What is this

rinconmike · 01/23/2012, 06:57 AM

Last summer I purchased some polyps for my 29 biocube from Liveaquaria.

In the last couple of months a couple of these "different" polyps with Tentacles started growing.

Any idea what this is?

thanks,

Mike

sponger0 · 01/23/2012, 07:06 AM

Aiptasia

kikimers13 · 01/23/2012, 07:18 AM

Aiptasia. A nasty little pest. I always get rid of them asap and don't let them get big. You can use aiptasiaX, I've had success with that; there's also other products that can get rid of them. Here's a little rundown about what they are:

"Anyone who possesses a saltwater tank will probably, at one point or another, experience an invasion of Aiptasia. These anemones can become quite hazardous to the flora and fauna in the tank and can cause high stress for the coral and can potentially kill fish as well. They are quite difficult to remove once they have been introduced to the environment, typically as hitchhikers on liverock. It is not uncommon for attempted physical removal to cause an increase in Aiptasia population. Therefore, Berghia Nudibranchs have become a popular means of extricating the pests due to their ability to target only the anemones instead of the rest of the tank, ensuring Aiptasia removal.

This sea anemone maintains a symbiotic relationship with dinoflagellates, or algae, as do many other species of cnidarians. These symbionts provide the Aiptasia with food which primarily consists of sugars and lipids that are produced as a result of photosynthesis. In return, Aiptasia provides the dinoflagellates with inorganic nutrients as well as a protected environment.
The Aiptasia species consists of “weed-like” anemones that are capable of surviving in a number of environments that vary in saline concentrations as well as other water parameters. It is for this reason, combined with the fact that the species is able to reproduce very rapidly, that Aiptasia has become one of the most bothersome pests in saltwater aquariums.
Despite their undesirability in tanks, their fast reproductive processes and resiliency has made them excellent objects of study in laboratories. Because of this, Aiptasia has become the source of much knowledge in regards to the biology of cnidarians, particularly in regards to symbiotic relationships between algae and cnidarians. Symbiosis is an integral phenomenon to the survival of ecosystems containing corals. Without the algal symbionts that can be destroyed when coral bleaching occurs during periods of stress, coral reefs can experience devastating effects.
Species of cnidarians are able to have two different forms, this being the medusa or the polyp. Aiptasia, along with all other anthozoans, exist in the polyp form. The body of the anemone consists of a pedal disc which the organism uses to attach to the substrate on which it resides. The column of the body is elongated and smooth and the mouth consists of a disc from which stinging tentacles protrude.

Ways to Control Aiptasia
There are several chemical solutions that are available in order to eliminate Aiptasia. Although they may be effective, they typically contain harmful or toxic substances that can change the chemistry of the tank and even kill other species in the tank.
Other solutions consist of natural predators such as the Copperband butterfly fish, the filefish, and the Peppermint shrimp. Although these fish may attack the Aiptasia, they are usually not safe for reefs and are likely to feed on polyps, sea mats, corals, clams, and other invertebrates. Additionally, these animals are known to browse on Aiptasia but none of them actually consume the anemone as a primary source of food. This means that the anemone will not be fully eradicated from the saltwater tank.
It can be very disheartening when you find Aiptasia within a tank since they are so difficult to remove. However, there are numerous available solutions for getting rid of Aiptasia although there is certainly one which has been shown to be the most effective – the Berghia Nudibranch." -http://aiptasia.ca/

Sugar Magnolia · 01/23/2012, 07:29 AM

Wow. ^^^ Not sure where that info came from. Aiptaisia aren't hard to remove. Inject them with one of the commercially available products like Joe's Juice, or simply kalk paste or even lemon juice will kill them. You have to be quick and squirt directly into the anemones mouth.

rinconmike · 01/23/2012, 07:41 AM

thanks. Now I thought it was cool add to the tank. I only have polyps and some mushrooms along with a bunch of crabs, a lobster, one cleaner shrimp, an urchin, and a clown.

kikimers13 · 01/23/2012, 08:15 AM

I did post the link the info came from, but just to clarify its http://aiptasia.ca and once there is an infestation they can be hard to get rid of especially when they get tucked into places that are hard to reach. One is hardly what I would consider a big problem, its the multiples. Though I think the main point of the article I quoted was that the chemical variations of removal can potentially cause damage to the parameters and certain inhabitants (not all chemical versions, just some), therefore it can be hard to get rid of them with a natural source. I know quite a few reefers in my area who prefer a natural approach so I just posted the first few paragraphs of the article for some general info.

sdc19982002 · 01/23/2012, 10:14 AM

I actually bought two peppermint shrimp yesterday for the three aptasia that i've noticed and overnight they are gone. Dont know if they will come back but am excited to see progress anyway. I've tried joes juice in the past and they come back in the same place a few days later.

