How to Get Rid of Annoying Anemones in Your Tank

In saltwater tanks, there is no more dreaded and hated anemone than the glass anemone, also known as aiptasia. They frequently hitchhike into a tank on pieces of coral or live rock, then rapidly proliferate throughout the aquarium. They can grow from sexual reproduction, division or from pieces torn off from the original anemone. These pests can kill desirable corals by stinging them to death. There are two methods for controlling aiptasia: biological control and chemical control.

Things You'll Need

  • Kalkwasser
  • Water
  • Syringe
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Instructions

  1. Biological Controls

    • 1

      Add the nudibranch Berghia verrucicornis to your aquarium. These invertebrates are voracious predators of aiptasia anemones. The problem is, that is all they eat. Once your annoying anemones are gone, the nudibranch will starve unless you remove it from the tank and give it to another aquarium owner with an aiptasia problem.

    • 2

      Add peppermint shrimp. There are several species of peppermint shrimp in the hobby trade, a few species of Rhynchocinetidae and Lysmata wurdemanni. Make sure you get L. wurdemanni if you have a reef tank, because Rhynchocinetidae will eat corals. The best way to tell them apart is to compare the two. L. wurdemanni has more muted colors, while the Rhynchocinetidae species have a sharper point at the front of the head.

    • 3

      Add fish. The butterfly fish Chelmon rostratus and Chaetodon kleinii will eat aiptasia. Queen angelfish Holacanthus ciliaris will also eat them. These fish may also may eat other things as well. Keep a close eye on them, because they can attack corals, feather dusters and other animals you want in your aquarium.

    • 4

      Add hermit crabs. The red-legged hermit crab Clibanarius digueti is a great aiptasia predator, and it also eats algae.

    Chemical Controls

    • 5

      Mix two parts water with one part calcium hydroxide. You can find it in the form of lime or kalkwasser. Be careful not to get it on your skin, as it is extremely caustic.

    • 6

      Suck the mixture up into a plastic syringe.

    • 7

      Turn off the water flow in the aquarium. Shut down the filters and any wavemaker devices you may have.

    • 8

      Position the tip of the syringe over the anemone. Be careful not to touch it, since that will make it withdraw into the rock.

    • 9

      Drip a small amount onto the anemone's disk. Just a drop or two will do. The mix is heavier than water, so it will fall straight down. The anemone will start to dissolve within a few minutes. You may need to reapply the treatment if it regenerates.