What would you do in this situation? *Video* (about to tear down tank)

[TheDragonsReef]

i think the only way to do this would be to tear down the tank. Theres no way i can catch the wrasse and shrimp without removing all the rock and its cemented to the tank.

I disagree i have a 265g filled with rock and ive gotten shrimp and small fish out with traps. Its all about playing the long game. Ive left my fish trap in the tank for 2 weeks until the fish i finally wanted would go in regularly to eat. You wont be able to catch anything immediately but once the fish get used to the trap ive never had any issues getting them.

 

[R33fDaddy]

This tank was started exactly like that. every single thing was fully QTed for 76 days before going into the tank and all corals were scrubbed so not sure anything different would happen.

In my Coral Quarantine I have a file fish and peppermint shrimp. So if I miss any aiptasia those guys take care of it. Try the same thing, this time keep some natural predators in your coral Quarantine. You can also pull any new frags off of the frag plug that came out of your local fish stores system. Put all your new corals on your own frags that you know are safe.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Take a breath, let the most recent attempt try working.

I saw a beautiful tank with baseball size aptasia a few months ago. Last week it was completely empty of them due to 3 file fish. Apparently a single file fish wasn't attacking the largest ones so they brought a few more in and now they tag team eat. He's going to give it a few weeks and then probably have to pull the file fish out as he hasn't seen them eat anything else.

 

[GlassMunky]

I disagree i have a 265g filled with rock and ive gotten shrimp and small fish out with traps. Its all about playing the long game. Ive left my fish trap in the tank for 2 weeks until the fish i finally wanted would go in regularly to eat. You wont be able to catch anything immediately but once the fish get used to the trap ive never had any issues getting them.

what kind of traps are you using?
how does that actually work?

none of my shrimp ever leave the rocks, EVER..... and the only kind of "trap" i have is more of an acclimation box than a real "trap" and can only fit on the side of the tank

 

[BeMoto]

I would make Kalk paste cover them up with that and then putty over the entire mound of paste.

 

[rockinzebra457]

I would give the filefish sometime. I had a really bad infestation of aiptasia and I bought a pair. They took sometime to start eating them but once they started they ate all of them within like a 3 week period. After they have finished them off I would pass them off to another reefer In need and just keep the peppermint shrimp to maintain any smaller ones that might pop back up.
The file fish will shred through your coral after they finish the aiptasia(I heard this is hit or miss) but mine went on a rampage after finishing the job.

 

[GlassMunky]

I would make Kalk paste cover them up with that and then putty over the entire mound of paste.

itd be easier to get all new rock lol, theres WAYYY tooo many for that

 

[GlassMunky]

Take a breath, let the most recent attempt try working.

I saw a beautiful tank with baseball size aptasia a few months ago. Last week it was completely empty of them due to 3 file fish. Apparently a single file fish wasn't attacking the largest ones so they brought a few more in and now they tag team eat. He's going to give it a few weeks and then probably have to pull the file fish out as he hasn't seen them eat anything else.

Im hoping!

def helps to vent a little bit to other people who actually understand the issues rather than family or friends who all think the tank is perfect.

 

[TheDragonsReef]

what kind of traps are you using?
how does that actually work?

none of my shrimp ever leave the rocks, EVER..... and the only kind of "trap" i have is more of an acclimation box than a real "trap" and can only fit on the side of the tank

My trap is basically a box with a sliding glass door. You run a string attached to the glass door to somewhere outside the tank where you can release it. Theres a tube in the center where you put the food. The key to this is to only feed the fish using that tube. So if the fish want to eat they have to go in the box. Some of the fish may not even eat for a few days but thats ok, let them starve for a bit. Eventually theyll see the other fish going in and their hunger will get the best of them. The best thing to do is to just leave it alone for the first days and dont jump the gun. Make sure youre gonna get the fish if you drop it, otherwise you might scare it off for good. I recommend not dropping it the first time they go in but only after theyre comfortable going in and out and wait for the best chance.

It looks just like this

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

My trap is basically a box with a sliding glass door. You run a string attached to the glass door to somewhere outside the tank where you can release it. Theres a tube in the center where you put the food. The key to this is to only feed the fish using that tube. So if the fish want to eat they have to go in the box. Some of the fish may not even eat for a few days but thats ok, let them starve for a bit. Eventually theyll see the other fish going in and their hunger will get the best of them. The best thing to do is to just leave it alone for the first days and dont jump the gun. Make sure youre gonna get the fish if you drop it, otherwise you might scare it off for good. I recommend not dropping it the first time they go in but only after theyre comfortable going in and out and wait for the best chance.

