Reefs.com - Saltwater Aquarium - Reef Aquarium
  • Why not take a moment to introduce yourself to our members?

Anyone know where I can buy a trained chelmon?

A

Anonymous

Guest
What used to be my best aquarium is now an aptasia-infested hell-hole. Nothing has worked (lethal injections, peppermint shrimp, etc). The tank has had aptaisa for a few years, but within the last 6 months I would estimate they make up 10% of the biomass. If I didn't have fish in it, I think I would just boil the whole thing and start over. Short of that, I want to try getting a natural preditor.

I've hearc chelmon are the best bet, but they are rather fragile, and the tank includes two tangs and two maroon clowns, a very territorial pair with a female that looks like the steroid-tester for the Romanian woman's weight-lifting team. If it can't immediately compete for food, I am afraid it would just die.

I'm at teh point now where shutting down the tank seems like an attractive option.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
That doesn't sound like a tank I would add a CBB to. They're touchy enough as it is.

It sounds like you may have so many this would take a while, but try burning them off. Propane torch, or stick barbecue lighter with the blue flame. Kills a dime sized spot of rock. Do one rock at a time every few days or week or whatever. I've done this with a 90g that had dozens all over. Takes several applications (you can never find all of them at once) but eventually you whittle them down and they are gone.

Cutting down on feeding and keeping your water as pristine as possible will help as well.

Another option--Cure some new rock in a tub for a few months, and move your fish to that. Chuck your old rock, (or let it bake in the sun for a few months and then re-cure it for use as base rock), run some tap water with bleach through your plumbing/skimmer/etc. Basically start all over w/o losing your fish.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Yeah, the start over is the only viable option I am afraid. Previous attempts to kill them made them multiply, and not all rock is easily removed (has corals, too big, etc). I think a biological preditor is the only viable option at this point (apart from dismantalling and transferring the fish).
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Berhghia verrucornis.

FWIW, Chelmon and peppermints won't completely eradicate Aiptasia. They just control them. I've had both wipe out all visible anemones, then when I removed them later the anemones pop back up in the same spots. I think they leave the foot intact.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
$25 a pop. Geeze. I guess it is better than the $4K + outlay to start a new tank. Maybe I'll breed the suckers. Certainly I have enough food for them.
 
Z

zear0

Reefer
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
The Berhghia verrucornis will die when the aiptasia are gone... It feeds on aiptasia exclusively. If you live around other people with aiptasia in their tank, maybe you could work out passing the little fella on to them once your tank is clear. Another option would be to setup an aiptasia culture to feed it with.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Sponsor Reefs

We're a FREE website, and we exist because of hobbyists like YOU who help us run this community.

Click here to sponsor $10:


Top