Controlling Aiptasia

[Diana Pohly-Carty]

I've read a lot about how to control these "weeds" but have also been told that best/easiest combo of control is peppermint shrimp and injecting with "Joe's Juice." Has anyone tried this? Does it work? Any advice? And finally, where do I find Joe's Juice?

[wanareef]

http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/at...chmentid=18903 but using a smaller version. I mix Kalk and ro/di water till it's thick like mustard and just hit them. I have heard of guys using Joe Juice and good reports. The shrimp are a hit and miss and since you did not lise the Copperbanded Butterfly fish, you might not know about them. They eat aptasia as well as the shrimp do.

good luck

[Diana Pohly-Carty]

[Diana Pohly-Carty]

Thanks. I know about the Copperbanded Butterfly fish but am not wild about adding a new fish in to the community just now. Thought the shrimp would be easier for a first pass.

[Jeremiah]

I have tried the shrimp. They won't eat them unless there is no other food in the tank. I have not tried Joes Juice but have heard good results. I recently wiped out a couple aptasia's last weekend and I used the kalk mixed real thick like paist. All you need to do is get a thick needle syringe or one of those plastic one from a test kit. You don't have to inject them with this stuff, just hover the needle over them and drop a couple drops down onto their tentacles and they will take it in all by themselves. I haven't seen any sign of them since. It's only been a few days but I am confident they are gone for good.

Jeremiah

[ballvice]

I have a little 12g Nano Cube setup that picked up some aptasia from the LFS water I think...

Anyway, I picked up a Peppermint for around $10 and all my aptasia problems are gone.

Make sure if you get one, it IS a peppermint. I have read about people confusing them with "Camels?" I think from time to time and the Camels don't eat aptasia.

Happy cleaning!

Frank

[DIY_Jeff]

I recently found two aptasia on two different zoo frags I got last month ...

I ordered some Joe's Juice from PA (not sold locally), but while waiting for it to ship, I went to my LFS and picked up two Peppermint Shrimp.

Within one hour of putting them in the tank, both aptasia were gone, never to be seen again.

The two anxious Peppermint Shrimp then went on to eat every cute lil' feather duster in my tank ... =(

Guess they were hungry!

~Jeff

[mjsandbe]

I have had great luck with a combo of Pepperment Shrimp & Kalk Paste. Aptasia are one problem I don't have.

[rottface4]

I found a very easy way to do it is just using bioling water. I had three in my tank, so I just boiled some RO/DI water and shot them with it. It took a couple of tryies, but shortly after doing the last try my blue legged hermits came through and ate either the dead aiptasia or whatever else the hot water treatment killed. Haven't seen them since.

[Jeremiah]

I tried that boiling water trick in my old 30 gallon reef and what a disaster it turned into. I boiled up some water and put in a syringe and shot it into the aptasia. The aptasia instantly desolved and I thought, great, it's gone. But the tissue from the desolving aptasia just spread all over the tank and soon I had them growing from everywhere. I would try the kalk paiste if you have some laying around. I know when I tried the pepperment shrimp for the first time they started eating them right away but soon got full or lost interest. I am just glad I took care of my little problem before it became a big problem this time in my 75...

Jeremiah

[rottielover]

In my 125 I'm still in the process of adding LR, and I had 2 of these pests come in. I got 2 pepermint shrimps and they ate them...

I think even though the shrimps are "hit and miss" it's worth trying them I got the pair at my LFS for $10. In this way as I slowly add cured LR I hope they will eat any hitchhikers.

[reefBoyDc]

In the October issue of TFH, J. Fung writes that Berghia verrucicornis, a type of nudibranch, eats Aiptasia. He also sayd they are commercially available and do not have short captive life spans like other nudis.

Anybody tried 'em?

[dme330i]

Lucky you! I have 3 peppermints and they have yet to touch my aiptasia.

[Mrs Smith]

I have used Joe's juice both on aiptasia and majano (in Shirley's tank, actually) to great success. I was impressed with the stuff, and I am not easily impressed.

In my own systems I've used a kalk mixture injected via needle, which works very well.

I've also had peppermints eat them.

While the Berghia do eat aips, nudis are generally tough to keep in reefs due to the high flow rates. If you were able to keep it, once the aips were gone, it would die, as that's all it eats. I suppose you could keep a few in the sump to replenish the population (I have heard of people doing this just to keep the Berghia), but it seems like more work than it's worth.

[Junkzoo]

Originally Posted by reefBoyDc

In the October issue of TFH, J. Fung writes that Berghia verrucicornis, a type of nudibranch, eats Aiptasia. He also sayd they are commercially available and do not have short captive life spans like other nudis.

Anybody tried 'em?

Word is "Berghia" nudi's is the one in question, I've heard they work well in getting rid of the aip's
try this link: www.coralsandbar.com
Rob has had these b4 ,and might still be raising them,
Never have tried them , i have had good luck with either a copperband , and injecting with hot Kalk inna syringe,,,,