Complete Guide to Getting Rid of Aiptasia in Your Reef Tank

In the reef-keeping hobby, there are many hitchhikers both good and bad that have the potential to make their way into your reef tank. These hitchhikers come with anything introduced to your tank from outside of it including live rock, fish, corals, sand, and frags, and really anything that came from the ocean or another person’s system. One of these bad hitchhikers is the dreaded Aiptasia Anemone. In this article, we will answer what are Aiptasia, why to get rid of them, and various strategies to rid them of your tank including what I’ve found to be the most successful and easiest solution.

Before continuing, I would remark that one of my rules with reef keeping is an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The most surefire way to keep Aiptasia out of your reef tank is to not introduce them in the first place. To help prevent the introduction of Aiptasia I like to start my tanks with dry rock to keep as many hitchhikers out as possible. Once the fun starts and livestock and corals are added it is important to add judiciously. Inspect your specimens very carefully in the store to ensure that they are healthy and free of any visual abnormalities or hitchhikers. If something is out of place, be quick to pass on it. Once you have your specimen home do another detailed visual inspection. If you are placing a coral in your tank, it’s best to dip your coral to remove unwanted hitchhikers. Another best practice is to properly quarantine all of your corals, rock, and fish before adding new to your display tank. Even with the strictest preventative process, there is still a chance that things can get into the display including Aiptasia.

What are Aiptasias?  

Aiptasias is a form of Sea Anemone. Aiptasia is also commonly known as the glass or tube Anemone. These anemones have a foot that attaches to rocks or substrate, a long tube-like body, and a polyp disc head with stinging capable tentacles.  These Anemones can be very small or can grow into very large specimens. Aiptasias are capable of both asexual and sexual reproduction in the reef tank. Aiptasias are very hardy creatures and can survive in many different conditions in the reef tank. Once an Aiptasia outbreak happens you may find these buggers on your rock, substrate, glass, and even equipment.     

Why are Aiptasias Bad for the Reef Tank?

The main concern with Aiptasia in the reef tank is their ability to multiply and harass the tank’s coral and fish. Aiptasia’s tentacles have stinging capabilities that have the potential to out-compete and kill the coral in your tank. Aiptasia can reproduce rapidly via sexual and asexual methods. A small piece of an Aiptasia can regenerate into its own very easily. Most fish are safe from Aiptasia, but a large or many Aiptasias can take down smaller fish. Aiptasia can quickly cover a rock surface and most reefers find an Aiptasia outbreak as very unsightly. Aiptasia can also outcompete your livestock for food. They are very capable of capturing food from the water column and trapping it in their polyp mouths. 

Strategies to Rid Your Tank of Aiptasia

When an infestation has taken over a tank it can be a bear to exterminate Aiptasia. Over the years many methods have popped up that have made it a lot easier to deal with Aiptasia before an infestation and cull them back when they’ve taken over a large portion of the tank. Generally, Aiptasia eradication methods involve manual removal, injection methods, and natural removal methods. I’ve had variable numbers of Aiptasia in my tanks including an outbreak of 20+ Aiptasia Anemones in my 55-gallon origin tank. Over the years I’ve tried many of the below strategies with varying levels of success.  An additional tip is to not let Aiptasia get out of hand, as soon as you see one try to get rid of it quickly. 

Method	Effectiveness 1-10	Cost $-$$$$	Ease 1-10
Manual Removal	0	$	5
Majano Wand	6	$$$$$	6
Laser Pointer	5	$$$$	4
Chemical Injection	7	$$$	7
Natural Injection	7	$	7
Copperband	6	$$$$	8
Berghia Nudibranch	8	$$$$	9
Peppermint Shrimp	7	$$$	7
Filefish	9	$$$	9

Manual Removal

Manual removal in terms of scraping, cutting, or scrubbing is not a recommended method for removing Aiptasia. As outlined earlier Aiptasias are capable of reproducing asexually. If you tear an Aiptasia to pieces, chances are that those pieces will settle somewhere else in the tank and create a whole new Aiptasia. Many reefers have tried this approach out of frustration and it only leads to an exponential growth of Aiptasia numbers in the tank. 

