Aiptasia Removal: Peppermint Shrimp, Berghia, and More

Aiptasia: The Pest That Won't Take a Hint

These small, brown pest anemones hitchhike in on live rock, coral plugs, and frag discs. They spread fast, sting corals, and are absurdly hard to kill. Chop one in half and you get two.

Method 1: Peppermint Shrimp

The most popular biological control. 3–5 peppermint shrimp will actively hunt and eat aiptasia, typically clearing a moderate infestation in a few weeks.

Catches: Must get the right species (not camel shrimp lookalikes). Not every individual eats aiptasia with the same enthusiasm. They're shy and hide during the day.

Verdict: First-line treatment for moderate infestations.

Method 2: Berghia Nudibranchs

The nuclear option for serious infestations. These specialist nudibranchs eat aiptasia exclusively — devastatingly effective, and they disappear once the job is done.

Buy 5–10, add at night near aiptasia clusters. They breed in the tank if conditions are right. Expensive (£10–20 each) and fish will eat them — wrasses especially. Consider a breeder box first.

Verdict: Best option for heavy infestations or when peppermints haven't worked.

Method 3: Chemical Treatments

Aiptasia-X and similar products are injected directly onto individual aiptasia. Immediate results, but each one must be treated individually. Miss the base and it grows back. In a heavy infestation, it becomes whack-a-mole.

Verdict: Good for spot-treating a few. Pointless as the sole strategy for a serious infestation.

What Doesn't Work

Manual removal — they regenerate from fragments
Boiling water/lemon juice — base often survives
Ignoring it — aiptasia multiplies, it doesn't resolve itself

Recommended Strategy

Mild (under 20 visible): Peppermint shrimp + spot-treat with Aiptasia-X
Heavy (everywhere): Berghia as primary, peppermints as backup
Prevention: Dip all new corals before adding to the display

What method has worked best for others? Peppermints, Berghia, or something else?