It looks just like this

Good advice. I had issue getting a few scared swimmers. I added some seaweed on a weight to the inside of mine and fish (that don't even eat seaweed) immediately went in like "hey I know what this is"

 

[BeMoto]

Starting over sound terrible to me.

 

[revhtree]

I didn’t read all the replies but I have had two infestations of epic proportion and bergia took care of them. It has to be your wrasse eating them! If you need a fish trap I’ll send you mine, which works great, catch the wrasse and add the nudis back.

 

[code4]

I have torn down a tank and even cooked the sand and rocks in my oven. Also have used a hose at every water change and scraped the large ones off and let them get sucked out of the tank. This required a little help from husband. That allowed my little peppermint shrimp to eat the small ones and the remains of the large ones I scraped. Small shrimp seem to get a taste for them. Try not to feed them (shrimp) much for a while either. Then they will be more willing to eat them. I also used carbon dosing to lower all the nutrients in the water column so the nasty things don't have as much to eat. Take out the corals you can or spot feed them. I feel your pain. Don't give up.

 

[ApoIsland]

I would give the filefish sometime. I had a really bad infestation of aiptasia and I bought a pair. They took sometime to start eating them but once they started they ate all of them within like a 3 week period. After they have finished them off I would pass them off to another reefer In need and just keep the peppermint shrimp to maintain any smaller ones that might pop back up.
The file fish will shred through your coral after they finish the aiptasia(I heard this is hit or miss) but mine went on a rampage after finishing the job.

Just keep in mind some of the aiptasia will come back eventually if you get rid of the file fish. The fish doesn't tear them off whole at the base but rather picks at them so much they just retreat and I'm guessing die but leave behind offspring. Took about a year after I got rid of my file fish before I saw my first two aiptasia reappear. Used F-aiptasia on those and that seemed to work. I guess only time will tell...

 

[ying yang]

I would make Kalk paste cover them up with that and then putty over the entire mound of paste.

First off im no expert as only just started salty side of hobby . but after watching a brs video months ago about their aptasia troubles.they said aiptasia x just made aiptasia multiply and im thinking if ever get aiptasia then i be injecting lemon juice/ kalkwasser into head of aiptasia to make it retreat into its hole then superglue it and/ or then add decent amount of putty to enclose the aiptasia.i think doing this sends skimmer into over drive so just do few bits at a time as it probably took months to get all your aiptasia so need patience to get rid of them but from all my research and watching brs method with enclosing them with putty it worked great for them and is what i would try then after a while remove the putty and aiptasia be starved to death ( hopefully) cut down on the food as you said you did.
In ideal world would be good to remove rocks out of tank into a smaller tank ( maybe cheap second hand 10- 20 gallon) and add your shrimps/ filefish into tank and try get them to eat aiptasia as there only food source ( ovbiously if they dont eat it then need feed them if not eating aiptasia after 3- 4 days ) but removing rocks out of dt and trying pull/ scrub/ hydrogen peroxide or whatever method would probably be best) but i can only only tell you what i have reseached as no experience whatsoever) as im new and got all this to come ha ha

 

[dvgyfresh]

Ye I think the most effective / proven method is the berghia nudibranch, for this to work you need to remove the wrasse otherwise you just supplying an expensive snack lol , got rid of all my aptasia in 3 weeks

 

[ApoIsland]

I didn’t read all the replies but I have had two infestations of epic proportion and bergia took care of them. It has to be your wrasse eating them! If you need a fish trap I’ll send you mine, which works great, catch the wrasse and add the nudis back.

I have had many wrasse over the years and have never seen one that couldn't be taught to eat food out of a net within days. Just hang medium sized net in the tank for a few days and put your food in that every time you feed.

 

[ying yang]

Anyway i wish you luck with your current troubles and i hope it doesnt come to you tearing down the tank and starting again or even stopping all together so hang in there and ask for advice of experienced reefers who actually has had a success in a tank plagued by aiptasia and try follow there method so good luck buddy ^_^

 

[dantimdad]

Honestly, 6 weeks ago, my 240 was worse. I got 12 peppermint shrimp and they are all gone. No joke.

I have tried everything in the past. F aptaisia is great for one or two.

Berghias never did a thing except waste money.

Copperband will work on occasion for a few.

 

[ApoIsland]

Honestly, 6 weeks ago, my 240 was worse. I got 12 peppermint shrimp and they are all gone. No joke.

I have tried everything in the past. F aptaisia is great for one or two.

Berghias never did a thing except waste money.

Copperband will work on occasion for a few.

If you ordered online maybe you can share who you got those peppermints from. I know there is quite a few shrimp that look similar being sold as peppermints that don't work at all.