What causes aiptasia anemones?

hopper · 03/24/2006, 09:55 PM

I think I have discovered my first aiptasia anemone after having my reef up for over two years now. Wondering what causes them so I can fix the problem. The one I discovered is attached to the underside of a candy cane coral. I think my LFS has a Copperband Butterfly that I might try to get tomorrow to try and keep them from getting any worse. Will try the Joe's Juice to kill this one for now. Mainly I am concerned about eliminating the source of the problem.

Paintbug · 03/24/2006, 10:00 PM

they are hitchhikers. have you added anything new lately? coral, LR, even snails can carry them into the tank. i have alot of success with Joes Juice myself.

Tu Ku · 03/24/2006, 10:01 PM

God causes aiptasia. To fix them there are a number of options. Copperbad, Raccoon Face, Peppermint shrimp are the known livestock which will eat them. Joe's juice works, you can inject their mouths with a syringe of kalkwasser putty, but do that sparingly. I use the cheapest method of em all. Lime juice. It works great, and immediately. The acidity of the limes kills em, just make sure that you inject it directly into the aiptasia and also use it sparingly. I've never had it affect any of my other corals, sps or soft. It's cheap, never fails, reef safe, and limes are everywhere.

AnAnemone · 03/24/2006, 10:06 PM

Don't get a Copperbanded Butterflyfish to eat one aiptasia.
Also, there is no such thing as a "total killer" for these. Sorry. If there were, we wouldn't have thousands of threads and as many opinions on how to rid them.
TimO

hopper · 03/24/2006, 10:10 PM

Thanks for the tip on the lime juice. I might try that on this one before I go out and buy the Joe's Juice. Haven't added anything to the tank in the past few months. The only thing I did different was to move two or three rocks around a little. The candy cane got moved also and onto one of the rocks that was moved. So maybe this aiptasia was lodged in the rock and finally found a way out? I will try and post a pic tomorrow to make sure that this is indeed aiptasia. Too tired to do it right now. Four hours sleep in two days.

hopper · 03/24/2006, 10:13 PM

I have always thought that CBB's were cool looking fish and had been eyeing this one at the LFS anyway. Need something to replace the Dory fish I lost a few weeks ago. Would get a racoon but I don't think my corals would like me for it.

guitarfish · 03/24/2006, 10:23 PM

I used kalk paste on a larger aptasia and killed it once, but repeated attempts on some smaller ones didn't work - they closed up before I could inject them. One day I saw a suggestion which did work - BOILING WATER.

I got some boiling water, sucked it up into a turkey baster, and blasted the little mothers into oblivion. There weren't any corals nearby, and the fish needed to be kept away, obviously.

Scuba_Dave · 03/24/2006, 10:23 PM

If you do get a CBB you need to make sure it will eat something else besides Aptasia - or it will die

hopper · 03/24/2006, 10:25 PM

I feed a variety of frozen foods. What do they snack on usually?

AnAnemone · 03/24/2006, 10:41 PM

They usually snack on things in the ocean, that we hobbiests rarely ever replicate.
As you say you're replacing a "dory fish" I assume your tank is not one of those.

L8ndeb · 03/25/2006, 01:36 AM

I too had my current tank up and running for a little over two years, when out of nowhere Aptasia appeared. I had not added anything new to the tank for over 6 months.
Anyway, a couple of Peppermint shrimp took care of them in short order.

sinder255248 · 03/25/2006, 03:11 AM

CBB's are fine, I've got one, and as long as you make sure it eats frozen food in the LFS before you buy it will be fine. I feed mine on frozen mysis and brine, and it makes a lovelly addition to the aquarium. It really is a nice fish.

03/24/2006, 09:55 PM	#1
hopper Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Bossier City, La. Posts: 623	What causes aiptasia anemones? I think I have discovered my first aiptasia anemone after having my reef up for over two years now. Wondering what causes them so I can fix the problem. The one I discovered is attached to the underside of a candy cane coral. I think my LFS has a Copperband Butterfly that I might try to get tomorrow to try and keep them from getting any worse. Will try the Joe's Juice to kill this one for now. Mainly I am concerned about eliminating the source of the problem.

