Aiptasia paradise

[machmachmach]

Hi all,

For background, I have a Red Sea Reefer S1000 (~265gal) that has been up since early 2024. I've spent a bunch of time automating my tank so that I can manage it along with family and work. Part of that automation involves an Avast Marine Plank auto-feeder (very highly recommend) broadcast-feeding a blend of re-hydrated foods during daylight hours.

While this feeding has done wonders for the health of my fish and corals, I've also unintentionally engineered the perfect conditions for aiptasia, and I'm looking for some advice to manage the infestation (hopefully in a very low-maintenance way). I definitely don't have time to do any major manual removal, and I would estimate that there are many thousands of aiptasia in the tank so that seems impossible anyway.

I recently introduced 25 berghia nudibranchs last week after introducing around 10-15 6 month ago to no effect. I'm hoping the larger count and better acclimation (lights off + in a cave) will have better results, but I'm hoping for some other suggestions as well. I've had people mention a copperband butterfly, but I'm worried it won't have a taste for aiptasia and/or might eat desirable corals and/or the nudibranchs.



A snapshot of my latest parameters is below. Happy to answer any additional questions if it would be helpful.

 

[smitten with ocean life]

i feel your pain. this is a very real problem for a lot of us, unfortunately!

 

[Reef Jedi]

Wow! That’s an invasion.

If this was my tank, on top of what you’ve done. I would also get 4-5 peppermint shrimp. I have had seriously good luck with them. I had an outbreak in the past and now I have 0. 3 peppermint shrimp did some serious work around the tank and worked together to take down really large ones. I’m amazed with what they did. I never saw them in the works but I slowly noticed all the aptasia disappear.

 

[Fish Fan]

Wow, that does look pretty bad!

#reefsquad

Besides the nudibranchs and the CBB, peppermint shrimp will also eat Aptasia.

 

[Grog]

Peppermints ignored my aiptasia, dunno why but they seemed to do nothing. Nudibranchs took care of it, then they died too. Never tried a copperband.

Having said all this, the nudibranchs didn't eat it all in a day. My problem was way less than yours and it still took weeks for them to make a dent in the aiptasia.

 

[areefer01]

@vetteguy53081 prefers/recommends the Kleini's Butterflyfish if I remember correctly.

Matted Filefish (Acreichthys tomentosus) - I have had great luck with these. I would caution around new, small, LPS frags such as Frogspawn but larger, colonies, are fine. I had one nip at a newly cut Frogspawn that was a small frag which is why I note that. In my mixed reef I've not seen any harm. Bonus is that Biota offers them.

With fish you more or less buy them because you want them vs utility. That way if they don't do utility you are not upset. I personally stay away from Nudibranchs for no other reason that the inflated pricing. Also if you have a wrasse or peppermint shrimp they very well may end up being an expensive snack.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi all,

For background, I have a Red Sea Reefer S1000 (~265gal) that has been up since early 2024. I've spent a bunch of time automating my tank so that I can manage it along with family and work. Part of that automation involves an Avast Marine Plank auto-feeder (very highly recommend) broadcast-feeding a blend of re-hydrated foods during daylight hours.

While this feeding has done wonders for the health of my fish and corals, I've also unintentionally engineered the perfect conditions for aiptasia, and I'm looking for some advice to manage the infestation (hopefully in a very low-maintenance way). I definitely don't have time to do any major manual removal, and I would estimate that there are many thousands of aiptasia in the tank so that seems impossible anyway.

I recently introduced 25 berghia nudibranchs last week after introducing around 10-15 6 month ago to no effect. I'm hoping the larger count and better acclimation (lights off + in a cave) will have better results, but I'm hoping for some other suggestions as well. I've had people mention a copperband butterfly, but I'm worried it won't have a taste for aiptasia and/or might eat desirable corals and/or the nudibranchs.



A snapshot of my latest parameters is below. Happy to answer any additional questions if it would be helpful.

For me- Kleini butterfly which eats them like candy

 

[smitten with ocean life]

if someone invents a simple way to get rid of them, theyll be a millionaire

 

[EnterName]

I lost a significant amount of my corals to an aiptasia strain that was not manageable with AiptasiaX (it actually got worse after every treatment even though I followed the instructions very carefully).

I started with AiptasiaX, then had to give away my belowed longnose hawkfish to get some peppermint shrimp. Those only irritated the aiptasia whenever they catched some food, which caused them to spread further. Then I wanted to try Berghia nudis, but the peppermint shrimp obviously had to go first. You cannot imagine the amount of money I threw down the drain in form of Berghia. They simply vanished (probably got eaten by hermits or so).

