Aiptasia confirmation please

[TeeJay87]

I still consider myself new to the hobby as I started my first tank 13 months ago with TBS live rock/sand/CUC. I’ve never added coral or anything except fish since then. And the last fish were added in June of 2022 after ~40 days in my quarantine tank. I think I’ve spotted my first Aiptasia; can you please confirm whether it’s Aiptasia? About a month ago, I noticed the group of 8 or so on the 1 rock, and the other day a couple have spread to adjacent rock.

 

[AV corals]

Ah yes. The good friend Aptasia everybody. Put some super glue/putty or aptasia-x, joes juice, f-aptasia or any paste really. Just cover them in it so when it hardens, they'll die a suffocating death

 

[muzikalmatt]

Those are most definitely aiptasia, but honestly I'd be a bit more worried about the green algae in photo #2. That looks like bryopsis which is usually a lot harder to get rid of than aiptasia.

 

[TeeJay87]

Those are most definitely aiptasia, but honestly I'd be a bit more worried about the green algae in photo #2. That looks like bryopsis which is usually a lot harder to get rid of than aiptasia.

If you are talking about the feathery algae in the front left of that photo, I’m pretty sure that’s caulerpa.

 

[TeeJay87]

Ah yes. The good friend Aptasia everybody. Put some super glue/putty or aptasia-x, joes juice, f-aptasia or any paste really. Just cover them in it so when it hardens, they'll die a suffocating death

Thanks for the suggestions! I was leaning towards trying to deal with Aiptasia with a fish, copperband or filefish. That will take some time to acquire and quarantine. How much time do I have before the Aiptasia starts getting out of hand?

 

[muzikalmatt]

If you are talking about the feathery algae in the front left of that photo, I’m pretty sure that’s caulerpa.

Caulerpa is pretty invasive and difficult to eradicate as well. Are you intentionally growing it in your display? If you're wanting to add corals some day it's going to compete for that real estate on your rockwork.

If you're looking to go the biological route for dealing with aiptasia you can also look at getting some berghia nudibranchs. As for how much time you have, it's hard to tell. Aiptasia can spread fast, but that doesn't necessarily mean it will in your tank. However, since you already have multiple, I would definitely start working on beating them back before it starts to get out of hand.

 

[AV corals]

Thanks for the suggestions! I was leaning towards trying to deal with Aiptasia with a fish, copperband or filefish. That will take some time to acquire and quarantine. How much time do I have before the Aiptasia starts getting out of hand?

basically tomorrow ago haha. Aptasias are annoying to deal with once you have one you have 25 by tomorrow. I have a filefish to help with my population control but he only really eats the small baby ones and I have to go after the larger ones.. My filefish also ate some zoas not alll just a couple here and there. I also have a cousin who has a green filefish and he said his cleaned up the display tank that was heaviy infested in just a couple days. I guess you gotta get lucky to finding a filefish that actually will take a liking to aptasia.

best of luck!

 

[TeeJay87]

Caulerpa is pretty invasive and difficult to eradicate as well. Are you intentionally growing it in your display? If you're wanting to add corals some day it's going to compete for that real estate on your rockwork.

If you're looking to go the biological route for dealing with aiptasia you can also look at getting some berghia nudibranchs. As for how much time you have, it's hard to tell. Aiptasia can spread fast, but that doesn't necessarily mean it will in your tank. However, since you already have multiple, I would definitely start working on beating them back before it starts to get out of hand.

Lots of Macro algae popped up in my tank from the live rock early on. I kind of figured I would enjoy them for a while as I wasn’t planning to get into corals for a while and it’s still a long way off. Also, used the algae as nutriet export since I didn’t have a skimmer for the first 11 months.

However, my CUC snails dwindled and I left these phosphates remover pads that came with my Fluval 407 canister filter in the fluval for almost a year. I‘m guessing they had been leaching phosphate back into the tank for a long time and GHA has gotten out of control. So I now have some Trochus & Turbo snails, a tuxedo urchin, a foxface, and a lawnmower blenny in quarantine to help me battle algae (fish are in separate tanks from the inverts).

I’ve been able to routinely remove the caulerpa manually and keep it mostly to two rocks, but it has definitely spread around the tank. Hopefully something I’m adding will eat it.

 

[brandon429]

TeeJay

I'm making an article on aiptasia removal that is unlike the current methods

the current methods cause those few above to become many, but there's a surgical way of removing those easy ones right now, before they reproduce

want to run that easy fix here live time/we document it/I use that in some example sets?

 

[brandon429]

you have access to the rock vs it being locked inside a glued arch, or with lots of other rocks stacked on it preventing access

this is the reason most folks try the nonsurgical methods, to keep from having to access the rock.

uncured ocean rock needs access and guiding work, surgical work, because it fully controls these type of expected hitchhikers. if you are considering any other way other than this surgical option, you risk transmitting these around your tank / many threads show.

surgical removal is total control, today.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I still consider myself new to the hobby as I started my first tank 13 months ago with TBS live rock/sand/CUC. I’ve never added coral or anything except fish since then. And the last fish were added in June of 2022 after ~40 days in my quarantine tank. I think I’ve spotted my first Aiptasia; can you please confirm whether it’s Aiptasia? About a month ago, I noticed the group of 8 or so on the 1 rock, and the other day a couple have spread to adjacent rock.

