Aptasia infestation

bleavitt · 03/04/2007, 09:56 PM

Dear RF community. I have a 120 G reef that I have had for 3 years. Over the last 4 months I have had an aptasia infestation. Joe's juice works, but I cannot keep up with the pests. Twice I have taken out all my live rock and scrubbed them off with a wire brush. I bought 10 peppermint shrimp from saltwaterfish.com and I only can find 3 left and they do not eat them. I bought a copper banded butterfly and it was killed by my purple tang. The other fish that I have are 2 blue damsels and 2 yellow wrasses (for my previous flatworm problem that is now not a problem). My water chemistries are good (ph 7.8, CA 460, 0 nitrate, 0 nitrite, 1.0 phosphate). I changed the all 3 cartridges in my RODI to try to lower the phosphate numbers.

Any thoughts, helps or others with a similar situation.

Thanks

Bruce

shag26272 · 03/04/2007, 10:03 PM

try this

http://www.saltyunderground.com/

GSMguy · 03/04/2007, 10:14 PM

7 peppermint shrimp in my tank and i have zero aptasia if you get the right kind they will take care of the population

RedEyeElf · 03/04/2007, 10:18 PM

my cleaner shrimp took care of my 3 peppermints after about 2 months of peace

Now I'm trying to find me some nudi's

chaseracing · 03/04/2007, 10:20 PM

Yah the peps are the way to go. Joes Juice works in a low flow tank. High flow tanks just do not have this as an option.

The peps may be hiding. If they are dead it is probably due to either high Nitrates or Salinity jumping around. These two things seem to mess with them the most.

Maybe pick up another pair of peps. I have 3 and they keep an entire 150 perfectly clean (sump is full of them. Display has Zero)

-=E=-

RedEyeElf · 03/04/2007, 10:25 PM

I caught the cleaner taking out 1 of them, so pretty sure it was a triple murder

i had no problem while I had them, but as soon as they were gone, it was back with a vengence. I want it to be GONE gone goNE!!!! Joes' works for abit, but you can only juice what you see

the nudi's can crawl damn near anywhere
I'll keep ya updated

bleavitt · 03/05/2007, 07:09 PM

Thanks for all your help. I will look for more peppermint shrimps and get som3 nudibranches from saltyunderground.

Bruce

c-horseman · 03/05/2007, 07:56 PM

yup and maybe get them from different places to improve your chances, as not all peps eat them. if they were caught from a natural habitat that did not have them, then they probably didn't learn to eat them

marinelife · 03/05/2007, 08:14 PM

My Emperor Angel eats them, maybe a small angel would work for you

msman825 · 03/05/2007, 09:17 PM

here's a Aptasia king, I only had a few, But i have loaned him to a couple freinds that it was taking over there tanks . He loves it

johnstires · 03/05/2007, 09:51 PM

Joes Juice and persistence has worked for me. Just keep at it.

littlefish72 · 03/06/2007, 04:53 AM

Use Joe's Juice for the big ones and the peppermints will take care of the small ones............unless it's majano.......if that's the case next time you take rock out to scrub, set fire to it

jaw969 · 03/06/2007, 07:55 PM

My copperband took out all of mine as well. The racoon butterfly also took out all of the aptasia in a tank I had as well, but he also nibbles on corals so be careful. (He will eat the aptasia first, atleast he did for me)

Good luck!

chrisqueenz · 03/06/2007, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by GSMguy
7 peppermint shrimp in my tank and i have zero aptasia if you get the right kind they will take care of the population

Solved my problem too!

pkunk35 · 03/07/2007, 12:49 PM

I had a similar Aiptasia infestation in my own 90 gallon reef. I have used Joe's Juice, Copperbands, Berghia and finally peppermint shrimp. For the size of the tank and in terms of ease as well as cost, nothing worked better than the peppermint shrimp. I had avoided them at first b/c I hate the way they look, but hands down were the best. Within 4 months they had eaten all the aiptasia... and there was a LOT of aiptasia (I'm talking many hundreds...the rockwork was COVERED). Please keep in mind that I have no fish, only coral, and I believe that this allowed the shrimp free access to the entire tank. I believe that the more fish you have, the more you regulate your shrimp to a specific niche in your tank (resulting in slower aiptasia eradication, or perhaps hardly any at all).

