effective way to kill aiptasia (now with moar lasers!)

globaldesigns · #1 12-09-2011, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daniella3d

I use aiptasia X but it's expensive and they keep coming back. Your tric is good but must be pretty hard to do on the tiny buggers that hide within zoanthids colonies. I hate those with a vengance. They anoy my zoanthids and yet they are so small that they are very hard to kill as they retract too fast. It is also tricky to put aiptasia X or any other stuff in a zoanthid colony, so it is a real bummer. I am thinking of getting a few berghia.

That I can't comment on, as I have no more zoa's... My hippo tang developed a taste for them and basicaly ate thousands of exotic ones I had. Hence I have no more, except for the odd pest one.

Nudi's work well, I bought 2 for my sump, and they bred. They cleaned up the sump really well. But, they died off, because they had no more food. Time has passed, and some aptaisa have come back in the sump. I don't bother anymore, there are not many, and my DT is clean of them. I just keep on top of things.

Parker · #2 12-10-2011, 12:47 AM

I have a file fish that doesn't eat them, I have peppermint shrimp that don't eat them. I use Kalk paste a well, I coat them and it seems to work.

monocus · #3 12-10-2011, 01:50 AM

i always use berghia-tried peppermint shrimp-never worked,kalk paste or joes juice just released all the daughter cells,injected them with lemon juice.at least the berghia go everywhere and i don't have to do any work

Beverly · #4 12-10-2011, 01:57 AM

I don't think it matters what you inject them with - kalk, vinegar, liquid calcium, strontium - anything that's toxic to them when injected but reef-friendly should do the trick. I inject them when they're small and make sure I inject all the way in. It might take two or three injections to kill them dead so they detach and can be removed from the tank. Powerheads off, of course.

Lance · #5 12-10-2011, 02:16 AM

I'm convinced you'll never really get rid of them until you get yourself an Aiptasia-eating critter. I've been fighting them in my 90g since day 1; I swear I've used every method there is, (kalk paste, Joe's Juice, Aiptasia-X, boiling water, lemon juice, sodium hydroxide, epoxy, and the zapper). I can keep the population down but if I don't keep at them constantly they just come back with a vengeance.
I have a CBB in the 225g who has a taste for them and haven't had a problem since I got him. I move smaller rock infested with the little bastards from the 90 to the big tank and within days he has eaten them all............. I love that little yellow guy!

daniella3d · #6 12-10-2011, 02:23 AM

How long do you have the copperband? Usually what we hear is that they eat all the aiptasias and then die. I am wondering if it is not toxic for them and slowly kill them?

Mine does not touch any aiptasia and I have him for a year.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lance

I have a CBB in the 225g who has a taste for them and haven't had a problem since I got him. I move smaller rock infested with the little bastards from the 90 to the big tank and within days he has eaten them all............. I love that little yellow guy!

Lance · #7 12-10-2011, 02:31 AM

I got it from a fellow reefer in May 2009. How long she had it for I don't know. It eats all fresh or frozen meaty foods but will not touch flakes or pellets.

The Grizz · #8 12-10-2011, 02:35 AM

I bought a CBB from a fellow reefer and damn it's got an apatite for apitasia & those little white feather dusters ( had thousands ) I have a zapper for my FOWLR & office tank, tried the kalk paste & apitasia X as well but nothing is as good as Buckbeek( my CBB ).

Delphinus · #9 12-10-2011, 03:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lance

I'm convinced you'll never really get rid of them until you get yourself an Aiptasia-eating critter.

I agree. Actually this is even more true than you might think; even with an aiptaisa eating critter they are never really eradicated; they are just constantly eaten so you don't see them. Seen it twice now where removal of the aiptasia-eater just saw the aiptasia bounce back within a few weeks (even if nothing was added).

If injection is the method of choice, feed them first with some mysis. They engorge themselves and then it's harder to retreat into the ittybitty holes (they still will but at least it slows them down some).

martinmcnally · #10 12-10-2011, 04:29 AM

Found this website that will ship Berghias to Canada. I'm going to order some as soon as the holidays are over to clean up my tank.

http://www.saltyunderground.com/inde...ath=6&CDpath=7