|
| |
|
FAQs on Aiptasia Anemones in General 4 Related FAQs: Aiptasia
1, Aiptasia 2, Aiptasia 3,
Aiptasia
Identification, Other Pest Anemones, Eradication
by: Berghia Nudibranchs,
Peppermint
Shrimp, Butterflyfishes,
Filefishes,
Chemical/Physical
Injection, Hypo/Hyper-Salinity,
Related Articles: Aiptasia/Glass
Anemones,
Impressions of Methods to Eliminate Pest Anemones by Steven Pro,
Aquarium Culture of
the Aeolid nudibranch Berghia, Predator on the nuisance anemone
Aiptasia By Anthony Calfo,
Anemones,
Cnidarians,
|

|
Aiptasia Control 3/9/08
Hey all,
<Hi Chad>
I'm just coming out of a battle with Aiptasia and a bad red Cyano bloom (I
hope). They both finally seem to be under control, but after stirring up the
substrate, adding additional powerheads and all the dead Aiptasia my nitrate
level has gotten pretty high. By the way I had a bad Aiptasia problem and tried
boiling water, lemon juice and Kalkwasser and they all worked somewhat, but the
final blow was picking up each rock and using the Kalkwasser mixed to kind of a
whole milk consistency, then I watched really closely for the next few days and
would hit the small ones that returned with lemon juice. I also added the
peppermint shrimp as an extra block against them coming back. I'm now Aiptasia
free for almost 2 weeks (I hope).
<Keep your fingers crossed.>
I have a 55 gallon tank with 10-15 gal sump. I have an RO filter and a 25 gallon
Rubbermaid that I used to aerate and mix my saltwater in. Due to my confined
living spaces It'll be tough for me to do more than this volume, and the time it
takes to filter the water, aerate, add salt etc prevents me from doing changes
more often that once every 5-6 days.
<Is more than enough.>
My question is, I'm doing roughly 15 gallon (20-25%) water changes weekly is
this enough to get my nitrate level back down, or should I be doing something
more aggressive?
<Is enough, but I would use a protein skimmer in addition.>
I have two Yellow Tail Damsels, 1 small Lawnmower Blenny, 1 Peppermint Shrimp, 1
Skunk Cleaner Shrimp and 4 small Red-Legged Hermits (and 3 Turbo Snails) so I
don't think I'm overloaded with live stock and I've cut feeding way back in an
effort to control the Cyano.
<Not overstocked for sure.>
Also, once I get nitrates down and get a better hold on my water quality I'd
like to add some "easier" inverts (maybe some polyps, a leather and maybe some
mushrooms) over time. Will the blenny / hermit crabs / Peppermint Shrimp be a
problem?
<No.>
Is there any books you can recommend out there that outline the changes in going
from a FOWLR to a beginner reef type system (I just bought the Conscientious
Aquarist).
<A very good start. I know I'll need to upgrade my lighting, but would like more
information about tank maturity, specific gravity, calcium, ozone, calcium
reactors etc. and which are only needed for hard corals which I don't really
plan on attempting.
<All found on our site, do search/read. Start with our index here.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/index.htm>
Thanks you've been great with all my problems. I'm glad you're here to help new
people like me.
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Chad
|
Aiptasia and Cyanobacteria
problems 2/21/08
Hello,
<Hello, Scott V. with you.>
I have a 55 gallon FOWLR saltwater tank with a small sump holding an ASM G-1
skimmer, a pump that's rated for a tank my size and a powerhead. My live rock
came with some Aiptasia and I didn't know what it was until it became a big
problem.
<This happens.>
I also had some small spots of red Cyanobacteria which I've been vacuuming up
and with the addition of the powerhead have been at least held in check. I've
since tried multiple attempts at squirting boiling water and a Kalkwasser paste
on the aiptasia and it knocks them back, but they typically come back in full
force in a few days.
<These can be tough to eradicate.>
I finally got frustrated and actually pulled the live rock out and squirted
boiling water on the aiptasia over the sink. This was a bad idea because my live
rock now smells like it's uncured.
<Yikes! You likely killed more than the Aiptasia.>
I figured this would add quite a bit of dead organic matter to the tank so I did
a large water change the next day with RO water heated and aerated for a couple
days with added buffer.
<Good move.>
Then I had to leave town for a few days so I decided to let the two yellow tail
damsels I have go without food for a few days to hopefully knock back the
Cyanobacteria.
When I got back the Cyanobacteria had gone berserk. It's covering everything in
the tank now and as an added bonus the Aiptasia is back too.
<Likely nutrient/nitrate accumulation from the die off related to the boiling
water.>
I haven't had a chance to do a reading for PH, Ammonia, Nitrates and Nitrites
yet, but I imagine there's something wrong due to the huge growth of the
Cyanobacteria.
<Mmm…yes.>
All I have in the tank is two yellow tailed damsel fish and some snails. I don't
really want the damsels because they're too aggressive for the type of tank I'd
eventually like to have (even though I've grown attached to them). My LFS said
they'd be willing to take them back.
<Good, damsels are good to start with only if you want damsels.>
I also recently bought an RO filter and since the switch the bacteria has been
getting worse even though I'm doing more frequent water changes with supposedly
higher quality water. It seems to be running much faster than it's rated 25 GPD
(I can fill up a 25 gallon Rubbermaid in 6-8 hours). If I wanted to get this
checked where would I go to see if it's good quality or not?
<A TDS meter can be purchased fairly cheap. This can tell you the current
quality of the water and help you monitor long term for prefilter/membrane
replacement.>
I'd like the learning experience of getting rid of the aiptasia and
Cyanobacteria, but the tank is in bad condition now and my efforts don't seem to
be gaining any ground on a bad situation. What are my odds of saving the tank at
this point being new to the hobby? Would it be better to start over with a new
clean tank, or keep fighting.
<Keep at it, this battle can/will be won and you will learn much doing so.>
Are there any more measures I can take other than being diligent about water
changes and squirting the aiptasia with boiling water?
<In this case I recommend revisiting the Kalk concentrate. Get hold of a syringe
and actually inject the solution into the Aiptasia.>
How effective are urchins at controlling Cyanobacteria?
<They are not.>
What about red-legged hermit crabs for aiptasia?
<Some (Dardanus megistos in particular) are known to help.>
At this point I think adding more invertebrates will just make the situation
worse due to the amount of aiptasia and Cyanobacteria.
<They are a related problem, excess nutrients in the system fuels the growth of
both.>
I'm concerned my skimmer isn't doing enough to keep up with all the organic
matter from the dead aiptasia should I look into additional
skimming/filtering/powerheads?
<If you can more skimming would not hurt; otherwise just keep up with the water
changes.>
Thanks for your help
<Welcome, do check out the links below for Aiptasia and BGA control. Good luck,
Scott V.>
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/aiptasia/aiptasia.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bluegralgae.htm
Re: Aiptasia and
Cyanobacteria problems 2/26/08
Thanks again for your help you all are great.
<Welcome, thank you.>
I think I've got them against the ropes now. I carefully pulled each
rock to the top of the tank and used Kalkwasser concentrate to get
everyone of the aiptasia that I could find. I know some will come back,
but I've got my eye out for them now and I won't give them the chance to
grow.
<Great! You will undoubtedly win this battle.>
I also did a large water change (maybe 30%) and vacuumed up all the muck
that I could, but there's still some chunks the siphon wouldn't pick up.
I'm planning on doing another large water change this weekend. The
skimmer has been collecting a disgusting amount of material over night
so I guess that's good, probably from stirring up the sand and bacteria.
<And dead Aiptasia.>
Any other thoughts on staying on top of this? Should I cut back feeding?
I repositioned my power head so it blows across the sand on the bottom
so hopefully that'll keep stuff from collecting.
<Just be sure all the food you feed is getting eaten. Otherwise make
sure your filtration is not accumulating excess detritus, if it is you
will need to clean it frequently.>
I feel for my poor little damsels they've been having a stressful time
as of late, but they seemed perky this morning after the big water
change and everything calmed down.
<Good to hear.>
I just heard the power went out in my neighborhood for a half hour or so
after I left for work too.
<Short power outages will not hurt anything. It is good to hear you are
gaining ground on the Aiptasia, keep it up, you will win. Scott V.>
|
|
Aiptasia Control 2/19/08
Dear WWM Crew,
<Dave>
First of all, I would like to thank you for this wonderful site you have for our
use. I have read through many times and find it quite helpful.
<Thank you>
Here's my problem. I own 2 saltwater tanks. I have a 72 gallon tank with a 29
gallon refugium as a filter. I also have a 30 gallon aquarium with an EcoSystem
60 as the filter. I have recently decided that I no longer want the 30 gallon
tank in operation. I would like to take the live rock from the 30 gallon tank
and put it into my 72 gallon tank, but I have one problem. The live rock is
infested with Aiptasia Anemones. I obviously do not want to spread this awful
infestation to my 72 gallon tank.
<Certainly not.>
I tried using the Joe's Juice from my LFS, and it only made the Anemones come
back with a vengeance. I would like to know if there is a way to 100% remove the
anemones from the rock. (let it sit in freshwater for a few days, boiling it?) I
already have about 60# of live rock in the 72 gallon tank, and it has been up &
running for approximately 3 years. I have a few leathers & mushrooms in the
(72g) tank. If you have any suggestions, I would greatly appreciate it.
<Since your rock is infested with these critters, it would be impractical to
give each one a shot of Kalkwasser, a proven method that works quite well. The
freshwater method should work but you will also kill anything beneficial on the
rock. There are a few animals that have been known to rid a tank of these pests.
The Copperband and Raccoon Butterfly fish are good at this, the later being
hardier. Some say the Hairy Red Legged Hermit Crab will eat these also. You may
also want to look/read here and related articles/FAQ's above.
James (Salty Dog)>
Dave from Philadelphia, PA
Re: Aiptasia Control
2/22/08
James,
<Dave>
Thanks for your response!
<You're welcome.>
I am currently soaking the liverock in freshwater. How long do you think
is long enough?
<I'd probably go a couple of weeks to be sure.>
I just want to make sure that adding this rock to my up & running tank
(after being soaked in freshwater) will not have any negative effects to
my system.
<Do check the ammonia level in the freshwater before adding the rock to
your system.
We want to be sure no levels exist from the die off.>
I also want to run my system setup by you and see if you can add any
design improvements to help a slight nitrate problem... And I am up for
any other suggestions you may have.
<Shoot>
The system is a 72 gallon AGA tank which was factory drilled with
overflow.
Filtration is a 29 gallon tank turned into a fuge with Plexiglas baffles
which I did myself.
<Great.>
The water passes through a 100 micron sock that I replace every 3 days.
<Good.>
I have approximately 2" of Miracle Mud and a hefty amount of Feather
Caulerpa in the filter chamber. Water is then returned to the tank by a
MagDrive 900gph pump. Water parameters are as follows:
Ammonia - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
Nitrate - 25ppm
Salinity - 1.024
pH - 8.0 - 8.2
dKH - 8
Calcium 450ppm
Temperature - 78
As I mentioned before, I have had this tank up & running for
approximately 3 years. There is a light dusting of live sand for the
substrate in the main tank. I have 2 pumps @ appx. 300 gph in the main
tank for circulation.
