Aiptasia....do I mess with 1 or 2?

After going on several months on a new tank, and after adding live rock and a few corals from different sources it appears I have one good size aiptasia(sp?) on one rock and one tiny one on another. After doing some research here I have read that sometimes dosing or disturbing has only made them multiply and make a not so bad situation much worse. So, should I mess with them or leave em? I was thinking of trying the Peppermint Shrimp option. Any suggestions?

 

It's a risk with peppermint shrimp, some will not eat the larger aiptasia and some can go rouge and start eating corals, mine did both. However the peppermint shrimp did the best job on controlling aiptasia, far above joes juice, boiling water..........

What ever means you decide, kill them and remove them. Sure they may not spread for months but when they do and they will it will be a nightmare, trust me.

 

So, I am not clear as to why it is not possible to grab and pull them off and out with a tweezers?

 

The problem is you wouldn't get all of it. And when you do this it can regrow and many times you will cause it to spread. Better off killing the aptasia if you can. There are many methods as mentioned. I'd start with boiling water as its cheap and often is one of the more effective.
Best of luck,
Jake

 

Because you leave torn bits of tissue which grow into individual aiptasia. Just another means of reproduction. No way you can get all the tiny microscopic pieces of tissue left behind.

Also I do believe that there is some truth in "aiptasia tend to spread faster or reproduce quicker when under attack".

Nuke the rock they are on if you can.

 

Definitely get rid of them, they will eventually spread like crazy. In the past I've found peppermint shrimp work the best for me. I didn't have any luck with chemicals or boiling water. They'd shrivel up and look goone and within a month I'd find them growing again. Good luck!

 

i had luck with joes juice, hit them with it they didn't return.

 

I've had luck with two things:

The peppermint shrimp will take the small, hidden ones, and keep the overall population low... But I've never gotten a rouge. My coral banded always ends up eating it within a month. :-/

The second is Aiptasia-X this can be used to abolish the larger Aiptasia.

 

Because as soon as the Aip feels threatened it will release 1000's of planulae into the water. Everywhere these macroscopic organisms land, a new aipatasia will grow.

 

I bought a peppermint and he did wonders. Then I bought two cleaner shrimp and they went after the peppermint.