aiptesias are taking over!!!!

[tammyjennings]

Help aiptasia or glass anemones are taking over my 125 gal tank. I heard pepermint shimp eat them. I have one I never see him and the aiptasia are getting healthier. What can I do?!!!

 

[lcstorc]

The peppermint shrimp are hit or miss. Some of them eat it and some don't. Keeping them slightly hungry seems to help. Other thant the peppermints I have used Joe's juice with great success. Others report good results from smothering them in kalc paste.

 

[rDr4g0n]

joes juice worked great for me too. if theyre all over the place, youre gonna have to try to take out as many as you can, wait a week, and take em out again. after a few weeks youll have them under control.

 

[cheeks69]

Aiptasias like other pests will proliferate because of an abundance of food. What are you using for filtration ? what are your parameters ?

If using peppermint shrimp for control make sure it's the Lysmata wurdemanni not Rhynchocinetes durbanensis which isn't reefsafe and sometimes mistakenly identified as peppermint shrimp.

 

[DaBird]

the word for the day is "perseverance"...Good luck, I fought 'em till I was in tears and they still won...WAR!!!

 

[murkywaters]

They're nutrient exporters sell them on ebay.:wit: just kidding the reef police would get you.

 

[blue_eyes53813]

If you can take the rock out of the tank. You will have to watch where they pull themself into their hole because as soon as you take them out they dissapear. Snip them at the base with a scissors and scrub with a brush of some sort. Rinse them in a seperate container of Saltwater or even a container of freshwater if you dont have coral on them. Rinse very well before adding back into the tank. DO NOT add the rinse water back to the tank..

Or I have even super glued the hole shut that they go into...

I only had one or two in my tank and if I get new coral or liverock with some on this is how I take care of them... Hope it helps.

 

[jg2269jg]

copperbanded butterflies are pretty good at that aptasia thing but good luck getting the guy out after they are gone

 

[cheeks69]

CBB's are hit or miss for aiptasia control and a difficult fish to keep and definitely not recommended for beginners or a new setup.

 

[reefnut]

I use a hypodermic needle and some boiling RO water. I take a cup fill it half way then put in the microwave for 3m, make sure it is boling hot, because it starts to cool very fast once the needle hits the water. then inject it at a steady pace not fast but steady because you want the boiling water to stay in the hole for as long as it can, do this 1 to 2 times should get rid of the prolem.

 

[Heather59803]

I (both in my 90g at home & at the LFS where I work) shoot the little buggers up in the tank with muriatic (hydrocloric) acid & a hypodermic needle. They try to retreat in the rock when stuck, but I just follow them in with the needle. I always add some buffer to the tank first and at home I never use more then about 3-4cc per day to avoid throwing the pH off. It only takes a drop of the stuff to kill one off instantly, so 3cc can really do a big job. Just BE CAREFUL!!!! Good luck, ~Heather

 

[blondie323]

Lemon juice with a syringe works great for me...you may need to repeat a couple of time but I have always been succesfull

 

[DrHank]

I've had very good luck with Peppermint shrimp. I put five in my 110 and within a week all the aiptasias in my tank were gone. I did slow down on feeding to try and keep the shrimp a bit on the hungry side during that time. They are nocturnal feeders primarily (until they get used to the tank feeding schedule) so just expect to see a gradual reduction at first.

I've used Kalk and white vinegar injection which were both somewhat effective but now that I have the shrimp I have no aiptasia. I also have had very good results with emerald crabs for control of green bubble algae. I always try to find a natural balance (solution) if possible.

Try the peps. I doubt you'll be sorry!