I need help Eliminating Aiptasia.

[Rjukan]

I wouldn't get a peppermint shrimp if you have LPS that you like to target feed. They will rip the coral apart getting at the food.

I like to use boiling water in a syringe. Works great, minimal impact on the surrounding corals, no eyesore of material on there either.

 

[ScottJ]

Lemon juice. Just shoot it into their mouths with your flow off. Your zoas will close up, but in a couple hours, they will be fine. Kalk works really well too, but personally, I think lemon is easier on the corals when the aiptasia is in in them like you have.

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

No experience with hem, but I have read that you can put very hot water in a syringe and inject them. Also lemon juice in a syringe. Or take the rock out, if possible, and remove them that way.

I’ve tried that, and it does kinda work.

But aiptasias are kinda like Jason Voorheis or Michael Meyers…if you don’t fully kill and remove them, they just keep coming back.

You would think there would be no coming back from having all of your proteins denatured, but I have literally cooked aiptasias off the rocks, only to see them regenerate from the little tissue that’s left within a few weeks.

Wild caught peppermint shrimp and green files are your best bet, because they will just keep picking at the anemone until it’s gone.

 

[bobnicaragua]

I have an aptasia eating filefish in my sump right now, waiting to go back to the pet store. 2 weeks in the tank, all he did was nip at the acros. Didn’t touch the aptasia.

 

[exnisstech]

That first image is a nice one I would keep it and grow it out ;) . I know weird but I got tired of fighting with them so we came to a resolution. I stop trying to eradicate them and they stop multiplying or do so in the overflow. Been working for almost two years now. I have a few large ones in the DT but they are mostly hidden. But I suppose it could be the peppermint shrimp helping but it's a 180g with only two shrimp that never come out until lights off.

 

[dstockwell]

Kalk paste.

 

[OakRaider]

I have had some aiptasia in my tank for the past few months and haven’t done anything about it. They have grown a lot and I think it is time to deal with them before they get out of control. I don’t have much space in my tank to add a fish that eats them. I have tried the berghia nudibranch but they didn’t do anything. What’s the next step? I have heard that lemon juice works but I don’t know how to do it. The aiptasia is on 2 rocks with zoas.

What do y’all recommend?

Thanks

Are you sure you've given the nudibranchs enough time? I'm surprised they didn't work for you since most swear by them.

 

[chip shop]

Are you sure you've given the nudibranchs enough time? I'm surprised they didn't work for you since most swear by them.

 

[chip shop]

That’s there only diet so unless you have a predator or not put enough in they will definitely work but I’ve found it normally takes a few weeks

 

[Biokabe]

That’s there only diet so unless you have a predator or not put enough in they will definitely work but I’ve found it normally takes a few weeks

Nudis only work with a reasonably large infestation, and they really only work to clear about 90-95% of aiptasia.

Against a small population of aiptasia, what usually happens is the nudis find and consume the aiptasia, which sparks the aiptasia to release larvae. The berghia, having consumed their food source, die out before the new aiptasia mature enough to become food. Then the new, larger crop of aiptasia begins to take over.

Berghia are good for bringing an outbreak under control, but you need a plan in place to deal with the survivors. And yes, you need to make sure you don't have any berghia predators.

 

[chip shop]

Must have fallen lucky but never come across that problem

 

[Thjhiggins]

No experience with hem, but I have read that you can put very hot water in a syringe and inject them. Also lemon juice in a syringe. Or take the rock out, if possible, and remove them that way.

Lemon juice runied everything for me! I tried so hard to get it to the aptasias and did a water change, it still damaged everything in my tank. Doesn't anyone know of a dip you can. use on your live rock and coral before placing in the tank to make sure there is no aptasia problem.

 

[Cycleguy0623]

Lemon juice runied everything for me! I tried so hard to get it to the aptasias and did a water change, it still damaged everything in my tank. Doesn't anyone know of a dip you can. use on your live rock and coral before placing in the tank to make sure there is no aptasia problem.

Most of the dips out there will not touch it. The best method truly is spot treatment then control. I have seen great success with Faptasia and aptasia-x. For control I have a copper band and I am pretty sure he bulldozed through any left in the tank.

A copper band is not for every tank but natural predators and spot treatment of visible organisms will give you the best results in my experience.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Lemon juice runied everything for me! I tried so hard to get it to the aptasias and did a water change, it still damaged everything in my tank. Doesn't anyone know of a dip you can. use on your live rock and coral before placing in the tank to make sure there is no aptasia problem.

yeah I'm doing that dip right now, it's 100% R.O.D.I

 

[Science/G]

AptasiaX. Both kalk paste and lemon juice may alter water chemistry on a small aquarium

 

[IKD]

Take a look at kuekenthali shrimp.

 

[Science/G]

My peppermint shrimp did not go near any of my aiptasia when I was in a full-blown outbreak. I used AptasiaX, and then when the shrimp finally grew into adulthood and there were fewer aiptasia, it started to finally do some work.