HELP!... Aptasia Takeover!

I'm at my wits end! I see aptasia, they are everywhere.
They are starting to crowdout the corals.   They are Growing as
carpets on Live rock and the sand bed. Some are as big a
round as silver dollars. I've tried cutting them off(it just seems to
make more). As of late, smaller ones float in the water and
adhear to the fish. It's a sad day when you have so much
Aptasia it grows on your fish.   Would it be best to replace all
the Live rock and Sand? I'm willing to try peppermint shrimp
but I think I'd need an army. Any good methods for killing these
buggers by the masses?

The tank is 20 gallons and has been setup for almost two years
now.

Peppermint shrimp got rid of my aiptasia and many other peoples successfully. I wouldn't think an army would be necessary, but they are happier in small groups. For 20 gallons I would think 3 would wipe out all but the last few offenders in a few weeks. From The Sea always has tons of them at the best price.

i've read that racoon butterflies do a great job on aptasia's as well...but seeing as your tank is a 20 it's probably not a good idea....

Anyone have any problem with your peppermint shrimp and any other anemones? I recently got a flower anemone in the reeftopia order. It was doing great the first few days - then a peppermint shrimp decided it was easier to steal food from the anenome than to find it himself. Then he started using the anenome for food. It didnt take long before it had killed the anenome, despite my best efforts to save it. Just wondering if anyone else had any similar experiences with peppermint shrimp and other anenomes.... (BTW - these are peppermint shrimp - not camelbacks...)

 

DVadar wrote:    Any good methods for killing these buggers by the masses?

Take a look at these links, they will provide some insight for you. http://www.seaslugforum.net/aiptasia.htm, http://www.aquarium.net/faqs/aiptasia.shtml, http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/msubpestaiptasia. There are many methods to ridding aiptasia, it just depends on how much time you have to spend. You can inject each anemone with really hot water, OD with kalkwasser, lime solution (so I hear), or a number of other methods. Cutting, squishing or otherwise can actually cause their numbers to multiply, as you have found out. Natural predators are peppermint shrimp, copperband butterfly fish (too large for your system) and a species of nudibranch.

I don't think that you need to tear apart your tank. But, the longer you wait the more aiptasia you will have. Something else to consider is if you decide to kill them in place you will have all of that decaying matter in your system that can cause increased ammonia levels. Try doing smaller sections at a time and be prepared to do some water changes.

IMO. Good luck!

Edited by Carl

Peppermint shrimp seems a logical answer.  From the Sea for about $4.00 each.  Get three or four, maybe five.  When the Aiptasia are gone you can trade away your surplus back to one or two.  We have had two or three Peppermints in a 200 gal. system and have never had any Aiptasia.  We brought home Majanos instead! 

Large Aiptasia (over 1" tall) are not as readily eaten by Peppermint Shrimp.
On Saturday, I was in Fish4U and they had just sold a 2" Copperband. It would have been perfect for a 10-40 gal. tank to take care of a problem like this:



Edited by Mark Peterson

Peppermints work for me also.

Make sure a copperband is eating before you buy it. 

My 2c

 

(Whew!)  I'm glad!

Has anyone had problems with Copperband butterfly I am thinking about getting one but I don't know what types of corals they eat will someone fill me in on this.