Aiptasia question

KorD · May 28, 2015

First off I will be killing that dang thing this morning!

Here is my question... Will or could an aiptasia stay dormant before growing? The reason I ask this is because I have not had one in this pico frag tank ever.. out of nowhere it shows up on my hammer coral.
There is no substrate, no live rock... just water and a rack for holing frags.. nothing has been added to this tank in well over a month and a half.

Tahoe61 · May 28, 2015

An Aiptasia could easily go undetected in any tank for months. Aiptasia are capable of regenerating from single cells.

jshaw1980 · May 28, 2015

Get Aiptasia X, turn off all powerheads and follow the directions, zap that sucker good!! I've won the battle w/ aiptasia so far in both my current running tanks, no sign of any (knock on wood..lol)

redfishbluefish · May 28, 2015

I'm convinced that aiptasia were the first creatures to mysteriously pop up in the primordial soup. In Genisis 1:21, And God said on the fifth day, with a smirk on his face, "Let the water teem with aiptasia and other living creatures, and let the pigeons and other birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky." I wasn't there, because I had to wait for the 6th day, but I'm pretty sure that's what he said!

I've had similar experiences of no aiptasia for six months....and then POOF....there they are!

sureal00 · May 28, 2015

i enjoy killing them it makes it all worth it at the end.

KorD · May 28, 2015

jshaw1980 said:
Get Aiptasia X, turn off all powerheads and follow the directions, zap that sucker good!! I've won the battle w/ aiptasia so far in both my current running tanks, no sign of any (knock on wood..lol)

I have have stock in aiptasia x... I fought a great battle in my main tank over a year ago.

sureal00 said:
i enjoy killing them it makes it all worth it at the end.

The simple joys are a good time.. I think it is also fun to watch how fast they shrink up and get mad...

zwulfke · May 28, 2015

what about dipping corals I could not find anywhere what would work to be sure they were dead. I am guessing this would be more for QT to see if they sprout?

BaritoneJP · May 28, 2015

Being new to the hobby I can only report what I have read and heard other people in the hobby report ... with that said, there is a 250 gal tank where I work that is maintained by a company that comes in and does that type stuff ... they have had success with a Coral Banded Butterfly-fish. I have watched this fish for the past month seriously reduce the amount of aiptasia in the display tank. They did QT this fish for months (if I heard them correctly, it was six months) making sure that this fish would indeed feed on aiptasia and also feed on frozen food as well (instead of only live food.) The refugium in this tank has aiptasia, so I can only surmise this fish will have more to eat at some point in the DT.

On a side note: @zwulfke, may I ask what test kits you use for Calcium, Mag, Alk, and Phosphate ?

cloak · May 28, 2015

If the Aiptasia is on the skeleton of the Hammer coral you just burn it off with a cigarette lighter. This only takes a matter of seconds and the coral can endure being out of the water for that long. The black residue left behind will rub off.

FWIW, I had a few Aiptasia pop up my 20 gallon reef tank awhile back. I bought two peppermint shrimp and at first they kind of ignored the anemones, but after about a month they were no where to be found. I ended up keeping the shrimp for a few more weeks and then decided to trade them in because the job was done so it seemed. Anyways, another month or so goes by and BOOM! The Aiptasia are back. A little smaller than before, but right back in the same spot.