Aiptasia treatment success or failure.... A poll

[MnFish1]

I covered mine at some point and just the light coming in through the notches seemed to allow them to thrive. Perhaps if the overflow had been covered from the get-go they might not have gotten a foothold though.

mind Is 'completely dark - so IDK - but I would 'try' to make it completely dark - as the easiest method.

 

[MnFish1]

Berghia do best with little to no flow. You would have to turn the return pump off or install a temporary alternative overflow while plugging the main overflow. But it could be a week or more for them to do their job.
In a case like this it may be faster and less disruptive to plug the overflow to bleach it for 24h and then neutralize the bleach with sodium thiosulfate. After that drain the water in the overflow and overflow plumbing into a bucket and dump it - not because of the bleach and thio but because of all the dead and dissolved organic matter.

I'm not sure this is true. (about the low flow) - but the problem would be as you said - avoiding them going 'down' into the sump. IME - Berghia do fine with flow - they are active mostly at night - and rarely have predators (fish, etc) - it can tank up to several weeks to get a thriving population - in THEORY - once you have berghia in your tank - they will go into the overflow - and kill the aiptasia there as well - once the more 'easy to find aiptasia' is gone. SO I guess your option - using a different overflow might work - but in that case - why not just take the overflow apart - clean it with something that will kill aiptasia (bleach, etc) - and then replace it. That said - in thinking about it - I think berghia will eventually kill the apitasia in the overflow as well

 

[Joe Rice]

mind Is 'completely dark - so IDK - but I would 'try' to make it completely dark - as the easiest method.

Water flows into my overflow through notches cut in the top of the back glass of the tank. But you have me thinking. Perhaps I could rig up something that allows water through but far less light.

 

[MnFish1]

Water flows into my overflow through notches cut in the top of the back glass of the tank. But you have me thinking. Perhaps I could rig up something that allows water through but far less light.

Is it a red-sea? that Is what I have - mine has notches as well. ((I mean most overflows have notches of some type). As I rethought my original answer - after the aiptasia in the tank is 'done' - they will go into the overflow in all likelihood as well.

 

[Joe Rice]

Is it a red-sea? that Is what I have - mine has notches as well. ((I mean most overflows have notches of some type). As I rethought my original answer - after the aiptasia in the tank is 'done' - they will go into the overflow in all likelihood as well.

It's a custom tank with a built-in overflow from Miracles Aquariums. Normally it's covered but light can get in through the notches - which are under the mesh that I use to keep snails and fish out of the overflow). The black film covering the sides (and the back of the tank) is slightly transparent as well, so some photons could sneak in that way as well.

 

[Ali-F]

I tried the following with no success

- cobberband Butterflyfish
- scatfish
- peppermint shrimp x12
- filefish
- redsea aptisia x

He filefish was removed after couple of weeks as he was only nipping my corals and never bother the aptisia. The remaining fish and shrimp are still in the tank while writing this post and unfortunately the number of the aptisia seems increasing not decreasing.

I tried the aptisia x once but I thought better not to use it becuase they appeared in hard to reach places and I might upset them and they increase in number.

So I don't know how to get rid of them ..

 

[MnFish1]

I tried the following with no success

- cobberband Butterflyfish
- scatfish
- peppermint shrimp x12
- filefish
- redsea aptisia x

He filefish was removed after couple of weeks as he was only nipping my corals and never bother the aptisia. The remaining fish and shrimp are still in the tank while writing this post and unfortunately the number of the aptisia seems increasing not decreasing.

I tried the aptisia x once but I thought better not to use it becuase they appeared in hard to reach places and I might upset them and they increase in number.

So I don't know how to get rid of them ..

Order Berghia Nudibranchs

 

[laverda]

I have used all the methods, with only two working at all. I have used file fish and peppermint shrimp, independently to 100% eliminated aptasia in different systems. Nudibrancs just cost a lot and never made even a small dent for me. I never saw them after adding them.
The other methods, were a lot of work and while they seemed to kill the treated aptasia, many more appeared. Seems like it caused them to multiply, not really kill them.

 

[ThRoewer]

I have used all the methods, with only two working at all. I have used file fish and peppermint shrimp, independently to 100% eliminated aptasia in different systems. Nudibrancs just cost a lot and never made even a small dent for me. I never saw them after adding them.
The other methods, were a lot of work and while they seemed to kill the treated aptasia, many more appeared. Seems like it caused them to multiply, not really kill them.

Berghia work well but not im tanks with high flow rates or fish (mostly wrasses) and shrimp that might go after them. Also, in a teef tank Berghia will have a hard time to reproduce as Amphipods and bristelworms like to eat their eggs and juveniles.
In a dedicated tank, however, they are perfect to clean rocks of every last bit of Aiptasia.

Peppermint shrimp can work well too but it's always a bit of a gamble to get the right peppermints. They may also not get everywhere and like with th nudibranchs there are fish that may eat them (for example marine betta of which I have plenty).

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Bumping this thread bc it's a good discussion with some good info.

 

[MnFish1]

Berghia work well but not im tanks with high flow rates or fish (mostly wrasses) and shrimp that might go after them. Also, in a teef tank Berghia will have a hard time to reproduce as Amphipods and bristelworms like to eat their eggs and juveniles.
In a dedicated tank, however, they are perfect to clean rocks of every last bit of Aiptasia.

Peppermint shrimp can work well too but it's always a bit of a gamble to get the right peppermints. They may also not get everywhere and like with th nudibranchs there are fish that may eat them (for example marine betta of which I have plenty).

If you think about the ocean and reef. IMHO - the flows most people have in their tanks pale in comparison to what nudibranchs have to contend with in the ocean. I do not think flow affects berghia. JMO - you need to put enough berghia in the tank - such that they will establish a breeding colony - that will overcome the predators. This is an expensive proposition.

 

[rwreef]

Unfortunately, FedEx strikes again . I was supposed to receive my shipment yesterday before 12pm. Fingers crossed I receive it today and the fish is still alive.

 

[JakeAndAmanda]

I got a file fish and he didn’t do much if anything for my issue, others have in the past however. Bought 4 peppermint shrimp for a 40g breeder and they wiped out any trace of them in just a couple of weeks.

 

[fish farmer]

The last time I had peppermint shrimp they seemed to keep them in check. I may have had a couple big ones they didn't touch. I was noticing that one of my hammer corals wasn't opening up as much and thought a shrimp was poking at it. As soon as lights out, the shrimp would be on it looking for food. I removed them, the aips slowly came back and I have been trying Franks F-Aiptasia in areas where I feel comfortable using it.

I may try peppermints again and just monitor their behavior toward corals.