My zoanthid/aiptasia dominated tank!

Mishap · 07/29/2007, 07:16 PM

Rainstorms all day made me bored, so I took some pics. I've been battling this aiptasia for so long and I really am having a hard time getting the upper hand. But alas, here's some pics

Mishap · 07/29/2007, 07:17 PM

Thanks for looking!

reefNchips · 07/29/2007, 07:38 PM

Aipastia Control by blue life is easy to use and is working for me. Started using it two weeks ago and the ones that i used it on havent came back nor have little ones.

annamarie421 · 07/29/2007, 07:56 PM

Have you tried peppermint shrimp? I've always had really good luck with them taking care of aptasia (even large ones).

HTH,
Anna

Ritten · 07/29/2007, 08:02 PM

Wow, nice tank! I think a lot of us deal with the dreaded A's. I would not be too discouraged if my tank looked like that.

Mishap · 07/29/2007, 08:09 PM

reefNchips I'll have to try that product, thanks for the tip!

annamarie421 I've got a few peppermint shrimp in the tank but they don't touch the darn things!

Ritten Thanks! I'm really happy with the way the tank has turned out.... minus the aiptasia.

fraggin · 07/29/2007, 08:19 PM

looks good Matt.
i got aiptasia problems too. was thinkin of the berghia, if they would work? ever use them?

i been using tweezers and digging them out, everything is in my holding tank so it isn't as much of a problem to grab a rock and scrap those PITA outta there.

Ritten · 07/29/2007, 08:22 PM

Mishap, I can't get peppermint shrimp because of my dottyback. I had used Joes Juice and it worked great. After that ran out, after reading a thread here, I got Mrs. Wages Pickle Lime from the grocery store and that has worked well also.

Mishap · 07/29/2007, 08:22 PM

I tried the berghia, which kicked serious butt on the little buggers, but i had too much flow in the tank and they pretty much dissappeared.

Snowboarda42 · 07/29/2007, 08:27 PM

I use boiling hot water (2 minutes in microwave) and draw it into a syringe, then stab the little b@$tards with it and they go away.

Jrmass · 07/29/2007, 08:30 PM

I'm not sure if this would work or not... But, can you inject lemon juice into them the same way that you can kill off glass anemeones if they become a headache? Just a thought.

happyface888 · 07/29/2007, 08:30 PM

Looks great, hmm wasnt therea fish that ate aptasia?

reefNchips · 07/29/2007, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mishap
reefNchips I'll have to try that product, thanks for the tip!

annamarie421 I've got a few peppermint shrimp in the tank but they don't touch the darn things!

Ritten Thanks! I'm really happy with the way the tank has turned out.... minus the aiptasia.

Ive tried the boiling water and the make your own kalk but the a control is working as far as i can tell.

You may want to try something before you buy it though. I tried the peps but my clowns ate them of all fish. Try to get one of the aipastias out and cut it once you have it out of the tank. Then feed what you have cut to the peps if they are easy to entice with food. if they eat what you have cut then they should start to eat it once they recognize the smell/taste. worth a try anyway.

Jrmass · 07/29/2007, 08:32 PM

btw. the orange montipora cap looks nice. What kind of calcium levels to you have that it looks so strong?

bluetmax · 07/29/2007, 08:36 PM

The Copperband Butterfly is famous for eating Aptasia, the problem though is finding a specimen that will eat foods that you introduce as well so it doesn't starve. I've always had good luck with Joe's Juice and swear by it, but with an infestation like you have, you better buy a couple of bottles and have a lot of time on your hands. lol I know GARF uses the copperbands fo their aiptasia control.

Mishap · 07/29/2007, 08:40 PM

Good idea reefMchips..... I'll pick up some more pepps tomorrow and some of the aiptasia killer at work.

Jrmass
I dose 30ml of Kent Nano Reef A and B daily.

Water params:

Ca: 450 - 500 ppm
Alk: 10 - 12dKH
Mg:1350 - 1600ppm
PH: 8.2-8.4
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 0ppm
Phosphate: 0ppm

I also feed decapsulated artemia cysts and nano reef coral food by Ocean Nutrition.

Curlsoc · 07/29/2007, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by reefNchips
Aipastia Control by blue life is easy to use and is working for me. Started using it two weeks ago and the ones that i used it on havent came back nor have little ones.

Have to second this, killed the one I had in moments, hopefully I nipped the issue in the bud.