Joe's Juice: Great for the big ones. Impractical otherwise.

Copperband: In my experience, not a hardy fish (i've read this too). Mine died after 3 months, but he did eat aiptasia.

Berghia: I loved these guys! Better suited for a small tank, IMO. In a <1 gallon jar I had them eating aiptasia and reproducing. I put them in the display to battle the aiptasia but never saw them again. They are very good at eating aiptaisia, despite their size. I would recommend them to advanced hobbyists.

Just my experience. Would welcome any comments on my post, positive or negative.

Ritten · 03/07/2007, 01:20 PM

Bruce, I just started getting them as well. I don't get it. I have not added a thing to my tank in years. I can't get peppermints because I have an orchid dottyback that kills them. Joe's juice is working for the ones I can get to, but I hate having my hands in the tank. I have a huge bristle worm in there that gives me the creeps.

03/04/2007, 09:56 PM	#1
bleavitt Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vermont Posts: 2	Aptasia infestation Dear RF community. I have a 120 G reef that I have had for 3 years. Over the last 4 months I have had an aptasia infestation. Joe's juice works, but I cannot keep up with the pests. Twice I have taken out all my live rock and scrubbed them off with a wire brush. I bought 10 peppermint shrimp from saltwaterfish.com and I only can find 3 left and they do not eat them. I bought a copper banded butterfly and it was killed by my purple tang. The other fish that I have are 2 blue damsels and 2 yellow wrasses (for my previous flatworm problem that is now not a problem). My water chemistries are good (ph 7.8, CA 460, 0 nitrate, 0 nitrite, 1.0 phosphate). I changed the all 3 cartridges in my RODI to try to lower the phosphate numbers. Any thoughts, helps or others with a similar situation. Thanks Bruce

03/04/2007, 10:03 PM	#2
shag26272 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: New Orleans, LA Posts: 3,088	try this http://www.saltyunderground.com/ __________________ .

03/04/2007, 10:14 PM	#3
GSMguy Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northern New Mexico Posts: 17,420	7 peppermint shrimp in my tank and i have zero aptasia if you get the right kind they will take care of the population __________________ Nick. Conehead. Shallow Reef club. Current Tank Info: 48"x27"x14" Envision Acrylic rimless, 6x39w ATi Sunpower, Custom ATB Deluxe Skimmer, 4x tunze nano stream,ATB flowstar 1500, ACJR, Tunze osmolator.

03/04/2007, 10:20 PM	#5
chaseracing Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Bartlett, IL Posts: 1,208	Yah the peps are the way to go. Joes Juice works in a low flow tank. High flow tanks just do not have this as an option. The peps may be hiding. If they are dead it is probably due to either high Nitrates or Salinity jumping around. These two things seem to mess with them the most. Maybe pick up another pair of peps. I have 3 and they keep an entire 150 perfectly clean (sump is full of them. Display has Zero) -=E=- __________________ I want my dog's life. Current Tank Info: 150gal RR Oceanic - (3) 250w. ReefLux 12K, (2) 96w PC 50/50, (3) Tunze 6025 modded, (3) Tunze 6045's, ASM G3, MRC-1, Melev F sump/fuge, all run off of an Aquacontroller Jr. Mixed Reef w/ lots of Fish and not enough rock.

03/05/2007, 08:14 PM	#9
marinelife Registered Member Join Date: May 2000 Location: Union, Ohio, USA Posts: 6,590	My Emperor Angel eats them, maybe a small angel would work for you __________________ I'm a SaltGeek are You? All LED since 2010. Current Tank Info: 375 Gallon Reef with siporax, all LED lighting, and Red Dragon 3 and Abyzz A200 on 2 closed loops.

