I feel like I am losing the Aptasia war. I need some suggestions.

[Froggy]

I had some major problems with my 120 over the summer due to an auto topoff failure over the summer ( another story ). I am in the process of slowly stocking frags that appear to be doing well so far, thank goodness.

The new open space after the coral skeleton removal has allowed me to attack the overwhelming Aptasia invasion that I had put off for too long. I have been battling it with a couple of bottles of Aptasia X. Things look good for a week or so and then the Aptasia are back and seem to be increasing their numbers.

I have a Hawkfish that will treat Pepp shrimp like a Thanksgiving buffet so I have not tried that approach. I am afraid that will just turn out being an expensive dinner for the hawkfish.

Any other ideas that you have found to eliminate Aptasia that also keeps them from returning with angy friends and relatives ?

Aptasia are wearing me down but I will keep fighting. I need plan of attack ideas from you all !

[Beaun]

What about a klein's butterfly?

[SurfnFish]

I know a few guys locally who have tried straight white vinegar. Squirt it straight in to the aptasia's mouth. They have had good luck with that method. Otherwise, Aptasia X has always worked for me in the past.

[Pickupman66]

I make a home made Kalk paste that wipes them out permanently.

take 1 tbsp of pickling lime and mix with it enough water to make a paste like toothpaste. then add in 1/2tsp of ground red pepper and a few good squirts of hot sauce like tobasco or texas pete (YUMMY). them nicrowave for 30 secons or so till its bubbly hot. add in a little more water if need be to keep it like toothpaste. put it in a syringe and put a little drop in their mouths. with the thickness it will stay on them and in their mouths when they close up and melt the little turds away.

I have used this with great success for years and it will kill anything you put it on like GSP, Pavona, Hydnopora, Mojanos and yes, Aptasia

[strike2867]

I'd suggest biological control using a Butterfly. Unless you have some Coco Worms, in which case you're between a rock and a hard place. I can't see it being possible to ever take out all the babies using regular methods.

[extreme5450]

copperbanded or racoon butterfly

[heckhole]

A peppermint worked awesome for me. Before I got the peppermint, super glue worked best. Yep, super glue.

[The Velvet Sea]

I've had tremendous success with peppermints and they are by far my preferred method of control. I can catch them locally and would add a lot of them when needed in the past. I worked for an aquarium maintenance company for a few years and we inherited a couple of tanks that were overrun with aiptasia. Peppermints did the trick and can actually destroy an aiptasia infestation very quickly.

Regarding your hawkfish, they are pretty easy to catch compared to a lot of reef fish so if all else fails you can consider quarantining your hawkfish for a period of time while the peppermints handle your aiptasia. Good luck!

[Froggy]

Originally Posted by The Velvet Sea

I've had tremendous success with peppermints and they are by far my preferred method of control. I can catch them locally and would add a lot of them when needed in the past. I worked for an aquarium maintenance company for a few years and we inherited a couple of tanks that were overrun with aiptasia. Peppermints did the trick and can actually destroy an aiptasia infestation very quickly.

Regarding your hawkfish, they are pretty easy to catch compared to a lot of reef fish so if all else fails you can consider quarantining your hawkfish for a period of time while the peppermints handle your aiptasia. Good luck!

Thanks all for the follow up and suggestions so far. I would really like to send in an army of peppermints to go to work. Maybe catching the hawkfish is an option to consider. That little guy is the favorite of my 5 and 2 year old kids. He does have quite the personality.

I definitely would have to research the option of using a butterfly fish for control. I am not familiar with their overall needs. Are they hit or miss and pretty specific eaters? I have not had a lot of success with manual methods. I keep them at bay but they are always back. Its a constant maintenance.

I can see it now. I remove my hawkfish, add the peppermints and let them do their job. What is their reward?? The Hawkfish is back home ! Run for your lives !

[Froggy]

I have been doing some initial reading on butterfly fish.

Tahitian butterfly's sound interesting. It is said that they acclimate well and are hardy after acclimation. It is also said they are reef safe with caution, and 95% safe !

Tahitians are relatives of the Klein's butterfly and reported to be the most apt to eat aptasia. Copperbands just seem to not fare well for the most part in home aquariums.

Any experience with Tahitian butterfly's?

[reefgeezer]

Get a hypodermic needle and inject them one at a time with an acid like vinegar or lemon juice. Stab them in the base not the mouth if possible. It only takes a cc or two. When you see a little white puff you're done and so is the aptasia. Pharmacies will sell you the needles if you tell them what it is for.

[CEA]

Berghia nudibranchs. I know lot's of people who have used them successfully. Check out the socal forum to see.