AquaReeferMan · 07/29/2007, 09:57 PM

Lookin good, tatty

gatordustin · 07/30/2007, 12:08 PM

Really don't know if there's any truth to this or not, but I've read here before that the peppermint shrimp collected near Florida are consistently the best for aptasia control. I only have first-hand evidence that supports that statement as my locally purchased shrimp (4 for a 55g) have completely cleaned my tank of visible aptasia.

My beleive is that once the anemones are in your tank, nothing short of drying out all your rocks will irradicate them 100%. But my peps sure do take care of any ones they can get too. Also, I found they can get to the aptasia much better than I can with Joe's juice.

Really hope this helps as I have felt your pain.

skeeter-doc · 07/30/2007, 12:35 PM

Mishap, ...

What is that in the 5th pic down, in the very first post?

Mishap · 07/30/2007, 01:43 PM

I believe it's a Pavona of some kind

burton14e7 · 07/30/2007, 01:59 PM

There's two different kind of peppermint shrimp in the hobby. The one that I can see in the first picture is NOT the aiptasia eater.

Aiptasia eater

Non Aiptasia eater typically called cleaner shrimp but also a peppermint.

Mishap · 07/30/2007, 07:05 PM

I picked up ten peppermint shrimp and some blue life aiptasia control today at work, so tomorrow the hunt begins!

07/29/2007, 07:16 PM	#1
Mishap Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Eastern PA Posts: 977	My zoanthid/aiptasia dominated tank! Rainstorms all day made me bored, so I took some pics. I've been battling this aiptasia for so long and I really am having a hard time getting the upper hand. But alas, here's some pics

07/29/2007, 08:27 PM	#10
Snowboarda42 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Warshington Posts: 1,094	I use boiling hot water (2 minutes in microwave) and draw it into a syringe, then stab the little b@$tards with it and they go away. __________________ 40B Mixed Reef 100% Captive Grown Corals See, that's the trouble with the world today. Not enough danger to kill off stupid people before they get old enough to breed. Bring back lawn darts! -PrivateJoker64 Current Tank Info: 40B, 20L Sump/Fuge, Mag 9.5 Return, 2x Hydor Koralia #2's, 150W 14K HQI, 139W T-5, Euro-Reef RS-80P Mesh Modded, 40LB LR, 80LB LS, 54x Turnover, Mostly SPS, Some Softys Too.

07/29/2007, 08:30 PM	#11
Jrmass Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 80	I'm not sure if this would work or not... But, can you inject lemon juice into them the same way that you can kill off glass anemeones if they become a headache? Just a thought. __________________ 70 Gallon Mixed Reef, 2x AI Vega LED, Bubble King 180 Mini, Temp Controller, (125 Gallon w/ 250 gallon refugium, MRC 3 with expansion, 72" Coralife 150 watt MH, 3600 GPH Dolphin Pump *Temporarily Reti Current Tank Info: 125 Gal upstairs display, 75 gal basement sump, CPR Refugium, 20 Gal Frag Tank, 70 Gal basement display tank 250 Total Gal, 500 lbs+ LR, 600 lbs+ LS, MRC-3 Skimmer w/ Blueline #70, Dolphin 3600SP

07/29/2007, 08:32 PM	#14
Jrmass Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 80	btw. the orange montipora cap looks nice. What kind of calcium levels to you have that it looks so strong? __________________ 70 Gallon Mixed Reef, 2x AI Vega LED, Bubble King 180 Mini, Temp Controller, (125 Gallon w/ 250 gallon refugium, MRC 3 with expansion, 72" Coralife 150 watt MH, 3600 GPH Dolphin Pump *Temporarily Reti Current Tank Info: 125 Gal upstairs display, 75 gal basement sump, CPR Refugium, 20 Gal Frag Tank, 70 Gal basement display tank 250 Total Gal, 500 lbs+ LR, 600 lbs+ LS, MRC-3 Skimmer w/ Blueline #70, Dolphin 3600SP

07/29/2007, 08:36 PM	#15
bluetmax Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Mississippi Posts: 243	The Copperband Butterfly is famous for eating Aptasia, the problem though is finding a specimen that will eat foods that you introduce as well so it doesn't starve. I've always had good luck with Joe's Juice and swear by it, but with an infestation like you have, you better buy a couple of bottles and have a lot of time on your hands. lol I know GARF uses the copperbands fo their aiptasia control. __________________ Dustin bluetmax@aol.com Current Tank Info: 60 Gallon SPS dominated mixed reef; 55 Gallon FOWLR; 20 Gallon Mixed Reef; 20 Gallon FOWLR; 10 gallon Mixed Reef

07/29/2007, 07:17 PM	#2
Mishap Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Eastern PA Posts: 977	Thanks for looking!