Lighting is a 48" Corallife light fixture with 2x 150w MH lights and
actinic blue pc's. I have recently added a small specimen of Xenia, I
have Candy Cane Coral, a Devil's Hand, various Zoo's and Florida
Ricordea Mushrooms. I have a 6" Blonde Naso Tang that I will be trading
in sooner rather than later, as I know he will not survive long term in
my system, (unless I upgrade tank size).
<Good move.>
I also have a true Percula Clown, 2 Green Chromis, and a Six Line Wrasse
as well as a Cleaner Shrimp, Coral Banded Shrimp & 2 dozen Hermit Crabs
& 2 dozen Snails.
I have briefly been reading about the benefits of adding a DSB to the
system. Do you think that in an approximate filtering area of 18" x 12"
that removing the Miracle Mud & replacing with Live Sand would be more
beneficial? (than the mud method)?
<The Miracle Mud medium is more than likely "live" by now. I'd keep.>
Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Keep doing
what you're doing, we all love it.
<Dave, do read hee on nutrient control in an effort to help lower your
nitrate level.
You do not mention the use of a protein skimmer, a very worthwhile
addition for removing dissolved organics. I run an Aqua C Urchin Pro
powered by a Mag 3 in my five foot 80 gallon reef, and I can say that
this unit does wonders for water quality.>
Have a nice day,
<You too, Dave. James (Salty Dog) from Michigan>
Dave from Philadelphia, PA |
|
Re: AndyB pc. on Dendro and
no Aiptasia in the Atlantic claims 2/17/08
Bob,
<Andy>
I will be happy to help in any way I can, but I must caution that I have no
biology background or experience with preparing/writing such works.
<Au contraire my friend. You obviously have a good grasp of written English
communication... and enough "science" to relate your experiences here. I assure
you of this>
If you can provide a little more specific guidance on what, exactly, you're
interested in (what type of photos,
what type of specs, what type of narrative, etc.), I will gladly take this on.
<Images of your system, the foods used, the specimen itself from a few angles,
perhaps under various lighting... The writing, in your own voice... simply
detailing your interest, background... the history of your keeping this
specimen... Speculations you have, may have re your success>
On another note, I have a question about Aiptasia. I have been debating this
issue with a LFS owner, which sells Florida aqua-cultured LR exclusively. He
claims that his LR is guaranteed Aiptasia-free, because they do not exist in the
Atlantic/Caribbean.
<Uhh, not so>
His claim is as follows:
"OUR FLORIDA AQUA CULTURED "LIVE ROCK" IS HAND PICKED.
IT IS LEGALLY HARVESTED AFTER 6 - 16 YEARS. SHIPPED WITH HEAT PACKS OR ICE PACKS
AND (WHICH EVER IS
NEEDED) WITH ANEMONES, SEA SQUIRTS, MUSSELS, GORG.S., SPONGES, STARFISH, TOOTH
CORALS AND BRAIN CORALS ALL OF WHICH LIVES. NO NEED TO CURE BECAUSE NOTHING IS
"DYING". APPROX. 6 HOURS FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN TO THE BOTTOM OF OUR
TANKS. NO APTASIA IN THE ATLANTIC!"
My research suggests that Aiptasia do, indeed, come from the Atlantic.
<This is also assuredly so... Have seen them there, many times...>
Interestingly, I believe the Aiptasia that I did have in my tank (before the
Butterfly) were acquired from a few pieces of LR that
I bought from him.
Andy
<Do send this note to the company, rep... Perhaps their mis-spelling of the
genus is some ploy at avoiding suit. BobF>
Re: AndyB no Aiptasia in the
Atlantic claims 2/23/08
Dear Bob,
I forwarded our correspondence about no "Aiptasia in the Atlantic" to my LFS
that claims no Aiptasia in the Atlantic. I noticed today that he revised his
website (although I still don't think it's accurate) to read:
"APTASIA USUALLY GROWS IN THE PACIFIC, NO APTASIA WHERE OUR ROCK IS GROWN IN THE
"GULF"[.]"
Andy
<Hahhhhhaaaa, revisionist history... Like the U.S. is "bringing democracy" to
folks... by murdering them... What a hoot. B>
For Bob - Aiptasia Follow-Up 5/1/08
Dear Bob,
<Andy>
You may remember an exchange we had a few months back about a LFS that
guaranteed Aiptasia-free rock from the Atlantic. I just thought I'd
share the response I got from the LFS upon forwarding your response.
"On another note, I have a question about Aiptasia. I have been debating this
issue with a LFS owner, which sells Florida aqua-cultured
LR exclusively. He claims that his LR is guaranteed Aiptasia-free, because 'NO
APTASIA IN THE ATLANTIC!'"
<Uhh, not so . . . Have seen them there, many times...>
<Do send this note to the company, rep... BobF>
REPLY: Okay maybe it wasn't stated "politically correct". Our LR is from the
Gulf and to us the gulf and the Atlantic mixes in the keys
anyway. To us, It's all Atlantic waters. L.O.L. We have been buying LR from the
same diver for more than 7 years and never had aiptasia on it
and that was the point. He also has been growing this rock for more than 20
years. Ever heard of glass anemones or curleque anemones? I would
have been more than happy to explain further had you of given an e-mail for me
to respond to. Thank-you for your interest, Bambi, Sea Save.
Andy
<PC? I don't get it... And... Aiptasia are of the Glass Anemone family... What?
BobF> |
Glass Anemone Eradication -
Should I Toss The Whole Rock? – 02/04/08
Hello!
<<Hi!>>
This website is just wonderful; thank you for all the information and answers
and time.
<<Thank you for the kind words…is a collective effort…and our pleasure to
provide>>
Anyway, we are fairly new aquarists and have just upgraded to a 90 gallon tank
with integrated overflow box, a 20 gallon sump, approx. 50lbs live sand, and
approx. 50lbs of live rock for our reef system.
<<I see>>
We have one separate piece of rock that hosts some rather scraggy-looking green
mushroom corals right now.
<<Hmm, not a good sign as these organisms are generally quite hardy/easy to
keep>>
A few weeks ago we noticed these "cute little baby feather dusters" hanging out
with the mushroom corals, who are now bleached around the edges, of course.
<<Indeed…and as you are “new aquarists” would like to make mention…though
closely related, the Corallimorphs (mushrooms) are not “corals” in the true
sense of the word. You can read here and among the links in blue to learn more
(http://www.wetwebmedia.com/corallim.htm)>>
Finally did some research and learned that these little cuties are actually pest
Aiptasia and are killing the corals.
<<Ah yes…and can proliferate quite rapidly if not dealt with>>
It does not seem that they spread quickly to other rocks, correct?
<<You would be surprised at just how quickly this pest anemone can “spread
throughout” a tank/system. They do sometimes tend to be cryptic in their
location…careful examination of your “other” live rock will likely reveal more>>
We have not seen them elsewhere throughout the tank (at least not yet).
<<If not there already…is only a matter of time (and not long at that)>>
So my question is: do we just toss the rock (which is sitting by itself on the
sand), mushroom coral and all, or do we try to treat/remove these little
buggers?
<<Eradication in situ is possible; usually through “injection” with acidic or
caustic formulations like Lemon Juice or concentrated Kalkwasser solution, or
one of the commercially available products (e.g. – Joe’s Juice) , though not
always easy accomplish. It will be easier to “treat” this rock if you can remove
it to a treatment/quarantine tank. Or, if it seems the Corallimorphs are too
severely damaged to recover (unlikely…are amazingly resilient organisms), you
can just give the rock a freshwater soak for a day…scrub it down and let it dry
in the sun for a week…and reuse (though obviously it will no longer be “live”
rock)>>
They are right up between the corals so chemical treatment would be impossible
without likely killing the mushrooms as well.
<<Quite the contrary…injecting the pest anemones will have little/no deleterious
effect on the Corallimorphs>>
And it seems that physical removal is difficult/likely to cause further spread.
<<Agreed, I would not attempt this…at least not in the display tank, and not
without “rinsing” the rock in clean saltwater before returning to same>>
And, of course, there seem to be more of them now!
<<Multiply like magic… Ever heard of “Tribbles?”>>
The corals seem happy in our new tank, and I hate to condemn them if there is
something else we can do, but we also don't want the whole tank to become
infested with "baby feather dusters!"
<<Not necessarily a “Death Knell” (I have several of these pest anemones
scattered about my tank), but quick offensive action against these organisms is
usually best…and certainly easier in the early stages>>
Sorry for being naive!
<<No need for apologies, everyone “begins” somewhere. I trust you have read re
these organisms on our site? If not, please start here
(http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/aiptasia/aiptasia.htm),
and do follow the for removal/eradication strategies as well>>
Thanks for your help.
- Rebecca
<<Happy to assist. Eric Russell>>
Aiptasia & Sea Hare comp....
& Bio. alg. contr. 2/3/08
Although our 55 gallon FOWLR has been doing fine (fish growing & happy, no
death, stable water) I have three nickel sized Aiptasia and some hair algae.
Can/will the sting of an Aiptasia injury or kill a Sea Hare?
<Won't be the best combination but certainly not the best solution for both
problems. For the Aips see here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/aiptasia/aiptasia.htm.
And the causes of the Hair Algae must be addressed first. The Sea Hare will just
be recycling the nutrients the algae use. Read on Nutrient export etc. Olly>
Aiptasia eating blenny.
12/20/07
Hi, I was told by a very knowledgeable reef keeper that there is a blenny
that eats Aiptasia. I was wondering if anyone here has ever heard of them, and
if so, could give me a name to further research them. I was told that they are
black, if that helps.
<Have never heard of such a blenniid, blennioid... but not impossible for sure.
Please write back with a scientific name if you find out. Bob Fenner>
Cooking With Aiptasia? (The
Crazy Man's Guide To Aiptasia Elimination!) 12/1/2007
Hey all!
<Scott F. your guy tonight!>
Keeping up the good work as usual, I thank you for all your help, and of course
as we progress we come across new issues.....
<Always seems that way, huh?>
Well, I just got a new rock last night, and unfortunately it had about 4
Aiptasia riding on it. I scraped/pulled/rubbed off with a paper towel, tweezers
and razor blade all but one of them. Short of smashing the rock with a hammer
and just keeping the piece attached to my new Xenia, I thought of something else
worth a shot and wanted to hear one of your expert's take on it.
<OK...I'm not an expert, but I am a serious fish geek!>
What if I were to lift the part of the rock that has the Aiptasia on it out of
the water, and then use a torch lighter or even an actual torch to Burn the heck
out of the Aiptasia?
<Good heavens, man- you're gonna charbroil your Aiptasia? Why not choose an
easier technique like pulling out your fingernails and spearing the Aiptasia
with them, or isolating the Aiptasia in a quarantine tank and forcing it to
listen to an old Backstreet Boys CD? Seriously, there are some easier ways that
are effective.>
I am pretty sure that even as resilient as these things are, they wouldn't be
able to survive a few seconds under a flame would they?? Do you see any
negatives to this idea? Positives?
<Well, I'm sure that they wouldn't survive the "flambé" action, but the idea of
taking a blowtorch to a rock kinda frightens me! Negatives? Hmm- third degree
burns, exploding rock, property damage...Hmm-guess I'm just being paranoid- I
just see upsides to this procedure, bro! Heh heh.>
I read all about it, and short of the guy who covered in salt and microwave his
rock ( which I would never do ) I thought this might be a breakthrough in
Aiptasia control/eradication, any thoughts?