01/23/2012, 07:18 AM	#3
kikimers13 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Bend, OR Posts: 91	Aiptasia. A nasty little pest. I always get rid of them asap and don't let them get big. You can use aiptasiaX, I've had success with that; there's also other products that can get rid of them. Here's a little rundown about what they are: "Anyone who possesses a saltwater tank will probably, at one point or another, experience an invasion of Aiptasia. These anemones can become quite hazardous to the flora and fauna in the tank and can cause high stress for the coral and can potentially kill fish as well. They are quite difficult to remove once they have been introduced to the environment, typically as hitchhikers on liverock. It is not uncommon for attempted physical removal to cause an increase in Aiptasia population. Therefore, Berghia Nudibranchs have become a popular means of extricating the pests due to their ability to target only the anemones instead of the rest of the tank, ensuring Aiptasia removal. This sea anemone maintains a symbiotic relationship with dinoflagellates, or algae, as do many other species of cnidarians. These symbionts provide the Aiptasia with food which primarily consists of sugars and lipids that are produced as a result of photosynthesis. In return, Aiptasia provides the dinoflagellates with inorganic nutrients as well as a protected environment. The Aiptasia species consists of “weed-like” anemones that are capable of surviving in a number of environments that vary in saline concentrations as well as other water parameters. It is for this reason, combined with the fact that the species is able to reproduce very rapidly, that Aiptasia has become one of the most bothersome pests in saltwater aquariums. Despite their undesirability in tanks, their fast reproductive processes and resiliency has made them excellent objects of study in laboratories. Because of this, Aiptasia has become the source of much knowledge in regards to the biology of cnidarians, particularly in regards to symbiotic relationships between algae and cnidarians. Symbiosis is an integral phenomenon to the survival of ecosystems containing corals. Without the algal symbionts that can be destroyed when coral bleaching occurs during periods of stress, coral reefs can experience devastating effects. Species of cnidarians are able to have two different forms, this being the medusa or the polyp. Aiptasia, along with all other anthozoans, exist in the polyp form. The body of the anemone consists of a pedal disc which the organism uses to attach to the substrate on which it resides. The column of the body is elongated and smooth and the mouth consists of a disc from which stinging tentacles protrude. Ways to Control Aiptasia There are several chemical solutions that are available in order to eliminate Aiptasia. Although they may be effective, they typically contain harmful or toxic substances that can change the chemistry of the tank and even kill other species in the tank. Other solutions consist of natural predators such as the Copperband butterfly fish, the filefish, and the Peppermint shrimp. Although these fish may attack the Aiptasia, they are usually not safe for reefs and are likely to feed on polyps, sea mats, corals, clams, and other invertebrates. Additionally, these animals are known to browse on Aiptasia but none of them actually consume the anemone as a primary source of food. This means that the anemone will not be fully eradicated from the saltwater tank. It can be very disheartening when you find Aiptasia within a tank since they are so difficult to remove. However, there are numerous available solutions for getting rid of Aiptasia although there is certainly one which has been shown to be the most effective – the Berghia Nudibranch." -http://aiptasia.ca/ __________________ [20gL nano tank cycling...] Current Tank Info: Brand new 20L nano reef in progress

01/23/2012, 07:29 AM	#4
Sugar Magnolia Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Northern VA Posts: 17,691	Wow. ^^^ Not sure where that info came from. Aiptaisia aren't hard to remove. Inject them with one of the commercially available products like Joe's Juice, or simply kalk paste or even lemon juice will kill them. You have to be quick and squirt directly into the anemones mouth. __________________ Adrienne The only thing to fear is fear itself....and spiders.

01/23/2012, 08:15 AM	#6
kikimers13 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Bend, OR Posts: 91	I did post the link the info came from, but just to clarify its http://aiptasia.ca and once there is an infestation they can be hard to get rid of especially when they get tucked into places that are hard to reach. One is hardly what I would consider a big problem, its the multiples. Though I think the main point of the article I quoted was that the chemical variations of removal can potentially cause damage to the parameters and certain inhabitants (not all chemical versions, just some), therefore it can be hard to get rid of them with a natural source. I know quite a few reefers in my area who prefer a natural approach so I just posted the first few paragraphs of the article for some general info. __________________ [20gL nano tank cycling...] Current Tank Info: Brand new 20L nano reef in progress

01/23/2012, 07:06 AM	#2
sponger0 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 6,659	Aiptasia

01/23/2012, 10:14 AM	#7
sdc19982002 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Wills Point,Texas Posts: 925	I actually bought two peppermint shrimp yesterday for the three aptasia that i've noticed and overnight they are gone. Dont know if they will come back but am excited to see progress anyway. I've tried joes juice in the past and they come back in the same place a few days later.