What can I do to save these zoas from the aptasia?

djryan2000

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I added Bergia Nudibranchs a couple months ago and then a aptasia eating filefish about 3-4 weeks ago as well. I removed them from the rockwork yesterday to isolate them from some of the Aptasia but the ones on the plug have killed a large portion of them and are keeping the rest closed. I haven’t seen them open in weeks

BB976D5C-7440-4A39-83B4-51347B6024D8.jpeg
 

ScottB

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I would not fault you for giving up on that zoa colony. That is a pretty heavy infestation.

It takes a good while for berghias to ramp up their populations enough to be effective. Eventually they will though assuming you don't have predator wrasse. Hopefully the file fish doesn't develop a taste for the berghia.
 

Llyod276

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Filefish and or/ bury the frag in the sand for a few days the aptasia dies off and the frag remains. Keep an eye on the frag...and monitor aptasia.

Or the lazy route: neglect WILL kill everything eventually...
 

Isopod80

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I suppose you could always go the peppermint shrimp route as well. I haven't tried it personally but many on here seem to swear by it.
 

Gup

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I added Bergia Nudibranchs a couple months ago and then a aptasia eating filefish about 3-4 weeks ago as well. I removed them from the rockwork yesterday to isolate them from some of the Aptasia but the ones on the plug have killed a large portion of them and are keeping the rest closed. I haven’t seen them open in weeks

BB976D5C-7440-4A39-83B4-51347B6024D8.jpeg
SO SAD
 

Randomwhiteguy89

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Filefish are a hit or miss fix on multiple levels so far I’ve had 3 my first was in a 40 breeder and by far was the best filefish I’ve had so far instantly ate aiptasia wiped them out within a week no issues but I shut that tank down when I was in my early 20’s and sold him, my second was the best/ worst it took him a few months to develop a taste for aiptasia but once he started eating them he wouldn’t stop ate every last one and once they were gone moved on to my zoanthids and no matter how much I fed him he would just turn around and chomp on my zoas so he had to go about a year later I had another little outbreak and I bought my third one and after months of owning him he will not eat them so I traded him in at the lfs for a couple peppermint shrimps which didn’t seam to bother with the aiptasia either but they were cool so I kept them and grabbed a bottle of aiptasia x and zapped them all there tentacles burned off and they shrunk down to a little stump and low and behold once there tentacles were gone and they shrank the peppermint shrimp decided to eat them so for the last few years whenever I find one in my tank me and my shrimp tag team it and eradicate them pesky aiptasia
 

FishRN

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Injecting kalkwasser paste into the anemone with a insulin syringe has worked really well for me but with an infestation that bad it might need to be done over a couple weeks. Good luck with what ever you choose.
 

Isopod80

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I'm admittedly one of the few that kills Aiptasia with a laser at night. I know it's not a final solution and some claim it helps to spread them. If it does, it spreads them pretty slowly in my experience. I've easily kept them at bay as well as anyone with Kalk paste as far as I can tell.....and I like the target practice. ;) Not to mention, it's quicker and I don't have to get wet or inject one at a time by hand.
 

mindme

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Peppermint shrimp will take care of them.

However, there are many different kinds that people sell as peppermint shrimp, so make sure that is what you are actually getting.

The good thing about peppermint shrimp is they will also eat other stuff, and they are less likely to eat your coral than a file fish, but will also live even after the aptasia is gone, unlike the nudi's(who can also be eaten by other things in your tank). So you can keep them in your tank and if any new aptasia pop up, they'll get eaten quickly. And unlike things like aptasia-x, you won't have to keep killing them in the future. Those things are like cockroaches, what you see is only part of them.
 
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