DJ Payne
<Well, I'm thinking that you could also try building a high-powered laser to do
the job...or maybe you could get some liquid nitrogen from the local hospital
and try freezing it off the rock...Or maybe, just maybe- you could do it the
EASY way and mix up a concentrated solution of Kalkwasser and inject it into the
mouth of the anemone via syringe. There is also a nice commercial product called
"Joe's Juice" that is injectable and does a wonderful job. Look for it online or
at your LFS. Not as sexy as making a homemade high-explosive device, or mixing
toxic chemicals, true- but it's effective and avoids the risk of burning down
your house, upsetting the balance of power in the free world, or injuring
yourself! I hope that you take my sarcasm in stride: I just think that you could
do this more easily and safely. However, if you DO have a good recipe for
"Aiptasia Foster", do pass it on to the Culinary Department at WWM! Good luck!
Regards, Scott F.>
Re: Seahorse in refugium, and
now Aiptasia contr. -11/27/2007
Thanks for the quick reply. We have decided, based on your advice, to not
use sea horses in the refugium. Instead we will nano tank some dwarf seahorse in
a separate tank.
<cool>
On another note, I have been battling Aiptasia anemone for quite some time to no
avail. We got the problem from a friend who tore down his tank and gave me some
live rock. Tried Joe's juice,
<doesn't work>
peppermint shrimp, and even removing bad bits of rock, but just couldn't get
ahead of them.
<In my experience, you need quite a few peppermint shrimp for this method to
work at all...>
I was considering a copperband butterflyfish when my LFS recommended a Slender
Filefish (Monacanthus tuckeri). We were told he is reef safe, but will be a bit
nippy and sample a few things. Sounded similar to the copperband except this guy
will eat readily.
<Hmmm... I wouldn't put either in a reef thank. Please see here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BFsBestWrst.htm
and here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fishfish.htm>
We got him and he has cleaned almost every Aiptasia in the tank, doesn't seem to
bother corals, nips a bit at various worms,
<Doesn't mean he won't eventually... but too late now, let's hope he doesn't.>
and will happily eat most frozen foods. I wonder why this fish is not mentioned
in the control of Aiptasia?
<Hmmm, I don't know, but I imagine that (as with most animals) they're not
entirely consistent. Yours seems to be quite helpful for Aiptasia and harmless
to corals. This might not always be the case for every fish.>
I live in the Netherlands and they seem to be common in tanks here, however I
rarely see them on American sites.
<Thanks for sharing your experience. :-)>
Anyway thanks again for the advice/education. Have a great day!
<You too, thank you.>
Layton
<Best,
Sara M.>
Aiptasia... reading 11/11/07
Dear Bob,
I have a glass Anemone that lives in a little hole on one of my pieces of live
rock. I was wondering how to get rid of him. My husband thought to pluck him out
with some tweezers but that did not work, it just receded into the hole. (It is
also a very deep and small hole) I heard injecting boiling water will work but
how can I do this when it always goes back into the hole?
<Would have to remove this rock...>
Is there a way to get rid of it without harming the rest of the life growing on
the rock?
<Possibly>
Also how quickly do they reproduce and what do they look like when they are
smaller? any insight would help and thank you in advance for your time.
Sincerely,
Carla Warren
<All posted... Start reading here: http://wetwebmedia.com/ca/cav1i3/aiptasia_impressions/aiptaisia_impressions.htm
and on to the linked files at the bottom. BobF>
Re: Creature ID, Pseudocorynactis
sp, Aiptasia – 10/04/07
>Hi,
><Hello Ben! Sorry for the delay. I had some problem accessing your links>
No problem. Just wanted to be sure you got it.
<<Yes! Got it!>>
Now maybe I can help you. That link is to "flickr"; flickr uses Java, but
otherwise should work with any modern browser. It is one of the most widely used
sites in the world for images. Firefox will work perfectly, as will Opera,
Safari, Explorer, Omniweb and Mozilla. Just make sure Java is on. Firefox is
*highly* recommended - best browser on the planet, and it is free.
<<I have a Mac so I'm using Safari.>>
>just a cornucopia of living goodness.
><Amazing, isn't it?>
Indeed it is.
<<One of my favorite things was just watching what developed from the LR.>>
>We popped it in our 55-gallon tank, which was about two months old at the time,
and everything has done just fine.
><Glad to hear! Is this the tank in your bathroom? Is quite a beautiful bathroom
I might add!>
Thank you. My sweetheart and I built it. This was an empty box, an abandoned
church, and we're building an interior into it as time and funds allow.
<<How cool! You have done a beautiful job with the bathroom for sure!>>
Yes, that's the bathroom tank. We have three others that are freshwater. Odds
are good there are more salt tanks in our future. We have room, and motivation
is growing. No surprise to you, I'm sure.
<<Yes, as one of my crewmate Andrea said... Multiple Tank Syndrome is hard to
fight.>>
>But do watch out with this Xenia... it can become a "weed".>
Not sure I mind, really, I find them quite beautiful. Especially when they
pulse.
<<Assuredly! Xenia can be quite beautiful, some people can't get xenia to grow,
while others can't get rid of them!>>
The intent is to make a reef tank, not so much a fish tank, but I'm not sure
we're looking for conventional imports - I'm very curious to see what grows. All
manner of things are starting up. If they really get crazy, maybe I'll put them
in a new tank. :-) They took transport poorly, took many days to recover, and
some died. Be easier if they were local.
<<Absolutely, shipping is a big problem with this coral.>>
>We only have a couple of small, innocuous fish at this point, going slowly.
><Slowly is good!>
That's my understanding. I'm patient. Mostly. :-)
<<Heehee! Can be hard but is worth your while!>>
><This appears to be Pseudocorynactis sp, a Corallimorph.>
Ah. Thank you. With the name, I found a pic and a little info on your site. Very
good.
<<Glad to hear!>>
><This may be an Aiptasia that has collapsed upon its self... a good thing...
more reading for you below on this matter.>
Nope, definitely the same as the other patch; opens nightly now. Funky little
thing.
<<Oh Good! Pseudocorynactis sp. are very desirable corals.>>
>The last patch of jelly still looks the same as shown in the image above.
Here's how a closed one looks:
><This pic is a duplicate of the Xenia.>
Now THAT is just plain weird. I still have the original email in my outbox, and
the correct three pictures are linked. Can you tell me what web browser you are
using?
<<Safari.>>
Something is flat busted. You're not using... cough... AOL, are you?
<<Heehee! No.>>
Because there's just no polite way to put it, AOL is last decade's technology
today, busted, crippled, censored and laden with the digital equivalent of
Aiptasia. Or copper sulfate. :)
<<Heehee!>>
><Ummm, if you like Aiptasia... You will want to try to eliminate this pest.
More here:
Yes, I've read all about them, and am willing to throw one or more Nudibranchs
in there if required,
<<Can work, but I would recommend other means first. Especially while you have a
reasonable amount to get rid of. I would recommend injecting the Aiptasia with a
syringe filled with either Calcium or Lemon juice. The Berghia Nudibranch are
good, but are obligate Aiptasia eaters... therefore once the Aiptasia are gone
the Berghia will slowly starve to death. The other means can be effect.>>
but so far, they just seem interesting and pretty to me.
<<So far but you really will want to get rid of them. They can kill and limit
the grow of other desirable species.>>
No migration. Yet.
<<Yet being the key word here...They can really take of and multiply very, very
quickly.>>
If they start killing things, as seems likely from everything I've read, then
it'll be a Nudibranch picnic as soon as I can get some.
<<Again I would recommend other means first, and use the Berghia only as a last
resort. Cheers and good luck to you Ben! Mich>>
Ben
Aiptasia free – 9/29/07
I'm sure you don't care, but Bob, I have to tell someone... my tanks are
100% Aiptasia free now!! It took 2 years, 30 peppermint shrimp, and probably
half a gallon of sodium hydroxide (not all at once> obviously),
<Holy oven cleaner!>
but they're gone!! I can't find a single one of them! Now I just have to never
add anything more to my tanks ever and I'll never have to see one of them again!
lol Sara
<Mmm, until you've done a few dives, become more observant... B>
<<I have this picture in my mind of Bob twirling in a circle with a beer over
his head singing a certain hash song... Mich>>
It took 2 years, 30 peppermint shrimp,> and probably half a gallon of sodium
hydroxide (not all at once> obviously),
<Holy oven cleaner!>
<<Forget the oven cleaner Batman! Thirty peppermint shrimp?!?!?!? Sara, what did
you do with 30 peppermint shrimp? Serve them with cocktail sauce!?!?!? Heehee!
Mich>>
Aiptasia on Derasa Clam 9/6/07
Hello,
<Hi Chad, Mich here.>
I have recently acquired a Derasa Clam (2-3 in).
<Little.><<A bad, too-small starting size... RMF>>
It has not been fully extending its mantle for about 2 days.
<Not good.>
I checked with a flashlight for Pyramidellid but couldn't see any. Instead I
found an small Aiptasia anemone on his shell.
<This may explain.>
Do you suggest lemon juice or something different?
<I think I would try to manually remove, you may just be able to scrape it off
the clams' shell. I would be hesitant to use any acids or bases here.>
It is a 30 gallon tank so no Butterflies!
<No.>
Thanks Chad
<Welcome, Mich>
Potential
aquarium problem(s), Aiptasia infestation 8/24/07
I recently bought some decorative corals. We had some problems with
one of the corals, that died, but what remains is going very strong,
including the two sets of "mushrooms" visible in the bottom middle in
one of the pictures.
<Ok>
Also doing very well are the anemone-like things (which I believe are
technically worms from my Internet research). They are very pretty, and
we like them, but they are spreading like mad! The original 3 are now
2-3 times bigger than when we got them, and there are probably 20 baby
ones popping up all over the aquarium.
<Don't look like worms (featherdusters I'm assuming, look like Aiptasia
Anemones.>
Have I destroyed my aquarium with this? Any way to keep them (because
they are pretty), but keep them in check? Or do I need to get rid of
them all. How so?
<Most people try to get rid of them, they are very difficult to keep
under control. A few methods can be found here
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/Aiptasia/aiptasia.htm
and here
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/cav1i3/aiptasia_impressions/aiptaisia_impressions.htm
.>
Other than the mushrooms, we have a fire shrimp, and some snails and
crabs. Snails and crabs seem like they need a refresh, because I don't
see as many of them any more. I think they got into a war and killed
each other off. Or the crabs killed all the snails and then starved is
probably more likely.
<Definitely the way it would work out.>
No fish yet. (I plan on moving soon and want to have as few things to
try and keep alive as possible. - see below)
<Good>
This is in a 29 gallon oceanic bio cube btw.
ph/ammonia/nitrites/nitrates are all great, but I am not as vigilant as
I should be about water changes. However, I have very low bio load (iMO)
and a ton of live rock.
<Water changes are still important.>
I have the main aquarium about 3/4 full of live rock by volume (It was
30 lbs) as can be seen in the pics, as well as filling 2 out of the 3
back chambers of the cube with live rock pieces. (3rd chamber for pump)
I also have a protein skimmer, but this doesn't seem to do much other
than be a host for algae.
