Removing Aiptasia for Good - I DID IT!!

All of the products, techniques, and tools I used to fight my battle with aiptasia - what worked and what didn't!

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00:00 intro
01:59 aiptasia woes
03:46 aiptasia x
05:28 copperband/file fish
09:13 berghia nudibranchs
13:46 final thoughts

[papaechozulu]

As the Prime Minister of the Nudibranch nation, I would like to thank you for your kind words.

[Evergreenroblox]

Thank you, the berghia Nudibranch is eating right now! I’m so happy and it is fun watching the aptasia suffer!

[DasNoodz]

Friendly reminder that you never have to apologize for auto immune flares! Great job slaying this pest!

[jheisner]

Took my file fish a while to start earing the aiptasia, but boy when he did, HE DID. Wiped them out. Pulled rocks out of the sump and he cleaned them up too. I had a copper band at one time, beautiful fish and ate aiptasia and frozen. A $5 damsel murdered it. Haven't had one since because they'll also eat feather dusters and coco worms.

[JimMcPherson]

First of all, I'm glad you're feeling better and it's great to see you posting again!

My experience w/ Aiptasia: Aiptasia X was effective short term, but they always came back so I got a filefish. My filefish will do absolutely nothing with big aiptasia, but will gladly eat the small ones. So, using Aiptasia X on the big ones let I the filefish deal with the small ones. Problem solved. HOWEVER, once the aiptasia were gone, the filefish started nipping at my euphyllia and that was not acceptable and I moved him to my non-coral tank. Now the aiptasia are back and have called in for reinforcements. I guess I need to move my wrasse, spend the $$$ and just get the nudi's.

Thanks for the great videos!

[tashalaplante]

Yeeee! Congrats on winning your battle with aiptasia! Take care of yourself and it’s always nice to have a video from you 🥰

[ruffaccord]

This video is definitely needed. I'm in a losing battle. Hope you feel better soon!

[FISHYFLLOYD]

I tried a copper band, after he ate all the aphasia, he started eating my polyps and couldn’t catch him, my best success was adding peppermint shrimp. Once aphasia is in your tank it will always stay in the tank, but having peppermint shrimp would keep them in check.

[BryznsReef]

Burghia also solved all of my problem ! Def the best choice for those without wrasses and shrimp

[Jedi-fizs]

So glad to see new videos from you. This one caught my eye primarily because I have a full on infestation myself. My success with the Berghia however has not been so positive. Maybe I will try again.

Thanks for the video, glad to see you back and feeling better!

[TheYear]

They were breeding in your tank? Noice. At this time I also have an aptasia problem and got me 5 Berghias to multiply before putting them into the tank. This worked flawlessly like 10 years ago but this time the spawn wouldn't grow bigger than microscopic. I tried upgrading the cups in which they were supposed to breed. That made it worse. I had small plastic tubs and added tiny plastic heaters but they looked sick and stopped eating. I think it might have been residual chemicals (tesides or so) from the new heaters. Even after I placed them into the main tank, in a cup, separated by gauze from the main tank, they wouldn't start eating again for weeks, until they literally grew backwards and died :( .
I even set up an aiptasia breeding tank, to keep the slugs alive after their job was done. This time.
Maybe I should do it your way and just put them into the tank? I don't have any overly agressive animals in there. Only an algeae blenny, an Ecsenius stigmatura, a Pseudochromis friedmanni, a cleaner shrimp and an emerald crab. Everyone says not to put them in the tank directly...so is this just because of the cases where people have wrasses and things in there? Also it's said that they don't hatch when grown Berghias are in the vincinity? That's why you separate the bredding slugs and the actual spawn? Would you think I could put like 5 or 10 of them into my 100 gal. tank? Mybe I'll buy 10 and spilt them between tank and external breeding (this time in *glas* jars in a heated water bath...).
Actually I don't know if they bred inside the main tank during my successfull attempt 10 years ago. Because from my "external" breeding attempt I got at least 60 slugs to put into the main tank. I don't know if like half of them died or if they actually bred there, since you really can't count them in a big tank lile that. All I know it that they ate like 1000 aiptasia in less than 4 weeks and that was it for the last 10 years :D .

[BHt]

I have a bad aiptasia infestation in my biocube. I just added 13 nudis. I think they are awesome creatures and hope they do as well as yours did.
When I first got them I plucked 3 tiny aiptasia from my sandbed and put them in the acclimation cup with the Nudis. They all immediately zoomed it and consumed the aiptasia. I was so happy to see that. Then Into the tank they went that night. Groups of three.

I’ve heard a few tips
1-an aiptasia needs to eat within 5 days or it dies. So if you are still seeing them in your tank it means they are still feeding.
2-when they are healthy they look bioluminescent on their tips. When they are hungry they are all white and dont glow.
3- reason why peppermint shrimp will eat them is because they taste like the aiptasia since that is all they eat.
3-they will leave a scent trail that other Nudis will follow and when they hunt they draw all the others together to take out larger aiptasia
4-if a Nudis falls into a large aiptasia it can get eaten.

Good luck with your tank.

[anthonyudovich]

Omg! Glad I found you. So awesome!! Starting a new 29g saltwater tank. My first one. I have freshwater tanks. Thanks for your vids.

[Richs_reef]

What a great overview of the topic! Aiptasia-X is great for small breakouts but for anything more developed you really need biological control. I find Berghia’s need 2-3 weeks to really show their progress

[sgbbco]

Even with QT my corals.. I ended up with Aiptasia in my DT. I had 0 for nearly 2 years. Then boom started popping up and replicating similar to how your Aiptasia did. I had not added anything new either... So nature finds a way .lol.
I feel like any excuse to invite some Nudibranch or sacoglossans into the tank makes for a great learning experience. They are fascinating creatures. I only wish they weren't so voracious and it was easier to keep them longterm. Though running out of Aiptasia is something any reefer can live with. Haha. 

Hope you're able to keep sharing updates with us about your beautiful system. I'm sure coral growth will take off a bit more now too with the Aiptasia under control.

[SharbucklesReef]

Glad you were able to get rid of the aiptasia!! I had great success with Lysmata Kuekethali, however like the berghia you need quite a few to get the job done.

[andrewgutt]

Same route with me. File fish worked. I have a 32in long 75g display and a palm size file fish Barely keeps up. But he does the job and yes loves mysis and flake but is eating the aptasia

[ROTTERtube]

The resolution - 9 minute mark. Welcome.

[mcrawfordd]

File fish are perfect for aiptasia. The thing is, it takes about 3 weeks for them to get comfy, then they'll feast on the aiptasia:)

[delonjohnson]

Happy you're doing better and glad you got the pests under control. I use sodium hydroxide to help with ph so when I have one pop up I just mix up a strong batch and burn them to the ground