What to do when liverock full of aptasia

[ReefPharmer]

i bought a used set up from a guy who is getting out. equip is good but he really let it go and the tank is FULL of aptasia. He has some nice coral pieces that somehow survived included a couple of chalices. Some of the pieces are on plugs. I am planning on moving the corals to my main tank at some point but how do i prevent the plugs from bringing aptasia into my DT that possibly is hiding on the plugs? I have really tried to stay away from introducing it into my DT and have been successful so far.

[gmate]

Ugh. I did the same thing with a local reefer. He got out, I purchased about 40 lbs of live rock that was COVERED in chalice, digi's, sps sticks, xenia, etc. I moved the coral and put some of the LR in my tank. Still fighting it to this day. My suggestion? Save the coral, bleach the live rock and start fresh. It's not worth the fight.

[Reef264]

I recently tried my Luck again with peppermint shrimps, after several failed attempts in the past with them, I succeeded this time!I purchased 4 Rather Large Peppermints, maybe that is why it worked, because of there size, I really don't know.

Aptasia Eating File Fish are great if you don't have LPS, or Softies.

[am3gross]

I just got over a really bad case of aiptasia.... I bleached my rock, the acid dipped my rock, and then I let sit and soak in fresh ro/di water... Right now I have no signs of aiptasia. If I was you I would frag the corals and put them on new plugs and then put them in the display. I really hate any kind of pests wether it be algae or whatever... Hth

[gmate]

+1 to peppermints in your tank work too, I have 2 large ones.

[7Reef]

Some rich will eat it, but if they don't get every last piece it will grow back. Let the rock dry out, soak it in water and peroxide for a few weeks to cure it. Best way to be sure.

[RogerJoys]

I tried Peppermint Shrimp and had no success, but a Copperbanded Butterfly eliminated the problem in less than a week.

Good luck.

[Pufferd300s]

i tried the peppermint shrimp and it didn't work so i injected it with some fresh lemon juice and it killed it.

[Blakeup295]

MATTED FILE FISH, just watch to see if he nips coral most people hate on them and say they always eat coral i have had 3 dif ones and none even looked at my zoas and pallys, and while there active in my tank ive never even seen one!

[Bicyclebill]

I've tried aptasia paste from several different companies, Peppermint shrimp, and a file fish. Chemicals give short term sucess, nothing from the shrimp or file fish. Recently bought a bunch of bergia nudibranchs, and problem seems to have taken care of itself. They're a bit expensive, but nothing compared to what I've spent up to this point.

[johnike]

Matted Filefish did the job here as well and doesn't bother anything else in the tank.

[mwminer]

+1 on the filefish. We have one and he ate every apitasia and he is just a model citizen. Doesn't bother anything. He's great!

[toothman]

What i did was watch my apitasia grow and multiply, I got really worried when I saw one growing into a tunze powerhead and most likely tearing off little seeds to populate the entire tank. I tried removing the most affected rocks and with in 3 months it looked like a apitasia party. I then got kalk solution and injected it into the base of the aptiasia, it was time consuming like a part time job. The worst part of this method was it really did not work. They easily retracted into the depths of the live rock and enjoyed shelter. This is my office tank, at home I have a copperband butterfly and have no apitasia, so I purchased one for the office. One month later I still had loads of apitasia. It was summer and time for family vacation we went away for a week and left the tank to fair on its own. When I got back I could not find even one of the 100 plus apitasia. I just laughed remembering taking out the live rock drying it reintroducing it, injecting the bases and just general frustration. This was really too easy.

File fish will also eat apitasia but may pick at other things.

[LSUtiger]

+1 more for peppermint shrimp. They've always done the trick for me. I just added two a few weeks ago. They were small and a few of the aptasia were pretty big. I wasn't sure they'd touch them. The shrimp are still there, the aptasia are not. This was my second attempt this go around. The first peppermint shrimp didn't touch them and went missing within a week of purchase.

[ReefPharmer]

seems like people have different success rates w/ each of the above mentioned. I have a peppermint but some of the aptasia seem bigger than the shrimp! I think i will dry the rock for now, since the tank is broken down, but in the future will get a copperband.

[freezetyle]

Berghia nudibranches do wonders. they eat every last bit and can get into crevices that peppermint shrimp/fish cannot.

[T Diddy]

Berghia nudibranches do wonders. they eat every last bit and can get into crevices that peppermint shrimp/fish cannot.

just buy about 10 berghias and get it over with

[Marioplumber]

Berghia verrucicornus is a type of slug that my lfs sells it works pretty good but they will die when there is no food

[hotrodolds]

Find a brave soul with a copperband that eats it and loan rock out to them piece by piece

[Buzz1329]

+1 on the Copperband. And while it was eating all the nasties, it started eating what I was feeding the other fish and survived after the A's were gone. I sold it when I had to break down my last tank, but it's one of my fave fish. Almost makes me wish I had A's in my new tank. Or not.

[cmb074]

Can peppermint shrimp be added when I have a cleaner shrimp? I have a few apastasia and don't want more!

[Munchdog]

Berghia verrucicornus is a type of slug that my lfs sells it works pretty good but they will die when there is no food

Mario, who in town carries them? Also in parker... :fun2:

[RSantilli]

Buy some peppermint shrimp they are awesome with aiptasia I bought some and there is not one trace of it left

[larryfl1]

i have a large tank 350 gallon and about 10-15 peppermint shrimp

i have no way of catching the shrimp out of the tank...

will they eat the bergia ? i want to add about 20 bergia but dont want it to be dinner for the shrimp

[Munchdog]

I tried a pepper in mine, but he seemed to like the food my fish got instead. I then resorted to Aptasia-X, seems to do the trick when any pops up I nuke it, so that tells me theres some Aptasia in spots I can't see.