<Need to get it working or invest in a better unit, they are very
helpful in maintaining water quality, especially if you are a little lax
with the water changes.>
Many of the aquariums I see online or at stores do not have nearly the %
of live rock by volume as I do. I would like to have more room to see
stuff, but do I need this much? Is this type of filtration (Berlin?)
sufficient?
<This type of filtration is sufficient as long as the tank is not
overstocked, which you will have to be very careful of in a 29. How much
is too much is hard to say, it needs to be enough to support the
bacterial filtration, but leave enough room for fish to swim in. As far
as comparing to store tanks and photographs, they are not intended for
long term success, but to either look good for the photo or facilitate
the remove of fish for sale. Different requirement from what you need.>
I was having a green/red slime carpet growing over some of the rock,
which I believe is actually a bacteria, not algae. You probably know the
thing I am talking about. It makes lots of bubbles where it grows. I
scraped it off the rock as much as possible, and then siphoned it all
out during my last water change (which has encouraged me to be better
about water changes), but anything else I can do about it? Water changes
will help, but I think I also may have some issues with flow. The built
in pump and head don't seem to churn up the water much in the far
corner, and the slime is mostly growing in the lee of the rock away from
the pump. Should I add another power head?
<I would, and it is probably Cyanobacteria
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bluegralgae.htm .>
I also had one green bubble algae, that I removed without it popping (it
was quite hard which I did not expect from the way it looked!)
<Bubble algae, a common occurrence.>
On the moving - I am probably moving soon from Iowa to Chicago (3+ hours
by car, + traffic + pack/unpack.
<It takes 3 hours to get anywhere in Chicago.>
What's the best way to get my aquarium there? I've read stuff about
dumping (gently! :) ) everything into a garbage can, and using a battery
powered heater and powerhead. Is this the right thing? Should I just try
to sell everything and restock in Chicago?
<I would try to move as little as possible, the LR in coolers with wet
newspaper, tank and equipment should be relatively easy, but try to get
rid of any livestock you can. Believe me when I tell you the last thing
you want to do after spending the day loading and unloading a truck is
to stay up and set up and aquarium. If you don't think it can last a day
or two in it's shipping container, don't try to bring it with you.>
Thanks for any input and help.
Jason
<Chris> |
|
 |
Arrow crab eating Aiptasia?
Shore 8/24/07
Hi all
I'm a bit perplexed as to what happened to all of my Aiptasia. (Not that I'm
complaining)
I have had a saltwater tank for over a year now and have ALWAYS had these little
pests!
Thankfully they never grew to the plague proportions I've herd
<Heeeee!>
tell about.
When I upgraded to a larger tank I thought that I had finally gotten rid of them
but alas they followed me. I tried killing them with Aiptasia Control and it
worked but they kept coming back (Probably in the filters) Anyway here's the
thing. I added an arrow crab a few weeks ago and they are disappearing think
that my arrow crab is eating them.
<Oh yes>
It's an adult wild caught specimen that came from Florida. I haven't actually
seen the crab eating on the little pests but every morning when I turn on the
lights I see fewer and fewer of them.
The two or three Aiptasia that are still in the tank are missing "arms" Have
arrow crabs ever been known to eat Aiptasia?
<Certainly have. BobF>
Aiptasia Removal - 7/21/07
WWM Crew,
<Hi Dan>
So, I got one of these little buggers with some Caulerpa I bought. <Sorry to
hear that> I have removed the live rock it was connected to. If I let it dry out
for a few weeks and return it to my tank, will the Aiptasia return or will it
have expired being out of the water so long? (I know some forms of macro algae
just have to be re-hydrated to come back.)
<It would kill it, but it would also kill anything on the rock and you’d have to
cure it again before returning it to the tank. I’d go with a less aggressive
approach since it sounds like a single anemone. One thing about Aiptasia though,
is that while you may be seeing only one, there may be others you haven’t yet
seen. Since you’ve already removed the rock (and if you can do so), put it in a
quarantine tank/container to isolate, and treat it there. That way you can make
sure you kill the pest(s) and keep an eye out for any others that might show up.
Please see these links regarding methods of eradication:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/Aiptasia/aiptasia.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/cav1i3/aiptasia_impressions/aiptaisia_impressions.htm
.>Thanks Guys or gals, Dan
<You’re welcome and good luck! –Lynn>
Rock Anemones and Breaking Rocks to Separate Corals
4/21/07
Hi Guys,
<Hi Jim, Mich here.>
Here are two pictures that I would like your thoughts on. The first I
believe is a small group of rock anemones.
<Looks like a pest to me.>
They are about 1/2 inches high. The aquarium is about 4 months old. I
have two small groups of these, which don't seem to be doing much. Do
you think that I should go out and get a couple of peppermint shrimp and
try to stem it now or is it possible that they won't expand?
<Depends.>
I enjoy watching the micro fauna but don't want to risk all. I think of
them as a weed-just a thing that is not growing where someone wants it
but otherwise interesting.
<If it were me/mine I would remove from the system. If you allow to
remain in the system, I would watch carefully, and be prepared to take
action. More here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/cav1i3/aiptasia_impressions/aiptaisia_impressions.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/aiptasia/aiptasia.htm >
Anyway the second picture there are two colonies of different creatures.
Both colonies are expanding.
<A good thing.>
I keep reading that they may beat on each other and kill one or both
colonies.
<Is possible.>
I wouldn't want that.
<Me neither.>
These just came on the live rock and started to grow.
<Ooo! A nice gift from the sea.>
I would have to break the rock to keep them apart. Is this a viable
solution or is there another?
<It looks like the rock could be easily removed from your system. If
this is so, I think I would remove and use a chisel or better yet a
Dremel, and remove and relocate one of these corals.
<As far as ID's go I think this is Galaxea fascicularis,
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/oculinidae.htm
though Turbinaria
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/dendrophylliidae.htm
or Goniopora
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/gonioporapix.htm
could be possibilities, it is difficult to tell from the photo.>
Thanks for your help as always. Lots of great reading!!
<Welcome! Glad you enjoy! -Mich>
Jim |
|
|
Aiptasia gone? 4/18/07
Hello everyone at the wet web!
<Good afternoon, Olly here>
I have a question regarding Aiptasia.
<Heehee, Most people do>
My tank has had a problem for about a year with them. I have zapped them with
Kalkwasser, purchased a copperband
<Shouldn’t be purchased for short-term problems>
3 Berghia Nudibranchs, and 2 shrimp <Peppermint?> over that time and nothing
seemed to work. In the last 2 weeks, amazingly them have simply vanished! There
may be 3 or 4 left, but that’s it! I haven’t done anything different, changed
any habits, nor have I added anything new in quite some time. I am happy about
it, but I am wondering if something may be wrong with my system since these guys
are suppose to be tough. All of the fish, inverts and corals seem fine and all
parameters are excellent. Are my worries legit? What can cause such a quick
demise of the Aiptasia?
<There maybe something underlying, but this doesn’t seem strikingly obvious from
what you’ve said, so I’d say you’re good to go. I would say that is was quite
likely the Berghia Nudibranch, these often “go missing” for extended periods of
time but then re-surface in increased numbers and a lot hungrier. It may be
worth checking the remaining Aiptasia at night with a flashlight to inspect for
minor aggressors – the Nudibranchs. Could also be an improvement in husbandry
that lead what was feeding the Aiptasia proliferation – nutrients, overfeeding,
lighting etc – to lessen, leading to a crash in their population. Although I
still firmly suspect the Nudibranchs! A last thought – is the copperband still
with you – may have just developed its taste! Hope this helps, Olly>
Re: Invader 4/16/07
<Hi Bob, Mich with you again.>
I do not know where the nutrient could be coming from. I feed very, very
sparingly,
<Perhaps a change in food brand would help?>
and have been for quite a long while (started with a fight against BGA which I
have won, only to lose against Aiptasia and hair algae).
<There are several methods for Aiptasia control. More here and related links in
blue:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/aiptasia/aiptasia.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/cav1i3/aiptasia_impressions/aiptaisia_impressions.htm
Only been a little over a week since you wrote in about these issues. This
battle will take time, once changes have been made.>
Despite all of WWM's positive words, I wonder if the problem is not the DSB,
both of them or maybe just the downstream one, which has flow only across the
top. Thoughts?
<I would keep. Do you occasionally vacuum the sand bed?>
Maybe I should clear all sand out of the downstream fuge completely?
<If it were me/mine I would try implementing other options and leave the DSB in
place. -Mich>
Bob Lee
Another Aiptasia Question - 03/20/07
Just finished setting up my 240g with 300lbs of LR and I have noticed about
10-14 Anemone's.
<<Uh-oh...cultured live rock was it?>>
Some large, some small, some brown, some clear, some striped.
<<Ah yes...>>
After searching the web I have decided these are Aiptasia.
<<Is very likely>>
This LR is in an Agg FOWLR tank, I understand they breed like crazy with lots of
nutrients which I'm sure to have with a Grouper, Lion, and Eels.
<<Indeed>>
But my question is this, does Aiptasia have any benefits (filter
feeding, extracting wastes, etc)?
<<They are amazing absorption feeders, pulling dissolved organics from the water
(one of the reasons they are so successful/difficult to eradicate)...but...>>
And do they pose any threat to large fish?
<<Mmm, good question...they do have a fairly potent sting. I wouldn't think
they would pose a big hazard to large fish...but a heavy infestation may prevent
these fishes from getting/staying in their favorite hidey or sleeping holes in a
closed system...thus creating stress and all the possible ailments/troubles it
will bring about. My opinion is a few here and there wouldn't be a
concern...but I wouldn't let the Aiptasia overgrow the entire system>>
Other fish planned were a Harlequin Tusk, Yellow Tang, Queen Angel, and possibly
a Sohal Tang. Lastly I read on one of your articles about Aiptasia that the
Queen Angel eats it, but can't find that info anywhere else on the web to
confirm. Can you confirm?
<<Not personally, no...and though I consider Bob a reliable source, each fish is
an individual...>>
I do not mind having a constant grazing material for an Angel to eat on it this
is true.
<<Time will tell>>
I missed Anthony's lecture at ThatFishPlace this past weekend, but the tent
sales pulled me away :o).
<<Bet it was a good time>>
Thanks for all the hard work guys,
Joe in MD
<<Pleasure to assist...EricR in SC>>
Aiptasia Control 2/27/07
Hello,
<Hi John>
My question is simple! I'd like to use Kalk slurry to fill the hole the little
Aiptasia bugger is in. Then plug the hole with epoxy so it can never return!
Good idea? Bad idea?
<As long as there is no back door, I'd just plug the hole.>
I can easily take the rock out so that is not an issue. My only concern is a
chemical reaction. Will the slurry and epoxy, being in such close proximity to
each other, cause a reaction that could leach awful no good compounds into my
tank? Ever been done by anyone you know?
<To be on the safe side, I'd plug the hole 15 minutes after the Kalk shot.
Do read here and linked files above for more info on control of these little
&%$#*s.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/aiptasia/aiptasia.htm>
Thanks WWM Crew,
<You're welcome John. James (Salty Dog)>
John
My little Aiptasia... 2/26/07
I got some base rock for my 45g tank and along came a little Aiptasia,
barely as wide as a dime, and before I knew it was an Aiptasia (24 hours ago
hehehe) it became my little pride and joy.
