The BEST eradicator of the evil Aiptasia Anemone!

THE MOST successful way to eradicate aiptasia anemones?

  • Aiptasia X

    Votes: 89 11.2%
  • Peppermint Shrimp

    Votes: 161 20.2%
  • Hand Removal

    Votes: 16 2.0%
  • Laser

    Votes: 12 1.5%
  • Superglue

    Votes: 25 3.1%
  • Berghia Nudibranch

    Votes: 143 17.9%
  • Rock Removal and clean

    Votes: 17 2.1%
  • Lemon Juice

    Votes: 12 1.5%
  • F-Aiptasia

    Votes: 64 8.0%
  • Kalk Injection

    Votes: 32 4.0%
  • Filefish

    Votes: 68 8.5%
  • Copperband Butterfly Fish

    Votes: 64 8.0%
  • Other Livestock (please explain in a post)

    Votes: 16 2.0%
  • Other Product (please explain in the thread)

    Votes: 12 1.5%
  • I've had no success

    Votes: 67 8.4%

  • Total voters
    798

Reefvision

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So I had aptasia spread fro one to at least 20 and was multiplying quickly- obtained peppermint shrimp and filefish and they are nowhere to be seen now - one aptasia looked like a nice size anemone and it’s gone . Been 6mos (at least) . I am moving live rock around from other tanks to eradicate completely. This is MY Approach.
 

markwayts

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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?


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The best cheapest way i found is to just inject them with boiling hot water. Cook em from the inside out. So satisfying and they don't spread.
 

markwayts

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Use care when using peppermint shrimp. They will shred other anemones, especially rock anemones, they rip the oral disk out.
Now i want a peppermint shrimp because i have about two hundred mini maxi anemones and i can't kill em fast enough.
 

Robert Riccio

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I do not have Aiptasia, but I do have peppermint shrimp and a copperband butterfly. Either I have gotten lucky or these two animals keep them in check.
 

Reefvision

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Now i want a peppermint shrimp because i have about two hundred mini maxi anemones and i can't kill em fast enough.
Shrimp will work but file fish is amazing, only problem is they also will go for “ problem “ corals like green star polyps that can spread like mad . My wife called the polyps “the plague “ now gone . My filefish is in softy tank so no worries really.
 

Terry Le

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For me have to be filefish. But not just any because I have to get another one this time 1st didn’t touch them
 

ThRoewer

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Berghia are pretty much the only surefire way to eradicate them from rocks aside from sterilizing the rocks. But it is still best to move the rocks you want to treat to a low flow tank without predators (fish, shrimp, Amphipods,...). In a fully stocked reef tank you have too many predators that may eat the snails and the high flow may keep them out of areas that Aiptasia then can use as refuge.
So as a treatment of a fully set-up reef tank they are not as effective. Ideally they are used in the coral quarantine process to prevent Aiptasia from entering the tank.

Peppermint Shrimp are pretty good at keeping Aiptasia in check but will hardly ever be able to eliminate them. Same goes for Filefish.
 

Naso180

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I like berghia for two of my systems and a Copperband in my display where I have a strong healthy beautiful fish. A Copperband would not survive in the two systems where I use Berghia.
 

Marlyreef

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I had one moderate sized aiptasia that I physically removed the rock and superglued over it. I also had about four small ones that my peppermint shrimp went after. No more aiptasia. But guess what, the little dick went after my rock flower anemones after.
 

Crotalus

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I have a Filefish and 6 Peppermint shrimp. They did nothing. I then bought 6 Berghia. The Aptasia were gone for months. I've never seen the Berghia again, but now the Aptasia are coming back. The Filefish and Peppermints aren't touching them. So I've gotten the Kalk paste out again.
 

Terry Le

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Berghia are pretty much the only surefire way to eradicate them from rocks aside from sterilizing the rocks. But it is still best to move the rocks you want to treat to a low flow tank without predators (fish, shrimp, Amphipods,...). In a fully stocked reef tank you have too many predators that may eat the snails and the high flow may keep them out of areas that Aiptasia then can use as refuge.
So as a treatment of a fully set-up reef tank they are not as effective. Ideally they are used in the coral quarantine process to prevent Aiptasia from entering the tank.

