How to get rid of aiptasia anemone

[caitlin.knutson]

I have two of these aiptasia anemones and want to get rid of them. I have tried squirting and covering them with calcium. But they just retreat into their holes and come back out a few hours later. Any ideas?i just don't want a giant population. Also I have a clown fish will the aiptasia hurt my fish? Thanks for the help.

 

[ezy33]

Peppermint Shrimp worked for me. They'll get the ones you can't see. Good luck!

 

[caitlin.knutson]

What happens when there's no anemones left? Do I have to feed the shrimp a supplement, or do they just start eating algae? I don't know anything about peppermint shrimp. What do they eat other than aiptasia? Thanks for the help by the way.

 

[05spooln]

Aiptasia x by Red Sea!

 

[Sniperhank]

Peppermints are hit or miss on if they eat aiptasia or not. You can use products like aiptasia-x or joe's juice. Some have had success injecting them with boiling water or lemon juice, where others just bury them in a kalk paste.

 

[ezy33]

Peppermint shrimp are scavengers. They will eat flake food and fish. Note that the peppermint shrimp and the camel shrimp can eat corals too. There are a few fish that will work notably the Copperband butterflyfish but it requires a large aquarium and is not reef safe. http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+25+212&pcatid=212

 

[NanoNewb]

My suggestion is to try one of the aftermarket products like aiptasia X. Boiling water and lemon juice has never worked for me. The chance that a shrimp or fish will mow down your corals is too risky imho. Good Luck I HATE those little buggers.

 

[ezy33]

According to liveaquaria.com the Peppermint Shrimp is reef safe.

 

[prinzlerr]

+1 on Aiptasia-X. I had a couple pop up on some live rock I purchased, and it was recommended to me at my LFS (it's what they used). I did as the instructions said, and after a couple of thorough searches/uses I haven't seen any again.

 

[Sniperhank]

According to liveaquaria.com the Peppermint Shrimp is reef safe.

It isn't about them being reef safe. It's about peppermints being hit or miss in even eating aiptasia.

 

[mr_X]

Please don't suggest extremely difficult creatures like the copper banded butterfly, for any reason. 99% of them do not live out their lives in captivity and most of them starve to death because of their extremely picky eating habits.
I would also say 50/50 on the peppermints, and they do not eat corals. It's worth a shot I suppose. Chemical treatment has much better odds.

 

[ezy33]

My bad. I see them so often in the LFS I forget they are difficult to keep. Now I know why I never tried one. How about a Matted Filefish? They are moderate care and 30 gallon minimum.

Peppermint shrimp worked both times I had Aiptasia. I think it's because I'm on the west cost and suspect the suppliers get the correct subspecies. What I like about the shrimp is they will get the ones on places you even can't see and they do the work. Just feed them until they've done their job.

I recently saw a device like a mini cattle prod for zapping Aiptasia.

 

[mr_X]

Any natural predators are going to be a gamble. whether they eat the aptasia at all, if they do will they eat anything else after the aptasia is gone, and will they eat anything we don't want them to.
The only thing I would try besides chemical means, is the peppermints. They are the only things that won't cause trouble.
If you just stay on top of them, and kill them as you see them, it's pretty easy to keep them controlled.