<Wait a while... for the "Day of the (Glass Anemone) Triffids!">
It really is cute, and I thought it was another cute little hitchhiker on the
cheap rock. However... Seeing its true nature on the internet has led me to the
decision to possibly buy an Elegance Coral to eat it but I don't think my tank
will be able to support something so hard to care for. They seem to have an
awfully high death rate, and I have a Sun Reef 50/50 bulb as the only source of
coral-friendly light. My budget barely allowed for that at the time, and the
only upgrade will take two of my measly paychecks at the moment. So I was trying
to think of some relatively easy to keep coral that might eat the Aiptasia but
be able to survive as long as I do the necessary additives and food. I got the
stupid Aiptasia some Zooplankton which he ate with much vigor. Any suggestions
other than
letting it slowly die out in the air for a week or so?
<Could work, yes>
Apparently that "little" Aiptasia will be a nuisance in the future, and as much
as I think he's cute, I know I have to find a humane way of killing it. I
figured getting eaten alive is more like nature's way right? :)
<Mmm, what is it about "nature's way" and living in a transparent box that
doesn't seem to quite gel here? I say, either keep the little bugga-boo or rid
yourself in whatever way seems facile>
BTW, the tanks inhabitants are a pair of False Percula Clowns, a Green Spotted
Puffer, a Canary Wrasse, a handful of snails and crabs. There's less than 10lbs
of base rock at the moment since its so expensive to get the stuff, and even
more if I wanted to get liverock - I'm doing the "one step at a time" approach.
There's an Emperor Biowheel filter (Forgot what size.. It has room for two
cartridges) and a 90g Red Sea Skimmer, and plans in the way for a homemade
sump/refugium later. Thank you very much, I hate being such a newbie but the
internet is so full of conflicting information I'd like to double check and see
if I'm heading the right direction.
<Mmm, yes.... Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/cav1i3/aiptasia_impressions/aiptaisia_impressions.htm
and the linked files below. Bob Fenner>
Re: My little Aiptasia... 2/27/07
Okay so I was looking through all the FAQs and really considering an Elegance
Coral until I read this one :
"Elegance Coral
Hi Guys and Girls <Hi Joe, MacL here>
I just got a new elegance coral for my established reef tank. It is in a
nice open sandy area so I am hoping it does well. However my needy clownfish
has not unexpectedly taken up residence in it almost immediately. Is my
newcomer in serious danger and is there anything I can do? <It can be a real
problem. Often they host and don't irritate the corals but sometimes they do
irritate the corals and indeed kill them. These fish can be deadly to corals
and really there isn't much you can do about them besides find another host
they will go to OR get rid of the coral. Sorry to be such a downer. It is
possible that it won't irritate the coral at all, in which case you have a
interesting situation to enjoy.>"
Is something like this a serious enough problem to reconsider? If I went through
the trouble to get a decent Elegance, feed him, and take care of him... Would my
two clownfish stress it out trying to make a home on it?
<Is a possibility... though these fishes generally choice other, more agreeable
host species>
I want something that would kill the Aiptasia but be enough of a home for my
Clownfish, while simultaneously not beating the hell out of the three bumblebee
gobies. They can eat 3x their weight in food, and have no hesitations of where
they go for it, and I'm worried something as strong as an Elegance will eat them
for dinner. Maybe I'm just crazy. Any suggestions then?
<Yes... other means of Aiptasia control...>
I don't want something as delicate and hard to keep as an Elegance if it'll
probably just die (increasing the demand for more Elegances collected in shoddy
conditions and just screwing up the oceans some more sounds like a cruddy plan
if it'll just die)... Thanks a lot, sorry to be such a bother!
<Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/cav1i3/aiptasia_impressions/aiptaisia_impressions.htm
and the linked files at the bottom. Bob Fenner>
One last question! This is for future reference when I dive into the world of
corals... What is your opinion on Pulsing Xenia versus Starburst Polyp (Briareum
sp)... Also, Colt Coral would kill those I listed above right? There's so many
different types of corals and whatnots, Its easy to get misled and I refuse to
trust anything less than 5 sources... Waste of money and corals are animals, I'd
hate to kill one just for experimentation/newbie purposes.
<Read on my friend, read on. BobF>
Aiptasia anemone removal 2/26/07
Dear BOB,
<Hi Jason, Mich here.>
One other quick question for you. I seem to have Aiptasia anemones but only in
my refugium. Thankfully they have never migrated to my main tank.
<Yet!>
Almost all of them hang out and reproduce in the bioballs and first baffle of
the refugium. Hence they are inaccessible to inject.
<I'm not sure I understand why they would be inaccessible>
I can only consider emptying the water and letting them dry out and refill it.
Do you have any suggestions as to how to rid my refugium of these pests?
<Lots of options please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/aiptasia/aiptasia.htm
and
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/cav1i3/aiptasia_impressions/aiptaisia_impressions.htm
and related links in blue.>
Thanks
Jason
<Welcome! -Mich>
Re: Aiptasia Anemone Removal – 2/26/07
Dear Mitch,
<Hi Jason, it's Michelle.>
Reason the Aiptasia are inaccessible in the bioballs is because the refugium I
have, the width of the baffle is that of one bioball.
<Yikes!>
So maybe the bioball chamber is 24" H x 18" D x 1.5-2" W. SO getting a needle,
siphon, etc is near impossible and removing the bioballs is a mission in
itself.
<Sounds like it! Perhaps some DIY tongs are in order.>
Plus no shrimp or nudibranchs can get into that area and hence injection with my
arm and a needle is hard as well. Any Aiptasia that get into the main refugium
chamber I kill without a problem.
<This is good.>
The only thing I can consider is emptying the refugium and cleaning them out
but I also don't want to kill that many tube worms, pods and other beneficial
bacteria.
<Vigilance is a reasonable option.>
Best regards,
<And to you! -Mich>
Jason
Aiptasia in Swim (FOWLR) Tank, Multiple Pygmy Angels in a Tank -
02/15/07
Hello,
<Hi there Kiet! Mich here.>
First of all, I wanted to say your site has provided me with an abundance of
knowledge in maintaining a healthy aquarium.
<Glad to hear this!>
The first question I wanted to ask was; would it be alright to leave
Aiptasia in a swim tank? I know they can be harmful in a reef setup, but I
was not sure about fish only tanks.
<Should be fine.>
The second question I was wondering was; should pygmy angels be kept one to
a tank?
<Yes, best to be solitary, unless the tank is very large.>
Thank you,
<You're welcome! -Mich>
Kiet
Aiptasia Dilemma, Removal Options - 02/15/07
Dear Crew
<Hi Dan! Mich with you tonight.>
I recently purchased some Caulerpa racemosa attached to a small piece of
live rock which I placed into my new refugium.
<OK.>
After a little while I noticed that the live rock is home to quite a few
Aiptasia anemones.
<OK.>
So my question: should I try to combat the Aiptasia by adding some hermit
crabs, or would it be better to try and detach the Caulerpa and chuck the
rock into the bin?
<You can try the hermits, Peppermint Shrimp (Lysmata wurdemanni) are if
they’re hungry enough may help. Chemical options also work i.e. Kalk paste,
lemon juice... Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/Aiptasia/aiptasia.htm removing
the Caulerpa is also an option.>
I'm not sure if this is possible since the Caulerpa racemosa seems to be
pretty fragile.
<Hmm, usually is quite hardy.>
Is it easy to attach the Caulerpa to another piece of live rock or the
substrate?
<Really no need for it to be attached, but should be easy to do if you so
desire>
Thanks!
<Welcome!>
Dan
Aiptasia Control, Caulerpa 2/14/07
Dear Crew
<Brenda here>
I recently purchased some Caulerpa attached to a small piece of live rock
which I placed into my new refugium. After a little while I noticed that the
live rock is covered in Aiptasia. So my question: should I try to combat the
Aiptasia by adding some hermit crabs, or would it be better to try and
detach the Caulerpa and chuck the rock into the bin? I'm not sure if this is
possible since the Caulerpa is very fragile (the bubble variety).
<If you decide to remove the rock, it can always be added later as “dead”
rock. It will take some time before it becomes live rock again, but at
least it’s not a total waste. As far as which method is best to remove
Aiptasia, it seems the jury is still out on this. Some hobbyists have luck
with one method where others have had no luck. Here is more information on
Aiptasia control:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/Aiptasia/aiptasia.htm I
think you will be fine removing the Caulerpa, it should reattach
soon. There is more information here on
Caulerpa: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/caulerpafaq2.htm
Thanks!
Dan
<Your welcome. Brenda>
Kold Steril Filter Reason for Aiptasia and Algae Growth 10/4/06
Thank you for your website and the vast amount of information. The
information has prevented me from making numerous errors.
<Thanks and welcome>
I have a 125 gallon reef tank and I switched from Reverse Osmosis water from the
water store to the Kold Steril Filter using my city water. I seem to have had
an increase in Aiptasia and green algae growth over 6 months time.
Do you think this is because of the minerals in the water that did not exist
with RO water?
<Mmm, interesting speculation... if only we could "go back" and set up a few
replicate systems to test this hypothesis... Don't know>
Should I add an RO system after the Kold Steril Filter to get rid of the algae
and slow the spread of Aiptasia?
<Mmmm, I definitely would not. The KS unit is very likely doing about all that
can be to provide clean water. I would employ other means of pest anemone
control. Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/aiptasia/aiptasia.htm
and the linked files above>
I have one other question. I have a Niger trigger in a different tank that is
fish only. The tank is 130 gallon high. What if any other fish would be stable
with the trigger? I have had the trigger for 6 months and he does well. I do
not want to crowd him as he grows.
<Please see WWM re Odonus niger and general Trigger Compatibility... Bob Fenner>
Thanks for your help.
Darrell
Aiptasia 8/24/06
Good morning,
<And to you>
I'm starting to see a couple of Aiptasia in my main display ( I have 5-10 in
refugium). I have a four line wrasse, a fridmani, flame angel, cinnamon
clown, dragon goby, seven blue green Chromis, one fire shrimp, and four skunk
shrimp in my 150 gal mainly SPS reef. I am by no means over run with
the Aiptasias, but I would like to nip the problem early.
<You are wise here>
I've searched your site concerning the wurdemanni shrimp but I'm not sure what
"all but the largest Aiptasia" means.
<Mmm, ones that are much larger than the shrimp let's say>
I have one that is about 1" in diameter, would that be considered large?
<IMO, yes>
How do you think this shrimp would fair with my current stock? Any
suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
<I would likely try "cutting this back" before hoping, adding the shrimp... with
a strong vacuum and a sharp tool... Bob Fenner, who likes large pizzas, but not
too large!>
|
Aiptasia (sorry I know you get a lot of these emails) 8/14/06
Hello once again. I have a 90 gallon tank that has a lot of
Aiptasia which
seem to be spreading. I have read your FAQs on Aiptasia and realize that it is
probably a nutrient problem. I feel as though I am not overfeeding... fish eat
food within a minute (spectrum pellets and Mysis). I currently only have 3
fish, a Kole tang, clown fish, and a Pseudochromis (blue flavivertex) all are 3
inches or less. I have a lot of corals currently mostly on the sand bed because
of the Aiptasia on the rocks, I also feed the corals Mysis, Cyclop-eeze, ZooPlex
on a rotating schedule about 2 to 3 times per week. Corals include
Favites,
Favia, red trach brain, green trach brain, torch coral, Montipora, green star
polyps, mushrooms, and Kenya tree all are doing very well. My question is how
can I limit the amount of nutrients and still feed fish and corals... which I
think is important (obviously for fish but also corals)?
<Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/algnutrcontrolfaqs.htm
same processes...>
All water parameters are great ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 0,
phosphate 0.1 calcium 400, alk 10 dKH, and pH 8.3. I do a 10% water change
every week with deionized water and Tropic Marin salt. My skimmer is a remora
pro which I have set to "overskim" which I have to empty every other day (brown
water not dark brown skimmate). I have killed some using Kalk paste but don't
want to go crazy and cause a pH spike. Any suggestions.
<Posted on WWM...>
Should I try not feeding corals for a couple weeks?
<Aiptasia are not simply a matter of nutrient availability or no...>
Increase flow (currently 1 maxi jet 1200, 1 maxi jet 900 and a Rio 2100 for
overflow return)? Oh yeah I do have a small cleanup crew 1 serpent star, 1
cleaner shrimp, 1 queen conch, and about 6 Trochus snails. I am not too fond of
crabs because I hear they are not 100% reef safe.
<We're in agreement here>
So to sum up this really long, wordy email, I would like any suggestions on
how to get rid of the Aiptasia I have and also to keep this problem from
reoccurring. By the way I have tried peppermint shrimp with no success. I will
include a tank picture. Thank you very much,
Ryan Nienhuis.
<... Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/cav1i3/aiptasia_impressions/aiptaisia_impressions.htm
and the linked files at bottom. Bob Fenner>
|
|
 |
Aiptasia Hitchhiker - 08/11/06
Hey Crew-
<<Hey Rob!>>
I just wanted your opinion on something...
<<I'm always happy to proffer my opinions>>
I have a 75 gallon reef tank. I recently purchased a frag of orange-eyed zoo's.
<<Cool!>>
It's a decent sized piece and the polyps look great however, I just noticed that
there is an Aiptasia anemone on this frag.
<<Mmm, some freebies/hitchhikers are neat...some not so neat...this one falls in
to the "not so neat" category>>
My tank is currently Aiptasia free.
<<Generally a "temporary" condition in this hobby>>
Is it really worth having this $10 frag in my tank with the risk of the Aiptasia
spreading throughout my display?
<<That's a decision you have to make my friend...but, eliminating this pest
before it spreads is a real possibility as well>>
Is there any way to keep the Aiptasia from spreading?
<<Yes...kill it>>
What would you do if it were your tank?
<<I would try to get rid of the pest anemone were this me/my tank. My preferred
method is to inject the anemone (run the needle through the oral opening down in
to the stalk) with full strength lemon juice. Sometimes takes more than one
hit, but I've found this method to be very effective...and as effective (or more
so) as any of the commercial products I've tried>>
As always, I appreciate your time!
Best regards,
Rob
<<Glad to help. EricR>>
Aiptasia seeds? 7/27/06
Mr. Fenner and gang,
<Hello there!>
Hello all, I have a 20G and 2.5G both mixed reefs. The 2.5G has been somewhat
neglected and at the moment, is being overtaken by Aiptasia.
<This is a very common problem with a tank this small. Nutrients, unless you
are EXTREMELY diligent run like crazy in a tank of this size. I would suggest
going bigger if you can.>
I have three small colonies of Zoa's, one of which the dang Aiptasia is actually
sprouting up through.
<Just annoying, isn't it?>
My question is, can I salvage/frag what I can of the unaffected Zoa's and put
them in my 20G that is Aiptasia free and not worry
about it sprouting up in there, or is that just asking for trouble?
<Actually you can, but there is always a chance that you'll be moving a few over
to the new tank. Once again, it is better to treat the problem than the
symptoms here. If you want to make the move, manually remove all Aiptasia (be
very care around the zoas, no need to break any of them and wear gloves just to
be on the safe side.) Then move over to bigger tank. Work on getting nutrients
down in your 2.5 though.>
Thanks for your time,
Mike Troolines
<No problem, have a great one! Jen S.>
Re: Aiptasia and Frogspawn corals 5/31/06
Hello Bob.
The return of the Aiptasia, imagine that!
A strange thing noticed on the specimen growing among the frogspawn colony: The
tentacles closest to the frogspawn polyps are receded and wilted while the pest
tries to avoid these polyps.
I found several others growing near the top of the tank where the P. skimmer
empties into the water. I know why they grow here though only discovered their
presence in the passed couple weeks. This is where I put food for dispersion by
the flowing water and it sometimes collects near the top of the rock.
I purchased what I thought are Peppermint shrimp but I am not so sure as these
are larger than usual and the coloration seems more subdued and the specimens
darker. These are neat little guys at any rate even if they do happen to be the
wrong shrimp. I am still looking for the Berghia but have never seen one offered
at any of the LFS(s). Right now I am using my QT tank for control though the one
rock is exceptionally large where these pests reside. I may restart my 55 gallon
tank and purchase a Copperband butterfly or similar species for control... not
sure though as incurring more expenses and maintaining yet another tank might
get real old real fast. Maybe if I can repair the light fixture on the 24 gallon
(I think the external ballast went) then the new light I got could get moved....
Decisions, decisions....
Sincerely,
James Zimmer
<<James: Frogspawn has a powerful sting. Sounds like it is stronger than the
sting of an Aiptasia. Peppermints are hit or miss. When I have bought them,
only about 1/2 to 2/3 eat Aiptasia. Berghia are available online. If you do a
search on www.reefcentral.com and other sites you may find people selling
them. Unfortunately, if they work, they will die once they have eaten all the
Aiptasia. Rather than use critters, if you don't have too many, I like to make
a batch of Kalk paste and inject it into the Aiptasia holes with the plastic
syringe you get with baby medicines. After you inject it, don't scrape the
paste off. Eventually coralline algae will grow right over it. Best of luck,
Roy>>
Re: Aiptasia and Frogspawn corals - 06/01/2006
Roy.
Thank you for the advice on Aiptasia control.
I have used the Kalk paste or slurry also and depending on location or
orientation to preferred animals I am sometimes reluctant. Yes, this
latest crop will have my work cut for me. I may just use the paste method again
for the large rock as it is too much to move into the
smaller QT. As for smaller rocks I can move them and train, hopefully, the
shrimp to eat the pest anemones. I will not use concentrated Ca(OH)2 near the
frogspawn if I can at all help it.
Again, thank you.
James
<<James: You're welcome. Based on my experience, the Peppermint Shrimp will
either like Aiptasia or not (that's why if you have a big enough tank, it's good
to buy 2 to 3 to see who will eat them). In my best case, one peppermint ate
about 100 Aiptasia within about a day. It was amazing to see him attack
them. He looked like a boxer working on a speed bag. Unfortunately, for that
Peppermint Shrimp a Skunk Cleaner Shrimp attacked him and ate him. I guess the
Skunk Cleaner liked the taste of Aiptasia fed shrimp. If you are careful with
the baby medicine syringe and make a thick enough paste, you can inject the
paste with a lot of control (like you are decorating a cake). If some of the
paste starts to float off, just disburse it as fast as you can. In my
experience, if a little bit brushes a coral (such as your frogspawn) as it
floats buy, it won't hurt anything. Best of luck, Roy>>
Aiptasia - 5/12/2006
I am pretty sure that I have Aiptasia Anemones in my tank but want to verify.
<<OK.>>
Are these the only anemones that populate quickly?
<<No.>>
They seem to be multiplying quickly. I keep finding new ones. The photos I
looked at are pretty much the same thing I have in my tank.
<<If they look like Aiptasia, they likely are.>>
I can't believe I have been feeding this thing.
<<Most live rock has a few hitchhiking.>>
Is it 100% necessary to get rid of them?
<No. Depends on your system and other inhabitants. I would opt to remove
them.>>
How much harm can they really be?
<<They do move, and can sting/kill other corals and livestock. There are many
products available to eradicate them, as well as some natural predators. Read
here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/aiptasia/aiptasia.htm.>>
Thanks for the help
Mike
<<Glad to help. Lisa.>>
Importing Aiptasia from LFS? 4/27/06
Dear Mr. Fenner,
<Jen S. here, Bob is at a conference.>
There are two prominent LFS's in my community that have nice corals.
Store A has noticeable Aiptasia growing in their systems (one or two per tank,
but not infested); Store B has essentially none.
<Very common to see in a LFS>
However, compared to Store B, Store A has a better selection of corals and-
overall- friendlier, more helpful staff.
<Go with Store A then.>
I read your Aiptasia article and came away with the conclusion that eventually
I'll have to deal with these pesky beasts.
<Hopefully not with diligent care.>
My water parameters are great for a three month old system (good skimmer, Chaeto
refugium, Nitrates zero).
<You system is quite young to be adding a lot, be careful!>
I am told that one way to control Aiptasia is through prevention, with good
nutrient export the key.
<Yup, and manual removal.>
Question: with regards to potential importation of Aiptasia into my system, does
it really make much of a difference which store I shop at?
<Shop where you like the selection and staff>
Also, will dipping my newly bought corals in Seachem Reef Dip make any
difference with regards to Aiptasia...or any other nasty thing for that matter?
<I’m not sure, I doubt it. Manually remove all that you see BEFORE adding to
tank, and anymore you see after adding. Good luck w/ the shopping! Jen S.>
Thanks.
Russell in Louisville, KY
Aiptasia, aka Glass or Rock anemone 4/16/06
Hello to one and all,
<Hello to you as well, Jodie here tonight>
I have a brief question. In the process of setting up a 90 gallon reef tank I
purchased 50 pounds of beautiful rock from Tonga. It has run through the curing
cycle, and realizing it was too little volume for the tank I started looking for
suitable base rock. Through a reef club I acquired an additional 50 pounds of
"used" Fiji. It looked in good shape and I did not find anything dead during my
inspection. Utilizing very poor judgment I placed this rock in the
curing/holding tank with the rest of the rock. Now
a few hours later I see Aiptasia popping out of every hole on the new rock.
<I feel your pain; it's happened to me as well. I'd recommend moving it
immediately to limit the odds of spreading to your good rock.>
There are too many to inject or cover in Kalk paste. Would pouring boiling
water over the rock kill the pest or should I dry the rock in the sun for a few
days?
<Boiling water isn't guaranteed to kill them all. They'll likely just pull back
into the rock, where the boiling water won't get to them quick enough. If
you're not worried about losing all the life in the rock, then I'd say the sun
is a more likely to work. Just make sure to keep in clean, and re-cure it after
it's "sun bath".>
Thank you,
<Best of luck, and hope they haven't infected your good rock, Jodie>
Rob
Aiptasia Removal - 03/17/2006
Bob,
<Stuck with Josh today I'm afraid.>
There seems to be a lot of options for removing Aiptasia (Nuisance anemone)
listed on wetwebmedia.com.
<Indeed.>
The first seems to be removing the cause of their growth (excess nutrients).
<Yes.>
I am in the process of purchasing/moving a 90 gallon tank with live rock. There
is about 80 lbs of live rock with about 10 to 15 nuisance anemones growing.
Since, I do not have any fish to
put in the tank, would these die from starvation if I just set the tank up to
keep the live rock wet?
<Highly unlikely.>
My plan is to setup the tank/filtration and let it run for 1 or 2 months before
adding fish/food.
<Good to Hear.>
Should I remove/scrub the rock prior to putting it back in the tank.
<Scrubbing them will only create more...a lot more.>
Would it help to cover the tank to minimize light?
<No.>
Do you have any other suggestions?
<It sounds to me like you're in a great position to use the Kalkwasser injection
method. This is what I would do.>
I would prefer not to buy crabs/shrimp as I have a Panther grouper that will
eventually make this tank his home.
<Understood and glad to see you're planning ahead.>
Thanks
Jack W.
<Welcome. - Josh>
Aiptasia status report/Aiptasia Control - 02/27/06
Hi, Crew! <Hello Amy>
Just thought I would weigh in on my experiences with Aiptasia control and a
variety of methods, after reading all the FAQs. Bottom line: Nothing yet seems
to work. I have tried 1) Injections with lemon juice. This worked temporarily;
they eventually grew back, and if you get even one or two hiding in crevices
that you can't see, it's all over - they'll reproduce out of control from their
hidden location. 2) Joe's Juice - this doesn't work very well either. It does
indeed kill the target anemone, but there is a significant problem: it seems to
force the dying anemone to clone. I tested this by feeding Joe's Juice to an
anemone that was stuck to the wall of the aquarium, so it was clearly visible on
all sides. Sure enough, the Aiptasia died, but it left behind a ring of ~5 or
so tiny clones, which are now growing to full size. *sigh* I have used
literally a dozen boxes of Joe's Juice, and all it seems to do is induce them to
clone. Watch out!
Since I'm very much against bringing any wild-caught animals into captivity now,
I'm going to try Berghia nudibranchs. I have two arriving on Tuesday
morning. I'm setting up a breeding tank, along with a holding tank for
Aiptasias (not that this is a huge problem at the moment - my main tank is
covered with hundreds now). Will let you know how it goes! If they clean up
the Aiptasias, I'll pass them along. <Thank you for the email and do let us know
your results. James (Salty Dog)>
Amy
Euphyllia cristata and Echidna nebulosa... and Aiptasia control -
02/20/06
Dear Mr. Fenner or crew member that answers,
<Jessica>
Just a couple of follow up questions. Regarding the below mentioned E.
nebulosa, what would you consider the minimum for housing him indefinitely?
<... 150, 200 gallons plus, uncrowded...>
It is possible that I could trade in a few of my smaller tanks (and there are
plenty) that have housed freshwater fish over the years for a predrilled
standard 125 (I have been collecting tanks and freshwater fish since the ripe
old age of 8). I would probably have to use cinder blocks for a stand (it would
look like my neighbors car),
<Heee!>
or wait until I can next get to my dad's shop to build one, which could take a
while, but would the tank work no matter what I set it on?
<? As long as the stand/support is stable, strong, planar, level...>
I have read so many different minimum requirements, 50 gallons on
DrsFosterSmith.com, 60 in the article on WWM, and all sorts of variations up to
a recommendation of 100 gallons on other places on the web. I am thinking the
125 will work, but I want to be sure first. What are the ideal dimensions for
housing such a beautiful species?
<The bigger the better...>
Could I fill it 3/4 of the way
(which would render the pre-drilling useless, unless I lower the overflow boxes
somehow), with a cover and still have a happy eel?
<Not indefinitely... which was your question/concern>
I am thinking that with the lowered volume, maybe I could simulate intertidal
pools for him to get into (the overflow boxes), maybe place some treats in there
from time to time.
Also, on a side note, I obtained the below mentioned E. cristata/divisa from
my friend, and it looks great in the rocks, half way up, right under a 175w
10000k MH lamp and very near an 800 gph powerhead (the powerhead is on the back
of the tank, pointed at the front and makes a nice sweeping current through the
tank, the coral is in the direct path of the ricochet current). I still do not
notice sweeper tentacles, and I wonder if I should?
<Not necessarily... but might at night, after feeding if you looked... and very
likely if you placed another cnidarian close... or it chemically influenced the
system>
It seems to eat if I place meaty food on its tentacles (formula one, prime
reef, or Mysis and human grade shrimp, scallops and squid, all used in Mr.
Fenner's marine mash recipe from CMA) Is there any way to tell which coral I
have without dissection/microscopic investigation?
<Euphyllias are rather distinct... usually just looking at the polyps will give
you a species ID>
Not that it makes that big a difference to me, but I would like to label my
display museum style so when the nieces/nephews/friend's children come over I
can encourage them to read/learn for themselves, much as you do here on WWM. Is
it possible that I have the wrong
genus in identification, since there are no sweeper tentacles?
<Not likely>
(I have looked at all the pictures I can find on the net, I am certain it is a
Euphylliid, but I am no expert.)
Another side note, I have found a useful strategy for removing Aiptasia from
my rocks that doesn't involve chemical or biological controls. With great
patience, I have shaded the Aiptasia from the light. While they may be less
light demanding than their more desirable counterparts, in my experience, they
are no less light loving.
<Agreed>
I have found that the shading makes them migrate to the substrate, where I
simply use tongs to pluck them from the aquarium. I often have had to
"redirect" the anemone's path with more shading or by turning or moving the
rock, but I have successfully removed 14 Aiptasia anemones this way (over the
course of about 1 1/2 months). I also have not seen a mass reproduction that I
was wary of after reading about chemical controls or other methods like
scraping. Once they were plucked, they were gone. I now have an Aiptasia free
display, in case anyone is interested. I harbor some of them in a 20L under
regular fluorescent lighting to play with. It is
interesting to watch them eat bits of shrimp or whatever I drop in there. In a
sense, I have a dedicated display for anemones, as they are the only thing
there, except a few rocks. I will remove rocks and said anemones when I next QT
something. I just wanted to enjoy having an anemone for a while, and Aiptasia
has been suggested by some on WWM (not without hesitation).
<Thank you for this>
One last thing. My fish (green Chromis and a firefish) have been eating the
meat that I am feeding the coral. Can I just feed them the marine mash (every
other day or so), or should they have flakes and pellets, too?
<No need for the latter>
I believe the flake and pellet food for the fish is producing phosphates in the
aquarium, and I do have some algae growth that I could live without.
Thank you for your investment in my tank's well-being. You folks are the
greatest.
Best regards,
Jessica Groomer
<Bob Fenner>
Aiptasia Article - 01/10/2006
I am writing regarding your article on Aiptasia. First off thank you for
writing on this topic, as there really isn't that much out there to read.
<We're glad you enjoyed it.>
I was wondering if it was at all possible to keep the larger anemones with out
future outbreaks.
<Not really. Any time there are available nutrients, they'll reproduce.>
I was also wondering about what exactly they are doing to my fish.
<Stinging the devil out of them.>
My fish really don't seem to mind, but how do I know.
<Hmm...Watch if they ever touch them directly. Notice how quickly your fish move
away?>
So are shrimp the best way to go?
<Depends on what is in your tank really. Some risk to desired corals, but
generally a good choice.>
Thanks,
Joseph
<Gladly. - Josh>
Aiptasia Control - 01/04/2006
Greetings crew.
<Howdy Dean.>
Once again thanks so much for your help in our fascinating world of Marine
wildlife.
<Our pleasure!>
I have a fairly new (8 month old set up) 180 gallon marine tank with a nice
variety of corals (soft and hard), Polyps, invertebrates, and fish. Everything
has been coming along great but I do have a small problem of glass anemones
slowing taking over every vacant spot in the tank (and that’s a lot in a 180).
<Yep. Of course I'm sure you know this is all about nutrient control.>
I have tried inoculating them with a syringe with hot water as was recommended
to me. This doesn’t seem to work. I know that the addition of peppermint ?
<Yes.>
shrimp may help as they are
known to eat these anemones. I am afraid that they might eat my polyps or soft
corals as well. What is your opinion on this?
<I agree. FOWLR wouldn't be a problem but in a reef setting this could be a
problem. Not guaranteed to be however the desired corals could be sampled/eaten
as well.>
Are there any other remedies that I could try without potentially hurting the
other inhabitants of the tank? I would appreciate any recommendations that you
might think worth a try.
<A few things to start. First, very strict nutrient control and aggressive
skimming (This will mainly only keep it from getting worse at this point). This
will be a bit tough. IMO these and the desired corals are similar enough to be
affected by the same chemical controls, so if you go that route use caution.
Here's a good article from the CA Magazine for you
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/cav1i3/aiptasia_impressions/aiptaisia_impressions.htm
>
Thanks again. Your experience and guidance have helped many of
us enjoy this hobby with your advise.
<You're welcome, being in the position to give it has done the same.>
Dean Fowler
<Josh>
Aiptasia In My Sump - 12/28/05
I have a 300 gallon tank with three filters with submersible pump heads in
the back, I went to clean it and noticed white pod shaped hairy polyps hanging
on the walls of the filter.
<<Sounds like Aiptasia>>
Upon further inspection they were also hollow. I have not added anything to the
tank in 7 to 8 mos. The live rock has been in the tank for 2 years this is the
first time I am seeing these polyps. The last thing I added was a Sea Hare. The
area where they are does not get any light.
<<Unlike most anemones, Aiptasia can prosper without light. I have witnessed
first-hand their ability to survive without light while living on organic
material absorbed from the water, as in an unlit sump.>>
Are these things good?
<<Depends on your perspective. Do have a read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/aiptasia/aiptasia.htm
I did vacuum quite few out while cleaning.
<<That's one alternative. Regards, EricR>>
Killing Aiptasia With Clay - 12/18/2005
Hello, great site.
<Hello Tony, glad you enjoy it.>
I have a brand new marine tank that is still in its cycling stage. A week ago I
noticed that I have a few, very small Aiptasia that apparently came free of
charge with the live rocks that I purchased. I've read from this site that these
guys are carnivores as well as photosynthetic. I haven't put any type of food
into the tank, it is still very bare with exception of a few snails and hermit
crabs, so I'm not too worried about the overfeeding factor. I've read from this
site that these guys are carnivore as well as photosynthetic.
<I'd say omnivore as I've seen them eat anything that floats. (Fish do get their
revenge;)>
So I guess starving them to death won't be an option if they can survive solely
from the aquarium light. I've attempted to inject lemon juice into their base,
but they are really quick to retreat back into their holes.
<I've never felt comfortable with that method, seeing as pH is so sensitive.>
I thought of an idea that I haven't seen mentioned on this site. How about
plugging up their holes of residence with some type of play-doh type of
material, and keeping them that way for, oh I don't know, a month? Or even
longer?
<Came as a shock to me, but Aiptasia can and does change location if it wants
to. I saw one lose a Mushroom battle some time ago, and it actually moved to an
entirely different rock. That said, it may be able to move throughout the rock's
pores. Take that, add blotchy grey spots all over the place, and you have an
undesirable method of control. I like Peppermint Shrimp, and have also used a
strong Kalkwasser solution to rid myself of these. I think you should go to the
CA Magazine, linked from the main page. I believe it was there, in the CA
Archives, that they hold a good article on controlling pest anemones (also the
place that I heard of people trying your idea). Much good info. in the CA
magazines anyway. >
That will deprive them of food and light. Do you guys see any reason this might
not work?
<I guess I should have written all that here. Oops!>
Thank you.
