What are my options??

[Coralgurl]

I have quite the aptasia farm in my tank that yes, I have neglected and let get out of control. I bought a filefish a few weeks ago, but he loves the GSP and isn't touching the aptasia.

Other options are a Copperband or peppermint shrimp. As much as I'd love a copperband, I think my other fish are too aggressive to add one at this point.

I had peppermints in the past, but I am sure my yellow coris wrasse made meals out of all my shrimp (cleaners, fire and peppermints).

Using chemical treatment on the aptasia is not really an option as I have way too many, at this point, I need to get them under control in my DT. Then figure out the sump and overflows....

Soooo - what to do????

[vanreefer]

A wrasse will make short work if berghias as well... Sux watching $15 mouthfuls

[GrantB]

That Aptasia cattle prod looks like a lot of fun..

http://www.marinedepot.com/Majano_Wa...FIMIMW-vi.html

Not sure if anyone in Canada carries it.

[christyf5]

I had a majano wand, theres a hard learning curve with it and those aiptasia/majanos that are in hard spots to reach just stay alive (especially the ones that are growing deep in crevices or on the underside of rocks) and I think I had about a 50% success rate in actually killing them, some looked dead but sprung back up within a week or so. Once the filefish finishes off the stuff he likes, he might decide to go after the aiptasia. I found my filefish didn't like the larger ones, so I nuked those with some sodium hydroxide and he took care of the little ones. He also ate all my zoanthids before trying out the aiptasia.

[Reef Pilot]

I have had a Pearlscale Butterfly in each of my tanks for several years now, and they keep them totally clean of aiptasia (where I once had many hundreds). You can read the 1st 7 or 8 posts in my journal link below where I mention them. Much easier to keep than Copperbands (tried them, too), but they also don't bother my corals (contrary to popular opinion).

However, being a butterfly, you do need to quarantine (prazi and hypo treatments) them and train them on regular fish food. If you just plunk them into your DT, they will most likely die sooner than later. I can give a few more tips on keeping them if you are interested.

So if you are up to that, they are nice looking fish, great community tank mates, and a permanent solution to your aiptasia problem.

[hunggi74]

If you go the Butterfly route, source it from Albert Dao. Got mine from him, very healthy, already treated. Highly recommended.