Aptasia

[DYIguy]

Found this on the base of a chalice today- I've found aptasia on frags before- small- this is about a 1/4 inch across- my thinking, not good/ keeper

 

[amado]

If you see one you have a bunch. I would get something that eats it. Pepper mint shrimp/ copper band/ file fish will eat it.
aiptasia eating nudibranch work really good but are very hard to find.

 

[Yates273]

I see about 3 on there. Pay close attention. If you can remove rock I would and do a thorough cleansing of the rock.
(Muriatic acid) or if your ok with it just keep a close eye on tank and kill whenever you see one. Like ado says peppermint shrimp will work too

 

[DYIguy]

So it is aptasia? Rock is easily removed- not going to get more peppermint shrimp- have them in another tank, copper band is not right for a 30g and a nudibranch is not the answer either- what happens when the aptasia is gone

 

[ericrodriguez]

I’m using an electric stick right now. It’s working when I can get them

 

[DYIguy]

I’m using an electric stick right now. It’s working when I can get them

I don't think it will get to that point, but where did you get the stick

 

[Rueric]

I used f aiptasia. Only saw one and haven’t seen another pop up on the past month

 

[DYIguy]

Think I'll go with lemon juice/ vinegar for now and see what happens- not much for chemicals

 

[Salted]

Hit 'em with boiling tank water from a syringe if they're by themselves. Nothing to buy if you already have a turkey baster, no chemicals to figure out dosing for.

 

[ericrodriguez]

I got like 2 weeks ago bob bring it to me…
I tried vinegar but didn’t work for me. They hide for a little bit and then come out bigger it’s what I saw

 

[mwil79]

I know others will disagree but peppermint shrimp have destroyed all of mine and I haven't seen any in months. I hand feed them so they don't pick at corals( never seen it happen but it's a just incase type thing).

 

[DYIguy]

I know others will disagree but peppermint shrimp have destroyed all of mine and I haven't seen any in months. I hand feed them so they don't pick at corals( never seen it happen but it's a just incase type thing).

I like peppermint shrimp- have a couple for over a year- and they might have taken care of any aptasia in that tank- and mine are not nocturnal- all over the tank at feeding time- I just prefer to have different things in all my tanks- one reason why I have 4 instead of one big one

 

[ericrodriguez]

I didn’t know what peppermint shrimp eat coral!!
Have anyone here removed one because of this?

 

[mwil79]

I didn’t know what peppermint shrimp eat coral!!
Have anyone here removed one because of this?

I've read on r2r about people seeing then pick at lps. Never once saw it with multiple peppermint. Mine also out and about during feeding time.

 

[DYIguy]

@ericrodriguez there is some confusion between Peppermint and another species look alike- mine pick at corals but are just cleaning- there are posts on fb groups saying that they 'kill' snails-not in my world- just part of the cuc

 

[amado]

It’s sad but clean up crews always get a bad rap.
If your coral or fish is already dying the “cleanup crew” will clean up. People then blame them for dead coral.
I have never had a problem with peppermint or any other shrimp or crab. Getting the wrong peppermint shrimp you don’t have to worry about that if you are buying from a
Good LFS. Reefco peppermint are the real deal.

 

[DYIguy]

I'm sure peppermint do eat aptasia, I bought mine for that reason initially, but they didn't- but they were small- now I think they would- a year in the tank and have molted several times @amado is right about cuc's getting a bad rap- along with some fish that people think eat them lol

 

[amado]

Aptasia is also part of a reef tank. I don’t like them. But you can’t get rid of all. They live in the sump over flow and other places you can’t see them. The best thing you can do with aptasia is management. Getting a fish or invert that eats it will decrease the numbers. But you will never get rid of all of them. I have been to a lot of LFS and I have found aptasia in every display tank with corals.

 

[ericrodriguez]

I think any fish it’s going to eat a gone coral example of this it’s this dancel eating my Walt Disney. But I think it’s gone because of extreme stress not because of the fish

 

[ericrodriguez]

Aptasia is also part of a reef tank. I don’t like them. But you can’t get rid of all. They live in the sump over flow and other places you can’t see them. The best thing you can do with aptasia is management. Getting a fish or invert that eats it will decrease the numbers. But you will never get rid of all of them. I have been to a lot of LFS and I have found aptasia in every display tank with corals.

I have seen people at absolutely fish using some type of chemicals to kill them