Aiptasia as a Pest - and HOW to get rid of it

[AQD-Seneye]

The ITC reef Delete is an amazing destroyer of pests like this. Using UVC technology the Reef Delete gradually over a period of days and a few two minutes exposures changes the DNA of the pest which creates internal necrosis for it to slowly die off. It also will nuke any spores released at time of exposure. Hit it day one and it will retract and each subsequent exposure it will get less and less until gone.
Version 1.02 is also now out which has 1.7x the power!
On sale right now also look up premium aquatics, Aqua cave or saltwater aquariums to get one.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Ok then

 

[Tuan’s Reef]

I can't see myself spending almost $300 on a device to kill 1 aiptasia on a frag sorry. Its way to pricey to even be considered. I would rather throw away that frag honestly.

 

[Willie Phillips]

Are people having success with peppermint shrimp eating large aiptasia or is it only the smaller ones?

I put three in my 75 gallon peppermint shrimp that is they clean them up in a week hadn't seen any since add also they are part of my cleaning crew. Reef safe. They will steal food from my long tentacle anemone walk right up it it take food. My crabs tahe is from them.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

I put three in my 75 gallon peppermint shrimp that is they clean them up in a week hadn't seen any since add also they are part of my cleaning crew. Reef safe. They will steal food from my long tentacle anemone walk right up it it take food. My crabs tahe is from them.

Reef safe for some I've ripped my whole tank apart to get some out , I will never use them again ever "reef safe" ir not they will get terrible and when they are hungry they will no longer be reef safe. No crabs no shrimp ever! Take care of them b4 they are an issue and you won't need those shrimp, and I'd go with a f fish over the shrimp

 

[AQD-Seneye]

I can't see myself spending almost $300 on a device to kill 1 aiptasia on a frag sorry. Its way to pricey to even be considered. I would rather throw away that frag honestly.

Totally agree. I was more highlighting the product as a general option

 

[Willie Phillips]

Reef safe for some I've ripped my whole tank apart to get some out , I will never use them again ever "reef safe" ir not they will get terrible and when they are hungry they will no longer be reef safe. No crabs no shrimp ever! Take care of them b4 they are an issue and you won't need those shrimp, and I'd go with a f fish over the shrimp

Why let them get hungry. Don't blame them you let them be hungry. Been keeping fish since 1967 I know what not to do. Saltwater since 1999. Things happened it seems you let them be hungry mine aren't hungry

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Why let them get hungry. Don't blame them you let them be hungry. Been keeping fish since 1967 I know what not to do. Saltwater since 1999. Things happened it seems you let them be hungry mine aren't hungry

Ok never seen a shrimp that doesn't get hungry..

 

[ClownSchool]

I think that's one of the most popular and common pest in our reef system, and I don't saw any in the hobby to say "I never - ever got Aiptasia in my reef system"
I want everyone of you who got problem with or just found his best solution to share it here.
Like the TITLE say, can we collect many different opinions on how to take it off/remove/kill/etc..
I'll write down some of the methods I know, I'm been using, and I hear about. Everyone, if have some suggestions, descriptions and advices be free to tell us, if possible to be more detailed Please, because here I see every day at least 2 are asking about. Photos included will be a bit better for the people or the newcomers who don't have a clue and how to deal with.
LIke a question: Do you know good enough DIP solution which can take it off as a hitchhiker - pest from the LR/Corral or even Chaetomorpha Macroalgae ( many of you are getting it with that buying it from LFS or getting from friends infested with Aiptasia).
-> Aiptasia - Wiki <- / -> Aiptasia - basic <- / -> Aiptasia - thousands of photos <-

So I'll start with what I know it's working and I'm been testing:

-> Aiptasia X <- - probably the most popular in the Hobby: Shake the bottle -> fill the syringe with the liquid -> stop your pumps in the tank (not everyone do it, but is better to be done), stop return/s, wave makers etc.. -> go close with the syringe (with needle on it) slowly to the Aiptasia -> try to make the Aiptasia to digest it (usually everything what touch it, the Aiptasia is trying to digest) -> once the aiptasia touch with the tentacles over the needle push a bit in it mouth and dispose some liquid quickly in to can come over the aiptasia as well -> leave for another minute or 2 the water steady, and you can run your pumps and wave makers. Pros: depending how good you done the job, over 90% of the cases the aiptasia will be gone completely from the spot. Cons: if you fill with too much liquid from the syringe you can dama another inhabitants near/under it if it start fall off over them.

