Aiptasia Infestation

[Chemical_Whore]

ahhh well now it make sense, but I still think it looks good.

 

[Jolieve]

Well, Chem... You're weird.

*chuckle*
J.

 

[Chemical_Whore]

I have heard stranger things about me then that. SO thanks!!

 

[edandujo]

Try a bi-color angel, I have had two of them and both times they have gotten rid of the aiptasia in my tanks. I had a 55 with quite a few, then I moved into a 90. I lost my first one expermenting with vinegar and kalkwasser and turned off my carbon in my tank. In my 90 they were getting out of control, I'd say about 3/4 of what yours was and over the last two months I think I saw 2 of them last night after having at least 75 of them.

 

[Ricordia]

Thanks edandujo, I'll see if they are easier for my LFS to get than CBBs. So far they're not having luck finding any.

Ricordia

 

[Ricordia]

Well, my LFS had something they claim is much better than Copperbanded Buttlerfly fish. So, I brought home a Klein's Butterfly today to see what will happen. I also brought home 5 peppermint shrimp, two went into my 20gallon nano and the other three into the 150 to help the butterfly get rid of the aiptasia. I'll post any results I see.

Ricordia

 

[mutley29]

Pardon me for saying this

Is it just me or are they yellow polyps or is my eyesight finally going :?
They look identical to my 2 yellow polyp colonies

Anton

Hope i'm not wrong

 

[Jolieve]

I've got some yellow polyps growing in my tank as well. They came as hitchhikers and I haven't seen much out of them. From time to time, I will accidentally kalk one, thinking it's aiptasia, so I'm not surprised by your confusion!

J.

 

[Ricordia]

Is it just me or are they yellow polyps or is my eyesight finally going :?
They look identical to my 2 yellow polyp colonies

I've also kept yellow polyps, the aiptasia in the picture I linked to are a brownish orange where the yellow polyps were bright yellow under the same lights. Also, the aiptasia in my tank are probably 5 times larger than the yellow polyps were. 8O

Ricordia

 

[zonkers]

I've never had any aiptasia myself, but read up on control figuring they'd be an inevitability. I noticed no one has brought up Berghia nudibranchs in this thread. The challenges, as I uderstand them, are making sure you have enough population to go to work on such an infestation (they're very small, about 3/4"), but then what to do with them after their work is done. A typical predator/prey cycle ensues. Curious to know someone's experiences with them...

 

[Jolieve]

Yes well.. the problem is what to do with a nudibranch when you run out of it's primary food source.. and how to do it before it dies and takes your tank out with it.

By and large, nudibranchs are only *rarely* considered a "solution" to any problem in this hobby because they release toxins into the water when they die..

J.

 

[Anonymous]

Well, Chem... You're weird.

*chuckle*
J.

That he is Jolieve, that he is

Jake you got rocks yet?

 

[Anonymous]

I would start with the kalc or joes juice. Once you get the ones on top turn the rock over and start on the bottom. A couple of pepermint shrimp would help from them repopuplaulating.

 

[Jenemone]

I'm not sure how it would work for your situation, but worth mentioning:

I have buried the covered areas of rock in the sand for a week or so to smother them out. It has always worked, and I then run carbon and skim heavily to remove anything from the dying weasels.

It only works on rocks that can easily be dislodged and replaced.

Jen

 

[Ricordia]

Yeah, that's my biggest issue. There is over 200 lbs of live rock in this tank, most of which cannot be removed without taking down the entire tank.

The Klein's Butterfly does seem to be eating the aiptasia though, so I'm going to allow it to try for a while before trying anything else. I have watched it nip at the larger aiptasia, and it constantly picks at the rock (where I hope it's eating the smaller stuff).

Ricordia

 

[paultaylor]

I was told to inject them, using a fine syringe, with a small amount of lemon juice directly into the column. I had loads to get rid of, but with doing this every three days or so I soon got them under control.

Paul

 

[coastal]

have had luck with fiji stonecrabs (they must be from there because thats where the rock came from) they are coraline colored harry lookin suckers and they ate every aptasia on the rocks, about 120 pounds. I just put all the rock in a 150 gallon low lit sump and they are gone and the rock has since been moved back into a lit tank and what do you know no apholes left and good coraline encrusted rock as for the crabs they are big bastards now they help to prop my shrooms and doing a fine job they are

 

[drywallguy29]

Hello all!

Well, just my two bits, for a tank that size you would spend a fortune on Joes juice, nor is is guaranted to work, it did not work on my tank. I posted under majanoes, and spoke about using lye you might wanna check that out as a last resort.

Good reefing

 

[Ricordia]

My little Klein's Butterfly is eating the aiptasia, slowly but surely. I've watched as he picked off and ate pieces of several tantacles. He's just a juvenile now, so as he gets bigger he'll eat faster, I'm sure. I'm content to let him get rid of my aiptasia at his pace; it just seems so much safer than introducing lots of chemicals.

Ricordia

 

[Ricordia]

Update! It's been three months since I added the Klein's Butterfly and the aiptasia is gone. I seriously can't find a single one. The butterfly has doubled in size (at least) and seems happy eating the food I feed the rest of the fish so I think I'm going to keep him for a while in case the aiptasia stage a comeback.

Here's the before picture again:
The Shame

And today, three months after adding the Klein's Butterfly:
Success!

Ricordia