Another aptasia bummer...

[MasterBlaster]

I've read the previous posts concerning Aptasia infestation. The general concensus seems to be Racoon Butterflys, CBB's, Peppermint shrimp, and injecting them.

I don't see how the last one is possible. Besides the vast number of them, merely touching them... well, you know.

I'm considering a RB, but I have been told that can tend to graze where they shouldn't. Then theres the CBB, who I think is more reef-safe, but sometimes they don't take to an Aptasia diet.

Peppermint shrimp? Hmmmph. I have 6 in my 20gal fuge, none in my 46gal main. They don't seem to be affecting the problem at all. I'm going to put 10 or so in the main tank ASAP. But I don't think they will solve it.

So what ( if any ) is the newest thinking nowadays towards erradication of this problem?




And to think all of this came from a handfull of caulerpa I bought from my LFS.

[ckg4445]

You can buy this stuff called joes juice from joesjuice.com. Many people have had success with it. You can also seringe (don't use the needle part) fill it wit every day lemon juice the aptasia love it and i personally have had success with that method. Other have had success with using the seringe fill it with ice cold ice water and shoot it with it.

[Reefland]

Hi Masterblaster!

The methods you listed are today's methods unfortunately. There is no easy way to get rid of them.

Peppermint shrimp sometimes will and sometimes won't eat them; as you mentioned, it is a hit and miss proposition. A CBB is your best bet but there is long term care requirements there so be sure to research the needs first, don't just buy one to eat the aiptasia and then allow it to die.

Regards,
Scott Z.

[MasterBlaster]

Actually, if the butterfly starts having any problems, my plan was to trade it back to the LFS.

My biggest worry is they will graze on my coral.

Has anyone had this happen to them?

[Reefland]

I had a CBB in teh past and never had a problem. Both MtnDewMan and zhenya have both recently had CBB's with no problems. It is a slight gamble but for the most part, they are ok in a reef.

Regards,
Scott Z.

[MasterBlaster]

Thats good to hear - the CBB it is, then.

Thanks, guys!

[Elmo18]

If I had this problem now, I would try joesjuice because many people have had success with it. Of course, I would read and read first, before I add anything destructive in a tank.

Elmo

[MasterBlaster]

I am going to try JoesJuice. I just can't see how I'm going to administer it to all those pernacious critters.



I've been thinking of devising a DC device capable of delivering a pinpoint, concentrated zap directly to them, and into the hole.

Something along the line of a Mag-Lite with a long, insulated wire with only the last 1/8" bare.

I dunno. Ya'll ever heard of such nonsense?

[Reefland]

Most people use a syringe or some type of medical needle to inject them with. I always used the boiling water method and used a syringe that comes with Salifert Test Kits to shoot them with.

Scott Z.

[SueT]

Masterblaster, I have had a copperband now for 3 years last month and it has never had any interest in aiptasia. I also got on the bandwagon of the new product Joe's Juice but this seems to be only kalk. and water mixed. It flakes into the water exactly like it did when I would make a paste of kalk. and water.

With JJ you are supplied a syringe and you are supposed to only hold the syringe over the mouths of the aiptasia and it burns them. I noticed only tentacle burning and the bases of the aiptaisa would stay in contact. After 2 doses of the stuff I am seeing total die off now. It has taken me almost 3 bottles though.

[AquariumSpecialty]

I've read the previous posts concerning Aptasia infestation. The general concensus seems to be Racoon Butterflys, CBB's, Peppermint shrimp, and injecting them.

I don't see how the last one is possible. Besides the vast number of them, merely touching them... well, you know.

I'm considering a RB, but I have been told that can tend to graze where they shouldn't. Then theres the CBB, who I think is more reef-safe, but sometimes they don't take to an Aptasia diet.

Peppermint shrimp? Hmmmph. I have 6 in my 20gal fuge, none in my 46gal main. They don't seem to be affecting the problem at all. I'm going to put 10 or so in the main tank ASAP. But I don't think they will solve it.

So what ( if any ) is the newest thinking nowadays towards erradication of this problem?




