How to deal with complete aptasia takeover

[LxHowler]

So I'm looking for some help, I've been on tour with work for a few months, I left my tanks with my parents looking after them.

I didn't expect them to be in the best condition when I came back but was surprised about how they are. They tried their best so im not annoyed at them.

All the parameters in the tank are okay, nitrates abit high and alk are abit low but I can deal with them. The thing I don't know how to deal with is the aptasia, I've had a couple of them before and aptasiax them but this time I don't think that will work. I've never seen so much of the stuff, there isn't a single spot of rock or sand that doesn't have aptasia on it, it's literally covered.

I need some tips on how to deal with this, do I just take everything out and start again or would aptasia eating nudibranch be a good call for this.

Tank is a fluval evo, my cube is fine but the Evo is just over run. Any advise would be very much appreciated

 

[FishPureLuck]

Maybe try an Aiptasia eating Filefish or two.

 

[TCoach]

What fish do you have in the tank? If you can find them, Berghia nudibranches may be the best option. Just need to not have any predators like wrasses in the tank.

Other non-chemical options would be some aptasia eating filefish, Copperband butterfly, and/or aptasia eating peppermint shrimp (it’s a specific species of them, don’t remember the name).

Anyway, if you truly have an infestation as bad as it sounds, a multi-pronged approach will probably be needed.

-TCoach

 

[LxHowler]

What fish do you have in the tank? If you can find them, Berghia nudibranches may be the best option. Just need to not have any predators like wrasses in the tank.

Other non-chemical options would be some aptasia eating filefish, Copperband butterfly, and/or aptasia eating peppermint shrimp (it’s a specific species of them, don’t remember the name).

Anyway, if you truly have an infestation as bad as it sounds, a multi-pronged approach will probably be needed.

-TCoach

Currently just a pair of ocellaris clownfish and some clean up crew, a few hermit crabs and a few teochus snails.
I have a friend that had some nudibranch avalible, didn't know if I could have these and use something like aptasiax with them in the tank aswell.
The tank is only a fluval evo so obviously another fish is out of the question, not enough space.
I'll look into the peppermint shrimp option aswell. Thanks for the suggestion

 

[jmichaelh7]

I agree with the member above ^

deploy two aiptasia file fish it’s over.

 

[Semisonyx]

Fish can be hit or miss. Berghia only live if they eat aiptasia. I finally caved and bought the berghia for my problem and they are slowly taking it all out, although I haven’t seen them since I put the 3 in my 180. When you buy them, make sure you put them in the recommended way and not just toss them in the tank.

 

[jmichaelh7]

Fish can be hit or miss. Berghia only live if they eat aiptasia. I finally caved and bought the berghia for my problem and they are slowly taking it all out, although I haven’t seen them since I put the 3 in my 180. When you buy them, make sure you put them in the recommended way and not just toss them in the tank.

I say aiptasia file because when I went Fallow for 72 days… my aiptasia was absent. I was horrified with how many aiptasia my rocks had. Literally covered . I should have taken a picture now that I think of it. Anyhow when I put my file fish back in, my tank is about 97% eradicated. Of course I’ll see some here and there trying to live in crevices but they can never grow because the file fish .

 

[Mr Fishface]

For what it's worth, I've seen some pretty small aiptasia file fish for sale.

 

[SamsReef]

i have no experience with File fish but my copperband is my darling of the aquarium. She is worth the effort to introduce in a tank (it was 6 week process) and worth her weight in gold. I
I started with acclimating in a frag tank. Got her to eat both mysis and aiptasia there before moving her into the display tank.
Next was to make sure she does not get bullied in the display tank. I introduced her with a few other tank mates and also kept her in an acclimation box for a week.

End result, no harassment and ate a few aiptasia that was there in the tank within a week.
I have used peppermint with decent success as well. Berghia Nudibranch was a complete dud for me.

Sam

 

[Semisonyx]

I say aiptasia file because when I went Fallow for 72 days… my aiptasia was absent. I was horrified with how many aiptasia my rocks had. Literally covered . I should have taken a picture now that I think of it. Anyhow when I put my file fish back in, my tank is about 97% eradicated. Of course I’ll see some here and there trying to live in crevices but they can never grow because the file fish .

