Common Reef Aquarium Pests & How to Remove Them
Aquarium keepers set up a reef tank to enjoy the beauty of our world’s oceans; however, many hitchhiking pests can also come along for the ride and wreak havoc on any tank. Let’s explore some of the most common pests in the reef aquarium hobby and how best to treat and eradicate them.
Aiptasia
One of the most common pests in saltwater aquariums is Aiptasia. Aiptasia is part of the anemone family, and it can be harmful to corals because of its ability to sting. Aiptasia is commonly referred to as a hitchhiker as it often arrives in your tank on a piece of live rock or coral. The best way to eradicate them is to prevent them from ever having the opportunity to enter your system in the first place. This means starting your aquarium with dry rather than live rock and thoroughly dipping any corals you add to your aquarium. If you find an Aiptasia within your aquarium, all hope is not lost. Common treatments on the market include Frank’s Tanks F-Aiptasia, Red Sea’s Aiptasia-X, and Joe’s Juice Aiptasia Eliminator. A few natural predators are also known to eat Aiptasia, including Berghia Nudibranch, Peppermint Shrimp, Copper Band Butterflyfish, and Filefish.
Flatworms
Reef Planaria Flatworms are red-colored flatworms found in many reef aquariums. Planaria can multiply quickly and smother corals, thus blocking them from the light and nutrients they need to survive. Like with Aiptasia, a few different methods can be used to eradicate Planaria from a reef tank. The natural approach to Planaria removal is introducing a predator such as a Six-line Wrasse, a Leopard Wrasse, or a Target Mandarin. Once again, it is essential to ensure the addition of any of these options will be compatible with your current livestock. If you can’t add any of these predators, there are Planaria treatments on the market, the most popular being Salifert’s Flatworm eXit. Before pursuing any treatment, we recommend removing as many of them manually as possible to reduce the nutrient explosion that occurs when the treatment kills them off.
Bristle Worms
Bristle worms are another common aquarium pest. However, there are many different subspecies of bristle worms, some of which are harmless and some that can cause significant issues in a reef tank setting. Many bristle worms can grow extremely large, and their bristles can sting humans and harm corals. They also reproduce rapidly, and their population can quickly get out of hand. The best way to eradicate bristle worms is to remove any large ones manually with tweezers or introduce a six-line wrasse to eradicate them organically.
Red Bugs
Red bugs are small flea-like parasitic copepods that feed on the tissue of smooth-skinned Acropora corals. These bugs are challenging to eliminate, so inspecting all Acropora before introducing it to your aquarium is critical. Medications containing the active ingredient milbemycin oxime, such as Interceptor, a heartworm treatment for dogs, have proven to work best. Unfortunately, there are no known natural solutions to eradicate red bugs consistently.
Asterina Starfish
Asterina starfish are another common aquarium pest. However, like bristle worms, there are different subspecies of Asternia’s, some of which are harmless, and others that will eat coral. Generally, it is pretty easy to remove Asterina stars manually if you get a handle on it early. However, you may need to consider other options once they populate your tank. Introducing a Harlequin Shrimp is the most common solution for eradicating Asterina starfish. These incredibly beautiful invertebrates will make quick work of any Asterina population. Just ensure you don’t have any fish in your aquarium that would be interested in making a Harlequin Shrimp an expensive meal.
These are five of the most common reef aquarium pests. However, there are plenty more that can cause issues within your aquarium. The best solution to most pest invasions within a reef aquarium is to take the proper precautions when purchasing any new livestock to ensure it is free from pests. This means dipping your corals and buying them from a reliable source. Taking shortcuts when adding livestock to your system can cause significant problems down the line. If you’re interested in investing in a proper coral dipping solution. Check out the Simplicity Coral Dipping Container.
