Aiptasia Advice

[Hunter90 HD]

Good evening,

So i spotted one Aiptasia in my tank about a week or two ago and thought nothing of it (new to the hobby), then i spotted a few around the tank about the size of 1 penny.

I have carried a lot of research into this over the past few evenings and i cannot find a suitable solution.

I have read peppermint shrimp are good and File fish are good, but all run the slight risk at nipping at my LPS and softies.

I do not want to run the risk at all of this and i want to see if anyone has had experience in dealing with these little devils!...

I have not disturbed any of the Aiptasia as i have read it is a bad idea to try to remove them physically as they release babies and will spread rapidly under stress.

I like the idea of using Kalkpast / putty and that would work for the ones i can easily get access to but these things are all in my rock in areas it would be impossible to get too.

I want to use Berghia Nudibranch as they look like the perfect solution to Aiptasia! as they only eat Aiptasia and nothing else.

Only slight issue is i live in the UK and i cannot get my hands on these at all!

I wonder why such a great sea slug is so difficult to get a hold off in the UK as this would be the ideal solution?

Can anyone recommend a supplier in the UK at all?

Or any other solutions?

I do not want to treat this chemically as i do not like entering chemicals into my tank as they contain harmful chemicals and seems overkill to treat this.

Need to rectify this situation asap as i know they can grow rapidly.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in Advance.

Lee

 

[ZoWhat]

The only thing I've seen longterm success with is a CBB

If you kill the large ones the CBB will eat the ones they don't get stung by.

CBB are great for stopping the babies coming out from regenerative spores

 

[blaxsun]

Kill it with fire.

 

[austibella]

Good evening,

So i spotted one Aiptasia in my tank about a week or two ago and thought nothing of it (new to the hobby), then i spotted a few around the tank about the size of 1 penny.

I have carried a lot of research into this over the past few evenings and i cannot find a suitable solution.

I have read peppermint shrimp are good and File fish are good, but all run the slight risk at nipping at my LPS and softies.

I do not want to run the risk at all of this and i want to see if anyone has had experience in dealing with these little devils!...

I have not disturbed any of the Aiptasia as i have read it is a bad idea to try to remove them physically as they release babies and will spread rapidly under stress.

I like the idea of using Kalkpast / putty and that would work for the ones i can easily get access to but these things are all in my rock in areas it would be impossible to get too.

I want to use Berghia Nudibranch as they look like the perfect solution to Aiptasia! as they only eat Aiptasia and nothing else.

Only slight issue is i live in the UK and i cannot get my hands on these at all!

I wonder why such a great sea slug is so difficult to get a hold off in the UK as this would be the ideal solution?

Can anyone recommend a supplier in the UK at all?

Or any other solutions?

I do not want to treat this chemically as i do not like entering chemicals into my tank as they contain harmful chemicals and seems overkill to treat this.

Need to rectify this situation asap as i know they can grow rapidly.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in Advance.

Lee

Are you able to buy a file fish? I had used a majano wand with i thought worked but then I got more aiptasia in other areas. I tried Aiptasia-X, still kept getting more then I bought a file fish, havent seen aiptasia ever again

 

[Hunter90 HD]

Are you able to buy a file fish? I had used a majano wand with i thought worked but then I got more aiptasia in other areas. I tried Aiptasia-X, still kept getting more then I bought a file fish, havent seen aiptasia ever again

Hi @austibella

I have heard of these wands but i wont be able to get into some of the areas they are hiding in.

I heard about these file fish and i am tempted to get one, i am concerned with a few people suggesting they have been known to nip at the occasional LPS and softies that is what is putting me off however i have heard they are great for keeping the Aiptasia in check...

 

[Venomike]

Hi uk reefer in sussex, used these guys with great success https://www.berghiaonline.co.uk?gcl...6cDmljWtFTyU6efi-A9oVkYm-qE41crkaAq9mEALw_wcB

 

[austibella]

I suggest getting the file fish he will get into crevices that the wand cannot. Plus the aiptasia hides real fast and the file fish has sharp front teeth to get into the hole in the rock. After he eats all the aiptasia and if he nips at your coral you can catch him and rehome him.. believe me I tried everything till I got the file fish . Living in Florida. We get them all the time really cheep.not sure how expensive in the UK. the best of luck to you.. oh it took my fish about 2 weeks before he touched the aiptasia. I thought it wasn't working then one night he ate the all. I still have him a year later.

 

[Venomike]

I tried filefish with little to no success, peppermint are very hit and miss, so e are voracious others wont touch them, nudi's are guaranteed as that is all they eat, then send on to another reefer, the will breed really easy until food source is gone and for every one you can see there are far more hiding in all the cracks and crevices

 

[austibella]

I tried filefish with little to no success, peppermint are very hit and miss, so e are voracious others wont touch them, nudi's are guaranteed as that is all they eat, then send on to another reefer, the will breed really easy until food source is gone and for every one you can see there are far more hiding in all the cracks and crevices

I never got them only because my 180 is to deep and to many places for them to hide and I wouldn't be able to get them to rehome, and they would die. Plus I have a wrass that would eat berghia. But I hear they work great if you don't have a wrass. My file fish did a great job. ( it's hit or miss )

 

[davidcalgary29]

My aiptasia-eating filefish did nothing for my aiptasia, although it sure did take care of my acans. And the peppermint shrimp I put in the same tank apparently had more refined taste than pest anemones, and happily dined on mysis.

