Apitasia problem

[librarylady]

Hi fish friends!
Our professional fish guy was in today and he let me know that we have invasive Apitasia that is harming some of the coral. He mentioned poison which I am not keen on since the fish are really old. He also mentioned fish that eat this invasive species are an option.
We need a fish that is sturdy since the fish gang is super territorial.
Any help or tips would be greatly appreciated!

 

[KrisReef]

Klein Butterfly
Copperband butterfly
Australian Stripey

 

[XSidsReef]

Does it need to be fish? If not, my recommendation would be to obtain some berghia nudebranch. They only eat aiptasia and they will eat it until every little bit is gone. Sadly, afterward they will starve and fade out - though you could pass them along to someone else with an aiptasia problem.

The time it takes depends on the number of nudebranch, their size, and the size of the aiptasia population. They will increase in number and devour the aiptasia in packs. Cute little critters too.

 

[Subsea]

Consider eradication using peroxide injection with a needle or toothbrush dipped in peroxide.

 

[Jimbo327]

I've never heard of a poison that works on aiptasia. He might be saying some lemon juice or kalk paste to kill the aiptasia, which will not harm any fishes. Anyways, you might want to clarify that with your tank maintenance guy.

Most likely, he doesn't want to kill aiptasia by hand because you need to inject the juice/paste into each aiptasia's mouth to kill it. Much easier to get a stripey or butterfly fish. However, these fishes might eat your zoas or softies as well, so it depends on what kind of corals you got. Another way is berghia nudibranches.

 

[Peace River]

There are many options to limit Aiptasia and keep them to a minimum. There are a few fish species, Berghia nudibranchs, F-Aiptasia, and more. Everyone has their own experience, but I have found fish to be hit or miss. My typical approach is to add some berghias and then help them along by also using F-Aiptasia. Good luck on whatever you decide!

 

[StorageUnit731]

Hi fish friends!
Our professional fish guy was in today and he let me know that we have invasive Apitasia that is harming some of the coral. He mentioned poison which I am not keen on since the fish are really old. He also mentioned fish that eat this invasive species are an option.
We need a fish that is sturdy since the fish gang is super territorial.
Any help or tips would be greatly appreciated!

I would recommend "F-Aiptasia" because it is much safer than poison. Application of the product is a little tricky, so make sure to read the directions carefully. Good luck.