I took the big risk and added a Klein's Butterfly. I looked for one with the prominent blue blaze on his temple (legend has these prefer nems and not corals *shrug*). He ate a massive infestation of aips down to nothing in less than a month. He picks at the odd coral and my SPS don't extend their polyps so much. If he starts to take notice of an LPS, I just move the coral and he stops nipping it. Touchwood. Has been an awesome fish and so much personality. Not sure I would recommend because the risk of getting one that just samples every single coral in the tank all day every day is so high. I was lucky.
I had a large frag tank infested with aiptasia. Berghia Nudibranchs are the most effective predator IMO. The key is, once they’ve eliminated the aiptasia, don’t add anything else! Quarantine everything before adding to the main display.
A couple of months ago I put couple of file fish and two batches or 10 berghia, which appear to have sorted my 750 Redsea, even with a couple of peppermints and Wrasse in the tank. Aptasia is still in the tank but you have to look for them now. Don't give up. 5:33
I should add I had tried a Reef Delete and whilst it defo killed aptasia I think it exacerbated the issue as when they die they simply spawn more. Aptasia x is effective but again your never doing to get them all. 8:41
As a Newbie I watched passively as Aiptasia 'took over' my tank wondering what to do Here's what I did and they all went - I think ! Buy a File Fish - cheap and an interesting fish IMO so a no brainer. I don't think it ever showed any interest in eating large Aiptasia but not sure if it ate small ones? It definitely preferred to just do nothing and wait to be fed frozen food! Zap the large ones with Aiptasia X - which does kill them! I think the best bang for your buck it terms of volume of Aiptasia eliminated. I didn't see an explosion of new Aiptasia like some people have reported or any harm to corals or fish. I 'invested' in a reef delete, attached it to a rod and rigged a system that held the button down so I didn't have to! This is a very very tedious process but it was good at killing the small to medium Aiptasia. Plus it was satisfying to watch the Aiptasia shrivel up! It was s a lot of money and I have not used it for a while. ( I just can't resist buying a gadget!!) I added some Berghia and never saw them again but I think they did a good job eating the smaller Aiptasia in hard to get to places? They seem stupidly expensive for what they are? Over time, the infestation just vanished in the display tank and I zapped the ones in the sump. The hardest area was in the overflow where I could not reach with Aiptasia X or get the Reef Delete where it needed to be aiming. Not sure I ever got them all in there? I suppose you could hang a waterproof UV light in there?? I have now moved on to a bigger tank - where I will keep a very close eye out and act immediately if needed - probably with the Reef Delete. Anyway, Cyano elimination is my current pain in the neck
if you're able to remove the rock on which the aiptasia sits, you can use something like a kitchen blow torch (used for desserts and such) and torch the area. There will be some collateral damage, but I've yet to have any aiptasia survive that method of eradication. lol I'm much more careful now about what goes in my tank, and I inspect new adds very closely to see if there's any aiptasia. Sadly, most fish stores have a lot of aiptasia in their systems, so you really have to be careful when you select an item and then inspect it carefully. I don't have a quarantine tank, but I do have a clear plastic cube that I fill with water and then let the new purchase sit in there for a while. With no flow and maybe 30 minutes of time, if there are aiptasia on the coral you just bought, they should be apparent. I think the main thing is to realize that prevention is the key. If your tank is free of aiptasia now, be diligent about not accidentally putting any in. Inspect everything.
I like berghia nudibranchs they're awesome 100% reef safe, only eat aptaisia, and reproduce readily. The only drawback is they're easy prey for fish and inverts and can be pricey. I recommend culturing them.
I have a reef tank and a fowlr, I keep some filefish in the fowlr until the aiptasia starts overrunning it, then they get to spend a month in the reef until it’s no longer visible, then they get pulled out before they move on to corals.
@@AbhiP you dump the required amount into your tank. You dont have to be super precise on the numbers, i used to do twice as much and your skimmer and socks filter it out. There are many videos on youtube on what to use and how to use it
I purchased a Caribbean peppermint shrimp that ate all the aiptasia in my tank. Unfortunately after that, it proceeded to kill and eat 90% of the snails in my tank. I took it back to my LFS.
I had a tank for over 20 years and never had them after the first year. I was super lucky. I have a new 1yr old tank now and have an outbreak. Some large ones too. Been adding Nudis and fingers crossed. Only have two clowns, corals and a big cleaning team. Trying not to add another fish, but will see how the Nudis do first
Do not waste your money on aptasia x or any chemical. Just try to find a value bundle deal online. Something like 15 berg nudibranchs for $250. You will save money in the long run believe me
They do work, but can be delicate and difficult to acclimate for a lot of people. And so many LFSs price them at $40 each (3 for $100) which is insane.😢
I am having this problem at the moment. Tried file fish they disappeared. Copperbands seem not to have the appetite for it. Gonna try the other natural predator solution. Thanks for this video!