Peppermint Shrimp are pretty good at keeping Aiptasia in check but will hardly ever be able to eliminate them. Same goes for Filefish.
My 2 nano are good because of Peppermint Shrimp ( I just can’t keep them alive in my 375 because of big fish) and that when the filefish in place. I can’t complain before them I can see Aiptasia every time I look at the tank, with them I probably have to look very to see one. So that ok with me
 

Rukk

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Certainly not against natural solutions, but I would use a laser. I haven't had an aiptasia issue but I did have some kind of black stuff that was kinda like a spiderweb and really fine grass combination. It was growing and starting to irritate corals. Nothing I tried seemed to kill it off, it always came back.

Bought a legit 6 watt laser from China and it fries that stuff like bacon and it doesn't come back. I can literally hear it "cooking" the stuff. I also use the laser to keep my meteor shower from spreading beyond where I like for it to stay. Again, I can literally hear the polyps pop. I am absolutely positive that it would slay aiptaisa with equal ease.

I can laser from the top of the tank, or thru the glass. I am a little cautious when shooting thru the glass so that one spot doesn't potentially heat up on me at the glass.

The laser will also burn anything else especially when it is focused properly on one spot, and it doesn't take long either. I am talking burn as in fire. It doesn't need to be focused to burn a finger that gets in the stream while focusing (ask me how I know) or thru a mesh top especially if you shoot thru it at an angle.

If a natural solution is not an ideal route for someone, I highly recommend one get a laser similar to what I got. It will fry anything in the tank that you focus it on. So that is good, but it can be not so good if you are not careful with it.

Here's the link to what I bought, yes it comes from China, and though I am not too wild about that, it works and is effective:

Blue Laser 6 WATT For Saltwater Aquarium Aiptasia Killing – Zeus Lasers

No need to struggle with these types of things.........

You are welcome.
 

Reeferbadness

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I've been using a multi-prong approach to a mild to medium aiptasia propblem in my 200G tank. Peppermint shrimp - no visible signs of any help. They have too much other food to bother. Then i added a file fish - which was also useless (and died about 2 weeks after i added him to the tank). F Aiptasia works really well if the aiptasia are not upside down on a rock. For those, i use epoxy and basically seal them in. The battle has been going on now for about 3 months - and i am close to the finish line.
 

Terry Le

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Certainly not against natural solutions, but I would use a laser. I haven't had an aiptasia issue but I did have some kind of black stuff that was kinda like a spiderweb and really fine grass combination. It was growing and starting to irritate corals. Nothing I tried seemed to kill it off, it always came back.

Bought a legit 6 watt laser from China and it fries that stuff like bacon and it doesn't come back. I can literally hear it "cooking" the stuff. I also use the laser to keep my meteor shower from spreading beyond where I like for it to stay. Again, I can literally hear the polyps pop. I am absolutely positive that it would slay aiptaisa with equal ease.

I can laser from the top of the tank, or thru the glass. I am a little cautious when shooting thru the glass so that one spot doesn't potentially heat up on me at the glass.

The laser will also burn anything else especially when it is focused properly on one spot, and it doesn't take long either. I am talking burn as in fire. It doesn't need to be focused to burn a finger that gets in the stream while focusing (ask me how I know) or thru a mesh top especially if you shoot thru it at an angle.

If a natural solution is not an ideal route for someone, I highly recommend one get a laser similar to what I got. It will fry anything in the tank that you focus it on. So that is good, but it can be not so good if you are not careful with it.

Here's the link to what I bought, yes it comes from China, and though I am not too wild about that, it works and is effective:

Blue Laser 6 WATT For Saltwater Aquarium Aiptasia Killing – Zeus Lasers

No need to struggle with these types of things.........

You are welcome.
So how are you going to shoot at aiptasians in the back of the tank, under rock work, attached to corals ect....
 

Mr Mumblez

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Aiptasia x has worked for me. I had a small outbreak of 2 that I could see. I applied with success but 3 more popped up, so I applied again. After one more came up and I hit that one. This was over about 6 weeks but now am aiptasia free the last 4 months. No experience with anything else.
 

Mastering the art of locking and unlocking water pathways: What type of valves do you have on your aquarium plumbing?

  • Ball valves.

    Votes: 58 49.6%
  • Gate valves.

    Votes: 64 54.7%
  • Check valves.

    Votes: 28 23.9%
  • None.

    Votes: 28 23.9%
  • Other.

    Votes: 9 7.7%
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