Majano Wand

The Majano wand looks to be a very satisfying product to use. The Majano Wand is an electrical device that is shaped like a 2’ wand and when activated via a button outside of the tank, the tip directly disintegrates Aiptasia and Majano another type of unwanted anemone. The Majano wand doesn’t kill with electricity per se but works off the concept of electrolysis. When electricity interacts in a certain way with saltwater, hydrogen is created. When hydrogen is created at the tip of the Majano Wand and touched to the body of an Aiptasia it expands the tissues of the Aiptasia and it disintegrates on contact.

I couldn’t think of more satisfaction than seeing these pests eradicated on the spot via a magic wand. There are a few drawbacks to this method though. The first is the price, this product is on the higher end of the strategies depicted here and once your problem is resolved you may not need to use the item for some time. The wand also disintegrates the Aiptasia where it is touched with the point of the wand. This can cause the tissue to dislodge and float around the tank. If you are unable to remove this tissue there is a chance that could settle and grow into a new Aiptasia. Also, when hitting the Aiptasia with the wand it could require multiple treatments to make sure all of the tissue is removed. Getting to the Aiptasia is another matter. Sometimes it is not possible to get to Aiptasia with the wand. Another issue is Hydrogen is released into the tank with the use of the Majano Wand and extended use in one session with the wand is not recommended. It may take a few treatments to make progress.

Primarily due to the price constraint I have not tried this method, but it does look satisfying and I would consider it if I had to deal with a heavily infested tank.         

Laser Pointer

Warning, this method can be dangerous and I don’t recommend this option. 

There are many people that have successfully used high-powered laser pointers to kill Aiptasia in their tanks. For this method, a high-powered laser is used. The standard laser pointer is not going to have enough power to effectively kill Aiptasia in an aquarium. Higher-powered lasers can be found online on various websites. These laser pointers usually are in the range of 3-5w or higher. These laser pointers are capable of burning wood, paper, and lighting matches. 

These laser pointers can be very dangerous to use. If the beam is shined directly into a person’s eye it can damage the eye including causing blindness. The beam doesn’t need to be shined directly into the eye to cause damage. If the beam reflects off a surface into your eye or somebody else in the room it can also cause damage. Most of these lasers will include specific safety goggles to protect your eyes. Make sure that you use the right glasses for the laser if you use this method. Another consideration is your fish. If you are attempting to laser an Aiptasia and your fish looks into the beam you risk harming your fish. 

For this method, it works best to have a laser that is capable of focusing the beam into a small area. Ensure safety first before turning the laser on by having others out of the room, proper safety equipment on, and making sure you have a plan of action before lasering the Aiptasia. There is some concern about shining the laser through your tank glass or acrylic, but it shouldn’t be a problem since a tank’s surfaces are so clear the laser goes mostly through it without damaging it. As a precaution, clean your glass before treatment to ensure the beam penetrates the glass/acrylic. Turn on your laser and point it center mass of the Aiptasia. The laser heats the Aiptasia and the area around the Aiptasia, frying it in the tank. It will usually take a few minutes and you’ll want to hold the laser steady and get as much of the Aiptasia flesh as possible. You may hear a small crackle as the Aiptasia is cooked. 

Again, this is not a method that I recommend. The benefit is just not worth the risk or effort. The only real benefit here is the fun of using a high-powered laser. I had a friend who owned a high-powered laser and I tried this method with his laser on one of my tanks. I found that it isn’t instant when you laser an Aiptasia and you need to hold the laser on the Aiptasia steady for a few minutes to accomplish the task. I found that it also didn’t get all of the Aiptasia and caused it to fragment into pieces which I suspect had a high probability of multiplying in the tank. Add on top of the fact that danger exists, it is just not worth doing overall.   

Injection Method

Another method is to use a syringe and direct-inject various concoctions into the Aiptasia. Some of these options are natural and some are chemical-based. This method is accomplished by using either a needle syringe or a plastic syringe. Needle syringes can be purchased at stores with pharmacies and are usually inexpensive. The first step is to identify the concoction to use, then fill your syringe, and then directly inject the Aiptasia as close to the mouth or middle of the polyp disc as possible. Some of these chemicals work by blocking the feeding capability of the Anemone and other chemicals work by destroying the cells of the Anemone. Below are some of the options to use with direct injection.   