Hi, i was 2 years in this hobby. And i just cant understand why my pink anthias and cleaner wrasse suddenly disappear can you make a video about it? I have my lids on my tank 24/7, my parameters are well maintained, flow is good, light is good. They were eating normaly then overnight they are gone. I tried scooping out the sand hoping they bury. Tank mates are clown and blue tang on a 75g😊
I had Aptasia out of the ying yang (It made my eyes water) I tried everything. I found the various potions just spread the pests. In the end I tried a couple of Molly Miller blennies and now I have one Aptasia in my tank who is perched in a very awkward place.
How about the sponge/tunicate/?? that seems to be starting to show up in the hobby? It's translucent(gets 'dirty' and becomes more visible that way), able to grow very quickly in random blobs with random holes/"spires" and corals have an extreme negative reaction upon being touched by it. Nobody seems to know what it is although many insist on it being a sponge but the spires do deform in strong currents. Thought I got rid of it by completely removing a rock with it but unfortunately saw two new colonies of it. It's so horrible that it may just make me break the tank down. I'd say it's even worse than aiptasia because all it takes is it to get close to or touch coral for the corals to suffer plus it can suddenly grow out several inches almost overnight plus no known solutions for dealing with it in-tank. Going to try the F-juice but this thing grows and spreads in problematic surfaces- vertical, bottoms of rocks etc...
Bhergia prices have gotten completely out of hand. $200 to ship a few aptasia is nuts. They are 100% effective though. Also, with F-aptasia or other products, be careful where you use it. Can can see the aptasia “burst” when you cover them trying to spread more into your tank (you can even see it in this video). If they are in a crevice or porous rock, they absolutely will reproduce through the side you can’t see.
My filefish initaly eated all the aiptasia then during the night all xenia and zoa then once that done he went after candycane and well he was done at that point.
I know this is 7 years later, but what I say is relevant. In a reef tank, yes, they are a pain. But if you have a fish only FOWLR system, with messy feeders, they are actually a good thing. They catch all the bits of food floating around rather than it going into the filters. If they get too numerous, then there are plenty of fish that will chow down on them.
Should I put my Melanurus wrasse and Longnose Hawkfish in my quarantine tank while I have Berghia Nudibranchs do their job for a while? I have aiptasia popping up everywhere now. Too many to F-Aiptasia all of them.
For sure put the Wrasse in your QT (with a Tupperware of sand for it to sleep in). Hawkfish may leave them alone but it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
OR... Wholesalers and retailers could do a far better job of eliminating pests in their systems. I stopped buying frags from the LFS's in my area. Every one of the stores have aiptasia in their systems as if they're on display. After I beat back my initial infestation with nudi's, I haven't added any new corals to my system. I'm just sticking with what I already have in the tank. Crap flows downhill...meaning the problems start at the top.
I took the big risk and added a Klein's Butterfly. I looked for one with the prominent blue blaze on his temple (legend has these prefer nems and not corals *shrug*). He ate a massive infestation of aips down to nothing in less than a month. He picks at the odd coral and my SPS don't extend their polyps so much. If he starts to take notice of an LPS, I just move the coral and he stops nipping it. Touchwood. Has been an awesome fish and so much personality.
Not sure I would recommend because the risk of getting one that just samples every single coral in the tank all day every day is so high. I was lucky.
I had a large frag tank infested with aiptasia. Berghia Nudibranchs are the most effective predator IMO. The key is, once they’ve eliminated the aiptasia, don’t add anything else!
Quarantine everything before adding to the main display.
A couple of months ago I put couple of file fish and two batches or 10 berghia, which appear to have sorted my 750 Redsea, even with a couple of peppermints and Wrasse in the tank. Aptasia is still in the tank but you have to look for them now. Don't give up. 5:33
I should add I had tried a Reef Delete and whilst it defo killed aptasia I think it exacerbated the issue as when they die they simply spawn more. Aptasia x is effective but again your never doing to get them all. 8:41
As a Newbie I watched passively as Aiptasia 'took over' my tank wondering what to do
Here's what I did and they all went - I think !
Buy a File Fish - cheap and an interesting fish IMO so a no brainer. I don't think it ever showed any interest in eating large Aiptasia but not sure if it ate small ones? It definitely preferred to just do nothing and wait to be fed frozen food!
