The BEST eradicator of the evil Aiptasia Anemone!

[revhtree]

We've talked many times about how to kill, eradicate aiptasia anemones in our reef tanks. They seem to appear from nowhere and reproduce at a rapid rate so knowing how to get rid of them quickly is pretty crucial. I've put together a list, from a previous thread, and I would like for you to vote for your chosen method that is PROVEN to work for you!

1. In your experience what is the number one, best way, to get rid of aiptasia anemones?

2. What preventive measures do you take to make sure that you don't introduce aiptasia to your tank?

 

[glb]

Following! I’ve used aptasia X but they always come back. Looking for a better solution!

 

[rustyreefer]

Following! I’ve used aptasia X but they always come back. Looking for a better solution!

True. I have only had about a 50% success rate with it.

 

[brandon429]

this is the best method above all:

Direct aiptasia removal from surfaces as the top removal option

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/first-aiptasia-sighting-what-would-you-do.808233/page-2#post-8647852 notice in the thread the surface with aiptasia was removed from the reef, and what was beside the aiptasia frag was taken off and moved back onto the reef allowing the aiptasia + the surface...

www.reef2reef.com

the reason its not popular: it takes work, not a purchase, and reefers detest doing tank work. they actually want to keep aiptasia more than they want to do the work of simply removing the first one they see. aiptasia is literally the simplest invader of them all to cure.


here's what to do: when you see one, do opposite of your inclinations which is a bunch of kid gloving playing around that will make more aiptasias. click on the link, run the actions, post the empty aiptasia spot in the link.

 

[brandon429]

the success rate above is 100%

*notice the actions list of future tanks coming up, and how polar opposite they are to surgically removing aiptasia in one pass without any wait.

 

[brandon429]

here's an excuse list that is 100% part of every tank's aiptasia invasion:

1. my tank is too big to handle in the ways above, I have to handle it via injections and partial action (tank too big)
2. my rock scape is glued down, I can't do the above action. (prefers aiptasia over glue work)
3. I did not know of the option
4. I tried past injections, got 15 new aiptasias, so I doubt this method.
5.

 

[radav88]

I had a pretty bad outbreak in a tank a while back. I tried the nudibranch first and no luck. Next was peppermint shrimp which also did nothing. Finally I tried a copperband butterfly and it eradicated the infestation immediately upon entering my tank. I always felt the aiptasia were what helped me keep the fish for so long (6 years) . It had a natural food source to use while it learned to eat the other stuff I fed the tank.

 

[34gallonSolana]

I've used both Peppermint Shrimp and Berghia Nudibranch both work great but with the peppermint shrimp the aiptasia came back it took months before it did maybe over six months or so. With the nudibranch my understanding is that it is completely eradicated time will tell. Of the two I think I would use the nudibranch again if I had to.

 

[McDrummondJ]

I have seen one of my turbo snails eat them when they are small. I have also seen my blue banded hermit crab eat them, and I also have peppermint shrimp. Between these three I went from well over 50 small baby aiptasia to 0. This was well over month-and-a-half ago and I haven't seen any since.

 

[jgirardnrg]

I've used both Peppermint Shrimp and Berghia Nudibranch both work great but with the peppermint shrimp the aiptasia came back it took months before it did maybe over six months or so. With the nudibranch my understanding is that it is completely eradicated time will tell. Of the two I think I would use the nudibranch again if I had to.

With the nudibranch, gone means gone. When they eat the Aiptasia, the Aiptasia does not spread. The chemical composition of their saliva does something to cause the Aiptasia not to discharge/trigger their nematocysts.

 

[WVNed]

I have a filefish in the 240 and a CBB in the 75. There are no aiptasia in them.

There are 10,000 in my fuge so I really don't worry about getting another one.

 

[richarddeweerd]

What helped for me is a combination of Aiptasia x for the big ones and a peppermint shrimp for the small ones. I've never seen them again.

 

[KrisReef]

P
1. In your experience what is the number one, best way, to get rid of aiptasia anemones?

I try to give them away to others so they don’t multiply in my tank.

2. What preventive measures do you take to make sure that you don't introduce aiptasia to your tank?

I look over new rocks and frags, remove frag plugs just because but they still sneak in somehow?

 

[Uncle99]

No one way ever worked for me. It needs a team approach.

6 berghia, Large bottle of Aptasia-x, one stick epoxy, and a TON of patience.

Took almost a year.

I screen everything now......no exceptions.

 

[JCOLE]

Copperband Butterfly. If wild and healthy then it will decimate your Aiptasia in a couple days. 100% Guaranteed!

 

[34gallonSolana]

With the nudibranch, gone means gone. When they eat the Aiptasia, the Aiptasia does not spread. The chemical composition of their saliva does something to cause the Aiptasia not to discharge/trigger their nematocysts.

Yes that's what I read and I'm hoping for. Thanks,

 

[Sleeping Giant]

Nudis all day

 

[ReefCheef]

My last system caught a terrible plague of aptasia early on. I removed as much as I could manually, but there was simply too much as it was 180 gallon system. It was everywhere. I tried peppermint shrimp. They didn't make a noticeable difference for me. Never tried nudibranches.

I got 1 filefish from liveaquaria, put him in, and one week later I walked up to the thank and was like "where's that huge aptasia that's always on the front of that rock?" Then I started looking around.. the aptasia was completely gone. Blew my mind. Still hard to believe today, but it completely eradicated them. The only problem was, about 3 months after having him, he'd eaten literally every last one of them, and he began to starve :/

 

[N3mo]

A bazooka, then a grenade..

 

[Bpb]

Everything I’ve tried has resulted in the whole “kill one and 2 take its place” phenomenon