03/24/2006, 10:00 PM	#2
Paintbug Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Stoneville, NC Posts: 6,169	they are hitchhikers. have you added anything new lately? coral, LR, even snails can carry them into the tank. i have alot of success with Joes Juice myself. __________________ Never ask a girl over to see your crabs!! <-Tony-> Current Tank Info: NONE currently

03/24/2006, 10:23 PM	#7
guitarfish Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Milford, PA Posts: 2,666	I used kalk paste on a larger aptasia and killed it once, but repeated attempts on some smaller ones didn't work - they closed up before I could inject them. One day I saw a suggestion which did work - BOILING WATER. I got some boiling water, sucked it up into a turkey baster, and blasted the little mothers into oblivion. There weren't any corals nearby, and the fish needed to be kept away, obviously. __________________ "For wisdom is better than corals, and all other delights themselves cannot be made equal to it." (Proverbs 8:11) Current Tank Info: Former tank: 75g AGA MegaFlow, 30g sump, 100lb LR, MAG 9.5, AquaC EV-120w/MAG 5, Aqualight 260w PC

03/25/2006, 01:36 AM	#11
L8ndeb Registered Reef Keeper Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Reno, NV Posts: 1,443	I too had my current tank up and running for a little over two years, when out of nowhere Aptasia appeared. I had not added anything new to the tank for over 6 months. Anyway, a couple of Peppermint shrimp took care of them in short order. __________________ Leyton at Reno Current Tank Info: Custom 200 gal reef cube with a 20 gal sump, 2 AI SOL LED Fixtures, Super Reef Octopus skimmer, custom made calcium reactor, Apex Lite controller with various modules.

03/25/2006, 03:11 AM	#12
sinder255248 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: England Posts: 77	cbb's CBB's are fine, I've got one, and as long as you make sure it eats frozen food in the LFS before you buy it will be fine. I feed mine on frozen mysis and brine, and it makes a lovelly addition to the aquarium. It really is a nice fish. __________________ 72g Bowfront, 2 x 150w 10k MH and 110w Actinic, Berlin XL Skimmer, 40kg LR, DSB, 2 x Maxi-Jet 900 and 1 x Seio 620, Fluval 300 canister.

03/24/2006, 10:01 PM	#3
Tu Ku Moved On Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Fort Collins, CO Posts: 353	God causes aiptasia. To fix them there are a number of options. Copperbad, Raccoon Face, Peppermint shrimp are the known livestock which will eat them. Joe's juice works, you can inject their mouths with a syringe of kalkwasser putty, but do that sparingly. I use the cheapest method of em all. Lime juice. It works great, and immediately. The acidity of the limes kills em, just make sure that you inject it directly into the aiptasia and also use it sparingly. I've never had it affect any of my other corals, sps or soft. It's cheap, never fails, reef safe, and limes are everywhere.

03/24/2006, 10:06 PM	#4
AnAnemone Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Chipita Park, Colorado Posts: 310	Don't get a Copperbanded Butterflyfish to eat one aiptasia. Also, there is no such thing as a "total killer" for these. Sorry. If there were, we wouldn't have thousands of threads and as many opinions on how to rid them. TimO

03/24/2006, 10:10 PM	#5
hopper Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Bossier City, La. Posts: 623	Thanks for the tip on the lime juice. I might try that on this one before I go out and buy the Joe's Juice. Haven't added anything to the tank in the past few months. The only thing I did different was to move two or three rocks around a little. The candy cane got moved also and onto one of the rocks that was moved. So maybe this aiptasia was lodged in the rock and finally found a way out? I will try and post a pic tomorrow to make sure that this is indeed aiptasia. Too tired to do it right now. Four hours sleep in two days.

03/24/2006, 10:13 PM	#6
hopper Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Bossier City, La. Posts: 623	I have always thought that CBB's were cool looking fish and had been eyeing this one at the LFS anyway. Need something to replace the Dory fish I lost a few weeks ago. Would get a racoon but I don't think my corals would like me for it.

03/24/2006, 10:23 PM	#8
Scuba_Dave EMERTXE YID Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Asylum, South of Boston, MA Posts: 10,362	If you do get a CBB you need to make sure it will eat something else besides Aptasia - or it will die

03/24/2006, 10:25 PM	#9
hopper Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Bossier City, La. Posts: 623	I feed a variety of frozen foods. What do they snack on usually?

03/24/2006, 10:41 PM	#10
AnAnemone Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Chipita Park, Colorado Posts: 310	They usually snack on things in the ocean, that we hobbiests rarely ever replicate. As you say you're replacing a "dory fish" I assume your tank is not one of those.