(NEED ADVICE/THOUGHTS) So I did something stupid.. Did I accidentally contaminate my tank with...

[Crustaceon]

Wait you don’t want me to sell you all my gear for a heavily discounted price? I’ll even throw in some free “nems” for you lol

Thanks man I do appreciate it, been one of those special reefing days

I’ll agree to $10 for each light and then five minutes before showing up, I’ll ask if you’ll take $5 or trade for pink & gold zoas that you gave me for free the last time.

 

[BighohoReef]

Aiptasia are overated, I wouldn't sweat it.

Appreciate it! @HB AL... Wife told me to take a cold shower and think it thought lol.

 

[BighohoReef]

Well, if you don’t get them now you will at some point so don’t sweat it. It’s no worse than getting a some peppermint shrimp that’s that.
For aptasia to reach those plague like proportions there’s some serious neglect going on.

Good reminder... taking the proper precautions with the peppermint shrimp.

 

[TheWB]

Just run over to Barrier Reef in Newcastle and pick up one of those Biota captive bred Aiptasia eating file fish they always have there and park it in the sump or in your DT.

 

[Oregon Grown Reef]

No need to worry, my friend. Guess what? There's another fish that will take care of your little problem and won't starve to death once the aptasia are gone. I currently have one and it's a super cool fish, just not the prettiest. For a whopping $30, you can get a Molly Miller blenny. They'll take care of the aptasia before it becomes a problem, and they'll eat algae off the rocks for you as well. I let aptasia into my frag tank recently and immediately bought one. It's gone now. I had one in the past when I found aptasia in my main display. I haven't found any since, and the tank and been running for 2 years since then. Unfortunately, that Molly Miller passed about 3-4 months after I bought it. That just goes to show you it eradicated the problem. They also have an awesome personality. They perch on rocks, pumps, whatever the can. I have a food defroster and found him in there once. I love these fish. Feed them properly and they're not bad looking. Online pics don't do them justice. I'll have to snag one for you tomorrow when the lights come back on if you'd like.

 

[MERKEY]

Seems like they always find their way in

 

[rusty hannon]

So I got a beautiful new Derasa clam today... covered in a few pests. Aptaisa, vermited... and some friendly isopods and such.

Couple of things about our cleaning regiment:
We QT everything regardless of what it is...
We clean all livestock as advised... scrub, razor blade, glue whatever needs to be done to get the job done.. etc.
I always wear gloves... been stung too many times by bristle worms

So what's the problem? After cleaning off the two small aptasia I used the gloves to wipe off the blade, aptasia guts remaining on the glove. So the clam is still acclimating, I decided to go check on the DT... and what do I do I stick the glove with the guts on it into the sump not thinking about what I just did. So the big question is: Did I just contaminate my DT with aptaisa? It's bugging the crap out of me and I'm having a mini meltdown over it... Need some community support, thoughts.

I will mention that I preemptively order some peppermint shrimp and am thinking of ordering some apt eating nudi's just in case.

Thanks all for your support/advice in advance!
#stupidreefermistakes
#aptasia4free
#mindlessreefing

Peppermint shrimp eat bergia nudibranch. Found that out the hard way

 

[Sierra_Bravo]

No need to worry, my friend. Guess what? There's another fish that will take care of your little problem and won't starve to death once the aptasia are gone. I currently have one and it's a super cool fish, just not the prettiest. For a whopping $30, you can get a Molly Miller blenny. They'll take care of the aptasia before it becomes a problem, and they'll eat algae off the rocks for you as well. I let aptasia into my frag tank recently and immediately bought one. It's gone now. I had one in the past when I found aptasia in my main display. I haven't found any since, and the tank and been running for 2 years since then. Unfortunately, that Molly Miller passed about 3-4 months after I bought it. That just goes to show you it eradicated the problem. They also have an awesome personality. They perch on rocks, pumps, whatever the can. I have a food defroster and found him in there once. I love these fish. Feed them properly and they're not bad looking. Online pics don't do them justice. I'll have to snag one for you tomorrow when the lights come back on if you'd like.

