does aiptasia have any benefits.. can it really take over your entire tank?

oxkisses12ox · 01/03/2007, 06:59 PM

what does it mean to use Aiptasia in my refugium as a biological filter?? I thought it was bad??

sorry new to the hobby!

jchaney33 · 01/03/2007, 08:48 PM

I have never heard of it being beneficial in any instance. It will however start slow and eventually take over your entire tank. (first hand experience) It is very good at stinging and will kill off the section of coral it comes in contact with. I had tried Joes Juice to kill them off but you can never get them all and within a couple of weeks they are back agian. Peppermint shrimp, some Nudibranc (sp?) and copper banded butterfly are suppose to be good at ridding the tank of aiptasia. Out of coincidence I purchased a Koron Angelfish and within two weeks the aiptasia were gone, but Korons' will eat corals and I had to move him to fish only tank.

blot60 · 01/03/2007, 11:32 PM

Thats what I thought until I saw this thread...Click Me

ACBlinky · 01/04/2007, 02:26 AM

Aiptasia could be considered beneficial for the nutrients they take up, but they're just not controllable -- if you have a population in the sump, they're going to spread into the display and start stinging the corals. I'm not a fan of killing any hitchhikers unless it's absolutely necessary and have things in my display that many reefers don't tolerate (mantis, large crab, a majano and some tulip anemones, lots of different macroalgaes) but I'm ruthless with Aiptasia. I make it a point to feed them a meal of thick kalk paste the instant I spot them, and I've got a few peppermint shrimp in the tank which may or may not be helping. Long story short, nuke the nems and get yourself a nice big ball of chaetomorpha -- all the nutrient uptake with none of the headache

blureef1 · 01/04/2007, 08:16 AM

They can take over a tank if left alone. I had a 10 gallon Nano, where aips covered nearly every square inch. The tank obviously had been much neglected but, it was amazing to see these things propogate so quickly. 2 peppermint shrimps cleared it in about a month.

deep_sea_Dennis · 01/04/2007, 09:46 AM

I actually raise it for my butterflys.....

01/03/2007, 06:59 PM	#1
oxkisses12ox Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Key West Posts: 353	does aiptasia have any benefits.. can it really take over your entire tank? what does it mean to use Aiptasia in my refugium as a biological filter?? I thought it was bad?? sorry new to the hobby! __________________ 14 Gallon Biocube Plate Coral 2 serpent stars 2 hermits and 4 snails 1 cleaner shrimp 2 false clowns 1 horseshoe crab water : nirates nitrite amonia = 0 PH 8.2 temp 79 calc 400 Current Tank Info: 14 gallon biocube

01/03/2007, 11:32 PM	#3
blot60 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: So Cal Posts: 227	Thats what I thought until I saw this thread...Click Me __________________ There's no way, no way that you came from my loins. Soon as I get home, first thing I'm gonna do is punch yo mamma in da mouth! Current Tank Info: 120 mixed, 30g sump, 8x T5, Octopus DDNW 150,

01/04/2007, 02:26 AM	#4
ACBlinky Premium Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Peterborough, ON, Canada Posts: 4,954 Blog Entries: 20	Aiptasia could be considered beneficial for the nutrients they take up, but they're just not controllable -- if you have a population in the sump, they're going to spread into the display and start stinging the corals. I'm not a fan of killing any hitchhikers unless it's absolutely necessary and have things in my display that many reefers don't tolerate (mantis, large crab, a majano and some tulip anemones, lots of different macroalgaes) but I'm ruthless with Aiptasia. I make it a point to feed them a meal of thick kalk paste the instant I spot them, and I've got a few peppermint shrimp in the tank which may or may not be helping. Long story short, nuke the nems and get yourself a nice big ball of chaetomorpha -- all the nutrient uptake with none of the headache __________________ "The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea." - Isak Dinesen Current Tank Info: 150g mixed reef, 30g sump/refugium, LED lighting, 100lbs LR, coral beauty, flame angel, blue & yellow tangs, gobies, damsels, 6-line wrasse, lawnmower blenny, dottyback, clown pair, rabbitfish, shrimp, crabs, CUC.

01/03/2007, 08:48 PM	#2
jchaney33 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: chicago Posts: 22	I have never heard of it being beneficial in any instance. It will however start slow and eventually take over your entire tank. (first hand experience) It is very good at stinging and will kill off the section of coral it comes in contact with. I had tried Joes Juice to kill them off but you can never get them all and within a couple of weeks they are back agian. Peppermint shrimp, some Nudibranc (sp?) and copper banded butterfly are suppose to be good at ridding the tank of aiptasia. Out of coincidence I purchased a Koron Angelfish and within two weeks the aiptasia were gone, but Korons' will eat corals and I had to move him to fish only tank.

01/04/2007, 08:16 AM	#5
blureef1 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Southern California Posts: 194	They can take over a tank if left alone. I had a 10 gallon Nano, where aips covered nearly every square inch. The tank obviously had been much neglected but, it was amazing to see these things propogate so quickly. 2 peppermint shrimps cleared it in about a month.

01/04/2007, 09:46 AM	#6
deep_sea_Dennis Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Lagrange, Ohio Posts: 49	I actually raise it for my butterflys.....