The Aiptasia Haters Thread

[JoJosReef]

Lots of lovers threads hereabouts. How about a haters thread? I hate aiptasia. It is the couch crasher that won't leave and keeps inviting their friends over until you make them leave. When I shut down my Evo and transferred out everything but the sand, there was one macrofauna left in the tank: an aiptasia that had a foothold in the middle-chamber drain hole that I'd plugged up.

Haters, if you're ever feeling sad or blue about your aiptasia infestation, I recommend watching this video I came across on the Biota peppermint shrimp site (middle photo is a video), surely to bring a smile to your face:
https://shop.thebiotagroup.com/collections/invertebrates/products/peppermint-shrimp
Hater's gonna hate!

 

[bluemon]

This is one of the few pests I was incredibly lucky to not have run into much in my 10+ years of reefing.

I think I had to kill 2 over the 10+ years, and they went away quick with one squeeze of Aiptasia-X.

I am fortunate enough that I have LFS nearby that are clean enough, and hobbyists that I can get other frags from (who also have minimal aiptasia problems)

That being said, my real hatred is with vermetids.

 

[JoJosReef]

This is one of the few pests I was incredibly lucky to not have run into much in my 10+ years of reefing.

I think I had to kill 2 over the 10+ years, and they went away quick with one squeeze of Aiptasia-X.

I am fortunate enough that I have LFS nearby that are clean enough, and hobbyists that I can get other frags from (who also have minimal aiptasia problems)

That being said, my real hatred is with vermetids.

That'll be the next thread I'm sure. Vermetids are relentless.

Aiptasia also gets out of hand if you don't obliterate them the moment you see them.

My biggest regret in reefing is saying "I'll get to that later".

 

[rblackmon89]

Lots of lovers threads hereabouts. How about a haters thread? I hate aiptasia. It is the couch crasher that won't leave and keeps inviting their friends over until you make them leave. When I shut down my Evo and transferred out everything but the sand, there was one macrofauna left in the tank: an aiptasia that had a foothold in the middle-chamber drain hole that I'd plugged up.

Haters, if you're ever feeling sad or blue about your aiptasia infestation, I recommend watching this video I came across on the Biota peppermint shrimp site (middle photo is a video), surely to bring a smile to your face:
https://shop.thebiotagroup.com/collections/invertebrates/products/peppermint-shrimp
Hater's gonna hate!

They are going to town on that thing!

 

[paragrouper]

I find them from time to time in the tank and they suffer a quick death. I usually will pull the rock and positively remove it.

the exception: they got into my AIO chambers and my refugium. I dropped a peppermint shrimp into the refugium and he made quick work of them. Now I’m down to dealing with the AIO chambers.

oddly enough, I recently acquired a tiny little Molly Miller Blenny from Biota. We turned off the lights, acclimated him and put him in the tank. As expected the little guy immediately headed for the rocks and disappeared. My wife found him five days later, sitting on a ledge in the AIO next to a heater. The little guy managed to squeeze in there somehow. The other remarkable thing: there was two Aiptasia that had set up shop in the bottom of that chamber, but now they’re gone.

That ugly little guy is now my favorite fish.

 

[rennjidk]

 

[Jmp998]

No you’ve got it all wrong. Aiptasia are beautiful precious jewels of the ocean. Feed them, love them, share them with your friends. You will soon have a bounty of exotic, hardy sea life and be the envy of your reef club.

And in just a few short months, I will be happy to sell you as many Berghia as you like!

 

[LuizW13]

I have one of those Biota Peppermint Shrimps. It seems to eat Aptasia on occasion- there have been some that have disappeared, but others are still around.

 

[Legendary Corals]

This is one of the few pests I was incredibly lucky to not have run into much in my 10+ years of reefing.

I think I had to kill 2 over the 10+ years, and they went away quick with one squeeze of Aiptasia-X.

I am fortunate enough that I have LFS nearby that are clean enough, and hobbyists that I can get other frags from (who also have minimal aiptasia problems)

That being said, my real hatred is with vermetids.

Have you tried bumblebee snails? They love to go to town on vermetids and also look cute. Just be careful once they wipe our your vermetid population, as they will get hungry and start going after your beneficial snails.

 

[Legendary Corals]

Who here has been in the hobby long enough to remember local fish stores selling the super big ones as "Glass Anemones" and charging $10-$20 for one?

 

[JoJosReef]

No you’ve got it all wrong. Aiptasia are beautiful precious jewels of the ocean. Feed them, love them, share them with your friends. You will soon have a bounty of exotic, hardy sea life and be the envy of your reef club.

And in just a few short months, I will be happy to sell you as many Berghia as you like!

Pet them with a pipette tip as well, they love that.

 

[blaxsun]

Don't have aiptasia - never had aiptasia - had to live vicariously through all of you. Can I hate anyway? :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

 

[Jmp998]

Who here has been in the hobby long enough to remember local fish stores selling the super big ones as "Glass Anemones" and charging $10-$20 for one?

I remember one LFS in the ?late 90's that sold them as baby Caribbean Curlique anemones (Bartholomea).

 

[paragrouper]

In my first reef tank, circa 1990, I had a bunch of them come in on my live rock. I thought I was the reefing king with all those anemones.

 

[JoJosReef]

In my first reef tank, circa 1990, I had a bunch of them come in on my live rock. I thought I was the reefing king with all those anemones.

"Oh, they must have split again!"

 

[Reefolution]

They are the bane of my existence. I've tried peppermint shrimp, berghia , file fish, aptasia-X. I'm still losing the battle.

 

[mrpontiac80]

Oof… I just got done injecting a ton with franks aiptaisa. I recently placed a copperband into the tank and I’m hoping it thrives and takes up a taste for those pests!

And I agree. If you see one take care of it right then!!! The worst is when I’m trying to kill them and I think I’ve got them all and after I clean up my mess I see several more. :confounded-face:

 

[reefadam]

I always find it funny that at one point during the early days they were considered “desirable” as something that would survive… and I keep waiting for it come full circle where some “Ultra Grand Master Curly Cue Deep Mist Aiptasia” becomes the hottest thing.

 

[JoJosReef]

And I agree. If you see one take care of it right then!!! The worst is when I’m trying to kill them and I think I’ve got them all and after I clean up my mess I see several more. :confounded-face:

That is the worst. Just dried off, just cleaned the injecting equipment, having a look as your masterpiece... what's that? I missed one? Two? :angry-face:

 

[ScottJ]

Spawn of Satan is what they are!