So how big a deal is Aiptasia really?

[Jeff-Ft-Lauderdale]

So I asked this when I first started before I knew what Aiptasia was.

I have since observed Aiptasia in every single LFS retail location I have visited. They all have it in their systems. It's not a lot. It's not covering everything. But it's present.

I understand and agree with the idea that you do not purchase anything with a polyp on it. My question is this: How concerned should I be that I might get it from corals or invertebrates in the same system as Aiptasia polyps? I know enough not to put the LFS water into my tank. But can spores ride on snail shells or within frags? And if so, what are the real-world practical chances of getting Aiptasia this way? None of the LFS staffs seem to be super concerned about it. They treat it mostly like an annoyance.

So far I have avoided it completely, even though I have taken no precautions. I have not done any dipping. I don't quarantine. All I do is avoid putting the LFS water in (I drain it from the bag first). But that's literally all I have done. No sign of it yet, but I recognize the possibility I may just be lucky. So I wanted to get an informed opinion.

Also...how are people able to sell it if it's so easy to get? - https://www.carolina.com/catalog/de...vrcFwKHHrjPnrT9ZOVFIjuiZHsjQbe7oaAvqcEALw_wcB

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

I would take precautions, I've had tanks overrun with them its easier to manage at the beginning, but don't be fooled it's no fun and not worth risking getting them. I do everything possible to not get them if one comes in on a frag it's the first thing I take care of !

It's not something you want, and not doing any qt or dipping is not the way to go, your relying only on luck, I use to do this also I urge you to try things differently so you don't have to tear tanks down and be unhappy with the results relating to these procedures.

Here's a tank of a customer thats just absolutely polluted with them, it's pretty easily avoided. They irritate coral and most of your tanks inhabitants.

 

[Jeff-Ft-Lauderdale]

I would take precautions, I've had tanks overrun with them its easier to manage at the beginning, but don't be fooled it's no fun and not worth risking getting them. I do everything possible to not get them if one comes in on a frag it's the first thing I take care of !

It's not something you want, and not doing any qt or dipping is not the way to go, your relying only on luck, I use to do this also I urge you to try things differently so you don't have to tear tanks down and be unhappy with the results relating to these procedures.

Here's a tank of a customer thats just absolutely polluted with them, it's pretty easily avoided. They irritate coral and most of your tanks inhabitants.

I get that, and I agree I have been relying on luck. What are the chances of getting it in the way I described above? What is the likelihood?

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

I get that, and I agree I have been relying on luck. What are the chances of getting it in the way I described above? What is the likelihood?

Pretty good chances I'd say, that's why they come in on frags allot, they reproduce and split pretty easily, they also survive in plumbing pipes with water running through it, they will live in your overflow, they were designed to live and spread...

 

[blaxsun]

I get that, and I agree I have been relying on luck. What are the chances of getting it in the way I described above? What is the likelihood?

I get my corals from a LFS that is aiptasia-free (yes, the corals go through a several month quarantine process). But I still dip my corals. I've never had any aiptasia nor is it something I would like to spring up based on the horror stories from everyone else.

 

[Idech]

I think you should be very concerned. Unless you don’t add anything ever again, it’s going to come to you. I dip and take precautions and I have been dealing with them for a while.

I don’t know if it’s even possible not to have them in a reef tank. You might have them in rock crevices and just haven’t seen them yet.

 

[I never finish anythi]

Just like a dandelion

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I get that, and I agree I have been relying on luck. What are the chances of getting it in the way I described above? What is the likelihood?

Many stores allow aiptasia to grow in order to feed peppermint shrimp or berghias. As for avoiding getting it in your system, remove corals from frag plugs or rocks that came from the store, inspect the skeletons for any aiptasia, and if found, inject with Aiptasia -X or something similar before you put it in your tank.
Same inspection for snails/hermit crabs - you can also scrub the shells with a toothbrush in a small container of tank water and then rinse in another container before adding to the tank.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I think you should be very concerned. Unless you don’t add anything ever again, it’s going to come to you. I dip and take precautions and I have been dealing with them for a while.

I don’t know if it’s even possible not to have them in a reef tank. You might have them in rock crevices and just haven’t seen them yet.

Dips don't kill aiptasia

 

[Jeff-Ft-Lauderdale]

I think you should be very concerned. Unless you don’t add anything ever again, it’s going to come to you. I dip and take precautions and I have been dealing with them for a while.

I don’t know if it’s even possible not to have them in a reef tank. You might have them in rock crevices and just haven’t seen them yet.

Possible. I have been told my water is unusually clean (not taking credit for it...I inherited this tank as a cast off from an experienced reefer). I have been told Aiptasia prefers dirty water. The canister filter is fairly new (the original died and I had to replace it). The overflow has a transparent back...I am currently not seeing anything there or in the main part of the display. It is entirely possible they are hiding in the rocks somewhere, but I was also told they require light.

 

[Jeff-Ft-Lauderdale]

Dips don't kill aiptasia

I actually just read about that recently, and found it weird. It seems like something that should work.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Also note that some varieties don't reproduce very quickly and can easily be managed.

 

[Jeff-Ft-Lauderdale]

Also note that some varieties don't reproduce very quickly and can easily be managed.

There are varieties?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I actually just read about that recently, and found it weird. It seems like something that should work.

Any dip that will reliably kill an anemone will also kill the coral... "should" doesn't matter, lol

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

There are varieties?

Many, many.

 

[Jeff-Ft-Lauderdale]

Many, many.

I ask because I have never seen people talk about specific varieties. They talk about it like it is one species.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I ask because I have never seen people talk about specific varieties. They talk about it like it is one species.

For example, aiptasia anemones native to the Gulf of Mexico are very slow spreaders.

 

[Jared Bryant]

I ask because I have never seen people talk about specific varieties. They talk about it like it is one species.

That's because they are all bad and are removed with the same process. No need to differentiate.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I ask because I have never seen people talk about specific varieties. They talk about it like it is one species.

Probably because there's no good way to know where it originated from (unless you sourced the rock yourself from the ocean), and it's better at times to err on the side of caution.

I had 2 large, quite pretty aiptasia nems in my tank for several years that never reproduced...

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

That's because they are all bad and are removed with the same process. No need to differentiate.

Only bad if they become invasive... I agree that it's best to treat them all the same since most don't want to take the chance, but they're not the boogyman everyone seems to make them out to be.