Natural predators of Aiptasia

[mling]

I understand that Peppermint shrimps are known to eat Aiptasia but are there an fishes that would do the same ? I was told that some Butterfly fishes can wipe out Aiptasia too.

Any one know of other natural predators of Aiptasia ?

 

[Juck]

Copperband butterflies will eat aiptasia,, among other things. Pepps worked great for me though,,, I dropped 8 in my 75 and every aip was gone in a few days.

 

[HClH2OFish]

Take a brick and squoosh em...




Actually I've read lots of posts on the success with copperband butterfly fish....might wanna borrow one from the LFS

 

[Anonymous]

Copperbands are the best way to go
we've had one in our 120g for almost 6 months

 

[Anonymous]

Peppermints are much easier to care for, and much less expensive than Copperbands, although the Copperband is a gorgeous fish.

Not all peppermints will eat aiptasia, but if you get lucky and get one that does, things usually get better in a hurry. One note of warning: there have been reports that peppermints will often shy away from really big aiptasia.

Good luck!

 

[Anonymous]

I have heard reports of Copperband wiping out zooanthids, FWIW.

 

[blastermqn]

You're absolutley correct - they will. Small feather dusters as well.

I'm not a fan of the copperband because of it's high mortality rate and sensitivity in small tanks. A good fish in a larger tank, and once acclimated fairly hardy like most butterflies, but a fish I really wish fish stores would leave in the ocean simply because they suffer very high mortality rates. IMHO -

I've had Aiptasia big enough to charge rent, and they sting. If they wouldn't spread like dandelions the bigger ones are actually kind of pretty. My coral banded shrimp will steal food from any anemone, but leaves the aptasia alone because it's obvious they nail him hard when he touches them.

In one case got a piece of live rock so badly infested with the stuff I decided to cook it. Bad, BAD idea. You have no idea how bad that smelled. The odor could have knocked a buzzard off an out-house. Gawd that smell was awfull.

Aiptasia doesn't thrive in tanks with a lot of other competition as I've learned. In the one other tank I had with aiptasia brought in with 'bad rock', the pests died off after I went full reef with it. Aiptasia doesn't seem to like a typical reef tank with elevated PH and alk, and /or aggresive skimming, and just withered away.