Pre-made solutions

There are a few options on the market that come as a kit to help you get rid of Aiptasia. The two that I’ve tried are Red Sea’s Aiptasia-X and Joe’s Juice. The nice thing about these products is that they come with a premixed solution and a syringe for application. Overall these do a pretty good job, but you may find yourself having to treat multiple times to get stubborn Aiptasia. The key is to get the mouth of the Aiptasia as completely as possible. This can be a task as Aiptasia will pull themselves into live rock when disturbed. The other consideration is to be careful around coral. Certain corals can suffer from contact with the solution. I’ve had Zoa die-off near Aiptasia that I’ve treated with these products.  

A substitute for readymade solutions is to make your own. This can be done by mixing a concentrated solution of Kalkwasser. Simply take some Kalkwasser powder and mix it with water until you have a slurry consistency that can flow through your syringe. Load up the syringe and inject the Aiptasia into the mouth area. You can also inject the paste around the area where the Aiptasia is to ensure it is completely covered. Be careful to space out treatments if you have a lot of Aiptasia as Kalkwasser will temporarily increase your PH levels. 

Another method is to seal Aiptasia in a super glue or epoxy tomb. For this method, you’ll want to use aquarium-safe super glue or epoxy. First, turn off the flow in your tank. If there is flow in the tank, you run the risk of spread glue or epoxy throughout the tank which can be detrimental to fish and coral. For this method, you simply cover the anemone and the surrounding area it’s in with glue or epoxy. The glue or epoxy will harden and seal in the Aiptasia. 

Other Natural Direct Inject Solutions

Lemon Juice

Lemon Juice can be used instead of chemical solutions. The acidic nature of lemon juice irritates and destroys Aiptasia cells. Lemon juice concentrate found in most grocery stores can be used for this. Depending on how much you need to use, it can have an impact on PH in the tank. If you have a lot of Aiptasia it’s best to treat them in multiple sessions.  

Boiling Water

Boiling water can also be used to destroy Aiptasia cells. Simply boil water, load your syringe, and quickly inject it into the Anemone. I’ve used this method in the past and found it to have variable results. I like that the method is the most natural direct injection method. I did find it hard to kill the entire Aiptasia by injecting boiling water and had to do multiple treatments on the same Aiptasia to kill them completely. The nice thing is that it is a very natural method and consecutive treatments didn’t do much to the chemical composition of the water. Depending on how much you use and how quickly, you may increase the water temperature or decrease the salinity, but that would require a lot of boiling water going into the tank.  

Natural Predator Methods

Natural predator methods are a great way to eradicate nuisance Aiptasia from your reef tank. These predators consume Aiptasia as a food source and will work for you around the clock leaving few hiding places for Aiptasia to run to. 

Copperband Butterfly

The Copperband Butterflyfish is a favorite in the reef-keeping hobby. The fish is very beautiful and is generally an excellent reef aquarium specimen. These fish are considered reef safe with caution, like most fish they may occasionally nip at coral as they are foraging throughout the day. The Copperband Butterfly is common in the hobby but can be notoriously picky eaters. Copperbands prey on different invertebrates including worms, clams, and other invertebrates in the sand and live rock. I’ve found it to be 50-50 on whether or not a Copperband will go after Aiptasia in the tank. It depends on what is in the tank and what it can use as a food source. If the tank has a lot of available Aiptasia chances are that they will use it as a food source. Not all Copperbands will eat frozen or flake/pellet food. If your Copperband eradicates Aiptasia and refuses to eat other foods it may starve to death. If you get to this point there are things you can try to get your Copperband to eat like putting clam pieces on a rock for it to pick at. Make sure to keep in mind the care needed for Copperbands once the tank is eradicated from Aiptasia. These fish also can get rather large and should be kept in a tank 75 gallons or larger.       

Berghia Nudibranchs 

Berghia Nudibranchs are another natural predator of Aiptasia. Berghia Nudibranchs eat only Aiptasia, so they are a very formidable foe for Aiptasia. Berghia Nudibranchs are a very small type of sea slug that spends their time cruising around the tank in search of Aiptasia snacks. These animals work primarily at night and it is common to introduce them into the tank and not see them again while noticing Aiptasia disappearing. Berghia Nudibranchs are considered reef safe and don’t seem to bother anything else in the tank other than nuisance Aiptasia. 

The drawback to using Berghia Nudibranchs is that since they only eat Aiptasia, they will starve and die off once the Aiptasia has been eradicated. Also, many predators will eat Berhgia including shrimps, wrasses, butterflyfish, filefish, and other night active animals. Peppermint Shrimp are said to be the main predator for Berghia Nudibranchs. Having Berghia predators doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t get the job done but could reduce the chance of success in ridding your tank of Aiptasia.

