Aiptasia

[Jay Wee]

Any tips in getting rid of this pesky thing. I got a couple of really small Aiptasia on my rock. I've tried the Red Sea Aiptasia X. Not working. I've taken the rock out and brushed it real hard with a toothbrush. It just doesn't die. I don't want to have to throw out this rock but if I really have to I'll do it.

[acrab78]

Peppermint shrimp generally do the job...

[k4ndyk1ng]

Make sure you get a true peppermint shrimp

[Jay Wee]

Ok Peppermint shrimp is actually one thing I haven't tried. I'm gonna do that and update you guys. Would blacking out my tank for lets say 2-3 days kill the aiptasia? Or that's only for brown algae.

[wow.such.chris]

I've killed over 100 aiptasia by injecting them with kalkwasser/paste. A needle and kalk paste, fill em up until it squirts out their mouth a bit. Usually gets em in the 1st go, if not the second.

[Jay Wee]

I've killed over 100 aiptasia by injecting them with kalkwasser/paste. A needle and kalk paste, fill em up until it squirts out their mouth a bit. Usually gets em in the 1st go, if not the second.

These are really tiny ones. I understand the big ones are easier to kill but these are little teeny ones. when I get close the water movement will trigger them to close. But I'll take your advice too with the kalkwasser.

[wow.such.chris]

Just stick the needle in the hole they go into, or as close as possible. Or just let them get bigger haha. They're not easy to kill but in my experience thats the way to go. Good luck!

[k4ndyk1ng]

I wish good anemones where this easy to keep

[Kijho]

I have like 30 or so aiptasia's right now in my tank. They haven't negatively impacted any of my corals yet however, although many people claim they do. I do certainly believe it - but I just haven't see it yet. They touch some corals even.

 

Once you have one it will be there forever unfortunately. I try to battle it, I've so far used Aiptasia X lots and it works.

Then about 1 week later 10 pop up over-night haha..

 

My next idea is either a peppermint shrimp (which I'm not too fond of the idea in my small tank) OR an aiptasia zapper wand for $100. Pretty much kills them really easy from what I see...

[GHill762]

if they're small you can trap/cover them in superglue

[Mazzy21]

I bought the biggest peppermint my LFS had and it wiped out even an aipstasia that was bigger than a quarter in less than a week. I wouldn't even bother trying to inject one at a time when a good peppermint will do the work for you in no time flat.

[CoralGardensAquaculture]

Peppermint shrimp will definitely get the job done, but be careful. They are scavengers so they may start going after other things in your tank once the aiptasia are gone if they don't find enough food otherwise. I've read about them going after LPS, but those may have actually been camel shrimp, who knows?? depending on your livestock and feeding habits you may not have anything to worry about at all. I just figured I would offer the warning just in case..

 

I had some aiptasia in my refugium that literally just disappeared. There is nothing in there that would have eaten them, and the chances of a berghia making it's way into the system is slim at best. I dip EVERYTHING before it ever touches my water. I wish I had a definitive reason as to what it was that killed them off, I'd bottle it and be rich, lol.

[ABC]

Every time I have had I threw the rock away. It seems to work. Luckily I've only had to throw out three rocks so far.

[basser1]

I just put 3 berghia in my tank today..... Can you say nom...nom...nom???? I got them from saltyunderground, nice and big 1/2" size.

 

I've tried peppermint shrimp with no success, once they get a taste of other foods, it's game over. Aiptasia X has limited success. Once they "explode" they release daughter cells and before you know it, they're popping up again. And a zapper is crazy expensive for what little it does.

 

Berghia all the way for me.....

[Mazzy21]

Peppermint shrimp will definitely get the job done, but be careful. They are scavengers so they may start going after other things in your tank once the aiptasia are gone if they don't find enough food otherwise. I've read about them going after LPS, but those may have actually been camel shrimp, who knows?? depending on your livestock and feeding habits you may not have anything to worry about at all. I just figured I would offer the warning just in case..

 

I will say, though I have absolutely no wy to be sure what exactly happened, I did have a beautiful little Rock Flower anemone for months, doing great, and just after the apstasia was all gone I found the pepermint sitting on a rock above my Rock Flower and out of nowhere the Rock Flower was shrunken up. Two days later the Rock Flower anemone completely vanished. Now, it could have been anything. It could have been my pretty lax attitude toward tank maintenance at times, or something or other out of balance in the tank parameters, but all I know is that Rock Flower was great, never any issues, and all of a sudden it was gone. I kinda started secretly cursing that shrimp after that, thinking just maybe he had something to do with the nems disappearance.

[wildbill79]

I had a peppermint shrimp that took care of my aipstasia. Once the job was finished, it took care of a torch as well. Heed caution. If you get one for that sole purpose, feed it well or take it back to the LFS when done. The aipstasia will come back eventually.

[malady]

the nudi berghia don't work after a while ...what a waste of money...

[basser1]

the nudi berghia don't work after a while ...what a waste of money...

 

Got rid of mine..... Money well spent

 

Once they rid the tank of aiptasia, because that's all they eat, they will die off.

[Jay Wee]

Peppermint shrimp is KING!!!! I got 2 and it nuked then all!!! No more aptasia. Sooooooooo...... What's it gonna eat next? :/

[Drexellake]

Butane torch or gas burner on the stove.