Aiptasia multiplying

Well I started out with only three on a single piece of live rock. Now they're every where ! I tried Aiptasia control by Blue Life, after talking to their sales reps at a reef show. But it seems the more I squirt, the more they multiply. So here's my next step in my battle with Aiptasia.

My Aiptasia



My helpers (I have four of them)

 

Can you tell yet if they are doing any good for you?

 

I started with one about a week ago. I saw him eat one Aiptasia. That when I decided to buy three more on Friday. So far I can't tell. I will keep everyone posted on their effectiveness.

 

Please do, and thanks for the pics. Have I told you I love pics? lol Lovely coralline btw!

 

Over due update:
When I bought the three new Peppermint Shrimp I had hundreds of Aiptasia. Today weeks later, I can count maybe five. These guys work great !

PS- Do not confuse these with Camel Shrimp. Camel Shrimp are not considered reef safe as they will eat corals and zoanthids. LFS will sell you Camel Shrimp as Peppermint Shrimp. Buyer beware !!!

 

Thanks for this thread agsansoo. The peppermint shrimps we got 2 days ago have munched the Aiptasia. Its hard to find the shrimps in the tank.. used a mirror yesterday at the back of the tank and saw 1. is there any way to see them eating?

 

The only way I know is with a red lens over a flashlight at night when all the lights are off. They are very shy ! I also have seen these shrimp cleaning my Wrasse, which is odd, since some larger Wrasse's hunt and eat shrimp. Overall I highly recommend these shrimp !

 

Its been nearly 2 weeks and no sign of Aiptasia. Feel a bit sorry for the peppies.. They love the stuff. Might go get some more LR from the same LFS.. On second thoughts.. The peppies can eat what I give em

 

;D

 

I got Aiptasia in my tank 3 that I know of What works for you to get rid of these pest.

 

Hypodermic Syringe worked for me if visible and have access to it. Peppermint Shrimps were hit and miss for me. Copperband bfy would do but not for your tank though.

 

Go to Target and get a needle and some lemon juice (needle is like $.25, they'll think you're crazy, but if you explain it, they probably won't think you're making up that elaborate story for 1 needle). Boil some water, a cup, just enough for the needle. Draw up some hot water into the needle, then some lemon juice. Inject it right at the base of the aiptasia and it should curl up and die.

Also, if your local store carries true peppermint shrimps (not camel shrimps) they may eat it. If they do, leave them in the tank, and they will take care of any problems as they arise.

 

On tuesday Some peppermint shrimp should be in at LFS I'll buy 2 of them I hope that would work.

 

They're pretty cheap, I get them 2/$10 here. Try the peppermints for a week and see if the aiptasia numbers go down. I always prefer the natural approach opposed to adding chemicals, but it's probably a 50/50 shot that they'll eat the aiptasia.

 

how do I kill aipasata anemones on my live rock without kill the beneficial micro organisms

 

Peppermint shrimp peppermint shrimp peppermint shrimp

 

I don't have enough money to buy one

 

Oh sorry. When you do they are fairly innexpensive at least at my lfs.

 

they are 25$ at mine and that is to expensive for a shimp for me but thanks for the reply

 

Also can I put the live rock back in my tank as soon as I am done boiling it?

 

Eli,
I have responded to this question in your other thread

I hope that helps

 

ok thanks

 

If you boil the rock you will loose all the beneficial bacteria on the rock!! How bad is it can you post a pic?

 

can someone close this thread

 

can someone close this thread

HI Eli,
You can close the thread yourself using the "moderation tools" at the top right of the post

Please be sure to put a comment as to why you are closing the thread though.

 

I don't see anything that says moderation tools

 

I don't see anything that says moderation tools

Sorry - meant Administration, or Administrative - click on that, then there's an option to Copy, Move, Close

 

From my understanding Moderators close post after no time has been spent on a particular thread if no messages have been served afeter a certain lenght of time.

 

I saw a very small aiptasia on a rock yesterday and needless to say, I panicked. Since the rock was a stand alone piece I immediately removed it from the tank and have it soaking in a 90% vinger and fresh water mixer. I couldnt ding it once I took the rock out of the tank to inject it. Will this work or ahould I boil it in this solution As well? It's really bubbling already. I would really like to keep this piece but am willing to replace it as well. Also to note I do have 1 pepermint shrimp in my tank, should I get more? I haven't seen anything on any of the other rocks...yet. See my profile for full tank specs updated today.

 

Doing more research, I'm not sure if it was aiptasia or manjano as it was so small and I reacted so quickly.

 

HI and welcome.
I have had some aiptasia in my seahorse tank. I am seriously thinking of ordering from marineland the wand that was suggested to me. I have used filefish, peppermint shrimp, nudibranches and now thinking of getting this wand. The wand takes out both types!

Good luck with yours and if you see one...there are usually more!

