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15K views 8 replies 8 participants last post by  tdwyatt 
#1 ·
Check this out:
So I was cleaning out a magazine rack that we keep magazines in. I found this really old "Freshwater and Marine Aquarium" magazine dated January 2000. Why do I still have it? I dont know but its a good thing I did.

At any rate, I know that Aiptasia seems to be a bug-a-boo and an often posted topic. Check out this article about a new way to rid your tank from the hated APTASIA. Good luck!! (Remember I am just posting what I see in the article so dont shoot the messenger I just wanted to share this version of Aiptasia control I am lucky to not have this problem myself- so far)

"Newly Recognized Aiptasia Cure" - By Julian Sprung
Listen up, marinelife fishermen. This past May I had the pleasure of meeting aquarist Andre Luty during a conference in France where I was a speaker along with Peter Wilkens, Dietrich Stuber, Axel Tunze, and others. After my lecture, Mr. Luty asked me if I was aware of a certain fish that he found to be effective in controlling Aiptasia in his aquariums without harm to the corals. Of course, I was aware of various butterfly fishes that could be used, but these were at least sometimes harmful to certain corals or feather duster worms. So, when Mr. Luty informed me that he had found what appears to be the perfect fish for the job, I was quite interested to know what it was.
Mr Luty had discovered that a particular species of Filefish from the Western Pacific was an effective means of controlling Aiptasia in his aquaria. The fish, Acreichthys tomentosus, is a drab Filefish unlikely to enter the aquarium trade wtih much frequency, until now. It could most probably be acquired easily in quantity from trawling fishermen who drag nets across seagrass areas in the Western Pacific. look for it at a pet store near you soon. The fact that one Filefish is a good control for Aiptasia does not mean that all Filefish are, or that all similar-looking Filefish are. Some Filefish species certainly do feed on coral polyps and other invertebrates. Nevertheless, Mr. Lutys discovery suggests that it would be a worthwhile effort to test many species of Filefish for their ability to control Aiptasia and their taste for other inverebrate delicacies. It is unfortunate that Acreichthys tomentosus has many look-alike relatives in the Western Pacific and the Caribbean. I suggest that the buyer beware and be sure of the identification of the fish.

Neat eh? Thought you would like it.
null"Freshwater and Marine Aquarium"
 
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#2 ·


Three things...

1. Good luck finding one of those 'Bristletail Filefishes' for sale today in an LFS. They are green-gray to dull gray (not 'pretty'), and are grassbed and not reef fishes, and CAN be very feisty. You can supposedly sometimes find them for sale, filleted and dried, in markets here in the Philippines (how the authorities ID them in that state is a wonder, second only to why).

2. Their diet seems to be more eclectic than Mr. Sprung's excited relation might suggest, and in any case Julian himself admits filefishes KNOWN to reliably attack small anemones like Aiptasia are a real, potential terror to small-polyped corals and colonials.

3. What's wrong with a little Aiptasia?

Hehehehe.....

Thanks for the heads-up,


horge, dark
 
#3 ·
Like I said I was just passing along what I read and I never had seen that particular fish mentioned.

My neighbor actually reaches in and pinches the little boogers heads off and pulls the remaining portion off the rock with his nails (he says he always does this before its 'trim the fingernail time' - ick). I have heard that when you do this they supposedly multiply like the brooms in Fantasia when Mickey hacks them to bits. I have yet to see this problem in his aquarium yet. Stupid little things!! lol
 
#9 ·
I hear they do well but what instruction book do you give them to read what types of anenomes/polyps they should NOT eat?
Interestingly enough, Berghia must not have a taste for any other creature, as their diet is so specialized that they will die off after consuming all the aiptasia in a tank. One of the suggestions for those with a large aiptasia problem is to isolate the rock in a seperate system and put the berghia in that system. Then add rock to the system on a cyclic basis (remove the cleaned rock and add it to your display, and remove infested rock from the display to the "cleaning tank" for the berghia to eat). Although you'd never get totally rid of the aiptasia, you'd always have food for the Berghia, and you'd have the aiptasia under control (at least...) I would imagine that if you have friends in the area with tanks, that you might pass the culture on to them as your system becomes devoid of aiptasia. This is probably the most effective way of ridding a tank of aiptasia, although I am not sure that I want the berghia to starve to death as a result of their efficiency. I am still keeping peppermints (Lysmata wundermanni), although they will not eat the aiptasia in high current areas (i.e., in the area between the output of a powerhead and the front glass...)
 
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