Aptasia Suggestions and Experience Please

[outdrsyguy1]

Trying to rid myself of aptasia. I've been successful before using peppermint shrimp, but now I have a melanarus wrasse, 6 line wrasse, and yellow corus wrasse that I'm thinking would munch them. I'm also thinking the Bergia wouldn't stand a chance. I've tried using aptasia-x but in my experience found that an aptasia would appear in exactly the same spot about 4 weeks later.

I have a mixed reef tank with lps, sps, leather/soft corals. I've heard people talk about copperbands and aptasia eating file fish but have no experience with either. Copperbands are defiinitely absolutely beautiful but don't they also snack on other lps?

oh, also have 3 rbta's and one HUGE purple LTA hosting 2 OC clowns.

I'd love to try the peppermint shrimps again but.... oh, and i swear I remember them eating my purple LTA, though with the clowns in it i'm thinking it's probably fairly safe.

thanks!

 

[glxtrix]

I am a HUGE fan of the Copperband. I have had a couple over the past 8 years. I have had 2 that survived 3+ years. Sadly I've had 2 that died pretty quick. They are a tricky fish to get to eat, so see if it'll eat in the fish store. They "can" nibble on other corals, so be careful. My first one that I had about 4 years never touched other corals...even the clams in my tank. The 2nd one I had did like to pick here and there and before he mysteriously died (after 3 years) he started to gain a taste in clams...but would only really pick at their out siphon.

 

[fishlips]

Let me tell you my story.I have a 180 with mostly sps, a hand full of lps, and afew softies.A few months back I had a out break of aptasia.Had well over 150 or more in my tank.Ended up putting twenty peps in.My aptasia where large.The peps could not handle that many.I had to get a matted file fish.It took 2 weeks for him to settle in.After that, All where gone in less then two weeks.The file fish has not messed with no corals. I welcome aptasia to my tank.I just make sure he gets food because he is not as aggressive as my other fish.The info I have read on matted file fish,forgot where,90% will eat aptasia.And it said it could take afew weeks for them to get started. Now if I could only teach him to eat HA. LOL

 

[jennm]

Catch-22 with all those wrasses and peppermint shrimp.

Copperband is risky too.

Filefish is probably your best bet.

All options carry pros and cons, really.

Jenn

 

[davidinga]

Fishlips;983718 wrote: Let me tell you my story.I have a 180 with mostly sps, a hand full of lps, and afew softies.A few months back I had a out break of aptasia.Had well over 150 or more in my tank.Ended up putting twenty peps in.My aptasia where large.The peps could not handle that many.I had to get a matted file fish.It took 2 weeks for him to settle in.After that, All where gone in less then two weeks.The file fish has not messed with no corals. I welcome aptasia to my tank.I just make sure he gets food because he is not as aggressive as my other fish.The info I have read on matted file fish,forgot where,90% will eat aptasia.And it said it could take afew weeks for them to get started. Now if I could only teach him to eat HA. LOL

I also "run" a matted filefish in my tank. He doesn't nip at any corals and keep Aiptasia in check. That said, he can't seem to get all of them because the ones lodged down in the rocks don't allow his short snout to get them (unlike a CBB that would get all of them). All in all I'm happy with the filefish and he fits in much better being an aggressive eater at feeding time with all my large aggressive tangs.


I had tried 4 different CBB and they all randomly died over the course of weeks to months. I had some that would all out compete aggressively at feeding time with my tangs and was fat and healthy until one day randomly dieing. CBB are really fragile and hard to keep even if you get one eating good.

 

[fishlips]

A plus to getting a matted file, is they are one cool looking fish.What they lack in color, they make up for it with there uniqueness.

 

[outdrsyguy1]

Thanks very much for sharing your experiences everyone. I'll have to figure out which one I want to try. I'd love to see the copperband in the tank but I worry about the nipping and hardiness.


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[fishlips]

outdrsyguy1;983919 wrote: Thanks very much for sharing your experiences everyone. I'll have to figure out which one I want to try. I'd love to see the copperband in the tank but I worry about the nipping and hardiness.


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If you try a CBB, I don't think you will be concerned about it nipping you coral.In fact, when I tried , I just wanted it to eat anything that would keep him alive.Yes, they are that difficult. There are very few who are successful at keeping them.I really think you would do well with a file fish.

