Aptisia Problem

**Reefer0513** · 06-29-2010, 11:45 AM

I was wanting to know if anyone has had any experience with aptisia eating copper-banded butterfly fish. I have some leather and soft polyp corals and was wondering if it would eat them as well as the aptisia. I have tried everything to kill off my aptisia invasion and so far nothing has worked. I have tried chemically eradicating them with aptisia X, even using bergia nudibranch and a aptisia eating file-fish and still I have aptisia and the seem to be reproducing. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

**Phurst** · 06-29-2010, 12:00 PM

They're extremely difficult to get to eat anything. Many times, they will starve without even touching the aptasia, and those that do eat aptasia, usually starve after it has all been eaten. It is very hard to find a copperband that eats prepared foods. If you're intent on getting one, find one that readily eats prepared foods at the pet store. I don't mean one tht may suck in a flake, or single piece of mysis, i mean on that eats like any other fish. Resist the urge to get one thinking "oh, it'll come around in my tank". No, it won't. I've had several in the past, and will not have another. They're too beautiful and expensive for me to keep killing them

Yes, as with all butterflies, there is a chance it will take a liking to your other corals as well.

**techguy** · 06-29-2010, 12:53 PM

Have you tried adding a few peppermint shrimp? I have seen videos of them going to town on Aptasia.

**treeoflife** · 06-29-2010, 02:55 PM

I added a couple of pepremint shrimp, they ate all of the small aptasia they I got rid of the bigger ones now I have none in my tank that I can see.

**Reefer0513** · 06-29-2010, 03:22 PM

I put some peppermint shrimp in my tank to eat the aptasia and they did not eat a single one. I have some bergia nudibranch in my tank also and the guy that sold them to me said that it would take up to six months for them to eat all the aptasia. I have no doubt they will work but a the price I paid for them you would think that they would be faster at eating the aptasia then they have been. My file-fish eats the baby aptaisa and leaves the bigger ones alone. I thought maybe a copper banded butterfly would be more aggressive in eating the aptasia.

**rayme07** · 06-29-2010, 03:24 PM

You could try Joes juice that stuff I have seen work and work well plus its safe for coral, plus the store selling it is a TR sponsor and Dick (Amphibious) is a great guy to work with. Here is a link: http://www.theculturedreef.com/joesjuice.htm

**treeoflife** · 06-29-2010, 03:51 PM

my peppermints ate about 150 in a week with a head on them about the size of a pencil erasor any that were biggier i cut off with a pair of sizors and the shrimp ate the as they started to grow a new head

**Reefer0513** · 06-30-2010, 01:57 PM

I have tried peppermints, Joe's juice, aptisa eating file-fish, and bergia nudibranch and so far I still have a lot of aptasia to get rid. They are so bad that I quite adding any corals and fish until I either eliminate or get them under more control. All the peppermints have done since being in my tank is eat uneaten food and left the aptasia alone all together. The file-fish eats the baby aptasia and leaves the bigger ones alone. Joe's juice has worked for a short period, but I have so many aptasia that it is like pissing in the wind. The guy that sold me the bergia nudibranch said that it might take as long as six months to clear my tank. I was just wondering if there was a faster solution out there that I have not tried. I would prefer to use a biological means of control over a chemical means if I can.

**CarmieJo** · 06-30-2010, 08:18 PM

Did you get more than one bergia? The reason they take so long is that they readily breed in your tank and you have to let the population build up to where they can out eat the reproduction rate. A lot of biological controls will only eat small aiptasia. I found that if I nuked the big ones my peppermint shrimps (which are hit or miss) took care of all the small ones.

**Reefer0513** · 07-01-2010, 09:32 PM

OK, I will keep that under advisement. Just to let you know I bought six bergia nudibranch and I guess I just need to be patient and let them bred and multiple to the point that they make a huge dent in my aiptaisa infestation. My peppermint shrimp have not eaten a single aptasia has anyone else had this problem? Are they hit and miss when it comes to eating aiptasia?

**Malibu41** · 07-02-2010, 12:52 AM

I have two peppermints in my tank, one big one small. The big one went to town on it while the smaller is happy just doing clean up. It took about 3 weeks and the Aptasia seems gone. I thought the big Pep was getting after my bubble tip once the Aptasia was gone but it seems like its just cleaning it up and trying to steal food.

**rayme07** · 07-02-2010, 12:55 AM

I had that problem with my peppermints when I first introduced them to my tank, but they soon grew on the taste of aiptasia.

**Reefer0513** · 07-04-2010, 09:38 AM

All my peppermint shrimp must be vegetarians. lol! They have not touched one single aiptasa since they have been in my tank.

**rayme07** · 07-04-2010, 03:17 PM

Do you spot feed them?

**Reefer0513** · 07-05-2010, 12:29 AM

spot feed the peppermint shrimp? As that what you are asking and the question is no because I could never get close enough to them to feed them without them swimming away

**rayme07** · 07-05-2010, 12:53 AM

yea that was what I was asking, some people spot feed their shrimp to make sure they get fed. The reason why I was asking was because if they get fed really well they could just be to full to even think about looking at the aiptasa to eat.

**ReefPeddler** · 07-06-2010, 08:21 AM

Aptasia are a very common pest to many reefers. I have personally kept dozens of copperbands throughout the years and have never had a problem with them not eating. Also I have sold every one I've owned over the years and never had a single complaint. We also keep them stocked in the store so people can efficiently remove aptasia.

