Aiptasia?

[Frop]

Here is my GSP. This whole time I thought one of his arms was dead or something then I saw the ID thing on lionfish lair it looks like an aiptasia. I'm still new to saltwater. Is that what it is? And what issues does it cause? Lionfishlair.com says it feeds on Zooxanthellate, what's that?

Sorry for the crappy photos..

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

It's an anemone.

Zooxanthellae is a symbiotic algae that lives inside some inverts (like anemones), and corals, along with a lot other living organisms.

 

[Frop]

It's an anemone.

So... He is going to become large like the anemones a clownfish can hide in? And will it move?

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

No, they stay relatively small and will eventually take over your entire tank and it will be ugly.

 

[Frop]

No, they stay relatively small and will eventually take over your entire tank and it will be ugly.

:/


So how do I get it out? Can I cut them with scissors?

P.s. Can this thing sting?

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

There's a product called aiptasia-x that has worked for me. some people will smother them with kalk paste. others will try various livestock like peppermint shrimp. livestock is not an option I recommend as the overall success rate seems to be less than that of manual removal or using aiptasia- x or kalk.

Sometimes you can remove the rock, pick that sucker off, scrub the rock where it was attached real good with a brush, rinse it off in saltwater then put the rock back in your tank. since they're anemones, they can plant their basal disc deep in crevices and this method may not work.

 

[Frop]

There's a product called aiptasia-x that has worked for me. some people will smother them with kalk paste. others will try various livestock like peppermint shrimp. livestock is not an option I recommend as the overall success rate seems to be less than that of manual removal or using aiptasia- x or kalk.

Sometimes you can remove the rock, pick that sucker off, scrub the rock where it was attached real good with a brush, rinse it off in saltwater then put the rock back in your tank. since they're anemones, they can plant their basal disc deep in crevices and this method may not work.

Okay I was lost when you said anemone but it is both! Gotcha. Ya I have been googling it since you last replied. I think I might get some aiptasia x. But I also have leftover superglue someone said I could use that. I think it is attached to the bottom of my coral frag. I might just pull the frag off and glue it back down.

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

They are anemones, just not the good kind.

Yeah if you can remount the coral, or scrape it off the bottom, then easy.

 

[Frop]

This is the bottom of the GSP. What are those white spirals?

I tried to scape off what I could. I got it well enough that I forgot where it was planted :/ hehe

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

Can't really tell by that photo.

 

[Darbna]

Aptasia X works every time. Tried boiling water, superglue, etc. All OK but Aptasia X kills on contact and dosnt affect anything else unless you have a good anemone next to it when you inject.