Tony
<You're welcome. - Josh>
Aiptasia anemone filtration? 11/22/05
I have been removing Aiptasia from my tank whenever I find them. I recently read about keeping them in a refugium to help with absorb nutrients. Is this
a good idea?
<Can be... but in general, I don't endorse... too easy for these to get about, into ones main system, cause trouble stinging, chemically>
If I move them to separate section of my refugium, do I run the risk of them spreading back to the main tank?
<Oh yes. Bob Fenner>
Quick Aiptasia question 11-20-05
I have been removing Aiptasia from my tank whenever I find them.
<Good idea. Make use a lime based product to burn the foot also or you will have more
Aiptasia sprouting from the leftovers.>
I recently
read about keeping them in a refugium to help with absorb nutrients. Is this a good idea?
<Not in the least and not realistic as aphasia are not filter feeders.>
<<You must have missed Anthony Calfo's article on the utility of
Aiptasia as a "filter" (direct link shows a 404 error, but here you
can find Google's
cached reprint of what is, I believe, in his "Book of Coral Propagation
- Vol. 1"). Marina>>
If I move them to separate section of my refugium, do I run the risk of them spreading back to the main tank?
<Yes, not even a risk, a reality. Travis>
Bubble Versus Aiptasia 10/13/05
WWM Crew,
I have a bubble coral in close proximity to an Aiptasia anemone. The war is on. I know the elegance coral can 'out-sting'
Aiptasia, but will a bubble coral? If it can, can I use it to kill the other Aiptasia in my tank?
<What did you plan on doing, walking the anemone to visit the Aiptasia?> <<Dude!
It's a coral! Not an anemone... RMF>>
I wouldn't call it an infestation, but I do have about 10 more Aiptasia in my 135 g reef. They don't seem to be multiplying too quickly, but I would
like to take care of them before they become a problem. As soon as my LFS has peppermint shrimp (the real ones... I read all about it!)
I will grab a half dozen of them as well.
Broken record time... you guys have no idea how much help you have been over the years. I have a crazy set up that would never have been possible
without the knowledge obtained here (and Visa!).
<Read here BJ. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/aiptasia/aiptasia.htm
- James (Salty Dog)>
-Another shark- 10/9/05
Justin,
<Pat, I apologize for the extended wait on the reply, I have been under the weather.>
Nice to meet you, and many thanks to you and the rest of the WWM for all your help. On your advice I did some research in your anemones FAQ's. I was not able to positively ID the organisms living in my tank, but my chosen livestock comes first so I will rid my tank of the offending anemones no matter what they are (the feeling I got reading your pages seems to be that all accidentally acquired anemones are parasitic). <<Mmm,
not "parasitic"... don't live in or on other species... RMF>>
My tank contains three small sharks (an epaulette, a bamboo, and a coral cat, 400 gallon is in the works for January, two 29 gallon sumps/ wet-dry trickles with bio-balls are currently cycling with my current 150 so they are ready for the new tank) as well as one large
tesselata moray.
As such I am always wary of medications, sharks seem to react negatively to such things. Your FAQ left me with two alternatives I am interested in trying: One was peppermint shrimp. I understand that a few of these will dispatch the offending organisms, but in your opinion would they
have a chance to do such before they themselves fell to the bigger predators in the tank? <<No,
they'll be eaten. RMF>>
I also saw that I could remove the rock the anemones are growing on and boil them to kill all the organisms on it (recall that it is established volcanic rock and not live rock from the sea), or failing that I could just toss it and replace it with new rock. Your wisdom is greatly appreciated.
<I really think you best bet is to put the rock into your sump and let the peppermint shrimp reside there and see if they will clean it off. Otherwise ask your LFS to see if you can bring the rock to them for their shrimp to clean then pick it up when its done. Otherwise boiling works or does hypersalinity in the 1.60 range in a container and put the LR in that, It will kill everything or most everything as well. Third idea is to use Kalkwasser to inject the anemones full of and that kills them that works very well.>
Also: I have a few questions regarding sharks. As I said I already have three, but in a four hundred gallon with ridiculous filtration (the two sumps I mentioned, 1200 GPH protein skimmer, six foot home made suspended gravel filter in addition to heavy mechanical/carbon filtration) I would be comfortable adding one more.
< Unfortunately I would not as you are already overcrowding a shark tank. Each requires quite
a lot of water and space and may kill another shark if not enough space is
available. Also if you really want to keep a shark for its lifespan or the three you have, I would look into making a Saltwater pond of
several thousand gallons. MattieJ on Aquaticpreadators.com has the most expertise on such things and keeps an 18,000gallon tank in his basement, and a 35,000 gallon 55ft by 35ft pool for 5 sharks. one or two being
Blacktip reef sharks.>
My totally unrealistic dream is a black tip reef shark (LOL, some day), and your FAQ's/information sheets turned me off to leopard sharks. I was wondering about the Freycinet's epaulette shark (Hemiscyllium freycineti) and the hooded carpet shark (Hemiscyllium strahani). I searched you site and got a hit with no information on the latter and nothing at all on the former. I've also searched on-line dealer inventories exhaustively and found nothing.
<<Ever hear of fishbase.org? A listing of species, with as much
information as they have is packed into a huge database. There are no
assessments of availability within the ornamental trade. Marina>><<<Actually
Marina, if you look at the "Use..." per species, you'll find there is a
description "Aquarium" for species. RMF>>>
You can see pictures of them here: http://www.seapics.com/spsearchLynx/cgi.pan$188140x1x10?spsearchLynx
and here: http://www.seapics.com/spsearchLynx/cgi.pan$qs+&hemiscyllium&strahani?spsearchLynx
respectively.
My question is do you know if these species exist in the trade, or are they entirely unattainable? I realize the scope of this question is massive and any help would be appreciated.
<Hmm well I do not know about either of those sharks in the trade, however as for the
Blacktip shark I DO NOT recommend it for any aquarium less than several thousand gallons as it is a constant swimmer and requires space and
a lot of it to survive. The only ones outside of public aquariums that are thriving belong to MattieJ at AP (see above). If anyone knows about those particular sharks you are searching for he would, He also goes on shark collecting
expeditions at times and has the licenses etc to do so. I highly recommend you get
in touch with him.>
<Justin (Jager)>
Thanks!! Pat
Hyposalinity & Aiptasia 10/8/05
Hello,
<Hello Katja (unique name)>
I would very much appreciate your feedback :>. I just had a huge outbreak of
tiny, clear Aiptasia (glass Aiptasia??) in my seahorse tank possibly due to
excess freshly hatched brine shrimp.
<Yikes, but are you sure that is what they are? Unlikely they would have
resulted from a shrimp hatch.>
They cover everything...glass, gravel, rocks, plastic plants. I have set up a
baby horse tank so as to
1. protect babies from being stung and
2. stop feeding the main tank so well.
Can I starve the Aiptasia somehow?
<Unlikely as such, they produce much of their own food. Could try completely
covering the tank so no light enters...heavy black sheet etc. I'm thinking if we
take away the light source they require, they can't produce any food. Can't
really tell you how long this would take.>
I cannot obtain true peppermint shrimp (only camel back), Nudibranch nor red
legged hermits. Do other varieties of hermit shrimp .i.e...... very small &
black help?
<Never heard of others helping>
I suppose anemone shrimp would not eat them
<No>
(only shrimp safe with baby horses due to small size). Would you know of any
other biological methods safe with seahorses? Chemical injection and even
Kalkwasser etc methods would be near impossible due to the sheer number and
tiny size (needle pin size for most).
However if I remove my horses (I assume I would need to do this?)...how long
would I need to run the tank at ca. 1.01 salinity to ensure it is effective? And
given that I have live rock and associate crew, will most of the micro-live e.g.
bristle worms, Brittlestars die thus causing a ammonia spike and recycle of the
tank? If yes, how long before it would all stabilize again do you think? Also
would my mushrooms (morphs) and one soft coral survive?
<I don't think much will survive at 1.010. You may have to take it down lower
to insure an effective kill of your Aiptasia along with any other living
organisms on your live rock. If your tank is large enough, Copperband butterfly
fish are good eradicators of Aiptasia but the care level is not easy.>
Maybe I need to simply start afresh i.e. strip tank...soak in freshwater for a
week.. ?
<This might be your best bet. I'm wondering if you added something else in your
tank that would cause this kind of outbreak. It sure doesn't sound like
Aiptasia. I know they are prolific breeders but not in the amounts you describe.
James (Salty Dog)>
Thank you in advance. <You're welcome> Hyposalinity & Aiptasia
Follow-up 10/8/05
Thank you James :>. They certainly are Aiptasia as I tried to kill an adult several weeks ago (silly me) and thus spread its tissue to happily
regenerate across the entire tank. But I'll either start afresh OR try to get some
Stop Aiptasia from Carol Keen in America. Cheers Katja
<OK, good luck with your eradication. James (Salty Dog)>
Aiptasia and snails 9/19.5/05
Hello,
I have a few Aiptasia on a live rock in my 55 gal. marine tank. I would
like to leave them alone if they are not doing any harm.
<Then do so>
But will they
harm my snails or fish?
<Only if the fish/es are very careless, the anemones far more numerous>
The snails crawl all over the rock and I am afraid
they will be stung by the Aiptasia. Also the fish swim very close to the
Aiptasia. The only fish I have now in this two month old tank are blue
damsels and clownfish but I plan to add more fish. Am I better off getting
rid of the Aiptasia and can I just leave them be?
<If they concern you... might be better to eradicate. Bob Fenner>
Geraldine Kluska
Aiptasia in the Chaetomorpha - 09/11/2005
Good morning fine folks! Hope you're having a nice relaxing weekend.
<More or less, yes. Thanks. Hope you've had a good one, too.>
I received some Chaetomorpha from a fellow aquarist a couple of days ago
through the mail. It was very compacted but otherwise looked nice and
green and healthy.
<Nifty.>
I put some of it in my 20 GAL holding tank and the rest in my "in tank
refugium" in the main tank. The refugium is nothing more than a box
made of egg crate and wrapped in window screen to contain the algae and
keep the Yellow Tang out.
<So far, so good....>
Tonight as I was feeding the tank, I noticed something sticking out of
the Chaeto.
<I'm hearing the "Jaws" theme starting, here....>
Upon closer inspection, there seem to be MANY Aiptasia living in it.
<Insert hysterical scream>
I thought they would only be introduced via Live Rock.
<Anything they can grow on can introduce them.>
Could you please take a minute and look at the pictures and tell me if I
have the ID correct? Is it Aiptasia?
<Yes sir.>
If so, I'll just throw the Chaeto out so as to make sure it does not get
into the main tank.
<I would probably store it in your separate/quarantine system and kill
the little guys with Kalkwasser injection. Either way, good to get 'em
out of your tank.>
Yet another "plug" for quarantining EVERYTHING wet that goes in your
tank.
<Yes, agreed.>
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y195/navajo001/aip3.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y195/navajo001/aip2.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y195/navajo001/aip1.jpg
As always, THANK YOU for your time and all that you do! Still hoping to
get enough experience and confidence to be able to volunteer my time to
your site someday.
<Hey, gain that confidence quick! (grin)>
Thank you,
Tom (The Tool Man)
<Wishing you well, -Sabrina>
Aiptasia on neon star's rock 8/16/05
|