# Killing Aptasia



## eechase72 (Apr 30, 2010)

Has anyone tried the Aptasia X from Red Sea? So far what I've read sounds great. Unfortunetly, other aptasia eliminators have sounded good but when used I've ended up with a population explosion. Has there been any long term sucess?


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## oscar (Apr 21, 2010)

I have found it works very well.


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## Ron99 (Apr 22, 2010)

What has worked really well for me is to get a syringe with a sharp needle and inject some lemon juice right into the aptasia. You need a sharp needle as you have to pierce the aptasia and get the juice right into it. That nukes it from the inside out.

I have used this technique on the odd hitchhiker aptasia and majano that has shown up and I have never had them spread.


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## pacific (Apr 21, 2010)

Another option is one of our sponsor's products:

http://www.tailoredaquatics.com/index.php?a=0&d=47

I've read some quite positive review of it on other forums (or maybe it was on BCA before the crash ). The above link includes detailed instructions on how to get the best results.


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## whatigot (Apr 30, 2010)

If you have a minor aiptasia problem, all of the well know aip killers work well if you are dilligent.

It's after they become a problem and are in places a syringe cannot get to that people generally find they do not work as a permanent solution.

I had a huge genesis of aiptasia experience and found that at the end of a 2 year struggle, my 3rd copperbanded butterfly did the trick.

Thank goodness he eats frozen because there is no aiptasia now.

I tried nudis before, but they were picked off by my fish within minutes of adding them to the tank so I can't comment on their effectiveness.


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## eechase72 (Apr 30, 2010)

Thanks for the help. I think my aptasia have reached major proportions but oddly enough only in half my tank. I have a slightly more powerfull powerhead on the opposite side so maybe it keeps the new ones at the opposite end. 

I have tried the lemon juice injections but I can only really get the big ones that are exposed and my problem is with many, many small ones. I'm afraid that whatever I try is going to stress them and they will all start to multipy like crazy - then what?

Sounds like I have a struggle ahead, that there's no easy way so I guess I'll try to keep hitting them and stay ontop, hopefully.


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## D-Man (May 1, 2010)

I have the dreaded problem myself(Bad rock from my brother-in-law!!!!)

I bought myself a few peppermint shrimp(from J&L) and they disappeared in a few weeks... though so did all my feather dusters!!!!

They love them and are entertaining to boot!

Something to try if you're tired of chemicals that don't really work.

Cheers!, and good luck!!!!!

Dylan


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## eechase72 (Apr 30, 2010)

I'm jealous D-Man, the peppermint shrimp I bought (special for the aptasia) didn't touch them. I tried starving the peppermints but it's pretty hard to do and still feed the rest of the tank.

I've resorted to the chemicals. Used Aptasia X yesterday and hit all that I could find. It was kind of entertaining watching their reactions. This morning the aptasia are gone but only time will tell if it really killed them and their offspring.

In hindsight I wish I had used the Aptasia X earlier in the day, left all water movement off, then sucked out as many of the dead aptasia and chemical as I could reach with my vacuum. Because when I turned the powerheads back on there was white Aptasia X chemical all over the place. It doesn't appear to have damaged any of the corals but again only time will tell.


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## pt1190 (Apr 21, 2010)

Try a Racoon butterfly, with the pepermints. Worked very well for us.


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## fkshiu (Apr 22, 2010)

There is no sure way.

Peppermints are hit and miss - a small battalion of young hungry ones is the best bet

Butterfly fish like copperbands can be difficult to keep alive or may get too large for the tank.

Chemical means usually involving a slurry of kalkwasser is tedious and requires great care. It may actually exacerbate the problem if you don't completely kill larger aiptasia as they can break up and spread more. Injection by first using a small bit of food to get the aiptasia to open up to feed and then precisely using a needle is the best method. Keep the pumps turned off.

Best to deal with it before it gets to plague proportions and to carefully check any "used" live rock. The reason why the seller wants to get rid of the rock may well be because it is overrun with aiptasia.


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## pinhead (Apr 22, 2010)

I've used the Tailored Aquatics and would recommend it.


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## eechase72 (Apr 30, 2010)

*Berghia nudibranchs*

Has anyone tried these little Berghia nudibranchs? I was reading about them on the internet and everything sounds so wonderful. No negative press but it makes me wonder.

I've tried the Aptasia X and the killer from Red Sea. Both seem to work at first but there's Aptasia where I can't get to them and upside down on rocks. I think my tank is working toward reaching plague proportions. I swear I kill 10 and within a week I have 50 more. The Peppermint Shrimp isn't doing it's job either.


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## fkshiu (Apr 22, 2010)

The downside to berghias is that they're hard to keep alive. They're often killed off very quickly by fish and acclimation stress before they can get to the aiptasia.


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## Canadian_Aqua_Farm (Apr 21, 2010)

Berghia nudibranchs are in my opinion the best solution for aiptasia infestations but then I am biased because I breed them  Sometimes when you kill aiptasia with chemicals fragments of aiptasia tissue are distributed throughout the tank. Each of these fragments then grow into new aiptasia. That is why when you kill 10 you see 50 new ones pop up a short time later. This doesn't happen when you use berghia nudibranchs.


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