Most information I’ve seen recommends about 1 Berghia per 10 gallons and the number of Berghia increases the higher the infestation. Berghia Nudibranchs are not commonly found at your local fish store, but they can often special order them for you or you can find them from specialty shops online.   

Peppermint Shrimp

Peppermint Shrimp can also be a natural predator of Aiptasia. Peppermint Shrimp are very common in the hobby and are peaceful and are reef safe considered a part of the cleanup crew as they scavenge about the tank. There are many varieties of Peppermint Shrimp that get lumped into the same category with some that will eat Aiptasia and some that won’t. The variety most proven to consume Aiptasia is the Lysmata Boggessi and hail primarily from the Florida Keys and the Gulf of Mexico. There are slight differences in the various patterns and colors of Peppermint Shrimp and sometimes your local fish store will know the variety, where they come from, and if they’ll eat Aiptasia. 

With the right Peppermint Shrimp, all you have to do is introduce them to the tank and watch as your Aiptasia population reduces over time. You’ll want to make sure that you don’t have any fish that will eat shrimp such as certain Wrasses. Peppermint shrimp are true scavengers and will go after the easiest food source which may or may not be Aiptasia. If your Peppermint shrimp are not going after Aiptasia, the solution is to train your Shrimp to eat Aiptasia.

Yes, you can train your Peppermint Shrimp to eat Aiptasia. For this, you’ll want to use a separate tank or section in your system to temporarily house your Peppermint Shrimp. If you have a quarantine tank, this is a great place to train your Peppermint Shrimp. Another option is to use your refugium to train your shrimp. The first step is to move your shrimp from the display to your quarantine tank or refugium, or if these are new shrimp simply add them to your fuge or QT. Next, take an Aiptasia infested rock and place it with the shrimp. From here you have a couple of options. The first option is to not feed the tank or refugium at all. At some point, your shrimp should get hungry and make a meal of the Aiptasia. Once they have polished off the rock and have a taste for Aiptasia, they can be reintroduced to the display tank with the thought that they will continue eating Aiptasia in the tank. Another method is to directly feed the Aiptasia. Place a piece of flake food directly into the mouth of the Aiptasia. The Aiptasia should grab a hold of the food and start ingesting it. When the Peppermint Shrimp see this they will often attack the Aiptasia consuming both the Aiptasia and the flake food in it. After the shrimp has been trained to eat Aiptasia you can reintroduce them to the tank.    

Aiptasia Eating File Fish

The Aiptasia Eating Filefish or Matted Filefish is a great option for obliterating Aiptasia. These are peculiar fish with shades of green and gray with small spots. These fish are reef safe with the occasional coral nipping. They are generally peaceful but can get a little territorial around smaller fish. I’ve found Filefish to be voracious eaters of Aiptasia capable of destroying populations quickly. The Filefish that I’ve had tend to be shy and don’t immediately eat the tank’s Aiptasia, but once settled in, it seemed from almost one day to the next the Aiptasia were gone. Another advantage to the Filefish is that they will readily accept other foods from frozen to flake in addition to Aiptasia. 

My Favorite Method and Recommendation

My favorite method hands down are the Aiptasia Eating File Fish. I’ve had three of these fish and every one of them has eradicated any Aiptasia in my systems. I’ve had to do nothing except purchase the fish, acclimate, and add to the tank. I had 20-30 Aiptasia in my first 55-gallon origin tank, and all were gone within 2 weeks of adding a small File Fish. I also like the fish as a specimen in the tank. They have an interesting way of swimming and cruising around the tank and are very inquisitive fish. 

As for a recommendation, it all depends on what is currently in your tank and what method you believe in the most. For me, I prefer natural methods first and will resort to other methods when those strategies don’t work out. Other things to consider are the effort required and cost. Determine what method you believe is best for your tank chemical, natural, or other. Next, consider what is in your tank currently. If you have inhabitants that would eat Nudibranchs or Peppermint Shrimp those will not be the best methods. Third, consider the effort you want to put into eradicating efforts. If you want to set it and forget it, continuously applying chemicals or boiling water might be too much of a task. If you consider your tank, your effort, and reefing beliefs you should land on an effective strategy on riding your tank of Aiptasia.