Nuking a tank....intentionally

[Silverdot1211]

As many in this hobby have struggled with.....I some how managed to pick up some aptasia. My question is has anyone dosed and absurd amount ammonium chloride. Raise the ammonia to very unsafe levels for aptasia then wait for the nitrogen cycle to kick in?

Asking largely because I have a ton of it laying around.

Mind you no corals or fish would be in the tank but in a temp tank

 

[Dkmoo]

How much aiptasia r we talking about? Imo aiptasia will always find its way into a tank so even if you nuke it now, they'll come back later. There are a lot of success stories with managing and keeping under control that such drastic measures should be reserved as the last resort.

my tank had about 30 heads. Every week I used to use F aiptasia to smother 10 - 15 but next week 10- 15 would pop out. 3 peps ended up clearing everything in about a month.

 

[CoralB]

Just get true peppermint shrimp . Isolate them in the temp container and feed them aptasia for about 3-7 days before putting them in or where ever you get them from either get a guarantee that they will eat them or have them show you that they eat them . Once I got the real peppermint shrimp my problem went away and haven’t seen them for years

 

[Silverdot1211]

@CoralB I am to the point I need that or Berghia Nudibranchs.

@Dkmoo at this point I'm loosing the battle. There has to be 100 or more. I have tried the lemon juice thing and f aptasia. Also tried a file fish ( he loved my Bowerbanki but not aptasia) At this point I don't think I will be getting any more coral so a reintroduction shouldn't happen. Right now my concern are the plumbing and parts of my sump that I can't get to. In my sump there are a few spots I can't get to and I can see them growing

 

[ZombieEngineer]

Aptasia is pretty bulletproof. You would probably need to raise it to absurd levels, then have to deal with the nitrate down the road. Might be faster to just drain, dry for a few days and start over the cycle than add tons of ammonia.

Just guessing, but you would probably need to add 20-40ppm ammonia to make sure all of them were killed and that will get you like 120ppm nitrate.

 

[MnFish1]

When you consider the cost of the ammonium chloride, restarting the tank, etc - and the high likelihood that you will get it back - get the berghia nudibranchs. Make sure you get enough for your tank. JMHO.

 

[CoralB]

I’ve never had good luck with the Berghia nudibranchsas it takes time for them to lay eggs, hatch, populate and get big enough to eat before they get eaten by something in the tank . I had tried all that stuff too and for years I was sold the wrong shrimp passed off as peppermint which didn’t help . Finally I found a guy in Lakeland Florida about a hour and half drive away who showed me a tank full of peppermint and when I told him that I already tried them with no success , he went into one tank and cut a big pice of aptasia and threw it in with his peppermint shrimp which he had at least fifty ,all of them came out as if someone rang the dinner bell and ate . Look up the real peppermint shrimp and what they look like and like I said earlier put them in a separate tank for a few days to a week and when they get the taste put them in your aptasia riddled tank . I had hundred at the time as well and back then it was a75 gallon tank and I put 4 in and within a week or two they were noticeably gone . Probably took another week or so to finish them off . Since then I always keep them . I think algae barn sells them with a guarantee, not 100% but you can check

 

[CoralB]

@CoralB I am to the point I need that or Berghia Nudibranchs.

@Dkmoo at this point I'm loosing the battle. There has to be 100 or more. I have tried the lemon juice thing and f aptasia. Also tried a file fish ( he loved my Bowerbanki but not aptasia) At this point I don't think I will be getting any more coral so a reintroduction shouldn't happen. Right now my concern are the plumbing and parts of my sump that I can't get to. In my sump there are a few spots I can't get to and I can see them growing

Put shrimp in the main tank and berghia in the sump . Just don’t put them together as the berghia makes a nice snack . What ever way you wish to go I wish you the best

 

[Jimmyneptune]

I would try the filefish again, just don't gave corals in the system. The filefish will go for the aptasia if that is all to eat in the tank.

 

[areefer01]

Matted filefish. Biota will have some in stock or should shortly. That is if you want to go fish route.

Peppermint - hit or miss but usually do ok. The only thing I'd caution is that they are opportunistic and will steal food from corals.

I've never used Berghia but my concern is the cost. Second is that wrasses and peppermints may eat them along with a copperband. I believe you said fishless at the moment.

Others have already provided great info so I'm more or less rambling. I like the matted filefish though and own one for this reason. I have Aptasia in my overflow box and sump so it always makes its way back into the display but never visible as it keeps it in check.

TL;DR if you go natural fish route just know that it will have to be a permanent piece as the Aptasia may be elsewhere and just come back.

 

[HBtank]

Berghia work wonders, but IME even after that aptasia can still come back, it just takes a couple hidden ones. Maybe I was unlucky, but I had a very good population of Berghia, laying eggs, regularly disturbed them to the sump and all areas.... but they still came back.

But if you have 100s of Aptasia, the other solutions just wont work IMO, that is the best option to knock them down, and maybe you will get luckier than me and never have them come back.

 

[Silverdot1211]

BAM...and that's why I love it here....you guys answered questions with out even knowing it.

Right now cost and time are my biggest challenges. I was hoping since I have a 500 gram jar for of ammonium chloride and nothing to use it on, I thought this would work perfectly....

I totally understand the only true way to get rid of them is a hard reset (dry out and wash) but that's not possible right now...

