Sick of aiptasia…time for the filefish?

Miami Reef · Oct 12, 2021

My tank is 250 gallons and I can’t reach many parts of the tank to manually kill my aiptasia.

My tank is starting to really get overgrown with this pest anemone.

I tried adding peppermint shrimp but they died for some reason (skunk shrimps are still alive. Purchased 4 of each type at the same time).

I just added my copperband butterfly to my tank 3 days ago. It likes to pick at the rocks, but no signs of aiptasia.

I’m thinking this will be the job of the filefish? How else do large aquariums manage pest anemones?

blaxsun · Oct 12, 2021

Dip dip! Then something like Aptasia-X, and the the filefish...

Miami Reef · Oct 12, 2021

blaxsun said:
Dip dip! Then something like Aptasia-X, and the the filefish...

The aiptasia is growing on my rocks! And aiptasia x just makes the anemones spread further unless I top it off with glue.

The filefish sounds like the easiest and best way. I’m just worried it’ll destroy my corals.

I’m under the impression that any true aiptasia eating fish will also nip/consume corals.

So far I haven’t had luck with the more “reef safe” aiptasia eaters. They don’t touch the corals, but they also won’t touch the aiptasia.

austibella · Oct 12, 2021

I just had this conversation with someone else I have an 180 gal. And also can't get to the bottom I tried Aiptasia-X but again they were at the bottom to. Got a majano wand worked good but still had them I also live in fla and I got a wild file fish I quarentine him with a rock with Aiptasia so he would already be eating it before adding him to my tank still have him years later never ate any of my corals but I have read other filefish do eat corals.my only advice is be careful you don't get a filefish that someone traded in because they had a problem with their fish. Ask for a proven filefish that eats aiptasia

blaxsun · Oct 12, 2021

Well, you can try the filefish and then when he's done his tour of duty, if he decides to go after the corals just ship him off to gitmo!

austibella · Oct 12, 2021

austibella said:
I just had this conversation with someone else I have an 180 gal. And also can't get to the bottom I tried Aiptasia-X but again they were at the bottom to. Got a majano wand worked good but still had them I also live in fla and I got a wild file fish I quarentine him with a rock with Aiptasia so he would already be eating it before adding him to my tank still have him years later never ate any of my corals but I have read other filefish do eat corals.my only advice is be careful you don't get a filefish that someone traded in because they had a problem with their fish. Ask for a proven filefish that eats aiptasia

P.s. he ate all the aiptasia.

Tamberav · Oct 12, 2021

Maybe give the copperband some time? Three days isn't long... the fish is still adjusting.

GHOSTLY · Oct 12, 2021

Tickle all of them! No in all seriousness kalk slurry mixed with lemon and superglue

Brian W · Oct 12, 2021

Yes get a filefish. Every time I had an aiptasia problem my filefish would take care of them in no time. After he was done I would give him to a buddy who needed him. There was only 1 time where I tried to keep a file fish after the aiptasia was gone and he started eating my acans. Cool fish imo.

Sharp · Oct 17, 2021

I use boiling water in a syringe. Has helped with aptasia for me in the past. In regards to the peppermint shrimp, did you drip acclimate? I believe shrimp are particularly sensitive to changes in salinity, which occurs when introducing into a new system. I have introduced multiple cleanershrimp and peppermint shrimp into aquariums with a high successrate with proper acclimation.

Fergus

mdb_talon · Oct 17, 2021

Like just about any natural predator eating aiptasia it going to depend on the specific animal. Sometimes filefish work and other times they are useless. Often they eat coral(especially polyps), but some report their filefish never touching coral.

Berghia nudis are the only thing we know of that will always eat aiptasia and never anything else. Problem is you need them to be able to reproduce in your tank or buy an awful lot of them(and hope you have no livestock thay eats them). They reproduce easy, but many things like to eat the eggs.

flyfisher2 · Oct 17, 2021

I did the crazy glue and controlled it. I then ordered nudi's and put them in three tanks. This was in June. NO Effect, they multiplied like crab grass. Picked up file fish and held in quarantine. Released it in August in my 40 breeder coral quarantine. Cleaned it up in 2 weeks! I see zero aiptasia. Caught him and released in my 60 cube which was infested. Looked it over today and found one aiptasia hidden in a crevice. Three weeks.

austibella · Oct 17, 2021

flyfisher2 said:
I did the crazy glue and controlled it. I then ordered nudi's and put them in three tanks. This was in June. NO Effect, they multiplied like crab grass. Picked up file fish and held in quarantine. Released it in August in my 40 breeder coral quarantine. Cleaned it up in 2 weeks! I see zero aiptasia. Caught him and released in my 60 cube which was infested. Looked it over today and found one aiptasia hidden in a crevice. Three weeks.

My file fish cleaned up aiptasia, have him about 2 years now never touched my corals , but he will nip at my hand sometimes thinking its food I guess when I'm cleaning the tank, sharp teeth!. He always is the first and fast to grab food, and is getting big about 7 inches x 4. He amazes me how he can change color for his surroundings. Cool fish.

flyfisher2 · Oct 18, 2021

austibella said:
My file fish cleaned up aiptasia, have him about 2 years now never touched my corals , but he will nip at my hand sometimes thinking its food I guess when I'm cleaning the tank, sharp teeth!. He always is the first and fast to grab food, and is getting big about 7 inches x 4. He amazes me how he can change color for his surroundings. Cool fish.

Mine is small,just a couple inches.
Keeping an eye on my rock corals for damage.
So far so good.
Love the way they defy the current and just hover in a spot.
When I pulled mine from one tank to another I placed the container near a wall and it immediately took on the wall color.
Very cool.

Dkmoo · Oct 18, 2021

If the aip is already big, no predator will go after them, esp only after 3 days. Every predator will go after easy prey first which means smaller aip.

Manual treatment is the most efficient way for large aip. Id always use f-aip on anything bigger than 1/2 inch.

787will · Oct 18, 2021

I had a pretty bad aiptasia problem in my 150, in my small 50 gal I used to keep them under control with household lye powder solution, but in bigger tanks it just becomes a huge pain trying to find and getting to all the aiptasia so resorted to the natural methods.
At first I tried a filefish, he was a complete pest, went after my zoa's, euphyllia and Duncans and of course didn't touch 1 aiptasia. I wanted to use nudis as I had success with them in the past but again that was in a small tank and the amount I would need to make an impact just made it cost prohibitive as they've got so much more expensive.
What worked for me was peppermint shrimp but I believe I had success because I bought a bunch, I believe 15 I think it was. they can be hit and miss like the other methods but I think they're the most cost effective when taking that chance. the more you get the better chance of success.
IMO 4 shrimp in a 250 is no where near enough, if it were me I would purchase 15-20 to stand any chance of success. also they may not be dead, they hide and hide really well, I only ever see mine at night when lights are out.
one other thing I used to do that worked was any rock that I could easily remove from the tank I would, note where the aiptasia is and manually scrub it off and rinse really really good in saltwater so ensure none of those spores are left on the rock.

Pwnm30rdi3 · Oct 18, 2021

GHOSTLY said:
Tickle all of them! No in all seriousness kalk slurry mixed with lemon and superglue

I have had good luck with just straight up kalk slurry. I was able to kill 10 aiptasia with that method. I have 2 or 3 small ones in the tank still, going to hit it with another round this week.