Aiptasia ID --- I think I got lied to.....

kat79

kat79

New Member
So, I went and bought some pre-cured live rock today to add to my 55g tank. On one of the larger pieces, I noticed a little anemone floating in the current. When I asked the shop owner about it, she said it was a "spiral anemone" and nothing to worry about. When I suggested aiptasia, she replied by telling me that aiptasia does NOT grow where their rock is harvested. They only collect from the Gulf, and not the Pacific where aiptasia is known to thrive. Hmmm..... Ok. So, not being a professional or expert myself, I took her word for it and went on my way. Now that I'm home and conducted a little research, I'm not so sure it ISN'T aiptasia. It certainly looks like a lot of the pictures I'm seeing online.

The shop's website also says that their rock does NOT have aiptasia, but may come with rock or glass anemones. Uh, isn't that just another name for aiptasia? I'm so confused! Can someone name that anemone? If it's a problem, I want to nip it in the bud now! But if it's not, I'd like to keep it around - it adds character.

THANKS IN ADVANCE!


 
cranberry

cranberry

Active Member
You were 100% lied to or she's uneducated.
People call these Curly Cue (Q) Aiptasia.
There is something else that goes by the same Curly Q common name... it's a Bartholomea annulata.... and what you have isn't it.
 
lil.guppy

lil.guppy

Active Member
That lady is crazy! Looks like you got some big ones too. I just took a rock out today to kill a huge one the size of a silver dollar (not including its tentacles.
I ran hot water right on it and it killed it instantly.
 
kat79

kat79

New Member
Dang it! So, do I need to invest in some Joe's Juice pronto then? Grrrr, that chaps my .....

Thanks!
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by KAT79
http:///forum/post/3175695
Dang it! So, do I need to invest in some Joe's Juice pronto then? Grrrr, that chaps my .....

Thanks!
Joe's Juice sounds like a good investment for you at the moment

I had 1 aptasia.....(only 1) I tried boiling water...NOPE...lemon juice...NOPE Joes Juice..got the job done
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member

I kept getting tiny ones popping up after I killed some with joes juice...I got some peppermint shrimp..problem solved, I quit seeing little ones pop up.
 
chrisnif

chrisnif

Member
I'm wondering if the fact that I have a peppermint shrimp is the only reason I've never seen these monsters. Had a manjano tho, was very hard to part with tho cause it was pretty.
There are a few tanks at my LFS i wont buy from at all because they are just FULL of aiptasia, from tiny to 2 inches. They only have fish in there now but i'd be worried about bringing home spores
 
kat79

kat79

New Member
Well, I'm hope that by using the Joe's Juice today, I won't have any new small ones popping up anywhere else. I certainly didn't have any aiptasia on my previously established rock! And so far I've only seen it on that one, new, big piece of rock that I bought a few days ago. So anyway, those suckers got a mouthful today..... I just hope it works! I can't tell just yet because they immediately retracted into their little holes, and I can't see them anymore. And so the wait begins.....

So, for future reference, could I add a peppermint shrimp when I already have a big, banded shrimp and a cleaner shrimp in my 55g?
A Bristletail Filefish? I can't say that I'm familiar with them. Are they reef safe? My problem, however, is that I'm already at capacity with fish. I've got two blue devil damsels and a black and white that are already driving everyone else nuts. I'm trying to decide if they're worth the headache. Ugh.

Thanks for all the help guys!
 
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