Never thought I'd say this...

[lastlight]

My peppermints are my only cleanup crew so they get plenty to eat. I'm pretty sure if they both died I'd start to see aiptasia again. I personally believe you can't ever get every last one but so far so good.

[Skimmerking]

I found that using kalk didn't work for me it made it worse. Since I dose with Kalk well use too I think that they are immune to them. Now in my RSM 250 they are getting out of hand.

[asylumdown]

In my last tank I used kalk, Joes Juice, Lemon Juice, boiling water, Lime Juice, AiptasiaX, etc. etc. etc. I also bought an Aiptasia zapper, half a dozen peppermints, and about 1000 in berghia.

The chemical solutions don't ever kill 100% of an anemone, it might melt most of it, but it always leaves enough tissue at the base to regrow one eventually. That plus the chances of triggering the aiptasia to release single celled clones of itself in to the water column, making the problem much worse, is very high. Also about 60% of aiptasia grow in racks or crevices that you simply can't reach with a zapper or syringe. The best I was able to accomplish was a temporary reprieve around the base of my corals, but it was hours and hours of work on a weekly basis to keep them 'under control' I even went so far as to remove all my rock and blowtorch them, but I missed probably half of them.

I tried peppermint shrimp next, shrimp that I watched devour an aiptasia in the store, but I fed my tank to well. They never touched a single anemone in my tank in over 6 months. I also suspect that the shrimp were why the berghia failed the first time, as they are known predators of nudibranchs. I know I'm a small sample size, but I feel pretty comfortable saying that if you're going for aiptasia control, you have to decide from the beginning if you want the shrimp, or the nudis, and to not mix them. In this tank I also don't have any of the wrasses that are suspected to go after nudibranchs either, so that might have had something to do with it.

[dnalamb]

I was in the same boat as you are I bought a Matted Filefish, it took about a month then it seemed like overnight half were gone witnin a week all clear except my overflow.

[mikeclarke]

I've got three aptasias....
http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=93767
Would you use berghias or peppermint shrimps?

[dnalamb]

If you see three you probably have at least ten times that that you can't see.

[Dearth]

I use peppermint shrimp easier for me to get ahold of

[asylumdown]

Originally Posted by mikeclarke

I've got three aptasias....
http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=93767
Would you use berghias or peppermint shrimps?

Peppermints are hit and miss. They work for some people, don't work for others. They never worked for me, while other people have had them clear an entire tank in a couple of weeks.

I like berghia because they're obligate aiptasia predators, it's the only thing they can and do eat, whereas peppermints can change their mind if something more tasty is available. Berghia, by weight, are probably the most expensive substance in existence however.

Whichever you do, pick one and do that. Peppermints will eat berghia, so if you put the peppermints in and they don't eat the aiptasia and you want to try berghia next, make sure you take the peppermints out first or it will be a lot of wasted money.

[mikeclarke]

How much are the beghia? I am coming to Calgary. Would you start out with peppermints? Are any of the sorta-reefsafe butterflies good too? I think that it might be good to hit it from multiple predators.

Originally Posted by asylumdown

Peppermints are hit and miss. They work for some people, don't work for others. They never worked for me, while other people have had them clear an entire tank in a couple of weeks.

I like berghia because they're obligate aiptasia predators, it's the only thing they can and do eat, whereas peppermints can change their mind if something more tasty is available. Berghia, by weight, are probably the most expensive substance in existence however.

Whichever you do, pick one and do that. Peppermints will eat berghia, so if you put the peppermints in and they don't eat the aiptasia and you want to try berghia next, make sure you take the peppermints out first or it will be a lot of wasted money.