That’s cool, but what does the file fish need to live after the aiptasia is gone? I haven’t read up on them, so I honestly don’t know. Will they move on too munching zoas, palys, or lps? Will they eat dry or frozen foods? I don’t have any feelings about the berghia I can’t suction out and sell/give away dying of, but would hate for a fish to starve.

 

[maroun.c]

I'd go with a big number of berghias, they are guaranteed to eat aptasia and nothing else... they take time to build a population othat can eat aptasia faster than they reproduce, so the more you add the better.

 

[jmichaelh7]

That’s cool, but what does the file fish need to live after the aiptasia is gone? I haven’t read up on them, so I honestly don’t know. Will they move on too munching zoas, palys, or lps? Will they eat dry or frozen foods? I don’t have any feelings about the berghia I can’t suction out and sell/give away dying of, but would hate for a fish to starve.

It just depends. Mine eats mysis flakes pellets .

 

[jmichaelh7]

I'd go with a big number of berghias, they are guaranteed to eat aptasia and nothing else... they take time to build a population othat can eat aptasia faster than they reproduce, so the more you add the better.

Then when the aiptasia are gone the berghias will die. The cost and time it takes to have berghias wipe out a tank … is that comparable to $39 for a file fish?

I think both are good ideas for the op. I myself would like to get Berghias but my method will suffice

 

[paparoof]

@LxHowler - as you said you're not interest in adding fish, I highly recommend berghias. But dont just buy two. Assuming you have the 13 gallon Evo, I'd get at least half a dozen.

They will reproduce in your tank, but amphipods and bristle worms will eat the eggs too - so you need to play a numbers game. If you lay a zillion eggs, some of them will escape predation, hatch and grow, and get to work on your aiptasia.

Be patient, the problem didn't suddenly appear overnight, you wont solve it overnight either. Think months.

If you can't find them locally, I recommend saltyunderground.com - but I dont know if they ship to the UK.

 

[Jlew766]

What fish do you have in the tank? If you can find them, Berghia nudibranches may be the best option. Just need to not have any predators like wrasses in the tank.

Other non-chemical options would be some aptasia eating filefish, Copperband butterfly, and/or aptasia eating peppermint shrimp (it’s a specific species of them, don’t remember the name).

Anyway, if you truly have an infestation as bad as it sounds, a multi-pronged approach will probably be needed.

-TCoach

Honestly the nudibranches are the only thing that will work as intended but will take a couple of months, no quick fix here. I tried everything peppermint shrimp diddnt work aptasia eating file fish ate coral as well. The nudibranch though dang they cleaned my DT out of them and keeps it clean and I just let the aptasia live in my overflow and where ever else they take hold. I'm sure they try to repopulate the DT but the nudibranches eat those.

 

[John Bolden]

I have a file fish but It hasn't started to eat the asptia yet I heard it takes time for them to start to eat them? Also mines about 1" is that too small to get the bigger ones?

 

[Enderg60]

Honestly just take your rock you and start over. Anything else is just like trying to treat herpese with a band-aid.

 

[Dburr1014]

So I'm looking for some help, I've been on tour with work for a few months, I left my tanks with my parents looking after them.

I didn't expect them to be in the best condition when I came back but was surprised about how they are. They tried their best so im not annoyed at them.

All the parameters in the tank are okay, nitrates abit high and alk are abit low but I can deal with them. The thing I don't know how to deal with is the aptasia, I've had a couple of them before and aptasiax them but this time I don't think that will work. I've never seen so much of the stuff, there isn't a single spot of rock or sand that doesn't have aptasia on it, it's literally covered.

I need some tips on how to deal with this, do I just take everything out and start again or would aptasia eating nudibranch be a good call for this.

Tank is a fluval evo, my cube is fine but the Evo is just over run. Any advise would be very much appreciated

How did you make out?
What route did you go?
IMO, berghia would have been the way to go. When there is many they find them all. When only a few, they miss some.

Edit: this thread is the last time seen here.