->F Aiptasia <- Stir well and shake prior to use. Turn off all power heads during application. Using included syringe, apply directly to aiptasia anemone. As you start to cover them, they will retract. Just cover them completely! Leave power heads off for 30 minutes or until product hardens. You can remove the hardened shell a few days later. After several hours, F-Aiptasia will create a 'shell' over the anemone and trap it with the caustic product inside the shell.
. Pros: Features by BRS Reef Safe; No injection required; No need to siphon anemone out of tank after application; Lasting results; No effects on water chemistry


-> Joes Juice Aiptasia/Majano killer<- -> Turn off powerheads before feeding. -> Shake well before use. -> Fill supplied syringe and tip with 'patent pending' mixture. -> For Aiptasia: Gently place syringe over their mouth, feed anemone a small amount of mixture. -> For Majano: Spread a small amount of mixture at their center. -> Both anemones will consume product and perish.
JoesJuice is an easy to use Reef safe product that will kill Aiptasia and Majano anemones. Simply feed the problem anemone a small amount of JoesJuice and watch the results. Within minutes, the anemone has disappeared and for good!




-> Peppermint shrimp <- - it will find and eat them it can keep the tank w/o Aiptasia, and don't need extra care (once the aiptasia is gone it can eat and another meaty food). Pros: It's good on eating aiptasia and is coming as a part of your CUC. Cons: many people write that them peppermint shrimp never touch the aiptasia they have. Like I know, many report they got/purchase fake shrimp as Peppermint, do your research about.
Have a look at this post to get how it look like, as there are few looking similar and only one can do the job for you: Peppermint shrimp - Lysmata wurdemanni


-> Filefish <- - Almost all the same as the Peppermint shrimp. I just know not all of them eat or touch aiptasia (the one which you are sure eat it, please show your exemplar Please) Cons: some can pick on your zoanthids

->Berghia (Aeolid nudibranch) <- - What to say about, this is one of the animals which is the Aiptasia predator, it's feeding on Aiptasia, it's eating only that, it will take all of it wherever it is in your system., the best way is ti have 2 or 3, but if you have small system 10-30G tank and 1 will be enough (depending how many Aiptasia are in your tank/sump. Pros: it will take complete care of the Aiptasia. Cons: once the Aiptasia get consumed and if don't have more, the Berghia will starve to death.
Berghia eating Aiptasia - ->VIDEO<- ,

(Autor: @Sleeping Giant )

-> Super Glue <- can work, you have to seal it completely and some area around it to be sure it can't escape and to spread or to swim to another position. Pros: can be very effective if you done it properly and very simple method as the Super glue dry almost immediately and is harmless for the inhabitants (if used adequately). Cons: if you don't seal it properly, and/or the LR is very porous the aiptasia can eskape and to spread/move to another place. Can be very hard to reach it with the bottle under the water. If you use liquid, not gel Super glue it can easy harden the hole and you can't squeeze under the water. Isn't good to use it if the Aiptasia is in close contact to corals (you can damage them).

-> pulling it out <- - you can do that easy if the Aiptasia is on flat surface, on a Chaetomorpha Macroalgae, glass etc but I'll suggest not to do it with bare hands, will sting you (if your skin is more sensitive) and try to catch it completely w/o leaving any single piece of it, because it can regrow almost always if left there some of it.

-> fresh, tap, RO/DI water <- depending on what you got aiptasia you can use that one as well. Very good for washing LR, Chaetomorpha Macroalgae (for 5 minutes will be completely enough w/o damaging the algae), after just dip in some aged tank water and you can put it in your tank/sump back again. Pros: Aiptasia can't survive after FW DIP, only if it's in deep crevice hole and the water isn't reaching the entire body Cons: you will kill most of the life in the LR, can damage corals if you dip them that way.

-> lemon juice/vinegar <- - the same as the Aiptasia X, but this one you can use it over the aiptasia and is good to squeeze some on the base if you can reach, to melt completely the body. Pros: almost always work as charm Cons: be very careful how much you use in to your system, it can change you PH, KH and some other chemical processes if you use too much.

Have on mind:
- always when you do use any chemicals: not to put in your system too much, because they can bring some negatives on the chemical processes. If you are using animals like peppermint shrimp, or filefish: try to compare the one is it the particular which do the job, because of the many reports not all eat Aiptasia in real, and some are sold as them, but aren't really the same SP
- If you can to pull out the LR or the frag out of the tank, to treat it in a box filled with tank water, will be the best way, because that way you are avoiding filling your tank with chemicals. At the end of the process just rinse it with some tank water, and you will be good to put it back on plase


if some of my writing isn't true, or you have additional advise or something to include, please write it down in your comments, all the info can be helpful for the rest in the hobby

Also I'll ask #reefsqaud members to check it, and if there is something and have different opinion which is good to be sticked on the top post, please do it, I'll check regularly and will take care to include it

Edit 16.06.2022: --> Read about "Reef Delete"<--, I test it already and it look like it's working with no ill effect for me

Does aiptasia x hurt nudebranchs?

