What would your 1st choice be for aiptasia control in a mixed reef?

[Erica-Renee]

Out of about 7 CBB's I've had over the years, each ate different things, couple did not eat, 2 were awesome and ate apt and prep'd foods and no corals, so it's pretty random, and the 2 that were awesome were Ausies, which my LFS swears by.

Our local club passes a couple file fish around, but they get snatched up quick, so I figure if mine goes bad after eating apt I'll just add him to that list for someone else to use, at least it should be fairly easy to catch.

Mine is super easy to catch . Likes to hang out in the top corners of the tank and sleep sometimes. I can reach in and touch her or him . Catching in a Container would be super easy. So for my CBB has been a model citizen. It was super tiny when we got it a few years back and is now maybe 4 inches and Fat as a pig eating anything we put in the tank as well scavenge For pods..

 

[davocean]

I had one CBB that all it ate was pods, and nothing else, and w/ a pair of mandarins it had to be rehomed so they could thrive.

Glad to hear the file is so easy to catch, he looks pretty darn slow

 

[pecan2phat]

So my DT is a 180g, it's SPS dominated but also full of Zoa colonies on the sand bed. There's also 9 clams in there and one Lobo. I took the Acan colonies out recently when I introduced a Rock Beauty to see if it would rid the sponge that was smothering some of the Zoas.
It's fallow currently and that is part of the problem where the aiptasia is getting a strong foothold. Berghia might be out now that most have mentioned wrasses as a problem, I have quite a few Fairy wrasses and Leopards that will be going back in once the fallow period is up.
Prior to pulling the fish out, I had a Copperband in there that kept the tank clean of aiptasia and feathers but he didn't survive the QT since he barely ate frozen foods. I also did not have any clams in there at the time yet so does anyone know if they are clam tolerant? Still thinking of just throwing in a group of peppermints also so that I do not have to QT a Copperband that is most likely not eating.

 

[KrisC]

I just picked up some liverock from a fellow reefer and discovered a few aiptasia on one of the rocks. I used Aip x and it did the job. A few years back I had an aiptasia outbreak in a tank and picked up peppermint shrimp. They did the job. It's always a toss up.

 

[joesaf]

I tried adding 20 Berghia nudis but apparently I didn’t read enough about acclimating them. Specifically, that they don’t really acclimate well and will stay local to a very slow movers; especially in a new environment. So when my wrasses woke up in the morning the nudis made easy meals out out of most in no time. I think 2 survived.

I would like to try again but this time release the nudis in the sump in the vicinity of aptaisia and let them hunt and spawn at their own leisure. Also I hear getting them at the 1/2 inch mark is the peak of their appetite and spawning capacity.

Looking for some local options to purchase near Los Angeles. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Btw, I recently had no success with a Copper Band that looked more intimidated by the aptaisia then viscera.

 

[Dburr1014]

#3 hands down.

 

[Katrina71]

This is my plan B. Aiptasia X did not work for me.

 

[jd371]

#3
I tried Aptasia-X first and it does kill the ones out in the open that you're able to smother but ones in the holes and crevices not so much and more will pop up. Bought some Peppermint but they didn't last with my Melanurus and he made a quick snack out of them. Added a CBB because I liked the fish and eating Aptasia was a plus, but if he did eat some at first he stopped and they spread. Instead of another fish (Filefish) I opted to try the Berghia even though there was the Melanurus and other fish in the tank that could eat them. I was fearful of the Melanurus because he's a savage but he was buried and sleeping in the sand long after the Berghia came out to do their thing. I put them in April and by July my tank was Aptasia free. I was hoping to see them after they cleared away the Aptasia so I could pass them on to somebody else, but I fear they might have started venturing out during the day and were eaten.

 

[nickenayat]

Gaggle of perming shrimp. Small, easy, don’t add too much bioload

 

[joesaf]

This is my plan B. Aiptasia X did not work for me.

Very nice, @Katrina71, those guys look big. You’ve got 3 of them for how big of a tank and do you have wrasses?

 

[Katrina71]

Very nice, @Katrina71, those guys look big. You’ve got 3 of them for how big of a tank and do you have wrasses?

I actually have 7. I have a 29 cube. I was wondering if there would be a good wrasse for me. I also have some very small livestock. Pike Blenny, pederson shrimp, hi fin goby. Maybe a Coris?

 

[joesaf]

I actually have 7. I have a 29 cube. I was wondering if there would be a good wrasse for me. I also have some very small livestock. Pike Blenny, pederson shrimp, hi fin goby. Maybe a Coris?

Depends on what your criteria is for “good wrasse.” Where did you get the Berghias?

 

[Katrina71]

Depends on what your criteria is for “good wrasse.” Where did you get the Berghias?

The MacroMan on eBay. Trusted seller!

 

[Katrina71]

The MacroMan on eBay. Trusted seller!

Tell him I sent you if you order some.

 

[joesaf]

The MacroMan on eBay. Trusted seller!

I’m finding a seller named MacroMan located in the UK. Is that who you are referring to?

https://ebay.com/usr/macroman

 

[Katrina71]

I’m finding a seller named MacroMan located in the UK. Is that who you are referring to?

https://ebay.com/usr/macroman

Look for the nori clip holder and then other items for sale

 

[joesaf]

Ah...very good. Many thanks!

 

[EHerbert]

None of them worked for me. The Berghia wound up being an expensive snack and Aiptasia X multiplied the population. It took a Matted File Fish to eradicate my infestation... haven't seen one since.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

What would your 1st choice be for aiptasia control in a mixed reef?

Injection of kalkwasser

 

[Firemanreefkeeper]

If you add berghia correctly they do just fine. I added 20 at lights out, flow off and put them down in the rocks. They hide during the day then eat at night so nobody bothers them. I've seen 10 of them creeping around at 5 in the morning before I left for work. I keep watching my aiptasia population dwindling down.