Aiptasia and other corals

[my2rotties]

Okay I have a big aiptasia issue, and they really love the bottom of my rocks sitting in the sand. My copperband butterfly is not fish enough to eat them, and I can't reach them. She seems to pick at the little ones, but would much rather eat mysis and prepared foods.Because I have my puffer, I cannot consider peppermint shrimp at this time. I feel pretty defeated and the ones I get with lemon juice just come back stronger. I cannot use anything caustic since my fish all surround me when I am in the tank. I don't want them injured or burned by anything to combat this awful infestation.

I have a brain coral I need to move out of the jaws of my Emperor angel and the only place he cannot reach has aiptasia along the rock bottoms. Will the aiptasia sting the brain coral?

Also what corals do they tend to sting? I noticed mushrooms and zoas don't like them, but what about the other corals? I am feeling pretty defeated over this, but cannot do anything aside of living with them.

[fencer]

get some berghi nudis

[Snaz]

I had ONE Aptasia that I sorta watched for 4 months. I finally zapped it with lemon juice and now 2 weeks later I have about a dozen little ones. I should have left well enough alone.

I suspect lemon juice just causes the blighters to spore out on death.

[my2rotties]

I don't really want to add nudibranches since they cause issue of their own and I think my puffer would bite into it. I also have a nem and they eat nems so it won't work out.

I feel like the sorcerer's apprentice from Disney fame. I whack the aiptasia and 50 more show up. Out of all the things I can grow in my system I seem to have a talent at aiptasia.

They are everywhere...

[Captainhemo]

berghi nudis are supossed to ONLY eat aptasia. From what I have read, once the aptasia have been consumed, the nudi's need to be moved to new home or they will starve.

[my2rotties]

The nudis would be so obese from my infestation they would die from that, rather then starvation. Thanks for the tip, and I will look into in further. Hopefully I can find just one. I have hundreds or more of these aiptasia in my tank and everytime I try to kill one, dozens show up in the its place.

berghi nudis are supossed to ONLY eat aptasia. From what I have read, once the aptasia have been consumed, the nudi's need to be moved to new home or they will starve.

[lobsterboy]

have you tried Joes juice. you shoot it at them with a syrigne, then syphon them out. the juice is calicum something. it causes them to lift there base a bit, making it easy to syphon out. its about 16 or 17 bucks a bottle.

[my2rotties]

My big problem is that the worst ones are 30" to the bottom and under rocks where I cannot reach them. Even with my long reach I just can't get down far enough.. Taking my rocks out to treat them is not an option either, so I just do my best to ensure corals are not getting stung, but it is getting tougher by the week.

A member said they bought 20 peppermint shrimp and set up a different tank. They would switch rocks out of the display to the shrimp tank, and they solved their problem. I have over 250 pounds of live rock and I just cannot take the bottom pieces out with the worst aiptasia. I wish I could but it would be impossible. This is one of the main reasons I am trying to rehome my puffer, since he eats anything beneficial to my tank.:sad:

have you tried Joes juice. you shoot it at them with a syrigne, then syphon them out. the juice is calicum something. it causes them to lift there base a bit, making it easy to syphon out. its about 16 or 17 bucks a bottle.

[lobsterboy]

i guess you after you rehome your puffer, you could go with the P-shrimp.

[reef bound]

Regarding the peppermint shrimp idea, mine hides all day long and only comes out at night. I wonder if your puffer would still get them? (but you've probably already tried, right, and I missed that part). I have a sneaky niger trigger that I keep worrying about with my shrimps and things, but so far so good.

[my2rotties]

My puffer sleeps all day, and parties all night:wink: I see see him scanning the rock walls after lights out under the LEDs. He looks like a big huge ghost, eating whatever is slow enough to get within his reach.

Regarding the peppermint shrimp idea, mine hides all day long and only comes out at night. I wonder if your puffer would still get them? (but you've probably already tried, right, and I missed that part). I have a sneaky niger trigger that I keep worrying about with my shrimps and things, but so far so good.

[JDigital]

There's a reason puffers on considered non-reef safe... :wink:

[fencer]

Nudis work only if you have 10 or more in a tank. A friend had the same problem you did...apts every where. His problem is almost gone. BTW you must be feeding your tank heavily.....

[my2rotties]

Live and learn... he was my first fish and I went by the LFSs word on him being reef safe...

There's a reason puffers on considered non-reef safe... :wink: