Any Aptasia Fans Out There?

[HayesAveLive]

I like aptasia anemones. I have a tank full of them. I know most people think they're bad and ugly, but I think they're kinda like dandylions. In a rose garden, dandylions are an eyesore and a threat to the roses. But in a garden of their own, dandylions can look nice too. As a student, I can't afford lots of fancy corals and big beautiful anemones so I have decided to have a tank full of aptasia instead of nothing. I'm wondering if anyone else intentionally keeps aptasia anemones.

I think they actually look kind of nice. I have about 200-300 of them growing in a 40 gallon breeder tank. I got the aptasia on some live rock for very cheap from a fish store. I'm guessing the rock was cheap because it was "infested" with aptasia. Anyway, I put them in the tank and they're growing pretty fast. I see little tiny ones popping up all over the place. They have a nice look because there's so many of them. They look like a little community. And they eat brine shrimp - it looks kinda like a venus fly trap when they catch the shrimp and pull it in.

I'd love to hear from anybody else who might know about (intentionally) keeping aptasia. There is literally zero information on the web about aptasia care - every single google hit I get is about killing them. So that's why I'm posting this message here, to see if anyone else likes aptasia anemones or has experience cultivating them. They seem to grow pretty fast as it is, but I wish there were a way for me to speed up the growth of the little tiny ones that are popping up. I wonder if aptasia benefit from a lot of powerful light like "real" anemones do. Right now, I only have two regular old 40 watt aquarium flourescent bulbs on the tank and the aptasias seem to be doing great and reproducing but I wonder if more light (that I can't afford) would help them grow faster.... I know aptasia don't really need light to survive because once a long time ago I had a bucket of live rock sitting in my basement for like three months with almost no light (although there was a heater and an aerator) and the three or four aptasias that were on the rock survived. They might have actually grown a little. I have also observed aptasias survive extreme hyposalinity, which would certianly kill "real" anemones, right?

Another thing I'm curious about is why some of aptasia have white speckels through out their bodies. Could it be a disease? It dosent seem to be spreading or hurting the ones that do have speckels. At first I thought it might be related to the anemone eating brine shrimp, but I see some of them eat shrimp and never get any speckels. Who knows, I guess I don't really care as long as the speckels aren't bad, but it would be awesome if somebody could tell me what those speckels are.

Anyway, maybe someday I will have the disposable income to have a garden full of roses, but until then, at least I've got a garden of dandylions.

Best wishes to all,

- Ian

[reefjitsu]

Aiptasia does mean beautiful.

I wouldn't say I am a fan, but I have often argued that they are misunderstood and perhaps often demonized more than they deserve. Then again they can wreck a tank when they are unwanted. Each to his own though I guess, they are only bad when unwanted after all.

I believe the specks are just natural color variation, nothing to worry with.

[lcstorc]

A weed is just a flower growing in an inconvenient place. If you like them, then that is all that matters.
The only other place that I am aware of where they are actually encouraged to grow is a guy who is growing them in his sump for nutrient control. I don't think he does anything special with them other than not kill them with Joes or whatever.
If you want to keep them live and healthy switch your feeding to mysis shrimp. They have a lot more nutrition than brine which is kind of like popcorn with almost no nutrition.
Best of luck.

[Saltyundrground]

We love aiptasia. Our business depends upon them.

Aitpasia like what any sea dwelling creature likes: Great water quality, some water movement, lots of food and light.

If you ever decide to sell off your aiptasia please let us know.

[vdituri]

Where's Sasquatch? Didn't he raise a garden of these?

[Dentoid]

Aiptasia are anemones in an unwanted place! Banish them to the "Crabs are Evil Society"!

[boozeman]

how about some pics of your Aiptasia garden

[tammyjennings]

I thought they were pretty too AT FIRST. Now I shoot them evil darts from my eyes. They seem to be taking over and some for my soft corals and xenias are suffering because of them. They must have the ability to sting like other anemones. I wish I could send all mine to you. They need someone to love them too.

[InLimbo87]

Nope definitely not a fan of aptasia at all. Ugly little pests they are.

[vdituri]

Originally Posted by lcstorc

A weed is just a flower growing in an inconvenient place. If you like them, then that is all that matters...
Best of luck.

Truer words were never spoken.

[vdituri]

Originally Posted by Dentoid

Aiptasia are anemones in an unwanted place! Banish them to the "Crabs are Evil Society"!

Hey! I thought you were Mr. Crabs are neither good nor evil? Your moral compass broken?

[Dentoid]

It was sarcasm, mockery, derision! (No offense to the nice people of the "Crabs are Evil Society").

[vdituri]

Originally Posted by Dentoid

It was sarcasm, mockery, derision! (No offense to the nice people of the "Crabs are Evil Society").

Mock not lest ye be mocked. lol

[Dentoid]

I can take it! Put up your dukes! (Again, sarcasm).

[Lakmo99]

Here's a video about a guy who uses them for filtration in his sump.
Reef Videos (Its the second video)