Aptasia Success Story

[mikey1958]

You all are trying to kill aptasia and I am trying to cultivate it...strange hobby..any suggestions on how to make this stuff grow?

 

[TripFamAZ]

I run a mantis only 50 gallon and noticed we had Aiptasia that I’m sure came over on a feeder. We were starting to get little stalks all over the tank.
Put a single Berghia Nudabranch and peppermint shrimp and my small problem so far seems to be taken care of after 48 hours. All large stalks gone.
My mantis will most likely eventually eat both but I was so surprised how quick seeing results for us were!

 

[Delatedlotus]

I hope this helps many, many people!!! I Just had bought at the time (4 months ago ) Wild caught peppermint shrimp - Lysmata Wurdemanni ONLY..! Wild caught! from SaltwaterAquarium.com. I studied for some three weeks what to do... I was syringing white vinegar daily and I could NOT keep up, no way. They where hiding everywhere in my tank - lots of live rock- I mean lots..! 280 gallon system 120 and a 90 with a huge 100 gallon sump (more than half full). Added (5) in the 120 main tank and (2) in 90, and 2 in the ole sump... Done deal 1000% they all - everyone of them of any size was gone completely! Like in zero left in 2 days maybe 3 days total. WILD CAUGHT is the secret..! I do believe that now as I saw it happen in my own tanks, and they where infested to the max... No names where I got these from.. But I will never ever get anything from them again.. jerks, man I was ticked off. 28+ year old tanks - never a crash or disease of any kind ever... 250 plus lbs true live rock like you can not get any more ever again probably! A true Fact Jack... Now I really love my new little buddies... I now have them all trained as well, I can pet them and they roll over.. !

Wild Caught is the secret. I shopped EVERYWHERE messaging, calling, texting... Lots of my own homework done here on all remedies Aiptasia. I talked to about most of the facilities across the US that had them for sale.. Lot's of home work..! even more. Simple fix very easy, costly huh, not really. Just turned 28 year old "Solid" none stop reef system of 280 gallons. Saltwater Aquarium both call them and order some.. They got here extremely fast but where advertised as "Adult Size" and I did get some smaller ones. They will grow.. As for the BerghiasI am not a fan at all after doing all my home work. Getting eaten, never see much, starving, COST of, and the amount of time for clearing the tanks out (very slow movement). And the pastes and calk mixes, and the shocker tubes... ha ha. I wish you luck with that I am not and "I" could not ever get to any of the back side at all. Also to dip and clean your rocks are you kidding me???? To tear a tank down because of Aiptasia infestation is just total madness it's absolutely craziness, and having this plague not to go fishing you will be forever domed..! Wild caught peppermint shrimp - Lysmata Wurdemanni ONLY!!, it worked out of this world fast and extremely very efficient! They are right to the the point, done deal babe. Easiest saltwater fix ever, now cyano good luck...reef snow is the way as well lol. Get some of these, do some homework if you like, then stop beating around the bush and get some asap they will take care of your problem and they are so super cool in the ole tanks..!
Good luck to all fellow reefers...

Update: 5 months now. I have Never seen another one since...! The Wild Caught - Lysmata Wurdemanni, where very shy at first I took a 2ft-8inch a half chunk of hard tubing airline, heated it and bent a 3 inch piece over at just a little less than 90 degrees, and added a handle on the other end. Then I shove the end into crustation food like Hikari Crab Cuisine. Dunk it straight down in the tank and the food go's right straight to the surface (up the tube to the water line). In about 10 seconds it gets water logged and slowly drops down to the end of the tube and into the tank. I can control where any type of pellet's are placed to the tee. Food control and spot feeding about anything! I can drop food in and around the rock work where needed. I put a syringe on the end via rubber fitting I made and I can spot feed flowers, zoa's, SPS, LPS, and Acros about anything I want to so easy. Way, way better than any syringe's, and bulb type turkey baster ever! AND MY HANDS NEVER GET WET AND REMAIN DRY ALWAYS... and with near zero waste!! **Warning all my crabs and all my shrimp's, do follow just the tube end, like they are hanging on to it for dear life... lol Try this... ***One Fantastic TIP HERE*** I really hope this will help ALL that are having this problem..!! And Happy Reefing to all.. !!!!!!!!!

 

[Rocky Mountain Reef]

I have very heavy infestation in reef tank, already have Aiptasia Eating Filefish that doesn't eat any of them, and getting Copperband on Wednesday with fingers crossed. I have 8 wrasse (Melanurus, Harlequin Tusk, Dusky and more). Any thoughts on what else might work given my fish? Can nudibranchs disappear into rocks and avoid being eaten? Shrimp will be quick meals for my wrasse, right?

