Aiptasia

Reefkeeping, Coral, Fish and Invertebrates.

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lwready
Amoeba
Posts: 68
Joined: Sun Dec 04, 2005 3:22 pm
Location: West Mobile

Aiptasia

Post by lwready »

Absolutely overrun with small greenish anemone looking creatures, I think they might be aiptasia (sp). They are killing everything else. Any advice will be appreciated.
Larry

All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you. Gandalf
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reefman8471
Amoeba
Posts: 204
Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2004 2:53 pm
Location: Mobile, Alabama

Aiptasia

Post by reefman8471 »

Sorry to hear about the Aiptasia. There are several ways of getting rid of them but it will take awhile regardless if they are as numerous as you say.
You can kill them using kalkwasser made into a paste and using a syringe or dropper to inject the anemones with or coat them with kalkwasser. There is also a commercial Aiptasia control you can buy at local saltwater stores. I have also heard of people using hot water and vinegar. Kalkwasser is what I generally use but be careful how much you use at once as its' pH is 12 and will raise your aquariums pH. I would also get something that would eat the anemones like peppermint shrimp or maybe a semi-reef safe butterflyfish.
Examples would be Copperband butterflies or Kleini Butterflies. Also, longnose butterflies may eat them but I have never seen them in action. Be aware that all of these fish are capable of eating coral polyps. There is also a filefish called the Seagrass Filefish that eats Aiptasia but I have never scene one locally.

James
There are no problems; only solutions.
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