When did Aptasia become such a big deal

Reef Puncher

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Sure. I have them irritate some corals from time to time and those are the ones that I have to zap.

Another thing, why do we all think they're so hard to get rid of?
I have been using kalkwasser paste on a q-tip for 15 years and it's been working fine.
for me they are a NIGHTMARE. as fast as i can kill them they come back. every week i kill a dozen more with aiptasia x. i cant figure out why they multiple so fast. i wish my corals grew that fast sheesh.
 

Jmp998

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Fear mongering does help Berghia farmers
If your tank has a very small/stable population of Aiptasia, Berghia are not appropriate, and I routinely tell potential buyers that. However for many, the Aiptasia population grows rapidly and becomes either an eyesore or frankly destructive to more desirable corals. In that situation Berghia are one of several reasonable options to try to control Aiptasia. Unfortunately none of the options are perfect or work for everyone.

Berghia work best when there are many Aiptasia so they can feed and breed.
 

exnisstech

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You claim they are easy to get rid of. And yet, you still have them... 20 years later.

So clearly they are not easy to get rid of.

I have zero that I know of in my display, but there are some in my QT tank. And I see it go down the same way every single time: If I see one, and don't zap it, in a week it will be ten.
My experience has been the opposite. Trying to eradicate them with kalk paste or other methods caused them to spread. I stopped trying to kill them all and they stopped multiplying and grew larger.
Now I keep CBB in larger tanks and peppermint shrimp in smaller tanks and that keeps the aiptasia confined to the overflow and sump. I have not tried nudibrachs because they would be an expensive treat for fish.
 

Scottiemac

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Seems as though the OP hasn't been following the hobby much. Aiptasia is a nuisance that can get out of hand. If you have one you have a dozen. And if you can't keep up with the ones you can see they'll overrun the entire tank.

Aiptasia made me quit the hobby in around 2014. When I got back into it last year I swore I'd never put anything in the tank that wasn't thoroughly inspected first. No live rock whatsoever. No fish that might later consume the inverts I might get when aiptasia eventually did find its way into my tank.

Back in the early days of the hobby, aiptasia was sought after. It was a sign that the aquarist was doing everything right. It wasn't until later that we all learned what a nuisance these things are.
 
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cilyjr

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Not that fine if you have still have then…. :grimacing-face:
Well that's my point, I have never cared about a few here or there.

My tank is large and I cannot reach the bottom of the Middle of the tank towards the back. Anyone that's made it there gets to stay.
 

rhaetuluscrenatus

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I have thousands in the over flow and sump, but nearly zero in the displaytank, so i'm happy with them like another nutrient export.

IMG_9782.jpeg
 

rtparty

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They are ugly, kill corals I care to keep, spread like crazy, and can survive a nuclear war. They provide absoutely nothing positive to a system. Therefore, they are not wanted or welcome in any of my systems
 

timmyrules

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Honestly, I’ve never had an aiptasia issue. There was one that came in on a frag plug….at the time, I didn’t know what to do, so I started scraping it. But that only caused it to multiply…so then there was four, so I destroyed them with aiptasia-X. And I haven’t seen any since then….but I agree with others in saying that they are ugly!
 
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cilyjr

cilyjr

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Seems as though the OP hasn't been following the hobby much. Aiptasia is a nuisance that can get out of hand. If you have one you have a dozen. And if you can't keep up with the ones you can see they'll overrun the entire tank.
This has not been my experience in the last 20 ish years.
 

chip shop

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Seems as though the OP hasn't been following the hobby much. Aiptasia is a nuisance that can get out of hand. If you have one you have a dozen. And if you can't keep up with the ones you can see they'll overrun the entire tank.

Aiptasia made me quit the hobby in around 2014. When I got back into it last year I swore I'd never put anything in the tank that wasn't thoroughly inspected first. No live rock whatsoever. No fish that might later consume the inverts I might get when aiptasia eventually did find its way into my tank.

Back in the early days of the hobby, aiptasia was sought after. It was a sign that the aquarist was doing everything right. It wasn't until later that we all learned what a nuisance these things are.
Not for us it wasn’t,used to use the boiling water or lemon juice to keep them in control people used to boil there rock to try and rid them so don’t think it’s a new thing because of man made rock there just not a good thing to have in tank and never have been
 

kingranch2003

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everyone is obsessed with having a “picture perfect” tank rather than a reef they think is cool and looks like an actual piece of the ocean
Some actual pieces of the ocean are loaded with plastic and pollution. I guess it's just what piece of it you want to sink your hard earned money into and look at everyday.
 

Scottiemac

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This has not been my experience in the last 20 ish years.
Then you've been fortunate and know what you're doing. Lots of people get one or two as hitchhikers and are able to keep it from becoming an infestation.

The problem is more for newer reefers, of which I was one of on my first tank. We didn't realize that what we were doing might be aiding the infestation, and by the time we figured all of that out it was late. Even getting the right peppermint shrimp (as opposed to camel shrimp, which are often sold as peppermint) has no effect once the infestation gets out of control.

An experienced reefer now knows to do whatever it takes to prevent the introduction of aiptasia in the first place. I'm more alert for them now than I was with my first tank, and so when I eventually do get hit I'll know what to do.

But for the inexperienced reefer who has put in a few thousand on livestock and now has a tank full of aiptasia? Yeah, that's a problem.

It's not just since the pandemic, as per your original post. We had been discussing the problems with aiptasia for years before I left the hobby in 2014.
 

Jmp998

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If they don’t become a problem in your tank, enjoy this small blessing. For many they do become a problem that needs to be dealt with. Our tanks are complex systems and experiences vary.
 

Scottiemac

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Not for us it wasn’t,used to use the boiling water or lemon juice to keep them in control people used to boil there rock to try and rid them so don’t think it’s a new thing because of man made rock there just not a good thing to have in tank and never have been
I remember my uncle in 1978 with the first saltwater tank I'd ever seen. He was showing it off to me and pointing out all of the glass anemones that he was so proud of.
 

BeanAnimal

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Well that's my point, I have never cared about a few here or there.

My tank is large and I cannot reach the bottom of the Middle of the tank towards the back. Anyone that's made it there gets to stay.

And that is my point :)

The real answer to your opening question is simple. Aiptasia is highly prolific and not easy to get rid of once it takes hold. The same (or worse) holds true for any prolific coral or anemone, be it mojano anemones, mushrooms or leathers. etc. I can walk away from my tank for 6 months and not worry about coming back to an aiptasia or majano farm. You can't.

I wish that I could say the same about the danged red mushrooms in my case... but I can't.
 
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