Aiptasia

ndfish · 08/01/2008, 09:45 PM

I have a 300 Gallon Reef Tank that came down with Aiptasias.
I would like to put a butterfly fish in so it can eat the Aiptasias. Can any body tell me what kind of butterfly works, or is there something else ????????? Most of my corals that are in my tank are soft- Leathers , Zoos, Mushrooms, Carpet anemone, Bubble anemone, Clams, Colt coral,

DetectiveTofu · 08/01/2008, 10:11 PM

Butterfly fish are not reef safe.
I would try dropping a bunch of peppermint shrimp in there. Some people claim peppermint shrimp are not reef safe, though I have had success with them in two different tanks. So long as you keep them fed, they don't normally go after corals (of course there are the rogues). Either way you want to look at it, peppermint shrimp have a way better track record than butterflyfish IMO. HTH.

sps1-2-b · 08/01/2008, 10:19 PM

+1 on peppermints. I tried putting 2 in my 140 gal and no luck. I then added 4 more and they took care of all the aptasia. I would add 6-8 peppermints at once in your 300 gal.

Steven1015 · 08/01/2008, 10:50 PM

i used 7 peppermints in my 120 and the got rid of all my aptasia though i only had a few.

nikon187 · 08/01/2008, 10:56 PM

Pyranid butterfly is pretty reefsafe. Peps are hit or miss. Sometimes have to starve the tank for a little while to motivate them

Steven1015 · 08/01/2008, 11:03 PM

Ive heard pyramids are generally safe as well but when i worked in a lfs we used to dyeing corals to the pyramids all the time so i would be catious with them to.

romunov · 08/01/2008, 11:43 PM

Chelmon rostratus worked for me, right after it ate all my polychaete worms from the sand bed and rock. When I removed him, the pest aiptasia returned.

jiperalta · 08/02/2008, 04:35 AM

peppermint shrimp and clams don't mix

fatboyjoe · 08/02/2008, 07:50 AM

I had 200 lbs. of rock covered with aptasia. there must have been thousands of them. I bought a copperband butterfly, and now you can't even find one little piece any where. do a seach on copperbands before you buy. they need a little extra attention in the beginning. also, I never had luck with peppermint shrimp and aptasia.

chris0942 · 08/02/2008, 08:33 AM

I put two banner fish in my 210 and they cleaned it out. They are reef safe and havn't touched anything else. They are more hardy than butterfly's

ndfish · 08/02/2008, 01:50 PM

Thanks to all above for the info.

reefCrawler · 08/02/2008, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jiperalta
peppermint shrimp and clams don't mix

it doesn't seem having any problem to me.
all well healthy and won't bother clams.

coral diver · 08/02/2008, 02:07 PM

This is my long term aptasia erradicator

but i started with Peppermint shrimp and JJ

snorvich · 08/02/2008, 02:37 PM

Not all copperbands eat aiptasia. In fact not all of them eat anything. I have peppermint shrimp and clams with no issues.

romunov · 08/03/2008, 12:41 AM

A copperband did a number on the aiptasia I had. Right after it ate all the hair worms from my sand bed.

hstac · 08/03/2008, 07:28 PM

peppermint shrimp in my 120 took care of all my aiptasia. coral banded shrimp took care of my peppermints...

Mike Murphy · 08/03/2008, 08:13 PM

I bought a Copperband about a year ago and had my doubts but he has eradicated 2 tanks of the pesky little demons and I can't feed him enough he has an apetite like a pig. Mysis, blood worms, brine shrimp but does not like frozen clam.

08/01/2008, 09:45 PM	#1
ndfish Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 15	Aiptasia I have a 300 Gallon Reef Tank that came down with Aiptasias. I would like to put a butterfly fish in so it can eat the Aiptasias. Can any body tell me what kind of butterfly works, or is there something else ????????? Most of my corals that are in my tank are soft- Leathers , Zoos, Mushrooms, Carpet anemone, Bubble anemone, Clams, Colt coral,

08/01/2008, 10:56 PM	#5
nikon187 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Edmonton Alberta Posts: 4,717	Pyranid butterfly is pretty reefsafe. Peps are hit or miss. Sometimes have to starve the tank for a little while to motivate them __________________ ----------------- Current Tanks: New 210 custom 84 x 24 x 24, 60g sump, SWC 250 extreme with bubble blaster 5000, 2 vortech mp40, 2 vortech mp10, 12 T5, Water blaster 5000, warner marine bio pellets, 60g clownfish cube, red carpet anemone with a 25g sump,SRO octopus 1000sss, 250w radium, lumenarc large.

