Aiptasia Disappeared or Shrunk?!

[NeuroticAquatics]

I was not sure which forum to put this, so feel free to move if it is misplaced...

I've never seen this before...I have a 240g that is mostly FOWLR but I've added a few corals from my reef just to see how they do. Those were added 6-12 months ago. I've always had some aiptasia but it was largely on one rock that has some Meteor Shower and I believe some monti. There were probably 50+ on there. I just came out and ALL the aiptasia are gone or at least appear shriveled up tight. Fish seem fine, corals seem fine, other than my one frag of "blah" plays is closed up. There were other aiptasia on some powerheads and rocks and those appear gone/shriveled up as well. Nitrates are zero, dKH looks about 7, pH looks about 8.0-8.2. Nothing new or different other than I cleaned my skimmer in vinegar/water last weekend (but rinsed it really well afterwards). Any ideas?

I can see one Aiptasia kinda popping out, but that's it. To the left of the Meteor Shower is where they used to be...you could not see rock there were so many...

 

[NeuroticAquatics]

Not sure how well they show up but you can kinda see them on this picture.

 

[wkscott]

Trust me. It's not a miracle that they are all gone. They are still there just messing with your mind. They may have decided to move for now, but they'll be back soon enough...and in full force.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Do you have any angels in the tank?

 

[NeuroticAquatics]

I have a Potters but it's been in there for 7 months and it has shown zero interest in the zoas or aiptasia.

 

[NeuroticAquatics]

I know they are not gone, but I've been doing saltwater for probably 30 years and have never seen this happen.

 

[NeuroticAquatics]

Fish are:
Powder Blue Tang (which just came down with Ich after everything has been QTd)
Magnificent Foxface
Hippo Tang
Flame Hawk
Potters Angel
Blue lip Bristletooth Tang

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I have a Potters but it's been in there for 7 months and it has shown zero interest in the zoas or aiptasia.

Hmm. I have a Pygmy cherub an also my apstaisa have disappeared

 

[wkscott]

I know they are not gone, but I've been doing saltwater for probably 30 years and have never seen this happen.

I don't have any aiptasia currently but I had many about 30 years ago in my FOWLR. Same thing happened to me. They all seemed to disappear for about a week snd then they came back with a vengeance. Finally added a copperband butterfly and he took care of them for good.

 

[NeuroticAquatics]

Oddly enough, I am getting a FileFish from a local reefer on Monday. Maybe they heard and have gone into a fallout shelter?

I'm hoping the PBT can ride out the Ich, as I was planning to redo flooring this summer and would rather QT/ treat and go fallow when I have to move this beast tank. That's another story for another day.

 

[NeuroticAquatics]

Hmm. I have a Pygmy cherub an also my apstaisa have disappeared

I have a Cherub in my reef and 3-4 aiptasia (and many zoa/palys) that it totally ignores. Would be cool if it decided to take the aiptasia out.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I have a Cherub in my reef and 3-4 aiptasia (and many zoa/palys) that it totally ignores. Would be cool if it decided to take the aiptasia out.

mine only ignores the one large aiptasia in the 55g. I have a lot more in the 30..

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

My Chelmon marginalis (a type of copperband butterfly) consumed a massive infestation of aiptasia, but it took a while.

 

[jason2459]

This is interesting. I know of another member on another forum that had a mysterious aiptasia disappearance just recently.

I usually have a couple in my DT but my peppermint shimp keep then at bay. I do have a matted file fish fish that decided to not read it's description as an aiptasia eating filefish and never touches them....

But I always have quite a lot in my sump which I don't mind them there and found them to be good filter feeders. I know some people have xenia and aiptasia refugiums for nutrient reduction. Don't know how well that works but it has a few people that do it.

Where I'm going with this.... lol I to just recently in the past couple weeks have noticed the aiptasia I do have in my sump have greatly reduced in number and the ones that are there are shriveled up pretty pathetic looking.


Where I'm really going with this... IT'S ALIENS!!! <cue meme>


Only explanation.

 

[NeuroticAquatics]

I was thinking aliens or Trump has something to do with it. Maybe Obama? [emoji3] It has gotta be one of those three.

I got home today and it's still the same. The thing that concerns me now is that the zoas still have not opened and my green monti cap that I moved from my reef tank, that actually looked happier in my 240g, looks bleached today. Something is going on. I'm going to retest tomorrow...

 

[jason2459]

calibrate what can be calibrated and test. Salinity? pH?

How are you measuring Salinity and how is it calibrated? pH calibrated with 7 and 10 solution?

 

[NeuroticAquatics]

pH was like 8.0-8.2, salinity was a little low at 1.023 (hydrometer)

 

[NeuroticAquatics]

Looks like all corals are toast, so something is out of whack. My green monti cap is white, the monti and Meteor Shower near the aiptasia is looking dead or close. My Hollywood stunner looked perfect a couple days ago and is getting white streaks.

 

[NeuroticAquatics]

 

[NeuroticAquatics]

I pulled my orange lepastrea, some of the stunner, the closed zoas and a piece of the Meteor Shower yesterday and it seems okay in my reef so far. Kinda just rinsed it off and threw it in and realized afterwards that my PBT has Ich (but looking ok) so could have just introduced that. Stupid move, I know.