Zap the large ones with Aiptasia X - which does kill them! I think the best bang for your buck it terms of volume of Aiptasia eliminated. I didn't see an explosion of new Aiptasia like some people have reported or any harm to corals or fish.
I 'invested' in a reef delete, attached it to a rod and rigged a system that held the button down so I didn't have to! This is a very very tedious process but it was good at killing the small to medium Aiptasia. Plus it was satisfying to watch the Aiptasia shrivel up! It was s a lot of money and I have not used it for a while. ( I just can't resist buying a gadget!!)
I added some Berghia and never saw them again but I think they did a good job eating the smaller Aiptasia in hard to get to places? They seem stupidly expensive for what they are?
Over time, the infestation just vanished in the display tank and I zapped the ones in the sump. The hardest area was in the overflow where I could not reach with Aiptasia X or get the Reef Delete where it needed to be aiming. Not sure I ever got them all in there? I suppose you could hang a waterproof UV light in there??
I have now moved on to a bigger tank - where I will keep a very close eye out and act immediately if needed - probably with the Reef Delete. Anyway, Cyano elimination is my current pain in the neck
if you're able to remove the rock on which the aiptasia sits, you can use something like a kitchen blow torch (used for desserts and such) and torch the area. There will be some collateral damage, but I've yet to have any aiptasia survive that method of eradication. lol
I'm much more careful now about what goes in my tank, and I inspect new adds very closely to see if there's any aiptasia. Sadly, most fish stores have a lot of aiptasia in their systems, so you really have to be careful when you select an item and then inspect it carefully. I don't have a quarantine tank, but I do have a clear plastic cube that I fill with water and then let the new purchase sit in there for a while. With no flow and maybe 30 minutes of time, if there are aiptasia on the coral you just bought, they should be apparent.
I think the main thing is to realize that prevention is the key. If your tank is free of aiptasia now, be diligent about not accidentally putting any in. Inspect everything.
That sounds scary if you torch some Zoa and it goes air born into your lungs. Not sure how likely that is but I’ve heard horror stories like that
Australian Stripeys are also a good natural predator. Unsure if they are available in the U.S. but are widely used here in Aus for this purpose
I like berghia nudibranchs they're awesome 100% reef safe, only eat aptaisia, and reproduce readily. The only drawback is they're easy prey for fish and inverts and can be pricey. I recommend culturing them.
SImple. Filefish. Very chill and does it's job eating it all. Also very cool camo changes.
until they eat your corals. might go for LPS before aiptasia
I have a reef tank and a fowlr, I keep some filefish in the fowlr until the aiptasia starts overrunning it, then they get to spend a month in the reef until it’s no longer visible, then they get pulled out before they move on to corals.
I got Aiptasia with "Clean Macroalgae" from Algaebarn... lol
Vermetid snails next
Vermetid snails are the WORST. We might have to make that one!
I have V’s growing ON my bumble bee snails. LOL. But the rocks appear to be kept in check so far by the snails
Bumble bee snails for the win haha. My rock was infested with Vermetid snails. Adding bumble snails and all gone
@@Nasty_boii_reefWe can't get bumble bee snails here in Australia they're illegal 🙄 😢
@@mickromer6199 do you know why? I am curious? You might have to manually remove them? Or cover the tip of them with some glue?
Majanos next please 🙈
Dealing with aiptasia now! Perfect timing, helpful tips!
Love it when a plan comes together!
Indeed Hannibal Smith @@BRStv
The A-Team (aptasia fighting team) lol
File fish work the best but some will eat certain colors of coral, mine loved any orange polyp.
A peppermint shrimp worked perfect for me then I caught it noshing on an lps one night. It definitely did the job though!
Please do vermetid snails 🙏 I am struggling 😭
I used a combination of bumblebee snails and reef snow (DIY) and got rid of them after a few months.
@@eqbalaizimi8099 Sweet sounds good. can I broadcast feed reef snow?
@@AbhiP you dump the required amount into your tank. You dont have to be super precise on the numbers, i used to do twice as much and your skimmer and socks filter it out. There are many videos on youtube on what to use and how to use it
Thanks Thomas! I’m dealing with this now. I just put some peppermint shrimp in the tank. Thinking of getting a filefish
I purchased a Caribbean peppermint shrimp that ate all the aiptasia in my tank. Unfortunately after that, it proceeded to kill and eat 90% of the snails in my tank. I took it back to my LFS.
I had a tank for over 20 years and never had them after the first year. I was super lucky.
