Yet another, "Is this aiptasia?" post

[Ridgeback1]

What think? Aiptasia or a benign other type of anemone? Came in on live rock that I got last week.

 

[Asm481]

Congrats on being the new owner of Aptaisia. It's a fun battle. Spreads like wild fire. If it is on just one rock get it out.

 

[fishface NJ]

Sorry but yes it is

 

[DSC reef]

Unfortunately yes. If its possible since its not an outbreak yet I'd suggest removing the rock from the tank and then removing the aptasia from the rock but make sure you get all of it and rinse real good before putting it back in the tank.

 

[BryanM]

Looks like aptasia to me.

 

[Ridgeback1]

Thanks, all. Joe's Juice directly into the oral disc and it's now...gone.

 

[Uncle99]

Thanks, all. Joe's Juice directly into the oral disc and it's now...gone.

Keep an eye….I see 3-4 Aptasia.

If there’s one, there’s two, where there’s two, there’s four.

 

[Ridgeback1]

Keep an eye….I see 3-4 Aptasia.

If there’s one, there’s two, where there’s two, there’s four.

Yeah, I see what you mean...didn't notice it until you pointed it out. It's about at 11 o'clock from the original one if it was at 6 o'clock. It has a different color now that the lights have come on (the tentacles are orange) and it doesn't have a (visible) stalk (which may mean the stalk is down a rock hole, I guess). I was thinking it was a Hidden Cup coral. It doesn't have the stringy aiptasia tentacles--they look more rounded at the end. Should I not risk it and just take it (and others like it) out? In my other tank I have hitchhiker non-aiptasia anemones and Hidden Cup corals which have been well-behaved for years--they keep growing but haven't split off and spread at all...so I like them.

 

[BubbleAlgaeFarmer]

Welcome to the war! There will be many battles and i’m not sure if there ever is a victor

 

[serval]

It looks more like Bellactis lux to me, which is in Gulf live rock and is in the same family as Aiptasia but does not spread. I had several in my live rock and I didn’t like or trust them so I used F Aiptasia to kill them. It took awhile, just fyi. I got a Molly Miller blenny as well to hopefully take care of any small ones. I haven’t seen one since Fall.

 

[Uncle99]

Yeah, I see what you mean...didn't notice it until you pointed it out. It's about at 11 o'clock from the original one if it was at 6 o'clock. It has a different color now that the lights have come on (the tentacles are orange) and it doesn't have a (visible) stalk (which may mean the stalk is down a rock hole, I guess). I was thinking it was a Hidden Cup coral. It doesn't have the stringy aiptasia tentacles--they look more rounded at the end. Should I not risk it and just take it (and others like it) out? In my other tank I have hitchhiker non-aiptasia anemones and Hidden Cup corals which have been well-behaved for years--they keep growing but haven't split off and spread at all...so I like them.

For me, I adopt the “when in doubt, take it out” approach to be safe.

In the case of Aptasia, my Copperband cleared 100% in 30days. Not seen an Aptasia in years now.

But that’s just my take, different reefers like different things.