Can't Get Rid Of My Aiptasia

[timmystood]

Hey Guys!

Well, the FOWLR tank has been set up for months now! It currently has:
1 Ceylon Puffer
1 Tomato Clownfish
1 Domino Damselfish
1 3-Striped Humbug

I've also got about 20KG of live rock in the tank. However, I have a problem! I can't get rid of the bloody aiptasia on it. I've tried everything; i've used different products for removal of aiptasia, i've physically taken the rock out and cut out the aiptasia anemones from the rock itself, yet somehow it keeps spreading.

I'm just after any advice to help me finally destroy this dreaded cnidarian!

Any help is greatly appreciated
TIM

 

[SkiFletch]

Peppermint shrimp? Tried those yet?

 

[Pheonix]

wouldnt any shrimp get hammered by the puffer? and just as a point i thought the ceylon puffer was brackish not full marine?

if the puffer is shrimp friendly id go with ski! peppers are the best way to go! i have 3 in my tank and they keeps the little devils at bay!

if not, best thing ive used is Joes Juice, maybe youve already tried that though?

 

[SkiFletch]

Yeah, I'm not sure which puffers are shrimp eaters, I must admit. I hear nothing but horror stories about various puffers and various inverts, so I never considered keeping one

Failing peppermint shrimp, you could try and find a berghia nudibranch but you also might have better luck finding a needle in a haystack in the uk

 

[tmreynolds]

Yeah, I'm not sure which puffers are shrimp eaters, I must admit. I hear nothing but horror stories about various puffers and various inverts, so I never considered keeping one

Failing peppermint shrimp, you could try and find a berghia nudibranch but you also might have better luck finding a needle in a haystack in the uk

I'll second that, you won't find any berghia in the UK unfortunately, I was looking a while back when I got some aip's in my tank.

Instead I bought 2 peppermint shrimps and haven't seen any aiptasia since.

If the shrimps are safe with the puffer, they are the way forward, fantastic little things

 

[timmystood]

and just as a point i thought the ceylon puffer was brackish not full marine?

It requires full marine as an adult. It actually starts life in shallow freshwater pools, before becoming brackish around 3 months and then full marine around the age of 2. Their distribution over the world means they can, in fact, tolerate brackish or marine conditions at any age.

If the shrimps are safe with the puffer, they are the way forward, fantastic little things

Unfortunatley my Puffer will eat any shrimp I put in the tank.

Failing peppermint shrimp, you could try and find a berghia nudibranch but you also might have better luck finding a needle in a haystack in the uk

I'm quite stocked at the moment so even finding one would tip me over my stocking levels. (even if they don't put much load on the filter!)

It's a difficult one! I don't see any way out!!

 

[SkiFletch]

Just an FYI, Berghia Nudibranchs are between 1 and 5mm in length and dont exactly impact your biological filter. Heck they're smaller than snails

 

[timmystood]

LOL! Yeah, I guessed they were tiny little fellows... even so the chances of finding of them are very hard!
Will I ever get rid of the aiptasia!!

 

[boshank23]

i had a aip on a frag i had, i got the rock out of water and went over the area with a lighter for about 20 seconds. seemed to do the job

not sure if this is practical for you to do or not???

 

[Lynden]

No Tetraodont will consume Lysmata shrimps, provided the shrimps are given some time to become established (for instance, introduction at night). Even monstrous Porcupine Puffers and Pinktailed Triggers can be maintained with shrimp if caution is taken.

However in this instance I would recommend a Butterflyfish (not a planktonivorous one). The "capacity" of a tank is more of a guideline than an actual rule, and overstepping the "capacity" of a tank for a few weeks will do no harm. Tanks can generally increase their biological limit indefinetly, as long as maintainence is still carried out.

-Lynden

 

[timmystood]

i had a aip on a frag i had, i got the rock out of water and went over the area with a lighter for about 20 seconds. seemed to do the job

not sure if this is practical for you to do or not???

I could try this. It will mean I have to take all 6 pieces of rock out of the water and go over the whole rock, so will take some time... but i'll try anything!

thanks

 

[SkiFletch]

Oooh good call, renting a small longnose butterfly might do the trick

 

[Lynden]

Certainly more effective than burning all of your live rock if I do say so myself

 

[Mr Miagi]

i've physically taken the rock out and cut out the aiptasia anemones from the rock itself, yet somehow it keeps spreading.

You shouldnt cut them or shred them. They are extremely tough, and they will regrow form the tinniest of portions. I started a small FAQ on AIptasia, but most of the reoval methods have already been mentioned. Aiptasia Pined Article. You could try covering them in putty, like AquaNeedit. That could take a while, but just slowly get the ones harming your corals.

If they arnt in direct contact with corals, they can be beneficial, and a new idea has surfaced. It involved using a sump specifically designed with an Aiptasia "partition" for the Aiptasia to help remove particulate matter. I have a few that annoy/sting shrooms, so I zap them, others I cant reach stay alive (on borrowed time) until I can get some Shrimp.

 

[timmystood]

I think i'm gonna have to just keep having a try with the injection of treatments but I am never very successful with this!

Is there anyway I could kill the aiptasia by leaving the rock of the water for a certain lenght of time or anything like that?