Aptasia they are. Not the end of the world but requires time if done manually and keep it simple . . . . . I had many more discovered in my sump overflow about 4 months ago an had them gone in under 2 weeks once I discovered them . Thank goodness I used filter socks which caught the ones that went down the plumbing.
Using syringe, inject either lemon juice or better yet. . kalkwasser powder mixed with tank water into a paste the consistency of toothpaste and inject into the very center core and it will melt away
If its an infestation, You cant beat a Kleini Butterfly BUT must be the bluehead- NOT the yellow version. The yellow will go after coral too but bluehead as pictured will eat aptasia like candy, then eat all dry and frozen food offered, colorful, friendly and stays small.

 

[TeeJay87]

Aptasia they are. Not the end of the world but requires time if done manually and keep it simple . . . . . I had many more discovered in my sump overflow about 4 months ago an had them gone in under 2 weeks once I discovered them . Thank goodness I used filter socks which caught the ones that went down the plumbing.
Using syringe, inject either lemon juice or better yet. . kalkwasser powder mixed with tank water into a paste the consistency of toothpaste and inject into the very center core and it will melt away
If its an infestation, You cant beat a Kleini Butterfly BUT must be the bluehead- NOT the yellow version. The yellow will go after coral too but bluehead as pictured will eat aptasia like candy, then eat all dry and frozen food offered, colorful, friendly and stays small.

I will definitely look into this fish; thanks! I will search the site for a syringe as I have none (though feel free to make recommendations).

 

[TeeJay87]

you have access to the rock vs it being locked inside a glued arch, or with lots of other rocks stacked on it preventing access

this is the reason most folks try the nonsurgical methods, to keep from having to access the rock.

uncured ocean rock needs access and guiding work, surgical work, because it fully controls these type of expected hitchhikers. if you are considering any other way other than this surgical option, you risk transmitting these around your tank / many threads show.

surgical removal is total control, today.

Can you give some more info on the surgical option? Does the rock need to come out for this process? The rock with most of the Aiptasia is on the bottom front rock of this arch (see middle bottom of photos; stacked not glued).

 

[exnisstech]

I do what vetteguy53081 with the kalk paste. I doubt I'll ever get them all because they are in a 180g display with a lot of rock and they pop up in the sump as well I just squirt them with kalk paste every week or 2 and they wither away. While they are never totally gone I have seen no signs of them increasing after killing them with the paste.

@TeeJay87 Nice job getting getting pics under white light.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I will definitely look into this fish; thanks! I will search the site for a syringe as I have none (though feel free to make recommendations).

You can use the syringe that comes with many chemicals as pictured below (often used even for medication) - Walgreens pharmacist can help you with this or regular syringe- Just show them your link to this message and he will understand your use. Again, be sure to apply evenly over the core of the aptasia.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Can you give some more info on the surgical option? Does the rock need to come out for this process? The rock with most of the Aiptasia is on the bottom front rock of this arch (see middle bottom of photos; stacked not glued).

You have a bit of Green hair algae expolsion here. After you have reduced or rid the tank of aptasia,
Then reduce white light intensity and number of hours of white lighting and add some snails such as :
Astrea
cerith
turbo grazer
trochus

A Pencil urchin

8-10 Caribbean blue leg hermits

Are you using RODI water or tap water from the faucet ?
What is your phosphate level?
Is tank at or near a window?

 

[brandon429]

Yes they need to come out for surgical removal, these can wipe out your tank. kalk paste, joe's juice, peppermint shrimp, nudibranchs, fish, all have about 100 searchable threads for failing to win and they also have lots of wins too, the point is there's a mix

if you elect for surgery via rock removal you control their numbers right now, you'll be doing to that reef tooth exactly what a dentist does to teeth in a mouth that have unwanted attachments.

we would set a rock on your counter, and do things to it to scrape that anemone off the area leaving a mark like a shallow golf divot behind, this gives you direct control over the real estate vs hoping an indirect means works, this is why there are so many hundreds of aiptasia loss threads, reefing peers won't elect for direct controls for a number of reasons.


since that is uncured rock, expect a couple follow ups vs cured rock aiptasia runs. to not apply direct controls with that kind of import selected is to take a real risk, we are using a metal tool and no chems to work that rock, brute precision rasping of surfaces plus light topical abrasion of the substrate the anemone is attached to

when done, your rock will look the exact same/ only a tiny little divot where a target used to be will remain

and you can glue a coral to that hole if you want/leave it there for coralline and side growths to take over. real estate management assertively vs passively for the win

 

[ckuhny3]

I still consider myself new to the hobby as I started my first tank 13 months ago with TBS live rock/sand/CUC. I’ve never added coral or anything except fish since then. And the last fish were added in June of 2022 after ~40 days in my quarantine tank. I think I’ve spotted my first Aiptasia; can you please confirm whether it’s Aiptasia? About a month ago, I noticed the group of 8 or so on the 1 rock, and the other day a couple have spread to adjacent rock.

Use F Aptasia

 

[exnisstech]

I will definitely look into this fish; thanks! I will search the site for a syringe as I have none (though feel free to make recommendations).

If you don't mind spending about $20 aiptasia x has worked for me in the past tho no better than kalk paste but it comes with an awesome syringe with an angled metal end that really helps getting at the ones that are vertical or somewhat hidden. Use can run through the bottle of aiptasia x then switch to kalk paste. One thing I forgot to mention is be careful with the kalk paste so it doesn't fall onto coral while your injecting the aptaisia. I had some overflow onto a bubble tip nem the last time and it was not happy.
The syringe

 

[vetteguy53081]

KEEP IT SIMPLE !!


Seriously ????