparingly and cautiously.
They need to be fully killed, at the root.
I believe that they and cockroaches will be the only thing left after a nuclear war....

 

[00W]

I have to say that Aiptasia can be quite beautiful at times, especially some of the big ones but they really spread like wildfire and there is NO control of where they will go.
That's my biggest issue.
I did read an article and saw some pictures of someone using a huge Aiptasia garden as filter feeders and their nutrients were super low.
I've also been told that they grow even worse in tanks that are overfed, like mine.

 

[tharbin]

Agreed.
Have had peps and they worked great but shrimp aren't an option with the trigger.
Tried peroxide, not really a fan.
Unless you can get the aiptasia to "play along ", if you will it won't work.
Plus you don't want to overdose on peroxide, just like using vinegar.
They do melt but you are carbon dosing and only want to do that sparingly and cautiously.
They need to be fully killed, at the root.
I believe that they and cockroaches will be the only thing left after a nuclear war....

I had the Peppermints for a while but they developed a taste for hammers,...and acans. Decided that the Aiptasia were less expensive it the long run. Donated the Pepps to a LFS.