Frustration Aiptasia

[havoc79]

Just want to start by saying i love reefing but i am very angry of how my reefing has been going lately feels more a nuisance. I use to have a nice tank coral and all but aiptasia and mojanos reared there ugly and took over couldn't stop the onslaught of the spread of them lost my corals very nice colonies just have my fish now rock that you can't see because they are covered in the crap.
So a few months back i decided to set my 200 gallon up and start from scratch so went through the steps plumbing cycled the water then my mistake came i bought one big piece of live rock from my local fish store won't say names but i would like to well never mind. what i think is crap is feel they probably get them from reefers that gave up and had infestations of aiptasia and then sell back to us. So i started seeing two aiptasias coming out of the rock took it out and broke those pieces off now a month later there is about 7 aiptasias in my main tank and a few in my sump. Not sure where to go anymore tried all the stuff everyone talks about how to rid your tank from them the wand, aiptasia x, hot water, peppermint shrimp, nudibranch, file fish and others. i know that out come. Don't know what I'm looking for here help or just trying to vent because i'm mad.

[johnike]

If you don't have corals, a Raccoon Butterfly will get rid of any and all Aiptasia and Majano guaranteed.
And it's certainly not the LFS's fault, quit looking for someone to blame. If YOU didn't see them on the rock when you bought it, chances are they didn't either.

[71xlch]

I have had luck with kalk paste. Also I usually don't jam them with a needle etc as someone once told me they can spread if you rupture them (idk if it's true but I just follow it). I turn all pumps off and use a syringe with thick paste and cover the head and all around the base. Lit sit 10 minutes. Don't need very much. The super high ph will kill them.

[71xlch]

But I will second that we are responsible for what goes in our tank. QT'ing etc. It's hard and time consuming but it works

[johnike]

I have had luck with kalk paste. Also I usually don't jam them with a needle etc as someone once told me they can spread if you rupture them (idk if it's true but I just follow it). I turn all pumps off and use a syringe with thick paste and cover the head and all around the base. Lit sit 10 minutes. Don't need very much. The super high ph will kill them.

Yep, my favorite method.
Or torch em if you can get the rock out.
Heh heh, fire.

[xanthurum]

Kleins butterfly. They readily eat the little buggers and after its all gone they usually just switch to prepared foods and don't bother corals.

[havoc79]

So if I bought a raccoon butterfly fish it clears the inside of my tank should I close the valve and pumps and drain my sump or just try to put paste on them and I'm going to blame you for that shirt

[OrionN]

I agree with John. What you put in your tank is your responsibility not the LFS. Copperband butterfly will get rid of the aptasia.

[OrionN]

I also use a blow torch to take care of some of the pests

[havoc79]

Alright not blaming the LFS was just heated I know it was my fault taking that chance just want to correct the situation so let's stick to that point I will take the one rock off and blow torch it I have a mojano wand to what do you think also put some shrimp in there and will look into getting a butterfly fish tell I feel I'm ready to start putting coral back in it

[havoc79]

Have another question took rock out of my third tank it's been dry for months if I start by putting it in salt waster and get it cycled will the dead aptasia grow back might be a dumb question or should I boil it first

[havoc79]

I just want to get to one tank and put all my focus on it had three going but down to two and want to transfer all to my 200

[EagleFF]

I have had great success getting rid of apthasias with lemon juice and a syringe, I use a piece of cotton to sift the solids out of the lemon juice pull into the syringe and inject the apthasia in the mouth, kills them almost on contact, they will draw up and go away, doesnt take much.

[Argo747]

Stay strong my friend. I know aptasia can try anyone's patience. I use Aiptasia X myself, but the timing to get it on the oral disk can be tricky. Sometimes it takes a couple of applications to get it right. If you stay vigilant you can beat them.

[FamilyTank]

After 3 months of neglect. I had aptashia and majono. I put in 3 peppermints. They did nothing for 2 days. The 3rd day they were hungry enoughenough to clear it up. Thats when I boiled lemon juice and injected the majanos before they opened for the day. Later that day the peppermints were picking at the carcasses of the majano. That was 5mths ago.

[havoc79]

Thank you for everyone's input I'll try my best and stay on top of them

[enb141]

what I do to kill aiptasia is to use a syringe with boiling water, about 2 or 3 syringes with boiling water kill it.

I've got some aiptasia since I've bought some corals and everytime a tiny one appears I do the same and now after 8 months or so I have 0 aiptasias, but if one appear I'll definitively will burn it.

[Sk8r]

I've had excellent luck with pep shrimp over the years; I get juvies, which are more apt to eat them, and they usually devolve down to one carefully farmed aiptasia, (I'm sure it's my imagination) which they farm for tasty young. Had no trouble with peps, stony coral and clams.

[mradonis]

Kleins butterfly. They readily eat the little buggers and after its all gone they usually just switch to prepared foods and don't bother corals.

I had a battle with aiptasia that got out of control. Put in a Klein, and all were gone within a couple of weeks.

[havoc79]

Ordering a raccoon butterfly best online store any suggestions

[johnike]

Ordering a raccoon butterfly best online store any suggestions

I got mine from Bluezoo.
Always have had positive experiences ordering from them.

[havoc79]

Ok I went with peppermint shrimp and am down to one aiptasia now one more question might be dumb but I took a bunch of live rock out of a 75 gal I took down and will do the same with the hundred gal. I left the rock out from the 75 for 4 months will cycle in a qt tank the dried up aiptasia won't regrow will it not sure how they work. Thanks

[lespaul339]

I agree with John. What you put in your tank is your responsibility not the LFS. Copperband butterfly will get rid of the aptasia.

Not always. Mine ate aiptasia at first, but now for some reason he won't touch the stuff.

[johnike]

Everything is 'not always'.

Except them there Raccoons. :)

[Jyetman]

4 peppermints solved my problem in 1 month.

[havoc79]

I take it the rocks dead and will not grow back aiptasia

[FirstContact]

Since no one is answering this question, I'd be a lot more comfortable bleaching all the rock before I used it again. Put it all in a Rubbermaid bin, trough, or trash can and bleach it.

[havoc79]

Ok like a 10% solution did not know you could bleach rock and then put the rock back into the system later

[FirstContact]

One to two cups of bleach. Soak the rocks overnight, rinse thoroughly after your done and let them air out a couple of days.

[rt67ghy]

Ok I went with peppermint shrimp and am down to one aiptasia now one more question might be dumb but I took a bunch of live rock out of a 75 gal I took down and will do the same with the hundred gal. I left the rock out from the 75 for 4 months will cycle in a qt tank the dried up aiptasia won't regrow will it not sure how they work. Thanks

This will work. The dried aiptasia will not grow back. I used to do this before I bought peppermint shrimps. It's easy if you haven't glued all your rocks together.