aiptasia

MatthewJ · 12-01-2008, 09:55 PM

How aggressive should I be in removing aiptasia? I got some on a frag and now I've got at least 6 or 7 growing in the substrate. Should I have been more aggressive when I first noticed the aiptasia on the frag? I thought it was kind of cool at first, but I just noticed the little babies growing in the substrate and now I'm a little concerned.

Matt

NCguy · 12-01-2008, 09:59 PM

Trust me...Get rid of them NOW! First they look kinda cool,then they spread all over your tank by the thousands and sting your corals.

Reddog170 · 12-01-2008, 10:03 PM

This stuff is a weed anemone. It spreads fast and will fill up yur tank in a hurry. Also peppermint shrimp are suppose to eat that stuff. My only problem is this, it is a part of nature, it has a reason to be. Weather it is to act as a natural form of food or it has another reason I do not know.
Most will say get aggressive get it out exterminate it. I ride the fence myself, after all it has a reason, weather we know what it is or not.

BigAl07 · 12-01-2008, 10:22 PM

Yes get rid of it. They are very aggressive and will not only out-compete other corals for real-estate but they also have a potent sting waiting for other corals.

Reefmack · 12-01-2008, 10:25 PM

Peppermint shrimp are no guarantee but they often will eat the Aiptasia. Be sure to get peppermints, not camel backs - they look similar.

If you have them on the substrate scoop them up asap with a net and dispose of them. They have no reason or purpose to exist in our tanks. On a reef many things will eat them and they'll be controlled naturally - this is not the case in our little tanks. On the rocks you can kill them by injecting with Joe's Juice or other similar products. I've even heard of lemon juice & boiling water injections. If you don't kill them correctly the pieces can regenerate new ones. Red Sea has just come out with Aiptasia-X - it looks like a good product too.

BigAl07 · 12-01-2008, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reefmack

Peppermint shrimp are no guarantee but they often will eat the Aiptasia. Be sure to get peppermints, not camel backs - they look similar.

If you have them on the substrate scoop them up asap with a net and dispose of them. They have no reason or purpose to exist in our tanks. On a reef many things will eat them and they'll be controlled naturally - this is not the case in our little tanks. On the rocks you can kill them by injecting with Joe's Juice or other similar products. I've even heard of lemon juice & boiling water injections. If you don't kill them correctly the pieces can regenerate new ones. Red Sea has just come out with Aiptasia-X - it looks like a good product too.

Exactly. A local reefer just did a review of that product by Red Sea and he gave it GLOWING reviews!!

Reefmack · 12-01-2008, 10:35 PM

I've got the Aiptasia-X here and want to try it on some majanos soon. I've got a small 9g tank full of the ugly things!

LaurentSeattle · 12-01-2008, 11:28 PM

Two peppermint shrimps ate the four small apstasia I had as hitchhikers on a coral purchase a while back. They ate everything overnight.

Some other people have been less sucessful.

MatthewJ · 12-01-2008, 11:54 PM

thanks all! I'll get rid of them ASAP.

Stacef · 12-01-2008, 11:57 PM

I have one large peppermint shrimp in my 72, he demolished all of my aiptasia in about a months time (I had some BIG ones)

I also added one small one to my fuge, I had success with him also, he's now in the DT so he can get food to eat.

(Where in Iowa are you?)

Some people don't have as good of luck with them as I did, but it's worth the $10 to give it a shot with one.

MatthewJ · 12-02-2008, 12:29 AM

Hi StaceF. I'm' in Des Moines. It's good to find a fellow Iowan online! We are few and far between. If it weren't for forums like this, I'd be totally lost (or at the mercy of my LFS, which would be an expensive alternative). I'm originally from NE Iowa and have been to Dubuque many times. That's a very cool area. I think I will get a peppermint shrimp...I've been thinking of adding one anyway.

Reddog170 · 12-02-2008, 02:29 AM

Well I stand corrected. I have had just one in my tank that came with the live rock. My emerald crabs did away with the rest, I think. But I have had just one that sits atop my highest rock and does nothing. It has not spread and just seems to get bigger. I was not worried about it and had no real intentions of getting it out of my tank. After all like I said it has not spread and and just sits there. Ohh well guess I better get it out before he does spread and cause a problem for me.

lcstorc · 12-02-2008, 09:25 AM

They do spread quickly but also do serve a purpose. Odd as it sounds they are great at nutrient export. I have seen a video of a guy who intentionally kept them in a fuge for that reason. I left them in my overflow for some time for that reason as well. They started creeping into my display so I got rid of all but one that I just can't seem to get.
Oddly enough, the best thing I have found is super glue gel. I just put a blob of glue over them and have never had them come back.

BigAl07 · 12-02-2008, 10:27 AM

Our LFS kept them in a "fuge/sump" for that reason. Then over the weekend he had an explosion of them in his Display Tank(s) (yeah 3 tanks). Apparently either they "released" babies or something in the tank "attacked" them and created smaller "pieces". Either way he went from not having a problem to REALLY having a problem just over the weekend. Who knows what happened.....

Stacef · 12-02-2008, 11:26 AM

That's the exact reason I added a peppermint to my fuge, it was getting over ran by aip, but I finally got my DT free of them, all but a few that are behind the rocks that the peppermint eventually ate. But, I figured I didn't want to risk the ones in the fuge spreading to the DT again..

12-01-2008, 09:55 PM	#1 (permalink)
MatthewJ Cabbage Leather Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Iowa Posts: 372 View Gallery Karma Komment	aiptasia How aggressive should I be in removing aiptasia? I got some on a frag and now I've got at least 6 or 7 growing in the substrate. Should I have been more aggressive when I first noticed the aiptasia on the frag? I thought it was kind of cool at first, but I just noticed the little babies growing in the substrate and now I'm a little concerned. Matt

12-01-2008, 09:59 PM	#2 (permalink)
NCguy WiseGuy Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: North Carolina Posts: 194 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: aiptasia Trust me...Get rid of them NOW! First they look kinda cool,then they spread all over your tank by the thousands and sting your corals. __________________ Tim 210g Reef,100g Sump,50g Fuge,Reeflo 200 Skimmer 3x400w MHs, Barracuda pump

12-01-2008, 10:03 PM	#3 (permalink)
Reddog170 Achilles Tang Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Winfield, IA Posts: 877 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: aiptasia This stuff is a weed anemone. It spreads fast and will fill up yur tank in a hurry. Also peppermint shrimp are suppose to eat that stuff. My only problem is this, it is a part of nature, it has a reason to be. Weather it is to act as a natural form of food or it has another reason I do not know. Most will say get aggressive get it out exterminate it. I ride the fence myself, after all it has a reason, weather we know what it is or not.

12-01-2008, 10:22 PM	#4 (permalink)
BigAl07 Do I look as lost as I am Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Waynesville, North Carolina Posts: 21,549 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: aiptasia Yes get rid of it. They are very aggressive and will not only out-compete other corals for real-estate but they also have a potent sting waiting for other corals. __________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ *Live Rock Rubble will do the SAME thing as Bio-Balls and is NOT a suitable replacement for BIO-BALLS in a Reef System! It's ALL gotta go!!* Nitrate (NO3) reduction is directly proportional to percentage of Water Change. Allen's home-made formula...currentNO3-((%WC.01)currentNO3)=finalNO3 (thanks Luukosian) This means if you change 50% of your total water volume (That's EVERYTHING) you'll get a net reduction of (NO3) somewhere around 50%. Ask me about how to increase your REEF budget without going without FOOD!!* Big Al's 10g Julie's (BigAl's Gal) 6g NanoCube Gone but not forgotten BigAl's Slow 90g Tank Chronicle Allens OFFICE 12g Nano-Reef

12-01-2008, 10:25 PM	#5 (permalink)
Reefmack NaClH2O Addicted Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Charlotte, NC, USA Posts: 6,153 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: aiptasia Peppermint shrimp are no guarantee but they often will eat the Aiptasia. Be sure to get peppermints, not camel backs - they look similar. If you have them on the substrate scoop them up asap with a net and dispose of them. They have no reason or purpose to exist in our tanks. On a reef many things will eat them and they'll be controlled naturally - this is not the case in our little tanks. On the rocks you can kill them by injecting with Joe's Juice or other similar products. I've even heard of lemon juice & boiling water injections. If you don't kill them correctly the pieces can regenerate new ones. Red Sea has just come out with Aiptasia-X - it looks like a good product too. __________________ aka Terry Excellence in reefkeeping is achieved by mastering the fundamentals, and learning from mistakes. No such thing as an evil crab. Only humans have the ability to be evil. "If you don't like what your fellow forum neighbors are doing, then don't pay so much attention to them" 34g Red Sea Max 130 (April 07), ~50-60 lbs. live rock, Aragonite substrate. Lighting: Current USA Outer Orbit Pro - 150W HQI, 2 x 24W Blue Plus T5 HO Fluorescent by ATI, 2 x 24W Super Actinic T5 HO Fluorescent by UVL, Vortech MP20, LifeReef RSM Siphon, EShopps RS-75 Sump, Euro-Reef custom sump skimmer, Simplicity media reactor, Tunze Osmolator ATO, ReefKeeper Lite L3 controller Reefmack's RSM 130 and...Red Sea Max Owners Club and My JBJ 6G in this thread[/color][/i]

12-01-2008, 10:35 PM	#7 (permalink)
Reefmack NaClH2O Addicted Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Charlotte, NC, USA Posts: 6,153 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: aiptasia I've got the Aiptasia-X here and want to try it on some majanos soon. I've got a small 9g tank full of the ugly things! __________________ aka Terry Excellence in reefkeeping is achieved by mastering the fundamentals, and learning from mistakes. No such thing as an evil crab. Only humans have the ability to be evil. "If you don't like what your fellow forum neighbors are doing, then don't pay so much attention to them" 34g Red Sea Max 130 (April 07), ~50-60 lbs. live rock, Aragonite substrate. Lighting: Current USA Outer Orbit Pro - 150W HQI, 2 x 24W Blue Plus T5 HO Fluorescent by ATI, 2 x 24W Super Actinic T5 HO Fluorescent by UVL, Vortech MP20, LifeReef RSM Siphon, EShopps RS-75 Sump, Euro-Reef custom sump skimmer, Simplicity media reactor, Tunze Osmolator ATO, ReefKeeper Lite L3 controller Reefmack's RSM 130 and...Red Sea Max Owners Club and My JBJ 6G in this thread[/color][/i]

12-01-2008, 11:28 PM	#8 (permalink)
LaurentSeattle Midas Blenny Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Seattle Posts: 122 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: aiptasia Two peppermint shrimps ate the four small apstasia I had as hitchhikers on a coral purchase a while back. They ate everything overnight. Some other people have been less sucessful.

12-01-2008, 11:54 PM	#9 (permalink)
MatthewJ Cabbage Leather Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Iowa Posts: 372 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: aiptasia thanks all! I'll get rid of them ASAP.

12-01-2008, 11:57 PM	#10 (permalink)
Stacef Golden Moray Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Dubuque Posts: 2,620 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: aiptasia I have one large peppermint shrimp in my 72, he demolished all of my aiptasia in about a months time (I had some BIG ones) I also added one small one to my fuge, I had success with him also, he's now in the DT so he can get food to eat. (Where in Iowa are you?) Some people don't have as good of luck with them as I did, but it's worth the $10 to give it a shot with one. __________________ Stace My 72g Build-full of pictures, we all know you loce pictures! I've had to pay my price. The things I did not know at first, I learned by doin' twice. -Billy Joel

12-02-2008, 12:29 AM	#11 (permalink)
MatthewJ Cabbage Leather Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Iowa Posts: 372 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: aiptasia Hi StaceF. I'm' in Des Moines. It's good to find a fellow Iowan online! We are few and far between. If it weren't for forums like this, I'd be totally lost (or at the mercy of my LFS, which would be an expensive alternative). I'm originally from NE Iowa and have been to Dubuque many times. That's a very cool area. I think I will get a peppermint shrimp...I've been thinking of adding one anyway.

12-02-2008, 02:29 AM	#12 (permalink)
Reddog170 Achilles Tang Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Winfield, IA Posts: 877 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: aiptasia Well I stand corrected. I have had just one in my tank that came with the live rock. My emerald crabs did away with the rest, I think. But I have had just one that sits atop my highest rock and does nothing. It has not spread and just seems to get bigger. I was not worried about it and had no real intentions of getting it out of my tank. After all like I said it has not spread and and just sits there. Ohh well guess I better get it out before he does spread and cause a problem for me.

12-02-2008, 09:25 AM	#13 (permalink)
lcstorc Sunshine Reefer Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cocoa Fl Posts: 26,433 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: aiptasia They do spread quickly but also do serve a purpose. Odd as it sounds they are great at nutrient export. I have seen a video of a guy who intentionally kept them in a fuge for that reason. I left them in my overflow for some time for that reason as well. They started creeping into my display so I got rid of all but one that I just can't seem to get. Oddly enough, the best thing I have found is super glue gel. I just put a blob of glue over them and have never had them come back. __________________ Peace LYNN Lynn and Franks saltwater adventure Lynn's 20g clown tank Lynn's 90g of sunshine Lynn's frag tank experiment A reef tank is like a race car. The faster you go the harder you crash.

12-02-2008, 10:27 AM	#14 (permalink)
BigAl07 Do I look as lost as I am Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Waynesville, North Carolina Posts: 21,549 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: aiptasia Our LFS kept them in a "fuge/sump" for that reason. Then over the weekend he had an explosion of them in his Display Tank(s) (yeah 3 tanks). Apparently either they "released" babies or something in the tank "attacked" them and created smaller "pieces". Either way he went from not having a problem to REALLY having a problem just over the weekend. Who knows what happened..... __________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ *Live Rock Rubble will do the SAME thing as Bio-Balls and is NOT a suitable replacement for BIO-BALLS in a Reef System! It's ALL gotta go!!* Nitrate (NO3) reduction is directly proportional to percentage of Water Change. Allen's home-made formula...currentNO3-((%WC.01)currentNO3)=finalNO3 (thanks Luukosian) This means if you change 50% of your total water volume (That's EVERYTHING) you'll get a net reduction of (NO3) somewhere around 50%. Ask me about how to increase your REEF budget without going without FOOD!!* Big Al's 10g Julie's (BigAl's Gal) 6g NanoCube Gone but not forgotten BigAl's Slow 90g Tank Chronicle Allens OFFICE 12g Nano-Reef

12-02-2008, 11:26 AM	#15 (permalink)
Stacef Golden Moray Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Dubuque Posts: 2,620 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: aiptasia That's the exact reason I added a peppermint to my fuge, it was getting over ran by aip, but I finally got my DT free of them, all but a few that are behind the rocks that the peppermint eventually ate. But, I figured I didn't want to risk the ones in the fuge spreading to the DT again.. __________________ Stace My 72g Build-full of pictures, we all know you loce pictures! I've had to pay my price. The things I did not know at first, I learned by doin' twice. -Billy Joel

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)