With all of the resources and threads on Reef Central, it can sometimes seem overwhelming to find what you want. Well our very own resident saltwater guru, capn hylinur, has created another great thread showcasing some of the more informative sites, threads and resources all in one spot!
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So, you dream of the day that you can collect for your own tank? I know many of us do and some of us are luckily enough to do so. You may be asking yourself "How rare is this"? February's Thread of the Month by Lewy will show you how rare this can be. Read more....
 We tend to see a lot of threads asking about Aiptasia - the dreaded, fast spreading, invasive anemone. It’s one of those animals that tend to do well in everyones' tank, no matter what their water parameters are. Aiptasia are definitely considered a pest by most, and are not something we want in our reef, or fish only tanks. They look bad, are invasive and tend to spread quite rapidly. When kept in a reef tank they can and will sting corals. In my opinion, they are something we want to rid our tanks of.
I will try and outline a few of the more popular ways of eradicating these pests in our reef tanks. I am sure there are more ways than the ones I will explain, but this is a good starting point. One of the ways I have seemed to have the best luck at eradicating them is with vinegar. Take a small amount of vinegar and put it into a microwave safe bowl, and pop it into the microwave for one minute. Take a syringe with a needle on it and draw up the vinegar. Reach in the tank and sneak up on the Aiptasia and inject some vinegar, anywhere from .25ml-.50ml, depending on the size of the Aiptasia. They will dissolve almost instantly. Try and keep this to a half dozen or so at a time to prevent any drastic pH swings. Lime or lemon juice has been used by many with success, the needle and syringe method seems to work the best, but I have also heard some folks having success with only using a syringe and simply spraying the Aiptasia at close range. Plain boiling water works also, in the same methods of dosing as above. Kalkwasser or pickling lime are very common methods. Some make it into a thick paste and use a popsicle stick to smother the Aiptasia with the paste. Others will make it into a thick “slurry” and use a broad opening syringe and draw it up and spray it on the Aiptasia. There are also various animals that will naturally eradicate Aiptasia. Many different types of butterfly fish are known to eat them. Some types of butterflies are not always reef safe, so be sure to do your research before purchasing one of these fish. One of the more common butterflies that a lot of aquarists have had very good success with is the Copper Banded Butterfly. These fish, however, can be quite difficult to keep and are very picky in what they eat. So once again, please do your research on these fish prior to purchasing one.
Berghia nudibranchs are also known to devour Aiptasia, but again will be very tricky to keep alive after their job is done. So this too, is another animal that should be looked at very closely before addition to a tank. They are also very small, and don’t always do well in reef tanks that have a lot of flow, as they may get blown around.
Probably one of the most popular, and most questioned natural predators of the Aiptasia anemone, is the Peppermint shrimp. There are definitely imposters out there that make their way into our tanks, and are sold as Peppermints. The “true” Peppermint shrimp that are generally known to eat Aiptasia are Lysmata wurdemanni. I have had great success with these animals, and I've also noticed that the greatest success comes when larger numbers of these are kept, rather than just one or two.
If you only have a few Aiptasia, or if you have certain restrictions not allowing you to add certain animals to your tank, I would recommend using one of the injections or pastes. As mentioned already, and always suggested, before adding any animal to your tank for any reason, do your research and make sure it is compatible with the other inhabitants in your tank and that your tank is suitable for that particular animal. In my opinion, do-it-yourself homemade frozen foods are a great way to feed all of the picky fish in your tank, and it also offers a way to find something that all of them like. So, I thought I would write something up and show how I make mine. I will start by suggesting you find as much fresh seafood as you can from the seafood market at better grocery stores. Some of the frozen stuff has a lot of extra additives that I just don't feel comfortable with, so I typically avoid using any of that. From the seafood department at a grocery store-
I also add-
Thread of the Month is here! Here’s your chance to vote. Each month TeamRC selects three of the best threads for all Reef Central members to vote on. There will be three threads to choose from, and you are only allowed to vote once. We encourage you to follow the links provided below, to read and enjoy these threads. All three are full of information and are each equally worthy.
Every reefkeeper loves seeing pictures of other successful reefs. Here is a thread that features progression shots of various reefs. Enjoy! In honor of some of the great threads that have been shared here on Reef Central, we decided to update the list of the past Thread of the Month winners. We hope you enjoy. 2010January 2010
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