What will eat some annoying critters?

[nickenayat]

I was wondering what fish will eat aptasia and what would eat potential nudibranchs?

Anyone have some ideas for fish that have a purpose and do a great job at helping keep our reefs healthy and lively.

Thank you

 

[BestMomEver]

Aptasia..... peppermint shrimp and some filefish. I used the shrimp for the little ones and AptasiaX for the larger ones. I’ve never had a filefish but they are advertised as aptasia eaters. I would worry abt them once the aptasia are gone. But they won’t just eat aptasia... also any kind of anemone and maybe frilly mushrooms.

Nudibranchs.... wrasses, especially six line wrasses and probably yellow coris wrasses are great pest hunters. I love my six line. He’s a hunting machine. Both of those species are considered reef safe. I think there are some butterfly species that eat them but I don’t remember which ones. Most butterflies are not reef safe and get fairly large. Do your research!

 

[lapin]

I was wondering what fish will eat aptasia and what would eat potential nudibranchs?
Anyone have some ideas for fish that have a purpose and do a great job at helping keep our reefs healthy and lively.
Thank you

(Acreichthys tomentosus) Will eat aptasia sometimes.
https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/2562/?pcatid=2562
I dont know what nudi's you have but generally they are not the preferred food for any reef safe fish .

 

[BestMomEver]

Btw.... dip your corals. That will kill nudibranchs.

 

[BestMomEver]

(Acreichthys tomentosus) Will eat aptasia sometimes.
https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/2562/?pcatid=2562
I dont know what nudi's you have but generally they are not the preferred food for any reef safe fish .

Thanks for the info on the filefish @Katrina71 . I always understood filefish to be reef safe (other than anemone species). I learned something today!

 

[nickenayat]

Thanks all!

I dip any coral when I first get it but noticed some bleaching on some my sps and got worried there may be nudibranchs. I did an intensive dip today and closely inspected all the sps. Couldn't find a single critter. All my parameters are in check so I am not sure what may be the problem. Maybe the tank is too young, only 6 months. Any ideas?

 

[nickenayat]

Aptasia..... peppermint shrimp and some filefish. I used the shrimp for the little ones and AptasiaX for the larger ones. I’ve never had a filefish but they are advertised as aptasia eaters. I would worry abt them once the aptasia are gone. But they won’t just eat aptasia... also any kind of anemone and maybe frilly mushrooms.

Nudibranchs.... wrasses, especially six line wrasses and probably yellow coris wrasses are great pest hunters. I love my six line. He’s a hunting machine. Both of those species are considered reef safe. I think there are some butterfly species that eat them but I don’t remember which ones. Most butterflies are not reef safe and get fairly large. Do your research!

I think I may get a six line or coris wrasse. Just worried they will eat all the pods in the tank. Ever since I started reefing 5 years ago I wanted a mandarin goby and I want to take the plunge now that I have a 60g tank. Just worried the wrasse would outcompete the goby for food. May have to do the wrasse tho for the sake of the tank then change him out for the goby in a few months.

 

[lapin]

Thanks for the info on the filefish @Katrina71 . I always understood filefish to be reef safe (other than anemone species). I learned something today!

I had one that was reef safe and the aptasia were safe too

 

[Todd A.]

Copper-banded Butterflies are known to eat aptasia but don't do well around even mildly aggressive fish, i.e. your yellow tang. I've used peppermint shrimp with hit and miss success, some will destroy them in a night and others just don;t seem to be interested at all.

 

[BestMomEver]

I think I may get a six line or coris wrasse. Just worried they will eat all the pods in the tank. Ever since I started reefing 5 years ago I wanted a mandarin goby and I want to take the plunge now that I have a 60g tank. Just worried the wrasse would outcompete the goby for food. May have to do the wrasse tho for the sake of the tank then change him out for the goby in a few months.

I have a 60 cube. The six line was the first fish in the tank. I got a ruby red mandarin the other day. I have been buying bottles of pods every week or two for the mandarin. I’m not worried about them competing necessarily. The Wrasse hunts in and around the rocks and the mandarin stays low down.... mainly the sand and the lowest levels of the rock. My Wrasse has never lacked for food. I didn’t get pods to feed him. He eats everything I put in and all the critters he can find!

 

[Orko]

Fresh lemon juice from a syringe right in there mouth will kill aptasia .... Joe's Juice and all the other stuff that is injected not to much(my experience with them) white vinegar works as well from a syringe I am told. they are little buggers (being nice) if you do not get them in the mouth the push out little spores them one becomes 100 and they are everywhere. once you have them it is hard to eradicate them it becomes a control thing kill off the big ones first then so some one above said Peppermint Shrimp( must be from Florida) file fish the right kind do a great job as well except when they are gone the like to eat Xenia and zoas (my experience with them) Some butterfly's do do a number on the little ones for sure! good luck on your adventure!