How easy does Aiptasia reproduce?

cbleehk · Dec 14, 2018

Hi, I have a refugium section in my sump that is right beside the return pumps. I'm about to put some rocks that have Aiptasia on them into the refugium but I don't want them to get into my DT. Just wondering how likely would get make their way up if they reproduce?

The rocks are actually from my old tank. They started as a small spore and now there are around 3 big ones and several smaller ones here and there on the old tank. I used reef savers and sand to avoid any pests, so I wouldn't want them to get into my DT.

Thanks!

Snookin · Dec 14, 2018

Do not put the rocks in your fuge. The Aiptasia will then get into your DT. 100% You will literally be adding a pest to your new tank from the old one.

cbleehk · Dec 14, 2018

So I should try my best to kill them off first i guess?

cbleehk · Dec 14, 2018

What about vermetid snails? they're all over my rocks

Snookin · Dec 14, 2018

Throw the rocks away. Lol they seem like they are full of pest.

Knifeguy · Dec 14, 2018

Agreed. Do what Snookin says. I am embarrassed to say I am very well educated in Aptasia eradication.
They will 100% multiply into your display tank. Nuke that rock or discard it.

Katrina71 · Dec 14, 2018

reefwiser · Dec 14, 2018

If coral reproduced as easy as Aiptasia the world would be full of coral.

Katrina71 · Dec 14, 2018

Did you look at it? Think about it? Post about it? All of those make it reproduce! Not really, but close.

CamInDFW · Dec 14, 2018

Let me share my experience.. I was using water from a tank with Aiptasia in it to defrost my food and I would spread the food between two tanks - one with and one without Aiptasia .. The tank without Aiptasia had Aiptasia in it within 4 months.. One microscopic spore can create an outbreak you may never be able to get back under control.

ihavecrabs · Dec 14, 2018

Don't throw the rock away!! Just dry them out. Once they have been fully dry, powerwash them or cure it in bleach to ensure death of any spores and then cycle the rock to be reused in your fuge.

Subsea · Dec 14, 2018

ihavecrabs said:
Don't throw the rock away!! Just dry them out. Once they have been fully dry, powerwash them or cure it in bleach to ensure death of any spores and then cycle the rock to be reused in your fuge.

I agree except for the bleach. I prefer hydrogen peroxide as there is no possible residual poisoning.

Mikedawg · Dec 14, 2018

Katrina71 said:
Did you look at it? Think about it? Post about it? All of those make it reproduce! Not really, but close.

And never, ever call it names because it really gets mad then and you better watch out!

Xylotrupes · Dec 14, 2018

Hi,
Aiptasia, reproduction can work either asexually by so called pedal laccerates (2-5 mm big pieces from the pedal attachement) or sexually by planuar larvae (~80µm).
And of course if a piece of an animal is ripped of it will also regenerate.
an adult polyp will produce 3-5 pedal laccerates every week which grow up to be new polyps in about 1 week.
If you can avoid the pedal lacerates from being moved from one tank to the other you should be good.
Reproduction by larvae has not been observed so far because the larvae do not settle.
(By the way there are some dollars to be made by showing a way to have Aiptasia larvae settle... it is one of the major problems of biological research with Aiptaisa... i personally would be exited to hear about Aiptasia larvae settle)

Snookin · Dec 14, 2018

ihavecrabs said:
Don't throw the rock away!! Just dry them out. Once they have been fully dry, powerwash them or cure it in bleach to ensure death of any spores and then cycle the rock to be reused in your fuge.

The rock is from a 20g tank. It’s not like the OP is throwing out hundreds of pounds of rock. It would be more of a hassle to dry out, clean and bleach rock then to just buy another 20lbs of LR. I’d recommend marine pure anyways for a fuge.

PhilT · Dec 14, 2018

ihavecrabs said:
Don't throw the rock away!! Just dry them out. Once they have been fully dry, powerwash them or cure it in bleach to ensure death of any spores and then cycle the rock to be reused in your fuge.

I had an infested tank, livestock was moved to a new setup. The old tank was torn down, emptied and bleached to kill off massive star polyps and coralline all over. The rock was also bleached and later put back in the old tank after it was restarted. Saw an apitasia in it!

Katrina71 · Dec 14, 2018

Aiptasia isn't the end of the world. Minimize, manage, it's doable.

andrewkw · Dec 14, 2018

Katrina71 said:
Aiptasia isn't the end of the world. Minimize, manage, it's doable.

I agree 100% and I just stop and kill them every couple of weeks and that keeps things fine. I'm not about to tear down an established reef because of a few, even few dozen little pest anemones. However I'm not willingly going to add more to the system either.

cbleehk · Dec 15, 2018

wow, didn't expect to have so many responses. Thank you for all the inputs!

From what everyone said, I think I'm just going to take my chances. I have a couple pieces of corals attached to rocks anyways, so unless I saw them out, I would've likely bring them over anyways.

My fuge is on the other side of my return pumps (a T pipe sends water over in a slow flow). I am able to put a sponge and possible cotton at the weir where water goes back to the return pumps section. If @Xylotrupes is right, I might be able to hold them off from getting into the DT.

Here's another question: How effective are peppermint shrimps & copperbands on aiptasia? Maybe I can introduce a peppermint shrimp in the 20G and see if it eats them up before I move? Would it fight with my cleaner shrimp?

Snookin · Dec 15, 2018

cbleehk said:
wow, didn't expect to have so many responses. Thank you for all the inputs!

From what everyone said, I think I'm just going to take my chances. I have a couple pieces of corals attached to rocks anyways, so unless I saw them out, I would've likely bring them over anyways.

My fuge is on the other side of my return pumps (a T pipe sends water over in a slow flow). I am able to put a sponge and possible cotton at the weir where water goes back to the return pumps section. If @Xylotrupes is right, I might be able to hold them off from getting into the DT.

Here's another question: How effective are peppermint shrimps & copperbands on aiptasia? Maybe I can introduce a peppermint shrimp in the 20G and see if it eats them up before I move? Would it fight with my cleaner shrimp?

Please make sure to post pics in 3 months of your DT full of aiptasia in this thread