SOS: Aiptasia... with a twist!

[XeniaGirl]

Hi guys,
I am posting this on behalf of my parents since I am visiting them right now.
They have a very well-established (5+ years old) 6 foot long marine tank, sand bottom, with fish and coral. Recently they've gotten a pretty bad aiptasia infestation, which I guess started when one hitchhiked on a piece of live rock or something.
I'm trying to find something that will 100% kill/eat the aiptasia without disturbing everything in the tank. We've already tried Joe's Juice and manual removal (fingernails) and we really don't want to do something chemical because of the other inhabitants.
Here are the other fish and inverts in the tank, fyi:

-sailfin tang
-parrot wrasse
-yellow tang
-bicolor angel
-lawnmower blenny
-maroon clown
-regal tang
-red hawkfish
-turbo snails
-reef hermits (red and blue legged)
-2 xl featherdusters
-xenia
-mushrooms
-ricordia
-frogspawn
-button polyps/zoas
-various leathers

All of the tank specs are normal and everyone in the tank is doing fine. They're willing to get an invert or fish that eats the aiptasia but don't want to risk anyhing else getting eaten or killed.
Is this possible? What are good suggestions?
Thanks so much!

[chrischris]

well the hawkfish will prob. et pepperment shrimp and a copperbanded butterfly will prob. eat corals so im stumped
and fyi aptasi spread by fragmentation all you did when you removed them with your fingernails is help them create more

[XeniaGirl]

welllll... crap.


And I misspoke earlier - they have a fairy wrasse, not a parrot wrasse. (I'm an amateur, I know). Not sure if that makes a difference or not.
At this point I think they'd be willing to maaaaaybe get rid of one fish if it meant that they could get something else which would get rid of the aiptasia. That being said... can we be helped!?

[Big B]

I am using a very strong kalk mix with a syringe. It seems to work better than the Joe's Juice. I just started yesterday, so we will see.

[chrischris]

ya if you got rid of the hawk fish you could get 5 pepperment shrimp and they should get rid of it in a mateer of months

[Hop]

Rent 30 or so true peppermint shrimp I can't think of anything else that will work that does not include everything you mentioned above...

[Jnicho]

Pepps are my vote too...They have always done well for me except they like the taste of my prize tube anemone! Just make sure you get peppermint not camels...they are marked very similar but the camels won't touch the aiptasia.

[chrischris]

Originally Posted by Hop

Rent 30 or so true peppermint shrimp I can't think of anything else that will work that does not include everything you mentioned above...

do you really think she needs that many or is that a joke cause if your serious i was way off

[Hop]

Originally Posted by chrischris

do you really think she needs that many or is that a joke cause if your serious i was way off

Not sure what a "pretty bad aiptasia infestation" is, so I may be guessing here

[XeniaGirl]

Well the tank is 135 gallons (about 6' long, 2 ' tall and 1.5' deep) and there are easily upwards of 100 aiptasia. They're a pain in the wrasse and they're just getting worse. Joe's Juice serves as a temporary fix but we can't get rid of them. My dad had been using a razorblade to remove some, but... whoops. I guess now we know that wasn't such a good idea.

At this point I'm interested in learning more about the kalk mix that was mentioned earlier, as well as any fish/shrimp/inverts that we could add. My parents have peppermint shrimp in their nano and love them, but we don't want them to get eaten!

Thanks again as always for all of the suggestions!

[Fly Guy]

joes juice IS kalk. overpriced kalk

make your own by mixing 2 tbsp ro water, 2 tsp kalk....mic and bring to boil in microwave. something about boiling makes them want to eat it more. turn off all flow and first feed them as much as they will willingly eat and then cover them with it.

This is how it is used most effectively but even then it isnt 100%. Just keep watching and hit any babies that may come up and the stuff is pretty effective.

fingernail removal- ouch. that can turn a small problem into a huge one in a hurry

[bbaz_usa]

Interesting info here.

I've got one question though: How is it that the shrimp can eat it without spreading it? I'd think that they'd "pop" them as they eat them, causing the same effect as fingernails or tweezers.

[Loverotties]

Originally Posted by Big B

I am using a very strong kalk mix with a syringe. It seems to work better than the Joe's Juice. I just started yesterday, so we will see.

That worked for me too!

[XeniaGirl]

I've also had the same question about how inverts can eat aiptasia w/o spreading it. How exactly do they spread, does anyone know? The first thought that came to my mind is the same method in which green bubble algae spreads - if you burst one of the bubbles, tons of tiny spores get out into the water. I'm guessing since aiptasia is technically an animal and not a plant, it doesn't work the same way (right????).
The other question that comes up is, how often do you guys think that camel shrimp are sold as peppermints?... my parents and I both have had "peppermint shrimp" before, who never ate aiptasia that we had. Or maybe they didn't b/c they weren't hungry?... I just want a 100% accurate and effective cure!
... but thank you again, everyone, for all of your suggestions. This has been really informative!

[frankandmaura]

I don't think there is a 100% accurate and effective cure (nothing is 100% in this hobby, is it??)

I guess the only 100% way to remove them is to remove the rock...probably out of the question, huh?