03/04/2007, 10:18 PM	#4
RedEyeElf Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 462	my cleaner shrimp took care of my 3 peppermints after about 2 months of peace Now I'm trying to find me some nudi's

03/04/2007, 10:25 PM	#6
RedEyeElf Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 462	I caught the cleaner taking out 1 of them, so pretty sure it was a triple murder i had no problem while I had them, but as soon as they were gone, it was back with a vengence. I want it to be GONE gone goNE!!!! Joes' works for abit, but you can only juice what you see the nudi's can crawl damn near anywhere I'll keep ya updated

03/05/2007, 07:09 PM	#7
bleavitt Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vermont Posts: 2	Thanks for all your help. I will look for more peppermint shrimps and get som3 nudibranches from saltyunderground. Bruce

03/05/2007, 07:56 PM	#8
c-horseman Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: canada Posts: 77	yup and maybe get them from different places to improve your chances, as not all peps eat them. if they were caught from a natural habitat that did not have them, then they probably didn't learn to eat them

03/05/2007, 09:17 PM	#10
msman825 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: maine Posts: 1,301	here's a Aptasia king, I only had a few, But i have loaned him to a couple freinds that it was taking over there tanks . He loves it __________________ MSMAN

03/05/2007, 09:51 PM	#11
johnstires Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: NYC Posts: 256	Joes Juice and persistence has worked for me. Just keep at it.

03/06/2007, 04:53 AM	#12
littlefish72 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Coatesville, PA Posts: 389	Use Joe's Juice for the big ones and the peppermints will take care of the small ones............unless it's majano.......if that's the case next time you take rock out to scrub, set fire to it __________________ GO CANES!!! GO WOLFPACK!!!!! "There are no stupid questions Eric, just stupid people."-Mr. Garrison If an upside-down catfish dies, does it turn right side up? Current Tank Info: Leaky Clownfish system

03/06/2007, 07:55 PM	#13
jaw969 Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Centennial, CO Posts: 1,067	My copperband took out all of mine as well. The racoon butterfly also took out all of the aptasia in a tank I had as well, but he also nibbles on corals so be careful. (He will eat the aptasia first, atleast he did for me) Good luck! __________________ How do you kick this habit anyway.......saltwater addicts anonymous? Current Tank Info: Oceanic 120 RR-Aquamedic Ocean light-Tunze 9015-Will be a mixed reef

03/07/2007, 12:49 PM	#15
pkunk35 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 10	I had a similar Aiptasia infestation in my own 90 gallon reef. I have used Joe's Juice, Copperbands, Berghia and finally peppermint shrimp. For the size of the tank and in terms of ease as well as cost, nothing worked better than the peppermint shrimp. I had avoided them at first b/c I hate the way they look, but hands down were the best. Within 4 months they had eaten all the aiptasia... and there was a LOT of aiptasia (I'm talking many hundreds...the rockwork was COVERED). Please keep in mind that I have no fish, only coral, and I believe that this allowed the shrimp free access to the entire tank. I believe that the more fish you have, the more you regulate your shrimp to a specific niche in your tank (resulting in slower aiptasia eradication, or perhaps hardly any at all). Joe's Juice: Great for the big ones. Impractical otherwise. Copperband: In my experience, not a hardy fish (i've read this too). Mine died after 3 months, but he did eat aiptasia. Berghia: I loved these guys! Better suited for a small tank, IMO. In a <1 gallon jar I had them eating aiptasia and reproducing. I put them in the display to battle the aiptasia but never saw them again. They are very good at eating aiptaisia, despite their size. I would recommend them to advanced hobbyists. Just my experience. Would welcome any comments on my post, positive or negative. __________________ pkunk TAG

03/07/2007, 01:20 PM	#16
Ritten Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 2,164	Bruce, I just started getting them as well. I don't get it. I have not added a thing to my tank in years. I can't get peppermints because I have an orchid dottyback that kills them. Joe's juice is working for the ones I can get to, but I hate having my hands in the tank. I have a huge bristle worm in there that gives me the creeps.