Many hobbyists employee natural removal methods including (but not limited to) Nudibranch, Peppermint Shrimp, and even certain fish such as the Aiptaisia Eating Filefish or the Raccoon Butterfly Fish. Employing natural Aiptasia control methods has it benefits such as not dosing or adding anything to the aquarium and relative ease of just adding some live creatures to do the work for you. These methods are not all equal, not all guaranteed to work, and can have some unforeseen consequences such as some of these critters quickly changing their diet to your coral.
I didn't completely rule out these "Natural" methods, but the current downsides and risks outweighed the immediate benefits. So I thought I would try a Aiptaisia product. I have tried Joe's Juice in the past with very positive results. The anemones I was able to target didn't return, however I didn't follow up as I saw new anemones and the population slowly grew back. Being the curious hobbyist, I decided to try another product that fellow hobbyists have used and experienced great results. I picked up a bottle of the Red Sea Aiptaisa-X. It worked like a charm.
Once unpacking the items, the first thing that caught my attention was the two syringe tips. They had a threaded backside to connect directly to the threaded portion of the syringe for stability and control. The tips were also metal, which offers longevity if kept clean. I also thought that including the two different angled syringe tips (one straight angles, one at a 45 degree angle) was a well thought out move on behalf of Red Sea. Kudos to Red Sea for thinking of the customer and the application. It's much easier to apply this product to the underside of rocks and tough to reach places.
The product itself is purple, and not as thick as other products. It was easier to apply and it didn't clump up. I followed the directions, which require that all water movement (my return pump and EcoTech Vortech pumps) were turned off for 30 minutes. This allows the solution to be delivered directly to the little buggers, and prevents the product from accidentally coming into contact with your "good guy" coral and anemones. This was a lesson learned the hard way after I damaged my prized Blastomussa. It had been doing well and growing up until that day, and it's been clinging to life ever since. So be aware of what you are doing, follow the directions (they're there for a reason), and the product is safe. It will also not alter your water's chemistry.
It's fairly simple to use this product. Apply the tip you wish to the included syringe, fill syringe with solutions, find your target, and gently release the product onto the anemone's disk. Doing this slowly prevents the anemone from retreating before consuming the product. You will want to ensure that the disk is covered with solutions, and leave the product in place for about 30 minutes; you will want to leave your pumps off for this time. That's pretty much it. I didn't think of taking pictures of the culprits before I decide to treat them, but I think I see another one hiding, and I'll try to get a picture of the process next time...
Do I recommend this product? Definitely.
Will I use it again? I hope not, but definitely.
Thank you for stopping by! Until next time, friends...
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