Butterflies and aptaisa

[mariner]

Anyone use a butterfly to rid your aptaisa? If so, what kind and how long did it take. Also, did it harm any corals? I've got about a hundred lbs of rock that is aptaisa ridden.

 

[EEreefer]

Raccoon Butterfly, Chaetodon Lunulus, I think. About a week to clean out dozens of large ones. Had to remove all the mushrooms as these were first on his menu

. Only had a frogspawn and xenia at the time with no interest shown in these. However, most LPS I think would be tasty to him. This has worked twice for me now and I have a small RB in my 150 gallon sump/refugia just in case I want to d-aip a new rock. I sold the large RB back to the LFS as his job was complete. Caught him quickly by baiting a trap with the mushroom rock

HTH. JME.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Chelmon rostratus is my vote for aiptasia removal.But if I'd known a racoon would take out the 'shrooms,I would have gone that route to rid myself of them.I would be concerned the racoon would eat my clown's anemones,however.. The copperband has NEVER touched a coral or clam.It does take time for a copperband to work his magic-and he WILL take worms from the DSB first...Gary

[ February 02, 2002: Message edited by: Gary Majchrzak ]

[ February 02, 2002: Message edited by: Gary Majchrzak ]</p>

 

[mariner]

Awesome. I thank you for your replies. I've got a bad,I mean, real bad, aptaisia problem. My tank just has that brow look to it throughout the rocks. Plenty of coraline on them, the suckers just cover it all up.

 

[Renae]

You may want to try peppermint shrimp as well.
Good Luck,
Renae

 

[HARRISON]

I have a Copperband and I think he is a realy good fish. They can be tough to get to eat at first so you need to take your time to select one. I watched mine eat at the LFS. Since, he has eaten all the Aiptasia from my tank. Only took him about a week or so...

 

[mariner]

I have 4 pepps and they are not doing a thing.

 

[radium]

I've got a copperband butterfly also. He eats all the aiptasia I can put in the tank. I grow it in a 10 gallon for him.

They can be tricky to feed, so make sure you are ready for the challenge. Try live brine shrimp and frozen mysis shrimp.

 

[davelin315]

I have 2 peppermint shrimp in my tank and they don't eat any aiptasia. I've been told they only eat the very small aiptasia, and not bigger ones. As far as the copperband, let me know if it works for you. I have a pond that is temporarily housing just a puffer, and the aiptasia are going nuts in there. I was trying to figure out how to conquer that problem, and a copperband would be a cool fish to stick in there. I'm a bit concerned about the worms in the sand bed, though, will it decimate the population? How about the racoon, same thing?

By the way, if the rock doesn't have much other life on it, you might want to just try sprinkling kalk on it and then rinsing it off. I don't think the kalk would kill the coralline, but it will kill the aiptasia.

 

[rh]

I've kept both the Copperband and Raccoon. I currently still have my Raccoon in my 75. Both BF's were very effective in wiping out my aiptasia, but the Copperband was such a specialized feeder (and believe me when I say I tried everything to get him to eat short of culturing more aiptasia) and he eventually starved. He never touched any of my corals (all softies and a bulb anenome). I know some folks have had success with them, but I'd never try another Copperband again for this reason. I'd vote for the Raccoon - much hardier reputation and they're equally beautiful and interesting, IMO. Their one drawback, as an earlier poster noted, is they seem to be slightly more interested in desireable corals than the Copperband.