I've almost given up my fight with aiptasia...

[TrojanScott]

I've tried almost everything... which leads me to why I'm posting.

First, I've tried Joe's Juice, Aiptasia Control, some other stuff that looks like the same stuff as JJ. Tried peppermint shrimp twice, and they don't touch it. Bergiah nudies, tried that too, and they started to make a difference, but now don't know if they're even still in my tank, I'm doubtful.

Are Copperband Butterflies really a slam dunk to get rid of 'em?

How are they as reef fish, and how big do they get? How aggressive are they?

I currently have:

1 Naso Tang, about 8 " long
1 Blue Tang, about 6" long
1 Yellow Tang, medium sized
1 Coral Beauty.
1 Blue Jaw Trigger
1 spotted Mandarin
1 diamond goby.

I'd hate to try a Copperband and see it not touch my aiptasia.
I'm sick of having my hand in my tank every other day trying to get rid of these damn things, only to see 'em come back time and time again.

[TrojanScott]

Okay, now I've done a little reading, and looks like they're very difficult to keep, and shouldn't be kept with any aggressive fish, so I guess this idea is out. I'm not gonna by a fish to hope it rids my problem, then watch it starve to death.

[Travis L. Stevens]

Have you tried a Pearlscale Butterflyfish? What about injecting with Vinegar?

[TrojanScott]

Oooh, cool, more reading. Will pick or eat clams! NICE!

Well, back to the drawing board. CRAP.

[RamPuppy]

I am drawn to the fact you can't see your bhergias impact anymore... if your bhergia are dead it's because something ate them or your water quality is not high enough for them.

remember that aiptasia need to eat too, and the first step in controlling them is good water quality.

I would try the bhergia again before you do anything else, you need a few of them, and you should put them all in the tank together, maybe in a rubble pile so they can stay together... 3 bhergia will do nothing, it's the army of offspring they produce that gets the job done.

http://berghia.net/

[Keiths_Reefs]

If the Bergiah were working why not stick with that method? a 180 gallon is pretty sizable so you may beed to shuttle them around a little to find some to eat. They also die pretty quickly if they can't find any so you have to stay fairly proactive in moving them around. If you seem them out during the day at all they've most likely already begun to starve. Also if you still have the peppermint shrimp there are a lot of reports of them eating the Bergiah.

[Randall_James]

There is no cure for the pests....

Only control methods :mad:

It is a radical fix and likely a bit destructive but I would think that only be removing each rock and killing off the critters (maybe a boiling water dunk?) and then aging that rock for a day or so (due to collateral losses) and then moving on to the next rock?

anyway, regardless of method, I have not seen a single (valid) story of elimination through predators. Seems there is always a small number left..

[Shooter9er]

I grabbed a copperband and he made quick work of them. He is still with me 6 months later and is fat and healthy.

[SunnyX]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8561398#post8561398 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randall_James
There is no cure for the pests....

Only control methods :mad:

It is a radical fix and likely a bit destructive but I would think that only be removing each rock and killing off the critters (maybe a boiling water dunk?) and then aging that rock for a day or so (due to collateral losses) and then moving on to the next rock?

anyway, regardless of method, I have not seen a single (valid) story of elimination through predators. Seems there is always a small number left..

Then I am one of the lucky few to have found a cure. I have had copperband butterfly for over a year now and have never seen any aptasia since his addition. He eliminated over 100 aptasia within four days.

A copperband butterfly has been the only method of control I have found. And yes I have five clams and have never seen him once peck at them.

[JRaquatics]

I purchased a pair of peppermint shrimp and the eliminated all my aptasia including the large ones. Now they release a hatch about every month. Becomes a good meal for the fish and corals. The peppermints are one of the best purchases for my tank.

[Randall_James]

Cure and control are different things, removing the control will probably result in new pests...

A cure would be elimination of them, not just a lack of visible ones. The control is the problem having to keep the animal in the tank and with some tanks, they are not going to be compatible with other tankmates is all.

I just have not seen any control measure cure the problem

Suppose there must be some exceptions but I would like to see them myself as these things are terrible once established

[Angel*Fish]

I have been battling this problem - just wantd to share my experience with the peppermint shrimp,

First I bought 2 and didn't notice anything. 2 months later I bought 5. I'm not sure how many are alive and happy in the tank - but now my aiptasia is under control

I helped them by using Joe's Juice (now I just mix it up in the JJ bottle - tank water, not fresh & kalk) The PS don't seem to eat the big aiptasias, but they apparently are eating the babies

HTH :)

[JRaquatics]

Another thing I would like to mention in this thread that is I have seen camel shrimp being sold as Peppermint shrimp. That is one reason why some people find peppermints not effective in controlling aptasia. I purchased my peppermints 3 months ago and within 1 week all the aptasia were gone out of my 90gal mixed reef. I had a couple on a small rock in the fuge and placed it up in the display for a night. The following night when I came home the pest were gone. I have not used joes juice since I got my peppermints.

[jab502]

I see no reason that you cannot house a copper banded butterfly. I bought one for the same reason and about 50 aiptasia where gone in two days. Never seen one since. I think you should give it a try.

[Xirxes23]

i heard if u use a gallon of bleach dumped in pretty much any size system, the aiptasia drop like flies!

(or joe's juice once a month until YOU drop like a fly)

[mcmarkrazz]

the only guarentee is to get a RACOON butterfly ..i promise it will make short work of all ur aptasia problems ...
ive used them in many occasions but the problem is that when they are finished they have a tendency to start eating a few other things in the tank .. one liked mushrooms,another liked my trumpets,and another my torches..
so i just took the coral they liked and put it in a crner of the tank with a piece of plexiglass ..when they swam in the corner i trapped them with the plexi and took the racoon out..i did get 1 once that left everything else alone tho>:) gl bro