fakkzz Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 By now everyone probably has seen I just got the tank back and it's getting better. Just a few problems with it well me maybe (scratch) ..... one was a huge outbreak of aiptasia! Nope.... it didn't die off like everything else (laugh) I've never had a problem with it so I'm not sure how to rid my tank of it. I have heard that peppermints can do the trick. All of the aiptasia left that I couldn't kill is on coral areas. I don't want to stress them anymore than they have been but want the aiptasia gone. I'd love to hear first hand thoughts on peppermints??? How many I should have? Or another route? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael7979 Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 IME I have had luck with peppermints keeping smaller ones under control. For larger ones you will need a larger fish or a chemical. And since you are going for a reef I would go get a bottle of Aptasia X, (works for me), or something similar and kill off as many of the large ones as you can. Then after you have killed off alot of them get yourself a couple of peppermints to finish the job. BTW some people do not like peppermints in reefs. They say they bother corals when there is no aptasia to eat. But I have never had that problem............. (knocking on wood). HTH 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
defigart Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Ive heard from several people that they can eat Zoas when they run out of Aptasia, but haven't noticed it personally. Remember they are "wild" animals, and your may have been set differently at the factory. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fakkzz Posted March 30, 2009 Author Share Posted March 30, 2009 Does Aptasia X affect the tank? What about the death of them releasing toxins? Will it put everything outta wack again? Oh how I dread another "outta wack" ..... cause you know that never happens once it's perfect Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael7979 Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 No it is OK to use just don't use the entire bottle in one battle! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCR Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Peppermint can be hit and miss. If you can get any of the rock out to kill it off, using a small torch. Run carbon when your treating/killing them. Keep an eye on the skimmer too as it should pull out more. So don't let it overflow. I would also do water change, never hurts to do one either. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fakkzz Posted March 30, 2009 Author Share Posted March 30, 2009 OK so if I use the aptasia X which is sounding great after reading more on it would it kill my peppermint if he ate a dosed aptasia? Also I read some that the Aptasia can hurt surrounding corals but didn't say if it was permanent? Anyone know first hand? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCR Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 they can kill corals. I have had it happen. Don't know about the shrimp eating a treated one. There going to closeup with the treatment, so I don't think it will harm them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fakkzz Posted March 30, 2009 Author Share Posted March 30, 2009 GREAT! My poor tank. The only aptasia left is so close to corals. That's why I haven't cut them off. I had one on my maxima that was causing him not to open up and was able to get it off as well as many others in various spots. Well I guess that I found a solution on how to thin out the mushrooms on that rock .... if it's not one thing with reefs it's another huh! That's why I love them I guess!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kilmca Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 I had some small aptasia and the peppermint shirmp i have took care of them. In previous tanks I never had luck with peppermint shrimp eating them but this group of shrimp seems to like them. I never see them bothering with any corals. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsoz Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 I had a pepermint shrimp eat one of my new "blue xenia" that I paid $50 for. :( That shrimp went to my school for my classroom tank. In it went, and I have not seen it since. I don't know if it is still living or not. dsoz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fakkzz Posted March 30, 2009 Author Share Posted March 30, 2009 I don't have much that he'd probably like to eat I hope. I stuck one in there but there is so many aptasia he'll never do much good alone. I'm scared of the Aptasia X cause I'm scared of doing anything to the tank I don't "know" about but I think it's a good time to experiment while the tank isn't stocked.... maybe. I've already got some great advise off of here about so many of my questions. I'm going to try and remove and glue a bunch of mushrooms and got great advise off here so I think I can try this too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coralreefaquarist Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 i have bad luck keeping them alive(scratch). but i did have 2 before my last move that completely wiped out my entire aiptasia epidemic. my tank was prob as bad as yours or worse i tried shooting them with kalk but there was always some i couldnt find after battleing them for about a year those 2 peperment did the trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCR Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 "glue a bunch of mushrooms" Glueing doesn't work well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krux Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 those seem big enough to joes juice or aiptasia x with pinpoint syringe work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowman Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 I inject all nuisance anemones with white vinegar. Kills them dead and they don't come back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smann Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Keep in mind if things get out of control over time "one was a huge outbreak of aiptasia!" you will not or don't want to fix it quickly. treat it with Ap-x or joes Juice or vinegar slowly and overtime you will get under control and wiil not hurt your corals. Its established in your tank and growing in inaccessible areas so its now just a maintenance issue like cleaning the glass or other weekly routines good luck(scary) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 They wiped out my aiptasia in a week. After their food source is gone they will look for other foods. Never had troubles with them eating my corals though. I put a silverside or krill on the tip of a wooden skewer and let them pull it off to eat when i feed my rhizo. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fakkzz Posted March 31, 2009 Author Share Posted March 31, 2009 "glue a bunch of mushrooms" Glueing doesn't work well. I've never done any fragging so my terms (i.e. glueing) are teribble but I was reffering to a mushroom colony of over 30 mushrooms on one rock I am going to attempt to seperate a bit... and the advise I've gotten on how to do that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downhill_biker Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 As others have done, my treatment includes aptasia-x and about twice as many peppermints as I think I need. I probably have 15 peppermint shrimp and 2 cleaner shrimp in my 72 gallon. Of course the cleaner shrimp dont help... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr S Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Copperband butterfly worked in my tank. Had no problems although some say they will nip at other stuff also. So buyer beware. A cool looking fish though. I go with Lowmans removal system. Hypodermic with vinegar. Inject the aptasia and watch them wither and die. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grassi Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 On nano-reef.com I've read of a lot of people having success with injecting them with a syringe of either boiling hot water or lemon juice.. I've also read good things about the peppermint. I tried one out, but instead of eating the aiptasia, he got himself eaten by my torch! OOPS (crazy) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Copperband butterfly worked in my tank. Had no problems although some say they will nip at other stuff also. So buyer beware. A cool looking fish though. I go with Lowmans removal system. Hypodermic with vinegar. Inject the aptasia and watch them wither and die. So Roger the copperband took all those aiptasia out? Thats awesome!! Now you can add corals (laugh) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fakkzz Posted April 7, 2009 Author Share Posted April 7, 2009 So after reading about the options and the fact that my lone peppermint after a month in the tank didn't seem to like aiptasia I decided to get Aiptasia X. On the way out the door Saturday to get some I see the Peppermint battling the biggest Aiptasia in my tank! So I decided not to get the medication. Sure enough by then end of the weekend he cleaned out EVERY single Aiptasia. He went nuts. So now I can only hope that the stories of them eating coral aren't true for him!!! He would clean me out before I knew what happened! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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