[108reefer]

tagging along here - I have been battling the little buggers as well for quite some time...Get the bottle of aptasia X and it does the job ---- for a little while and then they are back. I have a four line wrasse that thinks shrimp are for cocktails - so no more shrimp. I have mostly sps with a few lps in for good measure. Looking for insight into which butterfly as well...

[Earl111]

I use turbo calk pellets. Take a teaspoon or so, put a few teaspoons of hot water in it and mix it up. it get's really hot, then inject it into them or as close as possible. They melt away. Tried 10-15 bottles of Joes' juice and they seem to multiply. I had a huge infection 100+ of them a few years ago. two or three doses of the calk whiped them out. Plus you're giving your tank calcium!

[nuclearheli]

I had a massive Aptasia problem. Tried everything. Two Copper's lost both of them and they didn't eat a thing. Besides, I am not interested in bringing a fish into my tank that will die when their food supply dies off. I have several Pepper shrimp in the tank. They are happy and healthy but don't seem to be interested in the Aptasia.

So I am also one of the Berghia nudibranchs victims. I ordered high flow Berghia nudibranchs, a dozen of them, 3/4". Spent hours making sure I got them into the tank successfully. Actually saw them for a week or two and really saw one of them consume one of the Aptasia. After three weeks, never saw them again. Expensive lesson.

My solution was one of patience. I also use Aptasia X and found that very diligent careful applications over long periods of time eventually eliminate the little buggers. Yes I still have a few of them that I attack each week. During my normal weekly maintenance (typically sunday's) when I change out water and clean the tank, I start off by attacking any stray Aptasia I can find. I think what I like best about Aptasia X is the "Blast" treatment. I have actually eliminated a whole crop of Aptasia that I could not reach by spraying one dose over the area where they are located. Got rid of most of them. Several attempts eliminated them.

Believe me, you think your Aptasia situation was a problem, I would be the farm that mine was far worse!!! I even had them growing on the power heads!

My tank looks great now and I although I kill a couple now and then each week, nothing worth worrying about.

[mikk1301]

Originally Posted by extreme5450

copperbanded or racoon butterfly

must be the fasciatus not the linulas tho

[strike2867]

Originally Posted by nuclearheli

I had a massive Aptasia problem. Tried everything. Two Copper's lost both of them and they didn't eat a thing. Besides, I am not interested in bringing a fish into my tank that will die when their food supply dies off. I have several Pepper shrimp in the tank. They are happy and healthy but don't seem to be interested in the Aptasia.

So I am also one of the Berghia nudibranchs victims. I ordered high flow Berghia nudibranchs, a dozen of them, 3/4". Spent hours making sure I got them into the tank successfully. Actually saw them for a week or two and really saw one of them consume one of the Aptasia. After three weeks, never saw them again. Expensive lesson.

My solution was one of patience. I also use Aptasia X and found that very diligent careful applications over long periods of time eventually eliminate the little buggers. Yes I still have a few of them that I attack each week. During my normal weekly maintenance (typically sunday's) when I change out water and clean the tank, I start off by attacking any stray Aptasia I can find. I think what I like best about Aptasia X is the "Blast" treatment. I have actually eliminated a whole crop of Aptasia that I could not reach by spraying one dose over the area where they are located. Got rid of most of them. Several attempts eliminated them.

Believe me, you think your Aptasia situation was a problem, I would be the farm that mine was far worse!!! I even had them growing on the power heads!

My tank looks great now and I although I kill a couple now and then each week, nothing worth worrying about.

Please note your experience with Coppers isn't shared by everybody. Making sure they eat frozen brine before you leave the store is probably your best bet. I've had my growing Copperband for 7-8 months now without any Aiptasia. I also disagree with their stated minimum tank requirements as an adult. Starting out the minimum is probably 50, but a full grown adult will need 150 gallons(height and length). Very beautiful and peaceful fish.

[nuclearheli]

Well your one of the lucky ones. My coppers were eating just fine, they were not eating Aptasia. I tried twice and lost two fine fish. I would rather treat the problem with patience then kill another fish.

[Jfannin]

Put the Halk in a different tank for a while or have a friend hold the halk or sale it. Then add a few peppermint shrimp. I had 100% luck with the shrimp. Tryed the spot feed/kill crap and just like you posted already they just come back 10 fold. Get the shrimp.

[zmckenzie]

http://www.liveaquaria.com/diversden...+4&ddid=104718

[scottsdale454ss]

buy some of those nudibranch that only eat aptasia

[Pickupman66]

So, if you go the route of catching the hawk, the fastest way I have ever done it is to get a very tiny hook and some fine fishing line. put a chunk of table shrimp on it just enough to fit in his mouth. he will go after it quickly. one hook is in his mouth, a gentle tug and he is hooked and out he will come. you can flatten teh barb out to make it easier to get him off the hook so you can drop him in the QT.

this is how I removed a hawk from my tank.