Aiptasia?

dowsetts101 · Dec 29, 2018

Just got back from a week away and found this present sitting in my tank waiting for me?

I’m pretty sure that it’s aiptasia, but this is the first time I’ve seen anything like it in the tank...it’s all been good hitchhikers so far!!!

Brad Miller · Dec 29, 2018

Looks like it to me

Gonebad395 · Dec 29, 2018

Appears to be a syringe and some lemon juice will make it go away

dowsetts101 · Dec 29, 2018

Gonebad395 said:
Appears to be a syringe and some lemon juice will make it go away

So when you say syringe, you mean a needle tipped one and inject the lemon juice into the body of the Aiptasia, or just a syringe without the needle to spray the area around the aiptasia?

Sorry, first time with one of these, so will need to do some research!!,

luisgo · Dec 30, 2018

A Peppermint shrimp will eat it!!

dowsetts101 · Dec 30, 2018

Ok...done some research (thanks YouTube) and gone out and bought a syringe and have injected it with the lemon juice. Shriveled right up, so hopefully I have it a good dose.

Now just to watch for the next ones I suppose!!!

dowsetts101 · Dec 30, 2018

luisgo said:
A Peppermint shrimp will eat it!!

So if I only have a small number of aiptasia is it still worth getting a peppermint shrimp...it won’t starve if there aren’t enough aiptasia will it?

lapin · Dec 30, 2018

dowsetts101 said:
So if I only have a small number of aiptasia is it still worth getting a peppermint shrimp...it won’t starve if there aren’t enough aiptasia will it?

If you are the lucky one you only had 1 aptasia. Most people have more than 1 but dont see the small ones hidden away. If let go they can get out of control. Before going the shrimp route I would keep an eye out for more. If in fact you do get more and can not keep up with injecting them with stuff you can get the shrimp. You will still need to kill off any large ones the shrimp dont eat. They will eat other stuff when the aptasia are gone. Sometimes this is your coral. You can trap them and trade them to your lfs if it becomes a problem. P shrimp are pretty much nocturnal and hide under rock and in crevasses. I have 2 or 3 that live in my tank. I see them if I get up just before sunrise.