What to do, what to do . . .

[SueAndHerZoo]

Been into reefing for over 10 years and am in a quandry right now. Currently running a 90 gallon aggressive tank and a 72 gallon passive tank . No idea why, but aiptasia has exploded in my passive tank, have NEVER seen anything like this... almost every rock is totally covered and any remaining corals are getting choked and killed. I LOVE the current aquascape in there so I hesitate to tear it all down, but I'm not seeing any other options. I tried berghias, they didn't survive. I tried aiptasia eating file fish, it disappeared. I doubt I could keep a copperband alive in there. I'm thinking of gutting the tank, bleaching all the rock, and starting from ground zero, new sand, water, cycle, the whole bit. But I REALLY don't want to start from scratch, it's a nicely established tank and rock.

Is there anything else I can try to wipe out the aiptasia without tearing apart the tank? I would have to take the inhabitants to a LFS because they wouldn't survive in my predator tank. So frustrating, and sad. I don't think peppermint shrimp would do any good, these aiptasia are too big and there are too many, and I'm not seeing any shrimp left in that tank so something is killing them. I think there was a pistol shrimp in there at one time, maybe he still is and is killing stuff? Anyway, any thoughts or ideas - let me have 'em. Thanks.
Sue

 

[Oldreefer44]

IMO, if you don't want to try a CBB, then yes a tear down is the answer.

 

[Tahoe61]

Why do you think the nudibranch died? Did you add them with lights off, turn off the flow for a short period of time?
The Berghia are not that expensive anymore. I would double up and try them again.

 

[SueAndHerZoo]

Why do you think the nudibranch died? Did you add them with lights off, turn off the flow for a short period of time?
The Berghia are not that expensive anymore. I would double up and try them again.

I had the berghia's in a separate tank for a while because I was going to attempt to breed them so I'd have more to put in the aiptasia tank, but even though they laid a lot of eggs I didn't see any evidence of them hatching. I moved the 7 of them into the aiptasia tank during the night, taking the rock they were living in out of the little tank and adding it to the big tank. For the next week or so I would see them out and about when I searched with my red flashlight, but I haven't seen them in over a month now. And if they are alive, they are not making even a small dent in the aiptasia.

I'm happy to try again (especially if they're cheaper) but I should first figure out if there's something in that tank that is eating them. Pistol shrimp? Serpent starfish? The only other things in there are a midas blenny, a goby, and a clownfish.
Sue
Sue

 

[Lavey29]

Australian stripy will decimate that aptasia.

 

[SueAndHerZoo]

Why do you think the nudibranch died? Did you add them with lights off, turn off the flow for a short period of time?
The Berghia are not that expensive anymore. I would double up and try them again.

OK, just ordered 10 berghia. I will start them in a small tank by themselves with a rock infested with aiptasia and once I see a bunch of egg swirls I will carefully move the bigger ones to the infested tank. Do you think the pistol shrimp is killing the berghia? If so, I will tear the tank apart to find the sucker!
Sue

 

[steveschuerger]

I would personally recommend a CBB. 90 gallon littered with aiptasia. Took a little while but within 1.5-2 months all visible aips were gone.

 

[dvgyfresh]

10 peppermint shrimp will eat , just don’t feed them lol

 

[Tahoe61]

OK, just ordered 10 berghia. I will start them in a small tank by themselves with a rock infested with aiptasia and once I see a bunch of egg swirls I will carefully move the bigger ones to the infested tank. Do you think the pistol shrimp is killing the berghia? If so, I will tear the tank apart to find the sucker!
Sue

The pistol shrimp mostly stays in the sandbed not up in the scape. So no not the pistol. Hermits and fish would be my first guess.

 

[BryanM]

I think the nudis are your best chance.