Serious aiptasia problem. Which method of attack should I try next?

[Aqualara]

Problem:

It all started with a lone aiptasia that I looked at every once in awhile but was too lazy to kill. I kind of let the tank go for about 6 months..... Next thing I know, there were thousands.

 

What I've tried:

- Emerald crabs (hid most of the time, didn't eat aiptasia)

- Peppermint shrimp (hid all the time, didn't eat aiptasia)

- Aiptasia X: worked for easy to reach aiptasia and ones that weren't sideways or upside down (then the stuff just fell out before killing the darn things)

 

Issues with spot killing at this point:

- There are thousands. I've been killing about 30 per day for the past 2 weeks, and it doesn't look like I've made a dent.

- I swear those little buggers come back a few days later. Some really die, And some just shrink and open back up again

- There are many in hard to reach places (crevices in the rock, in the equipment, etc.

 

What I am currently trying:

- Bought some berghias, but I don't think I want to wait months to see if this works. I've had them a week and I definitely don't notice a difference yet.

 

Things I am considering trying:

1. Take the livestock out and nuke the tank (LR, sand, equipment) with bleach or straight RO water for a week or so. Cycle, then put all the livestock back in.

2. Replace old LR with new LR. I'd have to keep the livestock in a different tank while the new LR cycles.

3. Is there a way to nuke the tank that would not require re-cycling the tank? I'd still take the fish and coral out. Maybe hyposalinity but not straight RO?

4. ????

 

I'd love some help choosing a method. I'm really sad that the problem has gotten this bad. My fault for letting the tank go for so long. Work was so busy :-(

 

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

 

-Lara

 

P.S. for those who maybe have an aiptasia or two in their tank and don't know the damage they can do, KILL 'EM. NOW. You're welcome.

[Mariaface]

Is anything dying because of the aiptasia? I'd say let the nudibranches take care of them, and help them along with Aiptasia-X where you can. So long as they're not killing/stinging your fish/corals, all they're doing is being an eyesore. Don't broadcast feed, so they they don't get fed, and wait it out. If you get new live rock, you'll probably end up with a couple of them anyway (along with other hitchhikers you may or may not want) and you'll have more or less wasted the rock you have now (plus, farming live rock from the ocean is precious enough as it is, right?). Don't try to rush things (because nothing good happens fast in this hobby, apparently).

[jestep]

As long as you have enough to breed and they all survives acclimation, the berghias will definitely take care of them. They start slow, but once they get established and start maturing, it's like a landslide.

[Aqualara]

I figured that even if the berghia lived and did a great job, they would starve before all of the aiptasia were gone and then I'd have a problem all over again.

[markalot]

Berghia work. I've done it twice, first on my 40 gallon and now on my 29 which is still infested. I check once a week and 3 big nudis out and munching and I'm sure more are on the way. The will reduce the population to none, zero, zip, and in my 40 they never came back. Unfortunately I never found the Berghia and they all perished after the food ran out, but it takes them a few months.

[Bingo1213]

If for some reason they do not work and if your tank is large enough you could try a copper banded butterfly. They have done the trick in the past for me!

[SgtBhaji]

If you're going to pull the rock, can you take a small torch and burn the suckers off or are they just way too many?

[Aqualara]

Tank is a 40B so not large enough for a CBB. Also, I have bad luck with fish and inverts nipping coral so I don't want to try it. That's why I have just a clownfish in there now. Ha.

 

And too many to torch them off. If I am going to do all that work and take the rock out, I would rather just start fresh. I'd actually go dry rock instead of live,and I'd cycle it before taking everything out of the aiptasia tank.

 

I am feeling encouraged about markalot's experience with berghias. I might purchase more and give this my best shot before resorting to drastic measures.

 

Has anyone else had good results with berghias?

[basser1]

 

I figured that even if the berghia lived and did a great job, they would starve before all of the aiptasia were gone and then I'd have a problem all over again.

 

As long as you have a good source of aiptasia, the berghia will do fine. They will probably lay eggs and you'll have even more.

 

Another natural predator would be a filefish.

http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/353231-matted-filefishhere-we-go/