Control of Aiptasia enemones in reef tank

[Pritam Singh]

In my reef tank, Aiptasia anemone has been multiplying for some time and has become a severe problem. If you have any bright idea how to control or get rid of it, I will be glad to hear from you.

[dow]

Peppermint shrimp work IF they decide to. They did in my tank. However, I've seen tanks where they jus sit around an wait for you to feed them. I understand that there's a butterfly fish that will work on them as well. Also, bergia (spelling?} nudibranch will work.

[DeletedAccount]

Pritam,
Hi! Copperbanded butterflies may work, but I know you are trying to keep the fish mostly out of your reef. I had a lot of them on some rock I recently got and was told to get a syringe and inject them with Kalk calcium. It worked wonderfully and took very little time to do.

[DeletedAccount]

You didn't use the needles, Josh? That was the fun part!

[DeletedAccount]

That sounds easier than the way that I did it! I got a TB syringe (fine guage, long needle) and went to stabbing into the rock in the areas that they were. I paid attention and stabbed in the same place that they withdrew into. (I used the boiled DI/RO water mix.) I do not know if the mix just chased them down the hole or the needle injected it into the bodies, but it was very satisfying to do it with a needle!

[DeletedAccount]

:-D

[Tim Marvin]

I have found copperbanded butterflys to work the best, hands down. They are also a great addition to any reef.

[OrionN]

When I first set up my tank, there were Aptasia. A friend got some pepermint shrimps from the jetti and gave them to me. I put 12 of them in my 450 g tank. They just wipe out the Aptasia population. After sevral months, I trapped them and release them back to the bay. My tank have being Aptasia free eversince. (3.5 years).
Minh Nguyen