08/01/2008, 11:43 PM	#7
romunov Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 4,453	Chelmon rostratus worked for me, right after it ate all my polychaete worms from the sand bed and rock. When I removed him, the pest aiptasia returned. __________________ Life is too short to learn everything from experience. "And ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall set you free."

08/02/2008, 07:50 AM	#9
fatboyjoe Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: philadelphia Posts: 122	I had 200 lbs. of rock covered with aptasia. there must have been thousands of them. I bought a copperband butterfly, and now you can't even find one little piece any where. do a seach on copperbands before you buy. they need a little extra attention in the beginning. also, I never had luck with peppermint shrimp and aptasia. __________________ joe Current Tank Info: 90 gal reef

08/02/2008, 02:07 PM	#13
coral diver Old & Wise Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: somewhat wet Posts: 213	This is my long term aptasia erradicator but i started with Peppermint shrimp and JJ __________________ Jojo All life matter Current Tank Info: 90 gallon

08/01/2008, 10:11 PM	#2
DetectiveTofu Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 2,150	Butterfly fish are not reef safe. I would try dropping a bunch of peppermint shrimp in there. Some people claim peppermint shrimp are not reef safe, though I have had success with them in two different tanks. So long as you keep them fed, they don't normally go after corals (of course there are the rogues). Either way you want to look at it, peppermint shrimp have a way better track record than butterflyfish IMO. HTH.

08/01/2008, 10:19 PM	#3
sps1-2-b Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Anaheim, CA Posts: 1,248	+1 on peppermints. I tried putting 2 in my 140 gal and no luck. I then added 4 more and they took care of all the aptasia. I would add 6-8 peppermints at once in your 300 gal.

08/01/2008, 10:50 PM	#4
Steven1015 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Tonawanda, NY Posts: 229	i used 7 peppermints in my 120 and the got rid of all my aptasia though i only had a few.

08/01/2008, 11:03 PM	#6
Steven1015 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Tonawanda, NY Posts: 229	Ive heard pyramids are generally safe as well but when i worked in a lfs we used to dyeing corals to the pyramids all the time so i would be catious with them to.

08/02/2008, 04:35 AM	#8
jiperalta Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: coolidge, ga Posts: 165	peppermint shrimp and clams don't mix

08/02/2008, 08:33 AM	#10
chris0942 Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: indy Posts: 222	I put two banner fish in my 210 and they cleaned it out. They are reef safe and havn't touched anything else. They are more hardy than butterfly's

08/02/2008, 01:50 PM	#11
ndfish Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 15	Thanks to all above for the info.

08/02/2008, 02:37 PM	#14
snorvich Team RC member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Outlander Posts: 40,953 Blog Entries: 46	Not all copperbands eat aiptasia. In fact not all of them eat anything. I have peppermint shrimp and clams with no issues. __________________ Warmest regards, ~Steve~

08/03/2008, 12:41 AM	#15
romunov Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 4,453	A copperband did a number on the aiptasia I had. Right after it ate all the hair worms from my sand bed. __________________ Life is too short to learn everything from experience. "And ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall set you free."

08/03/2008, 07:28 PM	#16
hstac Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: troy, alabama Posts: 70	peppermint shrimp in my 120 took care of all my aiptasia. coral banded shrimp took care of my peppermints... __________________ always leanin' forward... Current Tank Info: 120g reef; 49g bowfront

08/03/2008, 08:13 PM	#17
Mike Murphy Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Greencastle, Indiana Posts: 258	I bought a Copperband about a year ago and had my doubts but he has eradicated 2 tanks of the pesky little demons and I can't feed him enough he has an apetite like a pig. Mysis, blood worms, brine shrimp but does not like frozen clam.