Aptasia are appearing out of nowhere... peppermint shrimp?
- Thread starter sealevel@altitude
- Start date
Kleini, Tahitian, Copperbands, and filefish sound like great options but will they eat/harass other nems? I just had a few aiptasia show up in my DT and all of the fish options sound great I have always admired cbb, but eventually I'd like to add some nems. And which species of filefish are we referring to here?
Quit feeding them and see what happens. The copper bands and kleini butterflies are corallivores in nature, but not obligate (although there is some argument as to if the CBB are actually obligate over the long term). I have had good experiences with all of them, but I feed my fish pretty well. I have taken on coral-eating CBBs in other reefs and they don't touch the coral in my tank when they get fed. I think that the hobbyist and their feeding habits has more to do with the success than the individual fish, although this could be said about many, many species.
I have found the kleini and CBB to be very good if you keep them well fed with mysis and other meaty foods. If you starve them, they will either die or start to eat your coral - once they are established, they will usually not starve without a fight. Neither are 100% bet to eat aiptasia, but the kleini do a bit better IME. I have had about a 80% success rate.
Do a search for the filefish. There are two species that are very similar - one is better than the other - but I forgot their names.
Do a search for the filefish. There are two species that are very similar - one is better than the other - but I forgot their names.
The "key" to your statement is "if you don't feed them enough"! It's very important to feed fish in a "reef system" about the same time everyday! Most captive fish will learn to take the "easy meal" if they know its coming and not bother your "expensive corals". After 50 years as a hobbyist and over 30 years as a professional in both retail and wholesale, I've found that the Aiptasia Eating Filefish to be the most notorious about "picking" at corals. But as I've told many of my customers "fish can't read and don't how they're suppose to behave"! We've had customer that had their Tangs find a liking to Zoa's!
You have to be careful with Algae Mower Vac using them for aiptasia control! When using this and if any water that goes back into your tank it could spread the aiptasia. It takes ONLY one cell from the aiptasia to start a new colony!
P.S. We sell the Algae Mower Vac to our customers pre-order/pre-paid for $63.00!
P.S. We sell the Algae Mower Vac to our customers pre-order/pre-paid for $63.00!
Re: Aptasia are appearing out of nowhere... peppermint shrimp?
I won an Algae vac at ReefStock. It's got what looks like a 1/16" stainless drill bit attached to a small motor/pump. The pump vacuums up what gets scraped off. A hose carries the water to a filter bag that you can place in the sump or a bucket. Kinda useful!
For Aptasia... Not so sure I'd go this route.
I won an Algae vac at ReefStock. It's got what looks like a 1/16" stainless drill bit attached to a small motor/pump. The pump vacuums up what gets scraped off. A hose carries the water to a filter bag that you can place in the sump or a bucket. Kinda useful!
For Aptasia... Not so sure I'd go this route.
Would a filefish be mainly daytime active I assume? Anyone carry or can order them regularly? I know I can give some peppermints a try which I'll do from great white or finally make it in to visit charlies. But if that doesn't work want to plan my backup.
Now that I'm going to have 2 tanks I think I'd like to try the nudibranch since I can put my wrasse in a diff tank while they work.
I'm just slightly discouraged from reading some places that it's something I"ll never be able to cure. Damn you reef herpes.
I was given the idea to just ditch all the rock I have now, but too much of my stuff is so grown on I don't think clipping off zoa colonies and such is going to be an option. Not to mention not liking the idea of losing all my coraline. I suppose with new 125g tank I'll have enough room rather than stacking, each rock could be free allowing me to one at a time pick them out and obliterate all the aiptasia manually. (Burn and then cut a cone of rock out from around the remnants + rinse_
Now that I'm going to have 2 tanks I think I'd like to try the nudibranch since I can put my wrasse in a diff tank while they work.
I'm just slightly discouraged from reading some places that it's something I"ll never be able to cure. Damn you reef herpes.
I was given the idea to just ditch all the rock I have now, but too much of my stuff is so grown on I don't think clipping off zoa colonies and such is going to be an option. Not to mention not liking the idea of losing all my coraline. I suppose with new 125g tank I'll have enough room rather than stacking, each rock could be free allowing me to one at a time pick them out and obliterate all the aiptasia manually. (Burn and then cut a cone of rock out from around the remnants + rinse_
Aptasia are appearing out of nowhere... peppermint shrimp?
Just wanted to update this. I bought some peppermints from aquamart a few weeks back and the have decimated aptasia that were lower in my tank. They havent got them all but they are doing a good job so far. Havent touched a coral yet either. I had a few aptasia that were in between zoa colonies and the ate all those without touching my zoa colonies.
Just wanted to update this. I bought some peppermints from aquamart a few weeks back and the have decimated aptasia that were lower in my tank. They havent got them all but they are doing a good job so far. Havent touched a coral yet either. I had a few aptasia that were in between zoa colonies and the ate all those without touching my zoa colonies.
I take it back!!!!!!!!!!!! So I put the file fish in my frag tank and immediately aptasia was gone, well about the same time I switched brands of light bulbs. Any who I started to noticed corals dying left and right. Well I thought it was the new bulbs. Yesterday I moved ole file to my other frag tank and today over $1000 in acans DEAD! The sob has been not only eating all the aptasia but are $1000s of dollars worth of corals. So it is safe to say I will be taking him back tomorrow
