AAARGH!!! Aiptasia from IPSF in my new tank!!!

Rocdoc

Just not that bright
I decided to start my 180G tank with dry rock (ReefSaver from BRS) because I didn't want to contribute to any potential reef destruction and really didn't want to deal with pest hitchhikers. I kept reading the "please identify this hitchhiker on my live rock" posts and decided I really didn't want to go there.

The tank has been running for the last two months and I recently added several items from Indo Pacific Sea Farms to help with clean-up and start some biodiversity. I haven't seen the "baby" bristle worms or the micro brittle stars since dumping them in the display tank. The snails, amphipods, and spaghetti worms ("mamma mia" worms) have done well.

I also got three plates of Coralline algae booster. Per IPSF instructions, I put them behind my rock formations to seed the ReefSaver rock. Tonight I got home from work and my wife noticed something on one of the plates. I pulled it out and the "something" turned out to be a small Aiptasia anemone :furious:. This was the main reason I didn't go with live rock in the first place. Now I've been limping slowly along with cycling my aquarium because I didn't use live rock, I've spent almost $200 to add limited "biodiversity" to the tank, and I still have a pest hitchhiker :headwalls:.

Needless to say, I've pulled the plate out and tossed it. I don't see any evidence of Aiptasia on the rocks, but I'm a little freaked out. Other than watching for any other signs of them, is there something else I can do? I haven't even started a fish in quarantine yet, so if I had to, I could pull out the rocks and start again, but that may be overkill. Suggestions?
 
Trying to prevent hitchhikers is like trying to avoid a cold. Eventually you're going to get one. Aiptasia aren't a major problem. I had a major outbreak and eliminated them with a file fish. For small outbreaks a little kalk past will kill them too.
 
get a pepperment shrimp..

Yeah, thought about that. Worried that since I have essentially dead rock, the peppermint shrimp will end up starving. I know it is difficult to completely avoid pests, but I figured going through the hassle of starting with dry rock and conscientiously quarantining everything would reduce the chances. Didn't even think of quarantining these supposedly "pure" coralline plates. Dumb.:headwally:
 
I would wait and see. It won't be long before you know if you have more of them. At this point you may be able to remove them manually.

Also, if you have them and they get out of control, don't waste your time with the pepperment shrimp (at least not for the purposes of ridding your tank of aptasia - that's just a marketing gimmick IMO). At best, they will only eat some of the aptasia. At worst they will ignore it.

I battled aptasia for years and lost. They were entrenched and just kept coming back. Either by regeneration or by spores or who knows... Then I added a couple berghias.... They eliminated ALL of the aptasia.

Been aptasia free for at least four or five years now and plan on staying free from now on.

If you end up having to add the berghias, just make sure there are NO predators and that your circulation is not going to blow them around. You need a calm safe environment for them to work.
 
It sounds like you caught it early. Just keep your eyes open for anymore.

I did the same as you... all dead rock, dead shrimp to start the cycle... took the long road to avoid the nasties

When the time was right I put some Cheto in the fuge. The next day I see this HUGE aptasia growing on the cheto... a few weeks later I have 5 on the rock in the fuge.

I think I've gotten them all being it's been about 3 weeks since I've seen one (got my fingers crossed)

Good luck to you... hope you got it before spreading
 
shrimp

shrimp

Also, if you have them and they get out of control, don't waste your time with the pepperment shrimp (at least not for the purposes of ridding your tank of aptasia - that's just a marketing gimmick IMO). At best, they will only eat some of the aptasia. At worst they will ignore it.

Thats not quite fair. I had cleaned two tanks of Aptasia with a peppermint shrimp. The first tank got Aptasia, I added a shrimp, and the aptasia was gone in a couplel weeks. Then my other tank started showing some (which was no supprise since they both got rock from the same source) and I moved the shrimp to the other tank which he promptly cleaned. The original tank still remains Aptasia free.

I think they key is that they have to be small or the shrimp will ignore them.

--
jgsteven
 
Aiptasia are a nuisance, but are pretty much unavoidable in my opinion. when you purchase corals from other reefers, LFS, or online, there is a chance that an aiptasia will be on the coral or rock that it is attached to. Just try to keep them in check with peppermint shrimp, berghia, filefish, or chemically. I think every established tank has some...at least one:-)
 
jgsteven,

Maybe I'm being unfair, (certainly taking a hard line) but I had aptasia and peppermint shrimp for a long time, and they did not take care of the problem. Maybe there was too much other stuff for them to eat? Maybe there were too many aptasias? Who knows, but they did not work for me.

If the peppermints leave any bits and pieces. The aptasia will return. The only way to win is to eliminate 100% of the aptasias.

The problem with the bergs is they are expensive. But then again, so is this entire hobby!

Aiptasia are a nuisance, but are pretty much unavoidable in my opinion.

I don't mean to sound so critical, but I think this attitude is what makes it harder for the rest of us to keep our aquariums from getting them. If nobody has them, the guy not paying attention will not get them. If everyone has them, the guy not paying attention will get them.

Now, if someone can tell me how to keep a tank free of valonia, I would really appreciate it! :lol:
 
dela,
Sorry if you think that quote is me being apathetic. I would not knowingly sell or trade a coral with aiptasia on it, but I do think it is unreasonable to expect LFS and online stores to inspect every crevice of their live rock or corals for the pest. Even if every aiptasia was removed, their spores are still possibly alive and can spread. It is very analogous to the common cold. Everybody has had one at some point in their lives, it is unavoidable despite your best efforts. I've never met a reefer that has NEVER had a single aiptasia. JMHO
 
I have a problem with the whole, "everyone gets them at some point" mentality. My background is in primary care medicine, so I'm a big proponent in what we call "primary prevention," essentially doing everything we can to keep from developing a disease (increase exercise, eat right, get enough sleep, etc.). I think the same applies to aquaria. If you go into it with the attitude that you'll eventually get Aiptasia (or Mojanos, or flatworms, or ich, or whatever), that leads to sloppy husbandry.

If your attitude is that you'll not be able to avoid importation of the various nasties no matter what you do, then you might as well skip quarantine and just dump everything in the display tank. You're then stuck with what we call "secondary prevention," which involves treating disease as it comes (get a peppermint shrimp, try aiptasia-X or kalk, use flatworm exit, etc.).

I may be naive, but I think if more aquarists use proper primary prevention with adequate quarantine to identify and treat issues before they become systemwide problems, we could avoid the "every tank eventually gets that" mentality.

Bryan
 
Rocdoc and dela,
I don't want to detract from the OP thread, so I won't comment any more than this. I am a physician as well, and believe in prevention of nasties in the aquarium as much as anyone. The QT procedure does not prevent aiptasia, and neither do dips, physical inspection or any other means of keeping our aquaria clean or sterile. My point is that getting aiptasia is inevitable if you buy, sell, or trade corals or live rocks. Unfortunate, but inevitable. I used Marco rock to set up my 120, as I wanted as few nasties as possible, but after adding corals, frags, and fish I have bristle worms, a few bad crabs, and a few aiptasia as well. If you have a procedure to prevent any or all nasties from entering the aquarium, please share...
 
No need to buy shrimp...

One shot of Joe's Juice and it'll be gone. The key is to get it before it multiplies. They're not THAT hard to control.
 
Put me down for having had LOTS and LOTS of aptasia! :D

I'm not saying you or anyone else is purposely spreading aptasia. I'm saying it is possible to be aptasia free. So when I hear people say it's unavoidable, I have to disagree.
 
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