 

[Willie Phillips]

Ok never seen a shrimp that doesn't get hungry..

Not even going to reply

 

[Tuan’s Reef]

I'll try a peppermint shrimp as I never had one before. I don't see the harm as my coral QT tank is empty with just that 1 frag. Maybe even keep the shrimp as my aiptasia eridcation crew in this tank.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Not even going to reply

Ya just did, zing

 

[Dav2996]

I got a

This guy hitched on my zoa frag. I moved it to my Coral QT tank and planning my course of action. I dont want it to spread. I'm thinking about using F Aiptasia to inject it on a separate container, then dip it with Coral RX, then back to Coral QT tank. Thoughts?

I got a file fish that ate it off my zoanthids but it ticked off a bunch of other corals it’s a gamble.

 

[Cthulukelele]

The only thing that's ever worked for me once the problem got big enough were properly drip acclimated and added berghia nudibranchs added when pumps are turned off. You don't notice much at first, but once they start reproducing watching the aiptasia slowly dissappear is like the world's greatest magic trick

 

[Cthulukelele]

I put three in my 75 gallon peppermint shrimp that is they clean them up in a week hadn't seen any since add also they are part of my cleaning crew. Reef safe. They will steal food from my long tentacle anemone walk right up it it take food. My crabs tahe is from them.

I feel like every post about peppermint shrimp calling them reef safe it should really be "reef safe." In my experience peppermint shrimp will nibble on just about everything in a tank if not completely consuming it given enough time. They are voracious eater and will "taste" whatever they can get their hands on. If something is tasty, they'll eat it. If you've got plenty of aiptasia they seem to prefer that first though.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

I feel like every post about peppermint shrimp calling them reef safe it should really be "reef safe." In my experience peppermint shrimp will nibble on just about everything in a tank if not completely consuming it given enough time. They are voracious eater and will "taste" whatever they can get their hands on. If something is tasty, they'll eat it. If you've got plenty of aiptasia they seem to prefer that first though.

Yep I'm peppermint shrimp free for life after learning that the hard way, which consists of 2 tank teardowns to remove them..."reef safe" for sure lol

 

[SHNICI]

TBH Guys I'm looking at 10+ peppermint shrimps in one of the CUC tanks. I'm keeping them hungry sometimes and after over 24h w/o food adding aips on a rock or just sucked filaments (from aips) I'm watching them eating them all. In that tank I have zoanthids, mushrooms, kenia three and a few other frags, keeping them there to observe if the shrimps are tasting on them. So far (for over 2 months) I haven't noticed any of the other corals getting hurt, all they grow properly.

Now when I sell any of them, I'm getting only and only positive reports, as I'm asking later on what's going on. I have 2 TB peppermint shrimps as well, which at the beginning I got them, didn\t touch any food I gave, but the aiptasias only.

1st, are you sure you're getting real/true peppermint shrimp from your LFS? Second, I do believe if I keep mine for longer for a longer time, I may start to see them eat the corals in that tank, haven't tested keeping them hungry for over 48h.


(Lysmata wurdemanni) <- Here is a good link to recognise them easily, you can google them as well.

Also when you're in the LFS for those shrimps, ask the seller to get aiptasia and drop it in the tank, each LFS has a few aips, I have as well (soon I'll start my Berghia farm again and need that food xD). Every single time I sell them I'm offering the customer 1st and showing him it's really going after the Aiptasia! But none can confirm what they'll do if they stay hungry for a longer w/o aiptasia to eat or other fish/crustacean food.

 

[SHNICI]

Just in case you don't want to take the risk and have some infestation, but have some extra money, go buy Berghia, they don't eat anything else, only aiptasia! Just be ready to lose them all once they eat and the last cell off of aiptasia. As they'll starve to death w/o aiptasia.

 

[Pistol Peet]

Burgia nudibranch r the only thing I've ever used that got rid of aptasia. I tryed peppermint shrimp and file fish did nothing.

 

[SHNICI]

Burgia nudibranch r the only thing I've ever used that got rid of aptasia. I tryed peppermint shrimp and file fish did nothing.

Have seen filefish as well doing nothing, have seen eating the aiptasias really but easily get a taste of other corals as well, for the peppermint shrimps is a bit different, they'll taste other corals probably when they get very hungry. But about the Berghias...., there isn't any doubt! For sure they'll take everything off for no time.
2 years ago had a farm already for Berghias..., unfortunately after 6-7 months raising them I contaminate the main-display tank probably with eggs, and in nearly month and half I got there no aiptasia (I do spread the aiptasias as mad to be honest with you, using them as a source of food for the berghia farm)..., soon I'll try again, once I get constant source of aiptasia to feed the berghias.