LFS Aiptasia Everywhere. Normal?

[HB AL]

I’m sure many of the online vendors have some aiptasia in there tanks, we just don’t see them since we don’t actually physically visit the store. As another poster mentioned I would be more concerned with the quality/health of the corals than seeing some aiptasia in the tanks.

 

[Jeeperz]

Like others have said, a lot of stores have it. When I go to the 3 kinda local stores by me, the next city over, their tanks have either dead fish in them, massive aiptasia, flatworms, or ich. So I don't buy from them. The Petco down the street takes better care. I don't understand how these people work in these stores every day and it seems they spend zero amount of that time on cleaning the tanks. These are not employees of the store but the actual owners that are there 5+ days a week. I'll buy from online or wait till I go to Portland, but every store I've been to there also has either aiptasia, flatworms or sick fish.

 

[Nooooooooob1]

Walk away! My LFS has them all over the place as well. I'm doing a reboot right now because their live rock infected my system. This stuff is no joke.

 

[BeejReef]

I think most any large system with frequent additions is going to have some pests like bubble algae and aptasia.
The only part that would trouble me is that they allow it to be obvious. If they don't take enough pride to remove ones big enough to have a price tag, what else are they skimping on?

 

[erk]

I don't really understand the issues people have with aiptasia. My overflow has tons in it and they provide a decent cleanup service. My sump was infested with thousands of them. DT had a couple here and there. I introduced a matted filefish and berghia and there is nothing in the sump or DT now. It didn't happen overnight, but I was patient. I don't pass up a healthy coral that I want just because it has aiptasia. Aiptasia is VERY common and something you need to learn to live with if you are in this hobby.

Pests you SHOULD pass up on:
- AEFW or signs of possible AEFW
- Monti Nudis (these things are demon spawn)
- Red/Black bugs (annoying pests that require tank treatment)
- Brown Jelly Infections (Not worth the risk introducing infectious bacteria to your tank)
- Zoa Spider (These aren't too bad if you catch them early)

 

[BeejReef]

I don't really understand the issues people have with aiptasia. My overflow has tons in it and they provide a decent cleanup service. My sump was infested with thousands of them. DT had a couple here and there. I introduced a matted filefish and berghia and there is nothing in the sump or DT now. It didn't happen overnight, but I was patient. I don't pass up a healthy coral that I want just because it has aiptasia. Aiptasia is VERY common and something you need to learn to live with if you are in this hobby.

Pests you SHOULD pass up on:
- AEFW or signs of possible AEFW
- Monti Nudis (these things are demon spawn)
- Red/Black bugs (annoying pests that require tank treatment)
- Brown Jelly Infections (Not worth the risk introducing infectious bacteria to your tank)
- Zoa Spider (These aren't too bad if you catch them early)

How long did your berghia take? Mine got off to a strong start, but no evidence of progress for a couple weeks and the aptasia are growing hard under my new lights.

 

[scott11106]

DONT DO IT !!!!

NEVER BUY ANYTHING THAT HAS VISIBLE ISSUES

 

[scott11106]

FOR EVERY ISSUE/PEST YOU SEE THERE WILL BE ONES YOU DONT.

i was carefull and i still got aptasia in my tank now i fight it weekly and cant stop it from spreading. now i go back to the LFS i purchased the questionable frag and see they have aptasia everywhere....and gave it to me :mad::mad::mad::mad:

 

[HB AL]

Tank at smoke shop, biggest aiptasia I've ever seen, biggest ones are 3 inches across.

 

[erk]

How long did your berghia take? Mine got off to a strong start, but no evidence of progress for a couple weeks and the aptasia are growing hard under my new lights.

I got tiny berghia, <1/4 inch long. Took probably near 6 months for them to make a large impact. They don't really go after the big aiptasia.

 

[erk]

FOR EVERY ISSUE/PEST YOU SEE THERE WILL BE ONES YOU DONT.

i was carefull and i still got aptasia in my tank now i fight it weekly and cant stop it from spreading. now i go back to the LFS i purchased the questionable frag and see they have aptasia everywhere....and gave it to me :mad::mad::mad::mad:

For every aiptasia you can see, there are many more that you can't. I've purchased so many frags that have a tiny aiptasia polyp and I had no idea.

If you have aiptasia spreading, then you are giving it a reason to spread. In my experience, the aiptasia only start spreading quickly if I harass them. If they just eat, then they spread very slowly. Any attempt to kill them just stresses them and causes them to spread. I've found F-Aiptasia works well to kill them and keep them from spreading. I only use it on large aiptasia though. Smaller ones can be easily eradicated via natural methods/predators.

 

[Jeeperz]

I guess I'm just lucky. Every store I've been to in the Portland area has aiptasia. I've been to a half dozen, or more, of them. I've purchased coral from most. Never had an aiptasia make it into my tanks. I have dealt with flatworms from them though. If you look hard enough I bet most all fish stores with any kind of stock have aiptasia.

 

[Brian Kennedy]

My current tank inhabitants came from two suppliers. One very well respected online shop that I buy coral from and recently one LFS that I bought chaeto from. Online shop came with an aiptasia that I missed on one plug and another plug started growing a single bubble algae polyp, both identified in the DT. The chaeto had aiptasia and a few other nasties that I picked out. I’m reluctant to say because I couldn’t catch it and properly ID but I believe I saw a 1/4 inch monti nudi blow across the tank last night. If the best of the best suppliers have issues I think the key is to understanding that every supplier has parasites and undesirables of some sort. Proper selection, QT and due diligence is key.

 

[bnguyen714]

They will sting zoas to death and overtake your tank. Took me 5 years to eradicate them completely and I’m the lucky few.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Shame on them. No excuse and questions overall management of their system. They like likely have it also within their plumbing and sump systems

 

[Brad Vaughn]

I pass. I get them out immediately if I ever see them. I don't want spores coming home on my frags. I appreciate LFS that take the time to manage their systems.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Definitely avoid if you see that kind of infestation. Best practice is to quarantine all new additions to avoid adding any pests to your tank. Aiptasia are evil and resilient

 

[Jvesche20]

My lfs is the same way. First started with a small frag that wasn't noticeable. The co-owner when I was checking out looked at my zoa frag and was inspecting it but I didn't know what he was doing. a few weeks later I found out what aiptasia was and saw a few more of them in my tank. next thing you know I have an insane amount and I got rid of the issue in my DT but not my frag tank. I go back to the LFS a year later and their tanks are infested with it. its almost like they don't care.

 

[Deiblerj]

Tank at smoke shop, biggest aiptasia I've ever seen, biggest ones are 3 inches across.

Ummmm do they think those are corals? Lol

 

[HB AL]

Ummmm do they think those are corals? Lol

Nope I told him a year ago when it was a couple, he likes them. He has to small clowns in there but they hide in the back, i wonder if its possible the aiptasia are so big they think they might get eaten, I dont know.