How to kill aiptasia in a reef tank

[Jon]

So I’ve been battling aiptasia for a few months now and I’ve been using aiptasia x once a week to try and kill them and am losing the battle. I’ve done a lot of reading the past week and it sounds like filefish, peppermint shrimp and berghia nudibranch all work well With some pros and cons coming with each. My tank is mainly lps / soft coral And I don’t want to lose anything if possible. I also have a large coral banded shrimp that gives me pause for concern when adding peppermint shrimp. This guy is pretty fierce!!!

Has anyone had any luck totally eliminating aiptasia with no loss of coral? If so please let me know how you did this.

Thanks

 

[Wilson]

Peppermint shrimps worked for me. Aiptasia X, lemon juice, hot RO, all that works but there's only so much you can do/see/access with the syringe. A predator will be on the hunt round the clock, and IMO, the only way to get them all.

If you don't mind a temporary float box or something, relocate your coral banded shrimp for a little bit, or maybe in the sump until you get the aiptasia under control . Never used nudis, but I hear good things as well. Sad part is aiptasia is their exclusive diet, so once they're done, you either have to rehome them or they'll starve.

 

[Jon]

Peppermint shrimps worked for me. Aiptasia X, lemon juice, hot RO, all that works but there's only so much you can do/see/access with the syringe. A predator will be on the hunt round the clock, and IMO, the only way to get them all.

If you don't mind a temporary float box or something, relocate your coral banded shrimp for a little bit, or maybe in the sump until you get the aiptasia under control . Never used nudis, but I hear good things as well. Sad part is aiptasia is their exclusive diet, so once they're done, you either have to rehome them or they'll starve.

Regarding the nudibrach I’ve read that a wrasse will most likely eat them. I’ve got a good size wrasse in my tank that picks at everything.

 

[Jph]

I recently had the same issue and was lucky to find some jumbo peppermint shrimp. I bought 5 and they pack hunted the aptasia every night. If you go with peppermint shrimp, you will need a group of them to work together. Same for berghia. I would not worry about the coral banded. Both species of shrimp will respect each other’s space. That’s why they have antennas to worn each other away.

 

[Jon]

I recently had the same issue and was lucky to find some jumbo peppermint shrimp. I bought 5 and they pack hunted the aptasia every night. If you go with peppermint shrimp, you will need a group of them to work together. Same for berghia. I would not worry about the coral banded. Both species of shrimp will respect each other’s space. That’s why they have antennas to worn each other away.

Wow. It took five to knock them out. How big is your tank? Mine is a 65 gallon and was hoping to add just a couple if I go that route

 

[amado]

In my Expirience you never really get rid of aptasia
Even if you can’t see it it’s in your over flow or pipes. You need to find a fish or invert that will eat them. In my last tank I had a copper band that clean up everything.

 

[Jph]

I have a 90 gallon. Also, you will need to feed the fish a lot less for a few days to keep the peppermint shrimp hungry. They may stay hidden all day, but do somehow manage to catch uneaten food. On the nights I skipped feeding, I literally watched them rip apart a large aptasia. They also roam around the tank together after lights out.

 

[Hockeynut]

I use a large syringe on a extension tube, boil rodi water and as fast and as hot as you can blast those suckers. Stick it right in there face if you can and believe me it works goners with one blast. Lol
Been doing it this way for years
Best of all it doesn’t hurt anything around it

 

[MadReefer]

I shot lemon juice at them so they would shrink and then my matted filefish would chow down.

 

[Mark Shelly]

I found that applying the Aiptasia X very slowly into the mouth area worked best. The key is to have still water and apply it slowly enough that the aiptasia closes the tenticles around it. After it pulls back in, apply more around the base and over it. When you apply it when it is injured, it appears to work best. Make sure you run water through the needle after use or it will solidify and only come out in spurts.

 

[mnat]

F aiptasia worked pretty well and I like that if you are going to use a treatment, thicker and kind of says caked on the aiptasia. We could not get rid of them so we got a copperband and he has destroyed all of them.

 

[Jon]

Thanks for the tips everyone. I think I’m going to try peppermint shrimp first and if that doesn’t work than I will try a copperband. There is no way that I can reach every single piece of aiptasia in my tank. I’ve tried killing them by hand fir the last few months and have grown tired of it.

 

[ctg0209]

Wow. It took five to knock them out. How big is your tank? Mine is a 65 gallon and was hoping to add just a couple if I go that route

I put 3 in a 110 gallon system and they took care of the main display within a week or 2 and then I used aptaisia x in the sump. Like previously stated In not sure if you ever fully beat it. I still notice them every once in a while and eventually the peppermints will pick it off