Aiptasia, Yeah Right

[beth]

Seems like I may have a few that came in on my new zoos
However, since the zoos seem fine, I'm just wondering because I know these anemones are real stingers, but they don't seem to be effecting the zoos at all.
Does anyone have a close up pic? Particularly of the tentacles. The rest is buried in the zoos, so I can't really see it very well. The tenticles look almost like they have segments.
I'd like to get a postive ID before I start doing you know what to them. I've never really had the problem before, so I've never seen them, except in a pic here and there.
Pic or id help is appreciated!

 

[beth]

You know as a Disease mod, I should just cultivate it, because they are good at keeping ich in check, but the "cure" might be worse than the disease in this case!
I wish I had a digital! Oh well.

 

[10k]

here's a few pics for ya Beth....Good luck with the battle!

 

[10k]

#2

 

[10k]

#3

 

[beth]

Yes, unfortunately, that looks like it.
I hate killing stuff.
As for the aiptasia killing ich, I can't say that this is actually a "tried and true" treatment but some old salts with FO tanks have used them in a refugium type setup. The aiptasia supposedly eat ich in the free-swimming stage.

 

[beth]

No, the idea is to set up an aiptasia refugium. When the ick is in the free swimming stage, it will pass thru the water column shared between display and the refugium.
Aiptasia are powerful stingers, which is why they are so problemmatic in reef tanks, thus, you definately don't want them eating ich off the fish. Remember, these are anemones.

 

[beth]

Even a fish that has ich on it will "drop" the ich. Ich as a 3 stage life cycle, only one of which is it attached to the fish. Once the ich drops off it will eventually cycle around to the "free swimming" stage, at which time, as you say "theoretically" the aiptasia refugium concept will kick in. Thus, even a fish with ich still can be "theorethically" cured of the parasite.
This works basically in FO tanks, not reefs. Reason being that reef tanks will have other food sources for the aiptasia, whereas in a FO, the only food source [besides light] will be the ich.
I have never tried this so I'm not recommending it. I just read about it. However, if one of you adventurous SWF.com members want to try it out, I'm sure we'd be glad to here your results with it!

 

[saltwaterdave]

Here is a little different look for you.

 

[clarkiiboi]

I'm still trying to make sure that I can ID these if I would ever get them. Is it safe to say they tend to always have slender, tall stalks, long tenticles and an open center (no tenticles)? I never saw one with my own eyes either, so to me these pics look so close to anenomes. Hope you dont mind the question in your thread Beth, I will open a new one if you wish and you can take this one out if you see fit. Thanks

 

[spsfreak100]

The best direct method of removal is injecting them with a little calcium hydroxcide. This is so far, the saftest was to inject them. It is likely that once you have them, you always will, since there is usually one or two hiding somewhere, waiting to reproduce. A favored method of control is peppermint shrimp. Other methods of control are the Copper Banded Butterfly (Which is a hit and miss, if you have a reef aquarium), Berghia sea slugs, which will feed ONLY on glass anemones, and many other chemical solutions. They usually tend to go for Zooanthid polyps quite often.

 

[beth]

Yep, that's where 2 of them are, on my zoos. Well, I ordered some chem marin Stop Aiptasia, so I'll give that a try when it gets here.
I went to the LFS today to see if they had any aips, they did. Very small ones which the fish guru there pointed out. I did have one of these before that came in on some anthelia, which, at the time, I was afraid they were aips so I epoxed them. Those little ones do not look like the ones I have now, or the ones on these pics. They kinda have a dull purple look.
Anyway, I hate having to kill them. Since I know they came from around here, if I could, I'd return them to the ocean, but, alas, I can't as aips aren't very cooperative.

 

[beth]

BTW: It doesn't really bother me when others add to my threads....conversations are conversations.....

 

[j21kickster]

Beth i have had aptasia come on some zoos- but i always kill them with this-
also do you have a camera? you know im a zoo nut

 

[j21kickster]

also- im sure the ocean has enough aptasia to go around...... several times- i wouldnt feel to bad---- also the copperband control drives me crazy- i wish people would quit suggesting it- they are not hardy- dont always eat them- die often- dont ship well- and wont work in smaller tanks which i hear them repeatedly suggested for- but im sure you already know this

 

[j21kickster]

james- the ones in the sand are easy to remove just scop them out and find it- and flush it- hopefully this is the only one

 

[beth]

Or, you can do as we've been talking about, and start up an aiptasia refugium! LOL Hey, its a new refuge, and I'm sure you were wondering what to do with it! Its fate!
Don't I wish I had a digital. so that I could show off my zoos! I still want some blue ones. Those darn aips came in on my new zoos!
That suringe method looks pretty tidy, but too late, I order the stop aips.

 

[opazen]

i had a head of trumpet or candycane coral about as big as my actual head that was half destroyed by one aptasia annenome. i tried killing it in every way possible and so it moved around in the safety of the living coral stinging everything as it wentl. I hate that stuff!

 

[pebbles]

Beth- So how did the chem marin stop aiptasia work?
Thanks