Aiptasia

Slimjim39027

Slimjim39027

New member
I am starting a new fish tank and am fortunately able to get rid of my aiptasia infected rock and hopefully corals too. I am looking to start a new 10g nano with a 5g sump and am starting with new rock, two clowns, and an anenome in a month or two. Of what I already own (excluding the fish which I am already transferring) what can I transfer over to the new tank without having to worry about contracting aiptasia again? I will add a couple cleaner shrimps soon too to help possibly eat any pests on the rock. Can any of the corals be transferred if they appear to be clear of aiptasia? what about snails/hermit crabs? Can they have the spores on or in their shells? Any advise is much appreciated. Thanks!
 
I am no expert on this but from what i do know, aptadia release spores and that is how they multiply. I believe anything can carry that over.

So to be safe you probably shoupd start fresh or monitor something for a while before bringing it over. If something small comes over, a morrocan peppermint shrimp will eat ir while it is small still.

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With a tank that small I would just start fresh. Fish and corals unattached to live rock will not transfer aptesia but either nuke your live rock that had aptesia or get all new.
 
oblivionis said:
With a tank that small I would just start fresh. Fish and corals unattached to live rock will not transfer aptesia but either nuke your live rock that had aptesia or get all new.
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+1, start fresh. If you're transferring corals, you may want to frag them off the rock they're on now to avoid the problem.
 
DD said:
+1, start fresh. If you're transferring corals, you may want to frag them off the rock they're on now to avoid the problem.
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Some of my corals even have the aiptasia growing from them though... My beautiful branching frogspawn has about 10 baby heads of aiptasia growing from it, so I just dont know about transferring any of them.
 
Slimjim39027 said:
Some of my corals even have the aiptasia growing from them though... My beautiful branching frogspawn has about 10 baby heads of aiptasia growing from it, so I just dont know about transferring any of them.
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Before you transfer them, is it possible to add peppermint shrimp to your current tank? I noticed in your first post you wrote that you would get a couple cleaner shrimps, but those won't touch aiptasia.

In order to limit the spread as much as possible, get some kalkwasser powder, google using kalk to kill aiptasia, and do that but also add some peppermint shrimp.

There's really no way of completely eradicating them once you have them despite what people say. I've "eradicated" all of them in my tank to only find that 3 months later, there's more.

That's why I said to start fresh. If you don't, just do what you can to eliminate them from your corals. You won't be 100% guaranteed to not see them again, but you will be able to at least limit the infestation.

The only other natural methods of eradication are the Copperband Butterfly (may also nip at other desirable things), or the berghia nudibranch. The berghia is the safest way to go since it's sole diet is aiptasia. Just make sure you can find a home for it/them once they've eliminated the aiptasia or they will slowly starve to death.

Hope this helps.
 
DD said:
Before you transfer them, is it possible to add peppermint shrimp to your current tank? I noticed in your first post you wrote that you would get a couple cleaner shrimps, but those won't touch aiptasia.

In order to limit the spread as much as possible, get some kalkwasser powder, google using kalk to kill aiptasia, and do that but also add some peppermint shrimp.

There's really no way of completely eradicating them once you have them despite what people say. I've "eradicated" all of them in my tank to only find that 3 months later, there's more.

That's why I said to start fresh. If you don't, just do what you can to eliminate them from your corals. You won't be 100% guaranteed to not see them again, but you will be able to at least limit the infestation.

The only other natural methods of eradication are the Copperband Butterfly (may also nip at other desirable things), or the berghia nudibranch. The berghia is the safest way to go since it's sole diet is aiptasia. Just make sure you can find a home for it/them once they've eliminated the aiptasia or they will slowly starve to death.

Hope this helps.
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Thank you so much for all of the advise, but funny you mention the berghia... I ordered 8 1/4"+ of them off of Salty Underground and what did I get? Bergs the size of BBs.... They would not refund me or send me proper bergs so now I'm out another $100... I honestly don't want to walk away from the hobby, but being a college student with not much money, things are just getting out of hand. I might still start fresh with a biocube with Steve's LED mod, but we'll see... Lots to think about
 
Slimjim39027 said:
Thank you so much for all of the advise, but funny you mention the berghia... I ordered 8 1/4"+ of them off of Salty Underground and what did I get? Bergs the size of BBs.... They would not refund me or send me proper bergs so now I'm out another $100... I honestly don't want to walk away from the hobby, but being a college student with not much money, things are just getting out of hand. I might still start fresh with a biocube with Steve's LED mod, but we'll see... Lots to think about
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Are they still alive and just small? Let them go at it, if you have that much aptasia they will grow and get the job done.
 
SkullV said:
Are they still alive and just small? Let them go at it, if you have that much aptasia they will grow and get the job done.
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Well my father was the one that acclimated them and put them in the tank, but i'm assuming that they're still running around unless the water chemistry is off the fritz haha
 
+1 to starting fresh with that small of a tank.. Once you get those buggers in there, they seem to always be in there and then you are just fighting a losing battle and getting more and more aggravated about it.
 
My story

When I first saw some Aiptasia I was like, "Cool, I have an anemone in my tank". Then these ugly brown pests damaged my coral and started to take up space, "Not cool anymore". I bought Aiptasia X by red sea.

If you use one of those products make sure to turn off all water movement for at least 20 minutes, practice using the applicator in a pitcher or bucket.

Slowly approach the aiptasia, let them taste the stuff by letting a tiny bit drop into it from an inch a way, they will think, "Food" then you can bring the applicator tip closer and hit em with a mouthful of the stuff, I drown em with the Aiptasia X then before turning the pumps back on I suck the excess Aiptasia X out with the applicator.

Also feed your fish to the point that they are disinterested in food before doing this to keep them from interrupting you. Expect that it will take up to 4 applications since some aiptasia will not die but just bleach the first time around and others will recede before you can apply aiptasia X.

After one month of Aiptasia X I am finally Aiptasia free. and no it didn't harm any of my corals or fish. just don't over apply or skip a thirty minute wait after applying or else ur tank will look like a snow globe when the pumps are turned back on.
 
mishmaster said:
My story

When I first saw some Aiptasia I was like, "Cool, I have an anemone in my tank". Then these ugly brown pests damaged my coral and started to take up space, "Not cool anymore". I bought Aiptasia X by red sea.

If you use one of those products make sure to turn off all water movement for at least 20 minutes, practice using the applicator in a pitcher or bucket.

Slowly approach the aiptasia, let them taste the stuff by letting a tiny bit drop into it from an inch a way, they will think, "Food" then you can bring the applicator tip closer and hit em with a mouthful of the stuff, I drown em with the Aiptasia X then before turning the pumps back on I suck the excess Aiptasia X out with the applicator.

Also feed your fish to the point that they are disinterested in food before doing this to keep them from interrupting you. Expect that it will take up to 4 applications since some aiptasia will not die but just bleach the first time around and others will recede before you can apply aiptasia X.

After one month of Aiptasia X I am finally Aiptasia free. and no it didn't harm any of my corals or fish. just don't over apply or skip a thirty minute wait after applying or else ur tank will look like a snow globe when the pumps are turned back on.
Click to expand...



Or use the electronic Aiptasia ZAPPER and make life very easy :-)
Bob




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