Great post - did not know this. Article to go with it:

https://reefs.com/magazine/aquarium-fish-reconsidering-the-molly-miller-blenny/

 

[Bill Bolton]

So I got a beautiful new Derasa clam today... covered in a few pests. Aptaisa, vermited... and some friendly isopods and such.

Couple of things about our cleaning regiment:
We QT everything regardless of what it is...
We clean all livestock as advised... scrub, razor blade, glue whatever needs to be done to get the job done.. etc.
I always wear gloves... been stung too many times by bristle worms

So what's the problem? After cleaning off the two small aptasia I used the gloves to wipe off the blade, aptasia guts remaining on the glove. So the clam is still acclimating, I decided to go check on the DT... and what do I do I stick the glove with the guts on it into the sump not thinking about what I just did. So the big question is: Did I just contaminate my DT with aptaisa? It's bugging the crap out of me and I'm having a mini meltdown over it... Need some community support, thoughts.

I will mention that I preemptively order some peppermint shrimp and am thinking of ordering some apt eating nudi's just in case.

Thanks all for your support/advice in advance!
#stupidreefermistakes
#aptasia4free
#mindlessreefing

Dont even waste time and money on the CBB or the shrimp. Those are hit and miss 100% of the time. Berghia Nudis will eat aptasia.... 100% of the time. That is their natural food in the ocean.
They are inexpensive, and 2 in a 75 gallon reef infested with THOUSANDS of aptasia, did the job in a month. They then went to a fellow reefer and then another.
It makes no sense to try animals that may or may not take to eating aptasia, when there is an animal that eats them as a main food source.

 

[Oregon Grown Reef]

Dont even waste time and money on the CBB or the shrimp. Those are hit and miss 100% of the time. Berghia Nudis will eat aptasia.... 100% of the time. That is their natural food in the ocean.
They are inexpensive, and 2 in a 75 gallon reef infested with THOUSANDS of aptasia, did the job in a month. They then went to a fellow reefer and then another.
It makes no sense to try animals that may or may not take to eating aptasia, when there is an animal that eats them as a main food source.

My only problem with this is the same as it is with many other animals we keep. We take them, use them, and then maybe we find them in our tanks with hundreds if not thousands of hiding spaces once they've done their jobs and rehome them, or we can't find them and they starve to death. Don't get me wrong, I'd do it if I was desperate enough, but why would we do that if there hasn't even been an outbreak of aiptasia? With a Molly Miller, IME, they've always eaten aiptasia. If they don't, or you don't have a problem, you have a fish that will clean up detritus and will take to eating any prepared foods easily. It's as important a part of the clean up crew, if not more, than any shrimp or crab.

 

[stephen wyard]

had about fourteen aptasia in my 350 and purchased two nudis and with in a two week period they are all gone. I am sure there is a lot I couldn't see.They work for me.Haven't seen any in two months now.

 

[BighohoReef]

Just run over to Barrier Reef in Newcastle and pick up one of those Biota captive bred Aiptasia eating file fish they always have there and park it in the sump or in your DT.

I want the orange guy though!!! If they show up you can count on a filefish being added to the tank.

 

[BighohoReef]

My only problem with this is the same as it is with many other animals we keep. We take them, use them, and then maybe we find them in our tanks with hundreds if not thousands of hiding spaces once they've done their jobs and rehome them, or we can't find them and they starve to death. Don't get me wrong, I'd do it if I was desperate enough, but why would we do that if there hasn't even been an outbreak of aiptasia? With a Molly Miller, IME, they've always eaten aiptasia. If they don't, or you don't have a problem, you have a fish that will clean up detritus and will take to eating any prepared foods easily. It's as important a part of the clean up crew, if not more, than any shrimp or crab.

I agree with you on multiple points. I’m not going off the deep end yet. I’ll only add the nudis if an outbreak happens, I also have been researching a plan for the filefish when all the aptasia has been eliminated. For now I’m gonna wait it out, the shrimp are roaming the sump and I’ve been checking daily for any signs of the little buggers. I’ll update the post if anything happens.