 

Its good you panicked! The first aiptasia that came in our live rock, I thought was a reallllyyyy cool anemone, so my father agreed and stuck it right out in the open to grow, and after it was about and inch big, finally realized it was NOT a good thing. But the easiest way I treated mine was going to my LFS and buying Aiptasia-X. Its basically a little syringe and this pink stuff. All you do is shake the bottle, take a very small amount in the syringe, find the mouth, and carefully put the syringe in its mouth and release the pink stuff, it may take a few times after that too. As for the peppermint shrimp, that's the first thing we got to see if it would eat it and well, he starred at it from time to time and a week later he died, so from my past experience, id save your money lol.

 

Thanks for the response. The rock is still in the vinegar water solution and will just be discarded. It wasn't a big piece just one that fit nicely with my aquascape. I couldn't find it once I took it out of the tank and put it in some different saltwater that I keep on hand and that rock has a lot of crevices in it that's why I did the vinegar water solution. Would love to keep it but refuse to put that piece back in my tank without knowing 100% that the pest is dead lol. I'm going to look for a replacement today.

 

I would think after the vinegar if you put it in boiled, not boiling water that would kill anything left in it, & then soak it in freshwater for a while to get rid of the vinegar it'd then be ok to put it back in.

 

Here's a good discussion at reef2reef about the wand as well as it's effectiveness against other invasive species as well.

 

hi
I just got 4 pieces of live rock the other day and out them in my new 75 g tank. At the pet store I saw these little anemone-looking things on them and thought they would be beneficial to cycling.
From everything I've heard this is not the case. Pictures shown below--should I remove the rock immediately and return it?
Thanks!

 

That's aptasia - kill it now!

If you can return it, do it! Now! Don't wait! Even a tiny piece that falls off of the main critter will form into another; them just walking around causes then to multiply.

Take that rock back, get your money, and run away screaming and pulling your hair - NEVER buy any rock from there again - their rock curing tank is infested with parasites!

I prolly wouldn't do business with them on anything else, either, if they're selling that garbage.

 

Hmmm, well, it depends on whether you want to try to deal with the aiptasia or not. The pest is already in your tank and they spread easily, so you might end up finding them in your sand even if you return the rock. It's pretty difficult not to get aiptasia in your tank in this hobby, and the only real way to prevent it is to quarantine every single live thing that goes in your tank. In my case, I got aiptasia from cheatomorpha algae, a plant that is used in refugiums for nutrient removal. The pest is also often spread through corals, and the rock or frag plugs they come on. You may not even be able to see it right away, but the spores can be present and eventually an aiptasia will grow.

So, I'd say it depends on your methods of keeping a pest free tank to say whether you should run away from this screaming, or deal with it. I personally deal with it, because I do not have a coral qt due to the lack of an extra reef light, which is absolutely needed if you want corals to thrive while quarantining them.

 

Thanks! I took them out straight away, into a bucket. I will definitely return them; I am very sad because I have been doing business with this store for years and they are always surpassing any other place I go to in all aspects but this.

Hmmm, well, it depends on whether you want to try to deal with the aiptasia or not. The pest is already in your tank and they spread easily, so you might end up finding them in your sand even if you return the rock. It's pretty difficult not to get aiptasia in your tank in this hobby, and the only real way to prevent it is to quarantine every single live thing that goes in your tank. In my case, I got aiptasia from cheatomorpha algae, a plant that is used in refugiums for nutrient removal. The pest is also often spread through corals, and the rock or frag plugs they come on. You may not even be able to see it right away, but the spores can be present and eventually an aiptasia will grow.

So, I'd say it depends on your methods of keeping a pest free tank to say whether you should run away from this screaming, or deal with it. I personally deal with it, because I do not have a coral qt due to the lack of an extra reef light, which is absolutely needed if you want corals to thrive while quarantining them.

Okay--well, when I bought them without knowing what they were, I think there might've ben six or seven, and now there are like 20 after only a couple days. I'm not getting any live animals soon, so I feel like it could either die of lack of nutrients or thrive because it has no competition. (I really don't know) Out of the four rocks I bought, three were the only ones in one tank, and one was from the main tank and does not seem to have any on it....yet.
I also don't have a reef-specific light; a mainland night and day--do I need to get one if I plan to add corals? Thanks!

 

Thanks! I took them out straight away, into a bucket. I will definitely return them; I am very sad because I have been doing business with this store for years and they are always surpassing any other place I go to in all aspects but this.

In order for aiptasia to pop up that quickly that rock would've had to have been cured in someone else's tank. It is spendy stuff and will take longer to cycle but if you would like pest free rock but still have beneficial bacteria on it, you could go with the Carribsea life rock. Also, keep an eye out for the price as it tends to fluctuate quite a bit. It's what I have used in both my 36 and my 90 gallon tank: