The best aiptasia defense... or offense

[LA-Lawman]

I have seen my first aiptasia in my tank. I have used numerous methods before. But i want a more natural approach.

should I get:
peppermint shrimp
copperband butterfly

or use a wad a kalk
or that Stop aiptasia stuff (police grade pepper spray)

any advice or other ideas......

 

[GSchiemer]

The most effective, natural and least expensive solution are the Lysmata wurdemanni shrimp. Be sure you get the right species. Lysmata californica are often sold as "peppermint shrimp."

Greg Schiemer

 

[LFS42]

If it's a small colony and you would like to keep polyp corals later,
I would take a syringe full of calcium and blast the suckkers off.
IMO

and that's my 2 cents

 

[buff1]

I had some Aptasia. I put a peppermint shrimp in there and voila! No aptasia. In my current tank, I keep some sarcophytons and some green star polyps and they don't get bothered at all.

 

[GSchiemer]

Although I haven't experienced it myself, I have seen reports of Lysmata wurdemanni shrimp pestering desirable invertebrates. As I indicated previously, many shrimp are mistakenly sold under the moniker "peppermint shrimp," such as camel shrimp, and Lysmata wurdemanni gets the bad rap. I've also noted that they are more prone to bother things if kept in large numbers in smaller aquariums.

Greg Schiemer

 

[64Ivy]

Since I have a Flame Hawk who would see any shrimp as an hors d'overes, I'm going with a Copperband. Am told the Austrailian variety is hardier than the more common Indo-Pacific.

 

[EmilyB]

After erradicating all visible aiptasia from my 120g using my favorite online recipe.......a bottle, hose, plastic coated coat hanger, and boiling RO, I decided I couldn't face many any nights of battle, although it worked very well.

So I got a copperbanded bfly and four peppermint shrimp and put them in my 45g full of aiptasia. Because I had a small puffer in the tank, I had to put the peppermints in a critter keeper with a bunch of the rock. They ate every single aiptasia in a couple days.

The butterfly didn't touch one :roll: , but is happily eating mysis and homemade frozen food. He'll go into the 155g, and I'll maybe rent out the pepp's..... :lol:

 

[Will C1]

most copper bands will not eat prepared food. i had one and the darn thing would only eat feather dusters, good thing i had a ton of them. i have been told by a reputible source that a siringe with hot fresh water injected into the aptasia will kill it.

 

[GSchiemer]

Since I have a Flame Hawk who would see any shrimp as an hors d'overes, I'm going with a Copperband. Am told the Austrailian variety is hardier than the more common Indo-Pacific.

The Copperband Butterfly is difficult to keep, even those originating from Australia. In addition, they do represent a risk in reef aquariums and aren't guaranteed to eat Aiptasia anemones. I had to remove an Australian Chelmon rostratus that picked at Tridacnid clams. If you can't keep shrimp and just have one Aiptasia anemone, I recommend removing it by chemical or manual methods. Injecting kalkwasser or muriatic acid will do the trick. Scraping it off the rock with a scrub brush also works, if it's accessible.

Greg Schiemer

 

[outerbank]

I have been basting them with 2N NaOH lately. This is the best solution I have seen for the bad outbreak I have had. It sure is neat seeing them dissintegrate as they ingest it--and then survuve to be seen with a few battle wounds the next day!! It isn't 100% effective. Aptaisia sure are tough and you have to respect them for that!!

I have had peppermint shrimp do wonders in the past!

Scott

 

[pete]

A combination of 2 things have worked great for me. Use Stop Aptasia first then follow up with a few peppermint shrimp to get the little ones you missed. Believe me there Are ones you missed. I usually remove the rocks and treat 'em in a 10 gallon tank for a few days, that way you can observe the progress over a few days and the peppermints have a much easier time finding them instead of foraging all over your tank. This all depends if you can easily remove your live rock without screwing up your aquascaping or corals. Good luck

 

[Anonymous]

I would try using kalk paste first, and if that don't work go to peppermints.

Peppermint shrimp are opportunistic carnivores. Putting them in the reef *can* be problematic. I had 3 in my tank for 2 years. Loved em. They spawned bunches of times, but they did steal food from my corals. One day they decided corals and snails were tasty. Either they just flipped a switch, or they did not get enough food to satiate them anymore.

They are pretty easy to catch out of your tank with a homemade trap. So if you go with them, and they go serial killer on you, be prepared to get them out.

 

[csv_scorpion]

is it ok to put a peppermint shrimp in with a skunk cleaner shrimp? i don't have a reef tank... just live rock and livestock.

i don't think we plan on going reef... cause it looks like we'd need more experience.

 

[Anonymous]

I've always kept camel & pepermint shrimp in my tanks, but neither have every controlled aiptasia.

I did have a racoon butterfly that LOVED it, I could take a rock from my wifes tank, covered with aips, and hold it in my tank, he would run around the rock picking every aip off, I would just turn the rock so he could see them.

Then one day, one of my lps didnt open up enough, he started eating the base, so out he came. He was kept with clams too, no problems with those, just the Large hammer coral treat.. Sense I wont have LPS in my current tank, if I do get aips I'll be investing in another butterfly. Fwiw, I did have a rose anemone with him, but the clownfish kept him away from it I suppose. L8r mega

 

[ChrisRD]

I would try using kalk paste first, and if that don't work go to peppermints.

Ditto.

 

[dgin]

Plastering them with a high concentration of kalk does the trick whenever they appear (which is rare to begin with). Heard the use of peppermint shrimp are hit or miss and not reliable as a solution.

 

[alabrew]

Don't assume that since you don't see anymore that they are all gone.

I've found the copperband to be a good long term method. When all were gone, I took him back and traded him in only to have more pop-up over several weeks. I still find more of the little *astards in the tubing and sump and they must spread from there. A new copperband has the tank back in check.

 

[LA-Lawman]

Picked up 4 peppermints shrimp. They cleaned the tank good. and the one aiptasia is gone....

I have a CB on order and 2 week quarantine at the shop.

Will the copperband graze any any of my corals when the aiptasia is gone. i have some polyps and some alveapora in the tank.... i have never kept this fish. i have only been recomended to.


-ben