 

[atmercure]

Following your thread. Im in the same boat with a 210 and tons of aps. I have 3 large tangs, one being a yellow, which I heard can be nasty towards a copperband. I have tried pepp shrimp in the past and have had great success, but they only last so long in my tank. Ive even seen my pajama cardinal swimming around with one in its mouth. If I throw 15 or so in at a time, they can do pretty well until gone. That gets expensive. I have tried two file fish which worked well but within a couple days, found a liking to my coral, Duncan, wesso, acans especially. I even tried placing it in a frag tank for a few weeks and starting over, but that was wishful thinking. Let us know if you try one and the results. I would like to try the CBB but would have to catch the yellow tang im sure. Never easy. oh yeah, I even tried a klein butterfly which did awesome for about a week then went crazy on my acans. had to go. A few of our sponsors usually have great deals of pep's on holidays. Im waiting on that then throwing some in.

 

[jrhunter0000]

I bought wild caught peppermint shrimp from a guy on ebay and they cleaned it up

 

[davidinga]

atmercure;984397 wrote: Following your thread. Im in the same boat with a 210 and tons of aps. I have 3 large tangs, one being a yellow, which I heard can be nasty towards a copperband. I have tried pepp shrimp in the past and have had great success, but they only last so long in my tank. Ive even seen my pajama cardinal swimming around with one in its mouth. If I throw 15 or so in at a time, they can do pretty well until gone. That gets expensive. I have tried two file fish which worked well but within a couple days, found a liking to my coral, Duncan, wesso, acans especially. I even tried placing it in a frag tank for a few weeks and starting over, but that was wishful thinking. Let us know if you try one and the results. I would like to try the CBB but would have to catch the yellow tang im sure. Never easy. oh yeah, I even tried a klein butterfly which did awesome for about a week then went crazy on my acans. had to go. A few of our sponsors usually have great deals of pep's on holidays. Im waiting on that then throwing some in.

I tried a CBB with an established YT in my 210gal and it wasn't pretty for the CBB.... I did catch the yellow and banished him to my sump. The CBB ate within a week and got fat and aggressive at feeding time. Then he randomly died a few weeks later. Go figure. Now, I house a funny little matted filefish who keeps my Aiptasia in line.

 

[atmercure]

DavidinGA;984459 wrote: I tried a CBB with an established YT in my 210gal and it wasn't pretty for the CBB.... I did catch the yellow and banished him to my sump. The CBB ate within a week and got fat and aggressive at feeding time. Then he randomly died a few weeks later. Go figure. Now, I house a funny little matted filefish who keeps my Aiptasia in line.

How long have you had the file fish? Any corals that it likes to snack on? I would like to be able to keep one.

 

[davidinga]

atmercure;984495 wrote: How long have you had the file fish? Any corals that it likes to snack on? I would like to be able to keep one.

Probably had him 6 months or so. Cleans out all the way to get to aptasia. I haven't seen him bother any corals, but I'm going more sps myself (I'm pretty sure he might eat zoa's as I've heard that before).

 

[hiimsean]

I did the peppermint shrimp route. They cleaned out the aptasia pretty quickly but being that I have a Melanurus wrasse, they started dwindling in numbers. I haven't seen any in weeks and now the aptasia are starting to re-appear. I'm thinking a filefish might be in my next acquisition.

What have you guys been able to get the filefish to eat besides aptasia?

 

[atmercure]

[
What have you guys been able to get the filefish to eat besides aptasia?[/QUOTE]

Mine always ate frozen food right away.

 

[atmercure]

good news is, if they much on your coral, they are really easy to catch. just kill the lights and corner them with a net.

 

[davidinga]

My filefish eats anything and everything I feed my other fish - flakes, pellets, frozen and even nori sometimes lol

 

[porpoiseaquatics]

If you go for a Copperbanded Butterfly....make sure it's an Australian. I had one and he was a beast! I could put aptasia in the tank and before it would hit the bottom....he was all over it. Sadly, I couldn't keep him fed after he destroyed it all. I wouldn't hesitate though in getting another one.

 

[mikesmith34]

One word. Even though I've said it a million times "reef napalm" no more ap's

 

[outdrsyguy1]

I'm not sure I have the dexterity to napalm without significant collateral damage. I tried aptasia-x and ended up juicing several zoa's (it was in the middle of them) in the process. Then the dang aptasia came back in the exact same spot 6 weeks later. I also pulled out a frag plug and put a lighter to it for atleast 30 seconds in all directions. I'll be darned if the thing didn't show up again in the exact same spot 6 weeks later. Resiliant little *******s for sure!