Is an aiptasia free tank just a dream?

[Billyreef-ita]

I start to think this could be the best solution, however expensive at least in Italy for procuring them.
I introduced wrasses as I had Montipora eating nudibranch. I’m passing from one pest to another….

 

[revenant]

I had no aiptasia for 4 years.. until I added a rock from my lfs with a BTA on it.. that was game over. They went crazy in the months after.. I have added peppermint shrimp and a filefish... they're not getting worse now... I think those critters are slowly winning the battle.. but it's close. thinking about getting that 6w laser.

 

[Knucker]

Not if your like Peppermint shrimp

 

[Billyreef-ita]

I had no aiptasia for 4 years.. until I added a rock from my lfs with a BTA on it.. that was game over. They went crazy in the months after.. I have added peppermint shrimp and a filefish... they're not getting worse now... I think those critters are slowly winning the battle.. but it's close. thinking about getting that 6w laser.

I looked at the laser as well but I concerned about safety

 

[kdx7214]

Not sure if it's possible, but I bought an aquacultured green filefish from Biota and it's kept my display tank completely free of them. It's also the most calm and chill fish I've ever had.

 

[Bobby Velvet]

I have had my tank for a little over 2 years, and have had only one or two aptasia. I have a copperband though so I suspect he stalks and pecks away any new ones. Maybe I am just lucky, I do remove as much of the frag plug as possible as I feel those things are magnets for pests, etc.

 

[MtlReef25]

For me, nothing else than an Auriga butterfly fish has worked. I had 2 in 2 different tanks and it did the work. The one I have right now cleaned the tank of a very bad infestation in less than 2 months. There are some left but I really don't care. Plus it's a very hardy little fellow, beautiful species. It eats frozen food and nori. First time I have a butterfly fish that eats nori, he goes at it like crazy. Keeps the tank clean of aiptasias and is very cool.

 

[Sump Crab]

Its definitely possible as I have been keeping reef aquariums for nearly 20 years and I have never once had an issue with Aiptasia.

 

[Billyreef-ita]

How are you doing it?

 

[metalruebe]

In my opinion it's impossible, unless you breed berghias. But that means you should never run out of aiptasia in your breeding tank. Only way to achieve that i can imagine is a third tank, where you cultivate Aiptasia on rock rubble.

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

Does it matter?

Aiptasia are wicked evil ugly destroyers of coral reefs.

My first several ex’s resemble aiptasia, they make take it personally, I think not n

But on the topic, I had a tank go 18 months with no aiptasia. 30 days before I broke it down in order to consolidate to my new build, I saw the wretched creatures emerge. I assume I cross pollinated from my other tank where I struggled in a poorly designed rear chamber of a Red Sea Max 500. I just spent $400 on some Nudis, and not the kind of Nudi that is outlawed in all but a handful of zip codes.

 

[Spare time]

It's possible with a coral QT.