I have a new 1yr old tank now and have an outbreak. Some large ones too. Been adding Nudis and fingers crossed. Only have two clowns, corals and a big cleaning team. Trying not to add another fish, but will see how the Nudis do first
peppermint shrimp are my warriors against aiptatia, no coral issues neither..
Do not waste your money on aptasia x or any chemical. Just try to find a value bundle deal online. Something like 15 berg nudibranchs for $250. You will save money in the long run believe me
Who’s lennardi wrasse is that though…I want it
i did it with peppermint shrimps.
Peppermint Shrimps are the special forces of destroying Aptasia.
They do work, but can be delicate and difficult to acclimate for a lot of people. And so many LFSs price them at $40 each (3 for $100) which is insane.😢
I am having this problem at the moment. Tried file fish they disappeared. Copperbands seem not to have the appetite for it. Gonna try the other natural predator solution. Thanks for this video!
I feel like this is targeting the guy on Reddit who was ready to delete his tank over an Aiptasia outbreak.
Hi, i was 2 years in this hobby. And i just cant understand why my pink anthias and cleaner wrasse suddenly disappear can you make a video about it? I have my lids on my tank 24/7, my parameters are well maintained, flow is good, light is good. They were eating normaly then overnight they are gone. I tried scooping out the sand hoping they bury. Tank mates are clown and blue tang on a 75g😊
I had Aptasia out of the ying yang (It made my eyes water) I tried everything. I found the various potions just spread the pests. In the end I tried a couple of Molly Miller blennies and now I have one Aptasia in my tank who is perched in a very awkward place.
When the XXL750 we did with WWC was overrun with Aiptasia, we had several molly miller blennies that also did their part!
How about the sponge/tunicate/?? that seems to be starting to show up in the hobby? It's translucent(gets 'dirty' and becomes more visible that way), able to grow very quickly in random blobs with random holes/"spires" and corals have an extreme negative reaction upon being touched by it. Nobody seems to know what it is although many insist on it being a sponge but the spires do deform in strong currents. Thought I got rid of it by completely removing a rock with it but unfortunately saw two new colonies of it. It's so horrible that it may just make me break the tank down. I'd say it's even worse than aiptasia because all it takes is it to get close to or touch coral for the corals to suffer plus it can suddenly grow out several inches almost overnight plus no known solutions for dealing with it in-tank. Going to try the F-juice but this thing grows and spreads in problematic surfaces- vertical, bottoms of rocks etc...
Bhergia prices have gotten completely out of hand. $200 to ship a few aptasia is nuts. They are 100% effective though.
Also, with F-aptasia or other products, be careful where you use it. Can can see the aptasia “burst” when you cover them trying to spread more into your tank (you can even see it in this video). If they are in a crevice or porous rock, they absolutely will reproduce through the side you can’t see.
299 $ 😂😂😂😂😂
Aptaisia eating filefish is a misnommer they seem to prefer softies and LPS.
My filefish initaly eated all the aiptasia then during the night all xenia and zoa then once that done he went after candycane and well he was done at that point.
I know this is 7 years later, but what I say is relevant.
In a reef tank, yes, they are a pain. But if you have a fish only FOWLR system, with messy feeders, they are actually a good thing. They catch all the bits of food floating around rather than it going into the filters.
If they get too numerous, then there are plenty of fish that will chow down on them.
That's a fair point for sure!
Thomas always gets a 👍🏽 (I beat him!)
Hahaha amazing!!!
Peppermint shrimp or filefish, problem solved.
What wrasse is that 4:33
Anampses lennardi
Should I put my Melanurus wrasse and Longnose Hawkfish in my quarantine tank while I have Berghia Nudibranchs do their job for a while? I have aiptasia popping up everywhere now. Too many to F-Aiptasia all of them.
For sure put the Wrasse in your QT (with a Tupperware of sand for it to sleep in). Hawkfish may leave them alone but it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
@@BRStv Thanks for the advise!
OR... Wholesalers and retailers could do a far better job of eliminating pests in their systems. I stopped buying frags from the LFS's in my area. Every one of the stores have aiptasia in their systems as if they're on display. After I beat back my initial infestation with nudi's, I haven't added any new corals to my system. I'm just sticking with what I already have in the tank. Crap flows downhill...meaning the problems start at the top.
Tried it all FILE FISH ate them like cake
When filefish work out, they do an AMAZING job!
They love Zoas and Duncan's too! 😂
Does my sump count as an aptasia farm?
👍👍👍
An Australian Stripey will solve your problem
Don't they grow to 9 inches and eat literally everything?
@gospelofrye6881 they're pigs but I haven't had one that touched coral
@@grantrogers2878 I'm very tempted. I'm also in Australia so they are relatively cheap.