Aiptasia - is this the best course of action?

[Kongar]

4 year old nano tank. I’ve had my ups and downs, but it’s doing well enough these days. I added some frags about a month ago. One tort was pretty encrusted on the frag plug and looked clean. Flash forward to last night and I noticed a single aiptasia growing from the top of the plug right at the base of the coral (in one little spot where it wasn’t encrusted). It’s about 1/2 the diameter of a dime (maybe a little smaller) and maybe half a centimeter tall. I can’t find any others anywhere, and I’ve never had aiptasia before.

I’m thinking tonight I pry up the frag plug (it’s super glued down), trying not to even touch the aiptasia. Then I’m going to frag the top of the tort off the plug and throw the bottom (and the aiptasia) out.

should I do anything else? Like should I cover a large portion of that rock with epoxy or superglue? Should I chip away some of the rock too? It shouldn’t be on the actual coral right?

I’m prepared to go aggressive-but I don’t know what’s reasonable not having dealt with this pest before. Thanks for the advice.

 

[stE25wy14]

I would maybe get some nudibranchs if you don't wanna throw away a perfectly good frag, but also if there is other aiptasia

 

[Snoopy 67]

Inject it with vinegar.

 

[I never finish anythi]

Or just put super glue over the bugger

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

wow, 4 years aptaisia free, how did you do that lol - anyway, if its been in your tank for a month, then its already spreading. For a nano tank I would suggest one single berghia nudi

 

[Beruka]

Burgess butterfly work reliably

Certain file fish work and tough as nails.

 

[JoJosReef]

I don't recommend buying Berghia for one single Aiptasia. Your approach is just fine. Take care not to disturb the Aip as you are removing the frag. Chop the stick outside of the tank and throw away the rest.

Then be vigilant. First sign of another, knock it out. Your worst, worst enemy is "I'll get to that later".

 

[Kongar]

wow, 4 years aptaisia free, how did you do that lol - anyway, if its been in your tank for a month, then its already spreading. For a nano tank I would suggest one single berghia nudi

Dunno. I’ve killed my share of sps I’m ashamed to admit, and bought and put in corals from I think 4 LFS and 3 online coral farms. I’ve had Dino outbreaks more times than I can count, hair algae, ulva, bubble algae, bryopsis, and vermetid snails. All problems. But somehow I’ve avoided aiptasia. I guess until now :/

 

[Kongar]

I don't recommend buying Berghia for one single Aiptasia. Your approach is just fine. Take care not to disturb the Aip as you are removing the frag. Chop the stick outside of the tank and throw away the rest.

Then be vigilant. First sign of another, knock it out. Your worst, worst enemy is "I'll get to that later".

I did just this tonight. I got all the glue, the plug, and the frag in one shot. I cut the frag a good centimeter above the plug base and threw the bottom out with the aiptasia. I glued the newly cut frag back onto the rock. If I lose the frag I don’t care. If I see more aiptasia, I’ll start gluing or epoxying over them. I’m hoping it didn’t get a chance to spread /fingers crossed. Other suggestions of fish and whatnot is tough in a small tank, so I think I’ll have to be vigilant.

My first coral, an elegance coral, is thriving and huge. The meaty part is bigger than a softball, and the tentacles stretch almost a foot these days. It won’t be long before it’s the entire tank I think, and between a fight between aiptasia and that coral, well my money is on the elegance coral

 

[X-37B]

Dunno. I’ve killed my share of sps I’m ashamed to admit, and bought and put in corals from I think 4 LFS and 3 online coral farms. I’ve had Dino outbreaks more times than I can count, hair algae, ulva, bubble algae, bryopsis, and vermetid snails. All problems. But somehow I’ve avoided aiptasia. I guess until now :/

Your plan is good.
My systems run live rock so I always have them even If you don't see them.
I now keep a aptasia eating file fish in all my systems. I have 3 systems with live rock. I will.see one pop up from time to time but the file fish gets it.

 

[PharmrJohn]

wow, 4 years aptaisia free, how did you do that lol - anyway, if its been in your tank for a month, then its already spreading. For a nano tank I would suggest one single berghia nudi

This. Exactly what I was thing about the length of time you had none!!!! Great job, lol!!!!

 

[Sdoutreefer]

4 year old nano tank. I’ve had my ups and downs, but it’s doing well enough these days. I added some frags about a month ago. One tort was pretty encrusted on the frag plug and looked clean. Flash forward to last night and I noticed a single aiptasia growing from the top of the plug right at the base of the coral (in one little spot where it wasn’t encrusted). It’s about 1/2 the diameter of a dime (maybe a little smaller) and maybe half a centimeter tall. I can’t find any others anywhere, and I’ve never had aiptasia before.

I’m thinking tonight I pry up the frag plug (it’s super glued down), trying not to even touch the aiptasia. Then I’m going to frag the top of the tort off the plug and throw the bottom (and the aiptasia) out.

should I do anything else? Like should I cover a large portion of that rock with epoxy or superglue? Should I chip away some of the rock too? It shouldn’t be on the actual coral right?

I’m prepared to go aggressive-but I don’t know what’s reasonable not having dealt with this pest before. Thanks for the advice.

Honestly I’d just go in with some super glue and knock it out. If you get some on the tort, it will continue encrusting over the glue.

 

[frankenfav]

No worries in getting your first aptasia, its bound to happen in any healthy system. There might be one or two you haven't seen hiding around your rocks as well.

 

[Beruka]

Many are in overflows and pipe. You really need something that eats them if tank is big enough.

I had a Burgess butterfly in 250 gallon system. They stayed away. When he died in 8 years, they came back over two seasons. I got two aptasia eating file fish and an alternate butterfly. One file fish would have been fine.

 

[VintageReefer]

Filefish can go after certain lps so be careful.

Berghia will go in the cracks of rocks and eat them. These are pack hunters you would need to start with a couple - I would say 3 minimum

But for just one or two I would say super glue or f aiptasia or manual removal is fine