treating aiptasia in a sump

[longranger]

My system has an increasing load of aiptasia within my sump which is loaded with rock and chaeto. Have an occational one in the DT but my peppermint shrimp take care of those.

How would peppermint shrimp likely do in the sump? The main food source would be aiptasia. Would consider berghia but the sump is also very rich in big pods and bristleworms.

What ya think?

 

[BeanMachine]

peppermints are your best bet. Or a file fish.

 

[reefes pieces]

Peppermints should be great in a sump especially since they are nocturnal. But if you have your return near those rocks then nothing's guaranteed they won't be making a trip to your DT in chunks

 

[SchnitzelReef]

Def peppermints.

 

[longranger]

They should be safe from pumps. They will be in the middle partition of a three chambered sump. Worth a try anyway. This is pre-emptive as my DT has been just fine because of the peppermints it has now.

 

[SchnitzelReef]

They should be safe from pumps. They will be in the middle partition of a three chambered sump. Worth a try anyway. This is pre-emptive as my DT has been just fine because of the peppermints it has now.

Long term u will always have Aptasia problems. They can spread easily from ur sump to ur DT.

My girlfriends dad had a tank covered in Aptasia. When He moved to a new spot, We decided to tear out all the rocks and sand to get rid of the Aptasia. BUT we forgot about the sump and fuge (I know I know what an idiot). The tank got re infested with Aptasia..and now it's like twice as bad.

 

[longranger]

As long as I can keep the infestation at a level that it does not decimate my DT my objectives are met. Even it I get my DT and sump visually free of Aiptasia I know there will still be sum in my return or a couple hiding in the clean looking first and third chambers of my sump. Would love to have a system with no pests or parasites but pursuing that further than my DT residents need will make this hobby feel like work. Well, LOL, it is work but work I enjoy. That might change if I have a fit every time something is not perfect in my system.

 

[bruinhd]

I have found amazing success with using a SYRINGE and lemon juice. Maybe you have a diabetic friend that can give you a syringe. But basically you pull up a small amount of lemon juice, then aim for the thick lower stalk of the aiptasia and make sure you stab FAST because they retract fast once they feel the insult. You wanna pin him good and then squeeze a bit into the aiptasia. DEAD.

So you wanna do it one by one. I have found this way more effective than buying livestock to rid of a pest. Buying livestock to manage pests is the worst management that gets perpetuated in this **** hobby. Plus peppermint are not always crazy about eating aiptasia so sometimes you get them and they dont even do what you wanted them for, and now you've gone and upped your bioload for no reason.

 

[bboyvital]

i say throw the peppermints in the sump and call it a day. ive always had great luck with the peppermints. why change something that works.

 

[Classictint]

Aptasia X works for me in both Dt and sump

 

[innerspark]

Leave them in the sump as filtration and put a peppermint shrimp in the display to eat the ones that stray away from the sump or dose them with Aptasia X when they hit the display. Remember everything in our tanks has a purpose and are their for one reason or another.

 

[reefes pieces]

I had a few aips in the sump and instead of dosing my calcium like I normally do, I just put it in my baster and squirted in the mouth of the aip and they died.

 

[MadMax]

I see that this post is about a month old, but the information is valid nonetheless.

I had THOUSANDS of Aptasia in my sump until I added a few pairs of Berghia Nudibrancs (spelling horrific I'm sure, but I'm too lazy to look it up at the moment, LOL)

Within less than one month every single Aptasia was gone, GONE

This is no opinion, I'm stating from recent experience.

As for peppermint Shrimp, (NOW this is only an opinion) I suspect they may do well at keeping a few dozen aptasia under control but I highly doubt they can handle a very large infestation.
The Berghias, on the other hand, ONLY food source is Aptasia. So essentially they will continue to devour the nuisance anemanes until they are depleted, and then starve to death. They do not prey on corals or anything else.

 

[ahrealmonsters]

I have had aiptasia infested rock. What worked for me was to put everything in a large bin with water without light for a few weeks and remove the aiptasias daily. The aiptasia will move near the surface of the water when no light is present.