 

[Troylee]

I have very heavy infestation in reef tank, already have Aiptasia Eating Filefish that doesn't eat any of them, and getting Copperband on Wednesday with fingers crossed. I have 8 wrasse (Melanurus, Harlequin Tusk, Dusky and more). Any thoughts on what else might work given my fish? Can nudibranchs disappear into rocks and avoid being eaten? Shrimp will be quick meals for my wrasse, right?

I have some true peppermints a buddy ordered from a diver in Florida… I bought 5 of them and so far they’ve destroyed my biggest aiptasia and a few smaller ones but many still remain for now. I have a blue star leopard and yellow corris with zero issues also.. peps are nocturnal so for the most part I’d think you’re good the wrasses will be sleeping.

 

[DenaliDan]

After adding a few Berghia nearly two weeks ago, they've finally found their appetite. Most of my visible aptasia is now gone. Now I have to worry about the Berghia not starving themselves.

 

[Rocky Mountain Reef]

I have some true peppermints a buddy ordered from a diver in Florida… I bought 5 of them and so far they’ve destroyed my biggest aiptasia and a few smaller ones but many still remain for now. I have a blue star leopard and yellow corris with zero issues also.. peps are nocturnal so for the most part I’d think you’re good the wrasses will be sleeping.

is that a halichoeres or Coris genus?

 

[Troylee]

is that a halichoeres or Coris genus?

Halichoeres.

 

[Delatedlotus]

I have some true peppermints a buddy ordered from a diver in Florida… I bought 5 of them and so far they’ve destroyed my biggest aiptasia and a few smaller ones but many still remain for now. I have a blue star leopard and yellow corris with zero issues also.. peps are nocturnal so for the most part I’d think you’re good the wrasses will be sleeping.

You can well I started out with an very, very, strong out break of aiptasia and started squirting white vinegar with a needle. Right into there mouth as they CAN NOT close it and they immediately explode..! I could not keep up doing just a few every other day, any I got the first time never showed up again. Then I got the above Peppermints done deal in just days and I still have some great buddies... Good Luck if you get these there the easiest fix ever in reefing...


"Oh" and do not feed the hell out of them. They will get used to eating pellets, flakes, and live food. Keep everything hungry in your tank. As your shrimp need to keep hungry and then they will scour your tank for aiptasia.... Remember this as you can spoil them to where they wont eat it...

 

[pezgal]

Two years in so far (I know, this isn’t a lot of time), and *knock on wood* I haven’t introduced any aiptasia yet. I only get coral from either my LFS - I got lucky because the guy is top notch - or Top Shelf Aquatics.

I don’t quarantine coral, though I do double dip (coralRx + Revive) every single one before it goes in tank.

It can’t be overstated how important the source of your coral is to keeping tanks clear of this stuff

Haven't used Revive but can confirm that majanos laugh at coralRx. I had a majano hitchhike into my tank hidden amongst some GSP that was throughly CoralRx dipped. Now that I've gotten a chance to "know" majanos I've come to realize they're like cockroaches and can probably survive a full on nuclear attack. My perspective on them as pests has changed a bit over time though, I now accept them as a form of CUC. I went almost three years before it showed up in my tank and now I can't imagine there's a tank out there that has been up for any serious amount of time and a stocked from more than one source that hasn't seen some sort of glass anemone show up in their tank.

 

[Delatedlotus]

Haven't used Revive but can confirm that majanos laugh at coralRx. I had a majano hitchhike into my tank hidden amongst some GSP that was throughly CoralRx dipped. Now that I've gotten a chance to "know" majanos I've come to realize they're like cockroaches and can probably survive a full on nuclear attack. My perspective on them as pests has changed a bit over time though, I now accept them as a form of CUC. I went almost three years before it showed up in my tank and now I can't imagine there's a tank out there that has been up for any serious amount of time and a stocked from more than one source that hasn't seen some sort of glass anemone show up in their tank.

I agree with that.. I went some 24 years running lots of stock, fish, inverts, and corals wholesaling. NEVER had anything ever. Never quarantined anything just dips and dips. In the last 10 months I ordered a bunch some frags from two different suppliers and bammmm. Aitasia, GHA, and now Colonial Hydroids....

Parameters have always been perfect! (280g saltwater in 2 tanks) Now because of these problems I have become a full blown chemist like never before.. Like in, I had never had to before.. lol I feel for you and the puzzles that have been placed on you. Just like every other reefer we find a way.. Often with a little help from fellow reefers.. A huge thanks goes out to all of you.. Good luck and may "The Force Be With You"​

 

[pezgal]

Also FYI, when I saw that aiptasia were infecting the display I immediately removed any corals from the 30 gallon and quarantined in another tank...which underscores my husband's statement to others that "We have water bubbling all over the house". Oh well. It's a big house.

I get ragged on at home for keeping fish sh%t in the kitchen sink. but there are two bowls to the sink so....