Aptasia are Indestricable !!!

[Subsea]

Due to Red Planaria invasion, I treated an established 55G tank with quardrupled dose of “flat worm exit” afterwhich desirables were removed and put into different tanks for isolation & growout. Several rocks had numerous Aptasia and red wire algae so I poured 12% peroxide on all surfaces and soaked in peroxide bath for 2 hours. On one rock, I soaked in tap water plus 20% peroxide bath for 3 hours.

Yes, I killed red wire algae and most of the Aptasia anemone as well as numerous pods & micro starfish, yet some Aptasia survived.

 

[Oldreefer44]

IMO, the only way to eliminate them completely is to hire a natural predator of which their are many, but none who are guaranteed to include them in their diet. Otherwise manual removal will help but won't eliminate them.

 

[GSPClown94]

IMO, the only way to eliminate them completely is to hire a natural predator of which their are many, but none who are guaranteed to include them in their diet. Otherwise manual removal will help but won't eliminate them.

Berghia?

 

[Reef.]

They form a slime the same way corals do to protect themselves, you need to break the surface to kill them but yeah thought a few hours in peroxide would have broken through the slime coat.

 

[JayM]

Berghia?

This right here is the answer.

 

[dakoop]

I took the rocks out and blow torched the spots where aptasia were. I still had aptasia.

Fire won't kill em

 

[Oldreefer44]

This right here is the answer.

Can be as long as you don't have anything that will eat them and the list is lengthy.

 

[Idech]

My filefish is my friend.

 

[formallydehyde]

I've washed plugs with small Aiptasia on them in hot tap water for a few minutes and they survived. They're tough.

I have accidentally exterminated an entire tank of them once though. I was trying to breed about a dozen of them as a back up food source for Berghia in a 2.5 gallon tank. The tank had a lot of algae and poor filtration. I turned the light out for a few days to cut down on the algae and help them multiply faster. Turned out some algae blocked the pump so there was no water circulation and a bunch of the algae died and started rotting. The tank turned into an anaerobic stink bomb and that was it. None of the Aiptasia survived.

 

[56longroof]

I injected them with vinegar. Knocked 'em dead. Then peppermint shrimp to finish off the small ones. Haven't seen one in almost 2 months.

 

[Uncle99]

Except the Copperband.
100% gone.
Aptasia free. 5 years and counting.
Should have added him years ago.

 

[Subsea]

I like Peppermint Shrimp. If I can manage a few slack days; I will go to Corpus Christi’s and net them at night while fishing on rock jetties at Port Aransas.

 

[kdx7214]

I had a problem with them as well. I bought a green filefish from Biota, manually removed what I could with kalk paste, and then the filefish takes care of any small ones that pop up. Haven't seen one in the DT since then.

 

[Kernboy66]

Berghia Nudibranch Work wonders for aptasia. They typically won’t eat bigger ones but you can spot kill them with aptasia-x. Unfortunately after the supply of aptasia is gone the Nudibranchs die off due to them only eating aptasia. As others mentioned the peppermint shrimp is good. In my experience they are more of a preventative measure rather than a solution to aptasia. Or maybe mine were lazy lol.​

 

[Subsea]

They form a slime the same way corals do to protect themselves, you need to break the surface to kill them but yeah thought a few hours in peroxide would have broken through the slime coat.

I normally eliminate Aptasia with a toothbrush dipped in peroxide. For the one hiding in the holes, I stuck a needle into them then inject peroxide.

After a while, they stop coming out.

 

[vahegan]

I have tried everything, and nothing works. I covered them with kalk paste mixed with sodium hydroxide, but they recover in 2 days after treatment. I purchased a copperband but it has died without touching one. I brought an Acreichthis tormentosus filefish a week ago, and it doesn't seem yo eat them either. Berghia - I tried introducing them 3 times, the last time it was over 10 pieces - they all disappeared (I only had a gem tang, marine betta and a clownfish in that tank, I doubt they were eaten). I am desperate now. The only thing I have not tried yet is nuking them with laser - actually, its on my way already.

 

[Reef.]

I have tried everything, and nothing works. I covered them with kalk paste mixed with sodium hydroxide, but they recover in 2 days after treatment. I purchased a copperband but it has died without touching one. I brought an Acreichthis tormentosus filefish a week ago, and it doesn't seem yo eat them either. Berghia - I tried introducing them 3 times, the last time it was over 10 pieces - they all disappeared (I only had a gem tang, marine betta and a clownfish in that tank, I doubt they were eaten). I am desperate now. The only thing I have not tried yet is nuking them with laser - actually, its on my way already.

Pepermint shrimp can eat them but they also eat nudies and sometimes lps.

Apparently if you leave the base in place they can bred by leaving something from the base/foot

 

[Dburr1014]

I have tried everything, and nothing works. I covered them with kalk paste mixed with sodium hydroxide, but they recover in 2 days after treatment. I purchased a copperband but it has died without touching one. I brought an Acreichthis tormentosus filefish a week ago, and it doesn't seem yo eat them either. Berghia - I tried introducing them 3 times, the last time it was over 10 pieces - they all disappeared (I only had a gem tang, marine betta

This guy is a night predator, likely suspect. Depending on your tank size, it may not have been enough, berghia are pack hunters.

and a clownfish in that tank, I doubt they were eaten). I am desperate now. The only thing I have not tried yet is nuking them with laser - actually, its on my way already.

 

[Dburr1014]

Pepermint shrimp can eat them but they also eat nudies and sometimes lps.

Anything that eats aiptasia, will eat berghia. They will taste the same. When using berghia, that should be the only thing implemented at the time.

Apparently if you leave the base in place they can bred by leaving something from the base/foot

 

[Kyleovski]

Ive been battling aiptasia now for a year. Ive gotten to the point that I am resetting the tank. Its a shame as my coral has been doing amazing but I cannot beat the stuff. Ive added berghia multiple times and while I still see large ones going about the aquarium every now and then they dont seem to be be breeding. Seen egg spirals but thats it. No change in aiptasia density. I think my mandarin has been snacking on the berghia larvae.

Pic of my aiptasia farm with coral accents
The stuff is literally on aevery piece of rock and even on my sandbed at this point