Aiptasia in "clean" chaeto

[Donny41]

Ordered a small refugium starter pack in December with chaeto. Havent paid much attention to the chaeto but when I just checked on it I saw it was full of aiptasia. Tank has been running since early December and was started with dry rock and sand. Transferred corals over from my old setup that was running for almost two years and not once did I have aiptasia.

 

[Ron Reefman]

It only takes one to start the cycle.

 

[Cment]

If its only in you chaeto, I would throw it out and get some new from a local reefer. Once aptasia takes off it can spread everywhere, your overflow, plumbing, stuff is awful. I would also contact @AlgaeBarn and see what they can do for you.

 

[TheHarold]

I don’t know if it’s possible to get it from algaebarn. My impression was that they started a sterile culture from scratch. As in no corals, no live rock, JUST algae being fed dry foods.

It’s far more likely that you unintentionally brought over a baby aptasia with the corals, and it took a while until it spawned. Chaeto is a perfect substrate for the newly spawned aptasia to attach to.

 

[Donny41]

PLEASE NOTE: We go to great lengths to treat, quarantine and remove any unwanted parasites, hitchhikers, and other organisms from our macroalgae. However, we do not guarantee that this item is completely and totally free of anything unwanted. This is because sometimes spores, eggs, etc. can remain viable but not visible, despite our strict quarantine procedure. As a result, we always recommend that you properly quarantine anything new that you are adding to your tank.

Quote from algaebarns website, so not sure if they would end up doing anything for me. And if I had bought anything new and added it to this tank I would not expect the chaeto to be the culprit. However all of the coral that I transferred over had been in my old tank for at least 8 months and then in a temporary frag tank for over a month while I cycled my new set up. Never had aiptasia in either system. I was also extremely careful in inspecting every frag I brought over as I was attempting to not transfer any vertimid snails that I had in my old set up.

 

[Sticker shock]

I had the same happen to me. I saw 4 or 5 in the chaeto after adding it to my refugium. Pulled it and tossed it immediately (unfortunately it took a couple weeks to notice). I added a few peppermint shrimp to the fuge and they seemingly kept it in check. Still see an occasional one pop up in the display though.

 

[BloopFish]

The vermetids in the coralline bottle and now this... how unfortunate

 

[Reefahholic]

The vermetids in the coralline bottle and now this... how unfortunate

You gotta be kidding me?? This same person had vermetids in his coralline bottle and not aiptasia in clean cheato??

;Joyful

 

[BloopFish]

You gotta be kidding me?? This same person had vermetids in his coralline bottle and not aiptasia in clean cheato??

;Joyful

Was just referring to this incident with AlgaeBarn

Vermetid Snails in "no risk" Coralline Algae Bottles - BBW

Here is the rock that came inside one of the bottles to prove it's viability. The tank this went in is 100% clean dry rock with no seed rock for the exact purpose of keeping stuff like this out. Here is the exact description of the product: "Though heavily inoculated with beneficial microbes...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Reefahholic]

Was just referring to this incident with AlgaeBarn

Vermetid Snails in "no risk" Coralline Algae Bottles - BBW

Here is the rock that came inside one of the bottles to prove it's viability. The tank this went in is 100% clean dry rock with no seed rock for the exact purpose of keeping stuff like this out. Here is the exact description of the product: "Though heavily inoculated with beneficial microbes...

www.reef2reef.com

Man, that's crazy. Can anybody confirm this?? Has this happened to several people or just two?

 

[mfollen]

Ya I got vermetids in my tank from the coralline product. Only pest that got in.

 

[BloopFish]

Seems kind of pointless if theres no guarantee that the product has no pests and if its known that their cultures have been contaminated by aiptasia (chaeto) and vermetid (coralline). They also haven't officially responded with any information to either one....

 

[mfollen]

Yea would be nice for them to make a statement to those who got infected from buying a “pest free” product.

 

[Donny41]

I will say they messaged me directly and have been helpful

Seems kind of pointless if theres no guarantee that the product has no pests and if its known that their cultures have been contaminated by aiptasia (chaeto) and vermetid (coralline). They also haven't officially responded with any information to either one....

 

[bacc2bacc]

yeah looks like ill be taking my pod and algae needs somewhere else. its already bad enough that their jar'd pods look like nothing but saltwater, now pests in their products? no thanks

 

[burtonboy182]

Unfortunately this happened to me also. Only thing added to the tank was chaeto and pods from AlgaeBarn. Tank started with all dead rock and brand new equipment. I spoke with them and they offered to send me new “clean” chaeto. I fortunately aptasia has already entered the tank. Response was like stated above. They do their best but it’s our (the customers) responsibility to QT it to ensure nothing enters the system.

I personally won’t be ordering from them going forward. And I’ve already received 15+/- shipments from them.

 

[Sticker shock]

At this point you'd think they may want to do something about the chaeto at least. Maybe they could change the name to simply cheato because it certainly isn't clean. It really gives the wrong impression, even though I know it's on me to QT everything, it still seems deceptive.

 

[burtonboy182]

Correct!!! If they didn’t advertise as clean I would still be a loyal customer. I just get that weird bait and switch feeling. I probably would have still gotten it from them if it was just chaeto. If I end up redoing my tank I’m getting it from battle corals. I would rather support someone that is honest and not hiding behind small print or read through the whole thing. But that’s my fault. I guess I should have read the website from start to finish.

 

[BloopFish]

It really does seem deceptive to sell it as "clean chaeto" when multiple customers report it as being contaminated by aiptasia... I've bought chaeto from hobbyists that had less baddies than that, AND they don't call it "clean."

It's simply outrageous that they say they will send a new "clean chaeto" (which probably will also have aiptasia..) That's like sending a fish thats supposedly QT'ed that comes in with ich, and sending another fish with ich to compensate for the first one that came in sick and infected everything in the tank.

 

[bacc2bacc]

so why hasn't @AlgaeBarn responded? do they need to be @ to respond to threads in their own sponsor forum? it says on your page that your algae is clean, treated and quarantined, how come there are people saying that pests made it through to their tank through your products? can someone else recommend me another vendor who can provide pods and algae without the pests? thanks.