Big aptasia problem, hw to get rid of it?

G

glocklt4

Premium Member
I have tons of aptasia in my tank. For more than a few reasons, I haven't had time to take care of each small aptasia that I find with Joe's juice. Now I think I have more than I can easily tackle. I tried a couple of peppermint shrimp a couple weeks ago, but I didn't see them past a few hours after putting them into the tank. Not sure if my Niger trigger ate them or if they just didn't survive, but they obviously didn't solve the problem. My Niger is not very aggressive, so I am not certain he ate them. Left lights off for 24-36 hours to give them a chance.

Soo... should I use joes juice every couple of days attacking a few groups at once? I think if I were to try and get a whole bunch at once I may lower the pH of the tank too much.

But really, I am wondering if there are any other options...? I have tried lemon juice via syringe, but it didn't work as well as joe's juice. Some other animal that would eat it and not other corals, but my niger would leave alone?
 
Berghia nudibranch

I am thinking of getting one as I have some aptasia I want to get rid of.


You can also inject the aptasia with lime or lemon juice.
 
I have had issues with shrimp acclimating as well, but without hurting anyones feelings (peta) buy a couple extra ones and put them in again, try a longer transition period, of even drip them. If you really dont think your fish ate them, then it will be worth it.

I have 3 peps that have been living in my tank for months now. They have more than paid for themselves as I had a serious aptasia problem and joes was just a temp fix. I would be hard pressed to find one now-a-days.
 
I held a group buy for peppermint shrimp, I ordered 5, I think about 60 were ordered by others. We lost about 30%, I took the 5 that looked the worst so I could get them acclimating earlier. All 5 pretty much were dead, but one was laying on its back and twitched a bit so I just put him in the tank. Figured the crabs would have a meal if nothing else.

It recovered after a few hours, I had about 20 small aiptasia around, I think I have one left in about 2 months. The peppermint only is visible at night, but I don't have any fish that "could" eat the peppermint.

Personally, I would use joe's juice and try to get rid of all the visible aiptasia. Then try 5 peppermints from a group buy (usually like $3 per). I'm not much into the nudibranch or buying a fish that may eat them.
 
Just a side note, you might PM kuyatwo, he is buying 24 as part of a group buy at 2.50 per. He was looking to split the peppermints.
 
I knwo the pet botique in Garland has them for about $15 for 3. Which isnt bad and you dotn have to deal with shipping.

I wonder if my six line wrasse will attack them. i knwo he tried to attack my emerald crab when i put him in the tank. But he was too small to hurt the emerald crab. I am thinking a pepermint shrimp would be easier to kill though.
 
i had a huge aptasia problem in my 75. so bad i was about to break everything down and start over. I bought 6 peppermint shrimp and i thought they all died too because i never saw one for about 3 weeks. then i took flashlight at night and saw them all out. now, no aptasia and still have all my peps.
 
you all are useing them in reef tanks right? or falro tanks?
 
Natural Means...

Berghia - Need to establish a colony and have enough in there to breed. Singles and few do very little. Takes time for them to work and become established and will die off once aiptasia are gone. Can be preyed upon by wrasses and other fish, along with inverts like shrimp and crabs.

CBB - Hit and miss and you must get a healthy fish that is eating other things. Can take awhile for them to get to the aiptasia and can be bothered by aggressive fish.

Butterflys (others) - Will eat them, but can also eat LPS and softies, things like zoas and palys.

Peps - Hit and miss, better in larger groups like 6-10. Will only eat small ones and may eat/pick at frags and LPS.

Chemical Means

Joes Juice or similar - Modified kalk slurries.. can damage other corals if it settles on them by burning them. Use in measured quantities over periods of days to avoid alk and ph issues. Usually kills the aiptasia but sometimes can lead to splits.

Kalk - Same as Joes, but more potent and cheaper. Usually kills the aiptasia but sometimes can lead to splits.

Vinegar/Lemon juices - Inject into the base. Usually kills the aiptasia but sometimes can lead to splits.

Aiptasia X - Moderately successful, but if you don't get it in the oral disc, can just piss the thing off and make it split or go into reproduction mode and you end up with more.

Other methods

Pulling LR out and soaking in RO/DI.

Pulling LR and drying it out, then cooking it and re-introduction.
 
I recommend getting a copper banded butterfly. I was going to go with the nudi's but was a little to much for me. So i got a CBB and had 30 or more Aptasia's in my 240 and three weeks later had none.
 
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