I like the shrimp idea but so many people seem to have been burned by getting the wrong species. Other worry or issue is that I already have 2 shrimp (fire and cleaner) not sure 3 would be that great... also not worried one bit about food stealing as my 2 already are butt holes (they have earned the nick names Beavis and Butt head for a reason)

The Nudibranch seems to be the best yet most expensive and also the highest risk in regards to them getting eaten

Had the file fish and destroyed my one prized coral that still hasn't come back fully. Another one worries me

 

[CoralB]

BAM...and that's why I love it here....you guys answered questions with out even knowing it.

Right now cost and time are my biggest challenges. I was hoping since I have a 500 gram jar for of ammonium chloride and nothing to use it on, I thought this would work perfectly....

I totally understand the only true way to get rid of them is a hard reset (dry out and wash) but that's not possible right now...

I like the shrimp idea but so many people seem to have been burned by getting the wrong species. Other worry or issue is that I already have 2 shrimp (fire and cleaner) not sure 3 would be that great... also not worried one bit about food stealing as my 2 already are butt holes (they have earned the nick names Beavis and Butt head for a reason)

The Nudibranch seems to be the best yet most expensive and also the highest risk in regards to them getting eaten

Had the file fish and destroyed my one prized coral that still hasn't come back fully. Another one worries me

I have mine with a cleaner shrimp no issues , as far as pulling food from the coral my cleaner shrimp is guilty . I feed my coral after I put food down for the cleaner shrimp first . The peppermint shrimp rarely come out during the day but you can put food in the rocks for them I suppose . It’s your choice !! But even if you tear down your tank it will not guarantee they won’t come back as they come in with frags and new live rock . If you are able to dry out the tank and rid yourself of them is going to be hassle restarting the tank , cycling and going through the ugly ‘s again . I’m still waiting for someone to design a remote control submarine that shoots lasers and or mini torpedoes to kill bad things in the tank with cameras that allow you to pilot it on your big screen

 

[Silverdot1211]

@CoralB so it's funny you say sub....I had that Same thought come to mind after watching @mrsaltwatertank show off a laser to kill these things. I thought small sub..small power wires/ interface cable (USB) and a fiber optic cable tied to an external laser box.... It would be expensive but could probably be had and used reasonably on bigger tanks.

 

[CoralB]

@CoralB so it's funny you say sub....I had that Same thought come to mind after watching @mrsaltwatertank show off a laser to kill these things. I thought small sub..small power wires/ interface cable (USB) and a fiber optic cable tied to an external laser box.... It would be expensive but could probably be had and used reasonably on bigger tanks.

The first person to develop, make and sell one will make a.....boat load lol Sorry I had to say that !!!

 

[Tamberav]

As many in this hobby have struggled with.....I some how managed to pick up some aptasia. My question is has anyone dosed and absurd amount ammonium chloride. Raise the ammonia to very unsafe levels for aptasia then wait for the nitrogen cycle to kick in?

Asking largely because I have a ton of it laying around.

Mind you no corals or fish would be in the tank but in a temp tank

Dosing Chloroquine will kill them suckers really fast... like 1-2 days.... and keep your bacteria intact. Generally safe with fish too (not inverts tho). Ofc you need to get ahold of Chloroquine.

check these images out... stuff of nightmares lol

Dipping fish to prevent aiptasia spread?

I am shutting down my display tank due to a massive aiptasia outbreak. I’m transferring the fish to 2 20g long tanks and with euthanize a small hammer and colony of zooathids. I’m then going to bleach the full DT to eliminate all life and start over. My concern is that I will transfer the...

humble.fish

 

[Silverdot1211]

@Tamberav good lord that is bad...I can say for sure mine isn't that bad and before seeing those it felt that bad.....lol

 

[MnFish1]

BAM...and that's why I love it here....you guys answered questions with out even knowing it.

Right now cost and time are my biggest challenges. I was hoping since I have a 500 gram jar for of ammonium chloride and nothing to use it on, I thought this would work perfectly....

I totally understand the only true way to get rid of them is a hard reset (dry out and wash) but that's not possible right now...

I like the shrimp idea but so many people seem to have been burned by getting the wrong species. Other worry or issue is that I already have 2 shrimp (fire and cleaner) not sure 3 would be that great... also not worried one bit about food stealing as my 2 already are butt holes (they have earned the nick names Beavis and Butt head for a reason)

The Nudibranch seems to be the best yet most expensive and also the highest risk in regards to them getting eaten

Had the file fish and destroyed my one prized coral that still hasn't come back fully. Another one worries me

The key with the Berghia is to get enough. for your size tank - and number of aiptasia present. Good luck with whatever you choose. The problem with completely nuking the tank - is that you can just as easily re-introduce them. I had about 50 of them (aiptasia) that were all growing on the bottom of rocks. I bought the recommended number of Berghia - and have not seen one since adding them

 

[damsels are not mean]

Just dry the tank out?
How much aiptasia are we talking? It sounds like you just got some. Why not just use f aiptasia or something to kill it?

 

[Silverdot1211]

Just dry the tank out?
How much aiptasia are we talking? It sounds like you just got some. Why not just use f aiptasia or something to kill it?

Sorry for the late response.....it's to the point where I have to many and the amount buried in the rock work doesn't make it a very viable option. Not saying I can't just not sure the amount vs time is a good option