What is the Best Aptasia Eater?

[KLR]

I have a some aptasias in my 66gal RSM and was wondering if/what fish I could get that would eat them.

The reason I can't get shrimps or nudibranches is because I have a yellow coris wrasse and he would rip them apart.

This tank has

1 clown goby
1 small clownfish
1 Yellow Coris wrasse
1 Tri-Color Fairy wrasse
1 Small Vlamingi tang

The only additional thing I plan on adding atm is a clownfish,to have a pair.

Is there any reef-safe fish ,that eats aptasias, that I could put in this tank?

I was thinking a butterflyfish of some sort. But im not sure if the tang and butterfly would get along. Also, it might overstock the tank. If I did get one I would buy an acclimation box for the butterfly,since they tend to not acclimate well...
Maybe a raccoon or copperband butterfly?

My scape in this tank offers a good amount of open water and a semi-tall(for the tank) rock shelf with many overhangs,tunnels, and caves.

The tang is not a fighter AT ALL, it is more afraid of things than aggressive towards them.

The present fish also NEVER have fought,they all get along fine.

I would get a filefish but aren't those non-reefsafe?

Is there any small fish that eats aptasias?

 

[Troylee]

a copperband has been my best in the past "always worked".... after the aiptasia is gone thou they seem to acquire a taste for lps like acans and some z&p's.....i would use one then pass him on after a month or so when there gone....

 

[Paul_N]

FWIW I had an outbreak a couple years ago. I mean like a couple hundred. I tried everything even the nudi but had a wrasse so they disappeared. I finally got a matted filefish and it decimated my aiptasia population in a couple weeks. The downside is when there was only a couple aiptasia left in between the rocks the filefish started on my acans!!! I sold him to a fellow reefer. If you have any lps, they are in jeopardy after the aiptasia are gone or a few left. The fish are extremely easy to catch also.

There was a thread on here about the fish: https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/fish-discussion/38434-aptasia-eating-filefish.html

 

[jski711]

+1 on a matted filefish. It has a taste for chalices though.

 

[lps1212]

I tried a file fish too no luck so far I have a copperband and idk if its my luck but same thing close but no cigar he just looks at them and keeps it moving I'm hopeing with time he will develop a taste for them gl with whateve fish you go with I personally like the copperband look better than a filefish but would be happy with ither one doing the job

 

[KLR]

This tank is strictly display so it is going to have alot of colonies and mainly LPS at that. Are raccoon butterflies any better in the "reef safe" factor?
My lfs just got in 3 or 4 of them is why I ask,lol.

 

[jaa1456]

My copperbanded has been a model citizen in my tank and it took close to a month before it went after any aptasia.

 

[KLR]

So I guess right now the best option would be a butterfly.

How do you all think a butterfly fish would acclimate to my tank, with the other fish and things?

 

[jaa1456]

It should be fine, I got mine a little larger due to the fact that I have a purplr, yellow and bariene tang in there. The purple tang didn't even care it was in there and still to this day hangs out with the butterfly, The bariene went after him for 2-3 weeks every now and then and left it alone and the yellow goes after it every night like clock work.

 

[Acroholic]

I'm trying Berghia Nudibranchs in one tank....just don't use Nudis if you have pep shrimp, sally llgihtfoots, big emeralds, or 6 lines in the tank, as they prey on them. Berghias are supposed to be a good solution, but they are more long term. Usually you have to wait until they lay eggs and get a second generation going before you see aiptasia eliminated. Can take 2-3 months to get rid of them that way. And Berghias are not cheap either.

 

[KLR]

Yea nudis are out of the picture, along with other inverts. due to my wrasses.

Which butterfly is overall better a raccoon or copperband? Also how do you prevent them from picking at polyps and stuff,there has to be some trick to it?

 

[jaa1456]

I never heard of a Racoon butterfly being reef safe at all, And as far as stopping them froming picking, You gotta just hope for the best.

 

[Leonard]

Peppermint shrimps actually evade fish pretty well, coming out only at night when your wrasse would be sleeping. It' worth a shot ... not very expensive.

 

[spscrazy]

I added a false lemonpeel angel to my tank because I wanted a small angel. to my surprise it took down my aptasia in about 3 days it also took down the small white feather dusters also has never bothered anything else sps or lps or clam