Here is the method we recomend most;

1) Joes Juice (for the big ones)
2) Copperband Butterfly (for the medium ones)
3) Peppermint Shrimp (for the small ones)

With this combo you will be aptasia free in about 2 weeks, or less. If you have a fish only system, then a kleins butterfly may be right for you. The Berghia Nudibranch is an effective control method. However, like so many other nudibranchs, they are diet specific. They will multiply to the food source, and then die off once the food source is gone. This works for some, but I find most people want something that will remain once the problem disappears. Both the copperband and the peppermint will eat prepared foods in my experience. There are a few other aptasia products on the market, but none of them compare to joes juice. AptasiaX is the closest IMO/E. You can also easily make your own if you want to go that route.

Aptasia will instantly spread their spores the minute you try to pinch them off (or cut the heads off) so I don't recommend trying that method. Also, generally speaking, the source of your aptasia problem will be an individual anemone hiding close to your source of flow. They spawn into the current allowing them to efficiently spread throughout your system.

I hope this helps...

**Reefer0513** · 07-06-2010, 10:29 AM

Thanks so much for the information. So you would recommend the use of a copperband butterfly to remove aptasia, but only in a fish only system. I know some people have said that they nip or eat soft polyp corals is this the extent of the corals that they eat? What happens to the copperband butterfly once the tank is free of aptasia? Will they take to eating other forms of food or will I have to sell them to keep them from dying?

**ReefPeddler** · 07-06-2010, 11:22 AM

Actually I keep the copperbands in full reef tanks without issues. Of course there's always a chance they may nip at something, but I've never witnessed it. I currently have one in my 65g mixed reef display cylinder tank. I've kept them in a 200g full reef and in everything from a 55g to 240g reef tank without issue as of yet.

Anything has the ability to be both opportunistic and down right hungry... but if you keep your livestock healthy, and fed you SHOULDN'T run into any issues.

The Kleins butterfly is a different story... I would only recommend them for fish only systems...

**PessimisticOptimist** · 07-27-2010, 11:24 AM

I have tried copper banded myself, but didn't eat anything ion my DT except various small tube worms. Perhaps I'll try again as my Aptasia starts to creep back from the brink. It was beaten back, along with any/all Palys and all Pulsing Xenia by the Threadfin (Auriga) Butterfly <depicted below>. This guy was a machine on everything, but with the success came a lot of collateral damage. I have since removed him and traded to another aquarist with a Majo problem. I will now try to manage the almost inevitable return with Peppermint shrimp and perhaps a copper banded, down the road. Unfortunately, I have had little help from either species in the past. Good Luck.

**Reefer0513** · 07-28-2010, 09:34 AM

Thanks Keith on the advice. I bought a copperband butterfly to control my aptasia, but him and my powder blue did not get along. Long story short the powder blue decided that the copperband butterfly was his competition for food and basically harassed him to death. Before I could do anything about it the copperband died on me. I could not remember the last time I was that sad about a fish dying on me. He was such a beautiful fish and he will be missed greatly. So, I have decided that after trying everything basically everything under the sun to get rid of aptasia and nothing has worked that I am going to just buy nudibranch and lots of them to keep my aptasia in check. Since there is nothing in my tank that will bother them and they are pretty much just set them in the tank on some live rock and forget about them until your aptasia disappears. They seem to be the most effective out of everything I have tried. And the war continues I will let you all know how the battle goes from time to time.

**PessimisticOptimist** · 07-28-2010, 10:24 AM

Nudibranch? Cool! Perhaps I'll try that too. However, I am ignorant to this option. Can you tell me, is there a particular specimen which is best suited to our aquariums. Or, perhaps species which we should avoid? I do not believe I have any other inhabitants who would harass one either. This is an exciting option for me. I tend to enjoy the inverts every bit as much as the fish.

**Reefer0513** · 07-28-2010, 02:01 PM

I put six adult berghia nudibranch in my tank. The guy that sold them to me told me that I should probably put more, but they cost a lot of money with overnight shipping. So he told me that if all I was going to put in my 125 gallon tank was just six that it would take longer to get rid of the aptasia. So, I was just trying to speed up the process by using other means, but nothing has really worked for me except the berghia nudibranch. So I guess I will just have to be patient. Just to let you know that it is best to buy the berghia nudibranch in a group of six or more. They hunt in packs and have a better chance of consuming your aptasia when in hunting in a pack of six or more. The berghia nudibranch that he sells are alittle bit more than what some people online sell them for, but he breeds his especially for high flow areas such as a reef tank with an overflow. This way they have a stronger foot to hold on to live rock with, so they do not get sucked down an overflow or into other equipment in a tank. His also are mature enough to start breeding right away, so as soon as they are introduced into your tank and their is enough food for them to eat they will reproduce thus giving you more berghia nudibranch to eat the aptasia with. The six I introduced into my 125 gallon started to attack a large aptasia right off the bat, which was pretty cool watching them devour an aptasia from the inside out. His website is www. berghia.net. The guy also has a phone number you can call if you have any questions on berghia nudibranch. I called him and asked what he recommended for my tank and the amount of aptasia that I had and he was very helpful in making my decision on how many to buy. The best thing about berghia nudibranch is that they only eat aptasia and will not bother your corals in your tank as some butterfly fish or peppermint shrimp will. They also are small enough to get into crevices that other means of aptasia control can not. I called him on severally occasions and he was always very helpful in answering my question. Great customer service on his part. I hope this helps.

**PessimisticOptimist** · 07-28-2010, 06:46 PM

Hey - Thanks for the lead. I am going to check it out, for certain.

**PessimisticOptimist** · 07-29-2010, 07:09 PM

I now believe my pest is actually the Majano Anemone. Apparently, the Nudibranch will not work in this case. I am researching other options, preferably natural. I have read BiColor Angels has been observed to consume the Majano Anemone in captivity. However, I am uncertain how much collateral damage will accompany?