07/29/2007, 07:38 PM	#3
reefNchips Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 64	Aipastia Control by blue life is easy to use and is working for me. Started using it two weeks ago and the ones that i used it on havent came back nor have little ones.

07/29/2007, 07:56 PM	#4
annamarie421 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 390	Have you tried peppermint shrimp? I've always had really good luck with them taking care of aptasia (even large ones). HTH, Anna

07/29/2007, 08:02 PM	#5
Ritten Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 2,164	Wow, nice tank! I think a lot of us deal with the dreaded A's. I would not be too discouraged if my tank looked like that.

07/29/2007, 08:09 PM	#6
Mishap Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Eastern PA Posts: 977	reefNchips I'll have to try that product, thanks for the tip! annamarie421 I've got a few peppermint shrimp in the tank but they don't touch the darn things! Ritten Thanks! I'm really happy with the way the tank has turned out.... minus the aiptasia.

07/29/2007, 08:19 PM	#7
fraggin DVRC Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: elverson,PA Posts: 589	looks good Matt. i got aiptasia problems too. was thinkin of the berghia, if they would work? ever use them? i been using tweezers and digging them out, everything is in my holding tank so it isn't as much of a problem to grab a rock and scrap those PITA outta there.

07/29/2007, 08:22 PM	#8
Ritten Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 2,164	Mishap, I can't get peppermint shrimp because of my dottyback. I had used Joes Juice and it worked great. After that ran out, after reading a thread here, I got Mrs. Wages Pickle Lime from the grocery store and that has worked well also.

07/29/2007, 08:30 PM	#12
happyface888 Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: San Francisco CA Posts: 3,987	Looks great, hmm wasnt therea fish that ate aptasia?

07/29/2007, 08:40 PM	#16
Mishap Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Eastern PA Posts: 977	Good idea reefMchips..... I'll pick up some more pepps tomorrow and some of the aiptasia killer at work. Jrmass I dose 30ml of Kent Nano Reef A and B daily. Water params: Ca: 450 - 500 ppm Alk: 10 - 12dKH Mg:1350 - 1600ppm PH: 8.2-8.4 Ammonia: 0ppm Nitrite: 0ppm Nitrate: 0ppm Phosphate: 0ppm I also feed decapsulated artemia cysts and nano reef coral food by Ocean Nutrition.

07/29/2007, 09:57 PM	#18
AquaReeferMan Got Reef? Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Under the Sea, Pa Posts: 4,593	Lookin good, tatty __________________ Couple SPS/Zoanthid tanks and a couple of FW planted tanks. Current Tank Info: 5 pieces of glass with some silicone and plastic frames holding them together

07/30/2007, 12:08 PM	#19
gatordustin Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Stuart and Gainesville, FL Posts: 87	Really don't know if there's any truth to this or not, but I've read here before that the peppermint shrimp collected near Florida are consistently the best for aptasia control. I only have first-hand evidence that supports that statement as my locally purchased shrimp (4 for a 55g) have completely cleaned my tank of visible aptasia. My beleive is that once the anemones are in your tank, nothing short of drying out all your rocks will irradicate them 100%. But my peps sure do take care of any ones they can get too. Also, I found they can get to the aptasia much better than I can with Joe's juice. Really hope this helps as I have felt your pain.

07/30/2007, 12:35 PM	#20
skeeter-doc Moved On Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: TX Posts: 1,643	Mishap, ... What is that in the 5th pic down, in the very first post?

07/30/2007, 01:43 PM	#21
Mishap Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Eastern PA Posts: 977	I believe it's a Pavona of some kind

07/30/2007, 01:59 PM	#22
burton14e7 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Keller, Tx Posts: 2,009	There's two different kind of peppermint shrimp in the hobby. The one that I can see in the first picture is NOT the aiptasia eater. Aiptasia eater Non Aiptasia eater typically called cleaner shrimp but also a peppermint.

07/30/2007, 07:05 PM	#23
Mishap Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Eastern PA Posts: 977	I picked up ten peppermint shrimp and some blue life aiptasia control today at work, so tomorrow the hunt begins!