I now have a copperband butterflyfish. Within days all aiptasia were gone (besides a few in the sump). Without this fish my tank would have been lost. He doesn't pick at any corals, but I suspect him of killing a tridacna I had

 

[keagan]

if someone invents a simple way to get rid of them, theyll be a millionaire

It's too bad that people like releasing fish/dumping water from aquariums into the ocean because I'm sure a dedicated marine biologist could study bacteria and virus found in aiptasia that are healthy v dying and eventually isolate a host specific pathogen. But if they did they'd expose themselves to alot of liability selling a product to aquarists. Because aiptasia are used as model organisms in a lot of studies on reef ecology it would be a very important discovery. Something similar to BTK which was cultured and isolated from soil to target pest caterpillars could be feasible but also possibly unethical.

 

[Fish Fan]

Peppermints ignored my aiptasia

One cause of this is that there can be multiple species being sold as "Peppermint Shrimp", and you need to make sure you're getting true Lysmata wurdemanni. Of course, it could also be that there was an easier food source for them in the tank, and that's why they ignored the Aptasia.

 

[EtxReefer]

Peppermint shrimp specifically from reef cleaners as they sell the kind that actually eat aptasia. Completely wiped out aptasia in my tank on two separate occasions. I used 8 in my 75gallon. 7 in Dt 1 in sump.

 

[tbrown]

The right Peppermint Shrimp will work wonders. Also, my Berghia waited until the third or fourth generation to really start noticing a difference. They slowly were eating them in my 125, but I only stared with 4. After about 2 months the Aiptasia really started to disappear.

With the Peppermint Shrimp, I usually only had to wait a day or 2 to start seeing a real difference.

 

[Grog]

it could also be that there was an easier food source for them in the tank, and that's why they ignored the Aptasia.

This is exactly why I think mine ignored the Aiptasia.

 

[Rocks reef]

Wow! I haven’t seen that many before!
I know you mentioned the Plank feeder as the cause, however, they were already spreading in your tank for some time. By the time you noticed a problem, it was probably pretty bad. The plank feeder may be contributing not the cause.

 

[13rodo]

Word of caution on the peppermint shrimp is once they do their thing you should keep a close eye on them. I caught mine snacking on a hammer polyp. Might have to sump them afterwards.

 

[13rodo]

On a side note that is a wild outbreak! You could probably raise a pretty healthy berghia population and sell them to your friends ;)

 

[slingfox]

I tried Bergia and my wrasse ate them (presumably since I never saw the Bergia after I added them). I then tried peppermint shrimp and they got hunted down by my Hawkfish. I purchased a Copperband and have not seen any aptasia since. The Copperband is also my favorite fish in the tank!

 

[allof fish]

Hi all,

For background, I have a Red Sea Reefer S1000 (~265gal) that has been up since early 2024. I've spent a bunch of time automating my tank so that I can manage it along with family and work. Part of that automation involves an Avast Marine Plank auto-feeder (very highly recommend) broadcast-feeding a blend of re-hydrated foods during daylight hours.

While this feeding has done wonders for the health of my fish and corals, I've also unintentionally engineered the perfect conditions for aiptasia, and I'm looking for some advice to manage the infestation (hopefully in a very low-maintenance way). I definitely don't have time to do any major manual removal, and I would estimate that there are many thousands of aiptasia in the tank so that seems impossible anyway.

I recently introduced 25 berghia nudibranchs last week after introducing around 10-15 6 month ago to no effect. I'm hoping the larger count and better acclimation (lights off + in a cave) will have better results, but I'm hoping for some other suggestions as well. I've had people mention a copperband butterfly, but I'm worried it won't have a taste for aiptasia and/or might eat desirable corals and/or the nudibranchs.



A snapshot of my latest parameters is below. Happy to answer any additional questions if it would be helpful.

I have a similar problem recently. Not to that extent but pretty bad and I’ve unfortunately let it go since I’m moving and upgrading tanks in the process. But was told by somone to take the whole rocks out and pressure wash the hell outta it and it works well. Wouldn’t do all at same time but like a section a week or 2 probably could work. I’ve personally never done this but sounds like a good idea lol.

 

[petcellar]

I'm another vote for copperband. It is the best thing I ever did to my tank.

I was struggling with aiptasia and killing them with kalk paste, Joe's Juice etc but only barely holding them at bay.

I put in a copperband and they simply vanished. The only place they grow now is my sump.

And a side benefit it's such a beautiful fish

Obviously as with any biological control ymmv.......