I'd go with kalk and superglue. Aiptasia-X's success rate is spotty, but better in my experience than Joe's Juice and F-Aiptasia, both of which did absolutely nothing in my tanks.

 

[Venomike]

I never got them only because my 180 is to deep and to many places for them to hide and I wouldn't be able to get them to rehome, and they would die. Plus I have a wrass that would eat berghia. But I hear they work great if you don't have a wrass. My file fish did a great job. ( it's hit or miss )

Sump the wrasse for a month, wo t take long for the nudi's to wreck em

 

[Hunter90 HD]

Are you able to buy a file fish? I had used a majano wand with i thought worked but then I got more aiptasia in other areas. I tried Aiptasia-X, still kept getting more then I bought a file fish, havent seen aiptasia ever again

I can buy file fish at my lfs i am tempted to get a file fish and a peppermint shrimp and berghia but I have a yellow wrasse which would have a tasty snack on the berghia and shrimp so I think my only option is a file fish, problem is aiptasia is difficult because anything you put in there to combat it is not guaranteed reef safe but I am getting the feeling I don't have a choice and I will have monitor them to keep an eye on then then remove if they start at the lps and softies @austibella

 

[Hunter90 HD]

Hi uk reefer in sussex, used these guys with great success https://www.berghiaonline.co.uk?gcl...6cDmljWtFTyU6efi-A9oVkYm-qE41crkaAq9mEALw_wcB

I seen these on Google but wasn't too sure as I haven't ordered from then before but good to know other reefer on here also order from there, i have read wrasse will try to eat the berghia but it will not be very please and will spit it out so you may loose one but you should have a few that survive

 

[Venomike]

Sump the wrasse, qt tank or give back to lfs for a short term ( most will be happy to homd for a while, offer to cover cost of feeding for a month) get nudi's as only sure fire way to deal with aiptasia, everything else is hit or miss

 

[Venomike]

Whereabouts you based?? You got a local maidenhead aquatics? My local one is great and will hold a fish for me, cant hurt to ask, got another local reefer that can tank the wrasse for you??

 

[Hunter90 HD]

I suggest getting the file fish he will get into crevices that the wand cannot. Plus the aiptasia hides real fast and the file fish has sharp front teeth to get into the hole in the rock. After he eats all the aiptasia and if he nips at your coral you can catch him and rehome him.. believe me I tried everything till I got the file fish . Living in Florida. We get them all the time really cheep.not sure how expensive in the UK. the best of luck to you.. oh it took my fish about 2 weeks before he touched the aiptasia. I thought it wasn't working then one night he ate the all. I still have him a year later.

Thanks @austibella , I did see some file fish on YouTube getting ride if aptasia and they literally get into every bit of the rock which no doubt there will be some suckers hiding under the caves of the rock etc...yeah they are not too expensive in the UK also I was going to buy one because they look pretty cool didn't know they are aptasia hunters, and thank you ! I will be visiting my lfs this weekend !

 

[AnemoneFan]

Berghia nudibranch. I just bought some from them. Run the math on free shipping I think I bought 8 it was like $80 https://www.saltyunderground.com/8-berghia-nudibranch they ate everything. Nothing in the sump either I put 1 in there and at night when they eat if the tank is cleared use the pipette they provide and move it to the sump

 

[Hunter90 HD]

I tried filefish with little to no success, peppermint are very hit and miss, so e are voracious others wont touch them, nudi's are guaranteed as that is all they eat, then send on to another reefer, the will breed really easy until food source is gone and for every one you can see there are far more hiding in all the cracks and crevices

I can just about see through the side of the cave there is a good handful of tiny aptasias that filefish my struggle to get at and yeah I heard shrimp are hit and miss and not a good idea with a wrasse hoping he will leave the berghia once he realise they are not a tad snack

 

[Venomike]

Fimefish are hit and miss, mine was in a week and demolished a zoa colony, persevered with him figured a misstep, the wrecked a acan, he went back, just saying

 

[Hunter90 HD]

My aiptasia-eating filefish did nothing for my aiptasia, although it sure did take care of my acans. And the peppermint shrimp I put in the same tank apparently had more refined taste than pest anemones, and happily dined on mysis.

I'd go with kalk and superglue. Aiptasia-X's success rate is spotty, but better in my experience than Joe's Juice and F-Aiptasia, both of which did absolutely nothing in my tanks.

I do like the idea of this method, I won't be able to target the hidden aptasia hidden in the back of the rock is the only thing, really liking the idea of berghia but they are really expensive and need that constant food source otherwise they die out