Best Creatures for an Aiptasia Removal Force

[Gtinnel]

How recent is recent? Give him a little time. Overnight the aptasia will be gone.

I’ve had the fish since July but kept him in qt where he did eat aiptasia. I moved him over to my display probably around 3 weeks ago. I’ve recently seen him starting to pick at frozen brine and mysis, which is great. I’d love to be able to stop feeding live white worms to the tank daily.

I have seen him occasionally eat a few small aiptasia but he never goes after any of the bigger ones. In your experience does the size of the aiptasia matter for the CBB to eat them? I’ve read mixed opinions online about it.

 

[khuchting724]

Hey Everyone.

I have a 125-gallon tank with a rock that has aiptasia spreading on it. Some of the aiptasia are pretty big. I'm thinking of adding a filefish and copper-banded butterfly with a couple of peppermint shrimp. Do you think this will work? People say each of them work independently, can I be confident that all together will get rid of the aiptasia? Its a SPS, LPS, and softie reef, should I be worried about the file fish or CB butterfly?

I have gotten a peppermint shrimp and he got my aiptasia worked out nice and then disappeared and died at some point. Just had aiptasia resurface this last month and just got a filefish cuz local fish store had no more peppermints and so far he has eaten my aiptasia and has not nipped at my corals. I do feed pretty regularly so that helps.

 

[VSVP bet]

I have gotten a peppermint shrimp and he got my aiptasia worked out nice and then disappeared and died at some point. Just had aiptasia resurface this last month and just got a filefish cuz local fish store had no more peppermints and so far he has eaten my aiptasia and has not nipped at my corals. I do feed pretty regularly so that helps.

Does it eat flakes? or just mysis?

 

[OrionN]

CBB is so much more beautiful than a file fish. CBB hands down as best for aiptasia IMO.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

CBB is so much more beautiful than a file fish. CBB hands down as best for aiptasia IMO.

If I could only keep them alive! Filefish is thriving and needs to go to tank #2.

 

[VSVP bet]

drumroll....settled on a file fish. Traded some frags for this guy at the LFS. Will update you guys on what happens. Thanks for all your input.

These are the targets...

 

[VSVP bet]

Like a soldier prepping for battle.

 

[AV corals]

Hey Everyone.

I have a 125-gallon tank with a rock that has aiptasia spreading on it. Some of the aiptasia are pretty big. I'm thinking of adding a filefish and copper-banded butterfly with a couple of peppermint shrimp. Do you think this will work? People say each of them work independently, can I be confident that all together will get rid of the aiptasia? Its a SPS, LPS, and softie reef, should I be worried about the file fish or CB butterfly?

IMO do not go with the butterfly- They will eat corals. Peppermint are good and I have a filefish that really helps control the aptasia.. He seems fond of the small aptasia and I put F-aptasia over the really big ones and its a pretty good team effort. BUT! all fish and iverts are different, what may work for me may not work for you so its better to just give it a shot with one of the three and best of luck!

 

[VSVP bet]

Just released the filefish. Immediately took a bite out of an aiptasia, looking good so far. Also ate some mysis....

 

[Karliefish]

I bought ORA aqualcultured filefish thru saltwateraquarium.com. First time ordering livestock from them and it was a great experience. Good luck!

Has the file fish taken care of your aiptasia problem? How long after you got the fish before the fish started eating aiptasia? I've had mine (Biota version) for four days now and nothing.

 

[Gtinnel]

I was looking at my tank a few days ago and realized most of my aiptasia are now gone. I went from having hundreds to only a few left in the tank. It took my copperband some time but he finally started eating them.

 

[AV corals]

I was looking at my tank a few days ago and realized most of my aiptasia are now gone. I went from having hundreds to only a few left in the tank. It took my copperband some time but he finally started eating them.

Thats awesome news! At time point, just be cautious as to what the copperband starts eating as he MIGHT start nipping at corals once all the aptasia are gone.

 

[Gtinnel]

Thats awesome news! At time point, just be cautious as to what the copperband starts eating as he MIGHT start nipping at corals once all the aptasia are gone.

He has gotten to where he will eat a little bit of frozen mysis and brine, but I still feed live white worms to the tank.

 

[BZOFIQ]

Out of the 4 biota bred filefish obtained cheaply through Petco 2 are aiptasia killers, one refuses to show interest and one...well is still on the floor behind the tank

 

[VSVP bet]

UPDATE ON MY FILE FISH: (1/3)

So after immediately taking a bite of aiptasia when I released him into my 125, it never touched aiptasia again. It did however love taking bites of zoas. I think someone here said they are nocturnal feeders? I would wake up and bites would be out of my zoas. I have a 15 column tank plumbed into my 125, so i caught the filefish and put it there. It is buddies with my damsel and it ate all of the majano anemones in one night. There are some aiptasia in the 15, hoping it develops a taste. Like many have said and it seems to hold true, each fish is different. It never touched any LPS or euphyllia in my main tank, just zoas. But im happy it ate all the majano anemones. Go figure.

 

[svanur]

I tried all 3 and copperband butterfly worked best

 

[VSVP bet]

I tried all 3 and copperband butterfly worked best

Did it touch any other corals? Did it eat aiptasia right away?

 

[VSVP bet]

File FIsh (2/3):

Thant being said. The file fish is one of my favorites in the tank. It's so smart, and knows the feeding schedule (making me think it has a somewhat thorough understanding of time), it will follow me around and watches me. Wish it could stay in my 125.

 

[svanur]

Did it touch any other corals? Did it eat aiptasia right away?

No it left everything alone but it was sps tank with clam so I don’t know about Zoas but this is awesome fish.It took it 2 weeks to clean the tank.The peppermint shrimps only ate the small one.

 

[VSVP bet]

File Fish (3/3)

Here are the zoas it liked. Had expensive tastes, and did not like any Palys.

^ you can see the bite mark. took little nips out of them.

^ these have recovered already but all were subject to bites.