And to think all of this came from a handfull of caulerpa I bought from my LFS.

Ok here it is, my 1st post. Pepprmint shrimp are the way to go. Forget injecting. It's a pain in the rear and it doesn't work very well. Look for Peppermint shrimp and they should do the trick for you. I believe the warm water version does a better job and they seem to hold up better in the reef. Beware if you have fish eating shrimp (ex. many hawk fish...).

[MasterBlaster]

Well, I got my CBB yesterday. Its pecking away at the rock, so I'm hoping it starts to eat with no problem. So far no evidence of it eating the Ap. I put 4 P. shrimp in last week.

I tried the boiling water thing, it was just as good as the 'stab em to death with a coathanger' method.

If this doesn't work I guess Joe's Juice is next.



All this from one clump of Caulerpa.

[ttfalcon]

Well, its been 1 year since I got this great deal on Ebay or so I thought. I purchased a tank that had 150Lbs of Live Rock that was completely infested with Anemone Majano. I didnt know what it was and mistook it for Aiptasia. I thought I would share my experience and hopefully save you some time.

Peppermint shrimp dont eat Majano, I tried this many times in a isolation tank and the only time they would eat any is if I were to inject them with Lemon Juice. This took absolutely forever and I had 100's of them throughout the tank. Copperbanded Butterfly's also dont eat Majano (or at least the one I bought) but I have recently been told that the Atlantic Banded Butterfly will (Black Striped). My LFS said he had some Banded and it shredded all the Majano.

Hot Water and Scraping them off wont do to much either. Watch them multiply!!!!
Now the only thing I can say about Joe's Juice is it definitely works, but use with caution. I was to a point that i was getting pissed about the Majano and I used the Joe's Juice on about 100 of those pesky things. Dont do this. I messed up my water chemistry very badly. I suggest if you use Joes Juice you have a VERY good protein skimmer to rid of the die off of the anemone's... If you only have a couple, Im sure it will work fine. You dont need much at all though. I used so much initially because the website said it would not mess up the water chemistry. But with that much die off something had to happen. My water chemisty was nil across the board before I used Joe's Juice and I had a huge Ammonia to Nitrite to Nitrate Spike. I would have killed all of my fish If I wasnt monitoring my tank and removed them all and put them in anothe tank.

Anyway, I thought I would share my misery and hopefully save someone else some time and money.

I've read the previous posts concerning Aptasia infestation. The general concensus seems to be Racoon Butterflys, CBB's, Peppermint shrimp, and injecting them.

I don't see how the last one is possible. Besides the vast number of them, merely touching them... well, you know.

I'm considering a RB, but I have been told that can tend to graze where they shouldn't. Then theres the CBB, who I think is more reef-safe, but sometimes they don't take to an Aptasia diet.

Peppermint shrimp? Hmmmph. I have 6 in my 20gal fuge, none in my 46gal main. They don't seem to be affecting the problem at all. I'm going to put 10 or so in the main tank ASAP. But I don't think they will solve it.

So what ( if any ) is the newest thinking nowadays towards erradication of this problem?




And to think all of this came from a handfull of caulerpa I bought from my LFS.

[dougc]

MasterBlaster,

I notice that the peppermint shrimp have only been in the tank for a week. I added 3 peppermints to my tank about a month ago and they didn't touch the aiptasia for a few weeks. Just a few days ago, I was surprised to see that I couldn't find an aiptasia any more. It may take them a while to acclimate and/or get hungry enough to chow down.

[tcobos]

Hey- just to let you know- I used a CBB but, Pepermint Shrimp will take care of the problem.. The trick is you have to stab a couple of the aptasia with a toothpick so the juices flow into the tank- once the peppermint shrimp get a taste of the aptasia stew (the deed will be done-so long aptasia!)

[Spick]

Peppermint shrimp will only eat the aptasias which are small and not intimidating to them. The best solutions from experience is if you have largers one, "Joe's juice" works great.

[ramous]

I had a few aptasia in my reef and I to added a couple of peppermint shrimps to help. It took a couple of weeks but no more aptasia.