culturing aiptasia!?!?!?!

[spineshank385]

Anthony (or anyone who feels compelled to reply): What is the best way to go about culturing aiptasia for nutrient control? I have a few 10g tanks laying around, and a lot of aiptasia in my 'fuge, and remembered the brief mention you gave it in your book.

Could I just put some LR and sand in one of the 10g's, throw a 65w PC over it, and plumb it into the system?

 

[DJ88©]

[moved]

 

[spineshank385]

i was specifically asking anthony, because he has experience with it (enough to include it in The Book). I can't imagine a lot of hobbyists have much experiance with purposefully growing the pest anemone.

 

[Mishap]

I don't grow it purposely, but you're welcome to pull as many out of my tank as you wish.

 

[The_Nexis_One]

I'm curious how you go about keeping the little buggers from infiltrating your display? I had a couple come in on some rubble and before I could go buy a peppermint shrimp, I had little ones popping up in my display/refugium/sump....

I've even been lucky enough to get to see a youth floating by in the water column and attach itself to a powerhead body as it floated past and come into contact with it. They are suprisingly adgile little critters.

John.

 

[spineshank385]

This is why i originally posted in anthony's space of the forum.....

 

[Fred_J]

If you will notice by the name of the forum "All things salty" it is no longer Anthony's forum. He is no longer with RC, but does ocassionally stop by to answer a post or two.
Fred

 

[rustybucket145]

Aipstasia Frags On Special!!!

Aipstasia Frags On Special!!!

I should have some nice Aipstasia frags for sale next week. They are "Rare" and "Beautiful" We have two colors "Electric Tan" & "Rhode Island Red". The Electric Tan are so rare that the one polyp frags are going for $875 plus s/h and next week the Rhode Island Reds are on special for $200 per polyp Shipping is FREE!!!


That was just a joke so don't kick me off the forum. :rollface:

 

[reverendmaynard]

That joke would get a lot more people in the New to the Hobby forum! :lol:

 

[spineshank385]

lol im serious about the aiptasia scrubber....

 

[twon8]

I imagine the best way is the one you described. A tank with light, flow, and occasional feedings will help them multiply, not that you should feed them and thus add nutrients to your tank. If you are growing them as food for something else(berghia, a finicky cbb), then by all means feed them and watch them multiply, but outside of a culinary application I would grow some cheato if i wanted nutrient export. As someone who has dealt with them for years, I bet that at some point your main tank will be overrun with little clones. if not chaeto grow xenia instead, people will pay you for it.

 

[reverendmaynard]

I know the startup costs might be a bit higher, but why not try anthelia or xenia instead? If it spreads, at least it'll look good. I've seen fuges full of them before.

 

[spineshank385]

i just like to construct things, and ive read of aiptasia scrubbers before, thats why i asked.

I already have a fuge with caulerpa (and quite a few aiptasia), just lookin for a reason to build something else

 

[The_Nexis_One]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6850070#post6850070 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by spineshank385
i just like to construct things, .... , just lookin for a reason to build something else

LOL - I'm with you there bro!... God, my wife finally made huge black curtains for my reef rack which started out as a single pretty 125g in a wood stand... it quickly turned into a 250g system with 6 tanks and a 50 gal reservuar for top off....

I inventoried my tanks the other day and I currently have 10 serving various purposes or waiting for me to complete projects so they can be plumbed and filled...

Keep up the addiction. *cough* good work I mean...


John.

 

[The Marmot]

I saw a photo of an aptaisa scrubber recently. Someone had taken a 2 inch pvc pipe and had somehow managed to contain quite a few of the little buggers in the pipe(the pipe was cut in half, bowl side up so the lights could hit it. Water was pumped to one end of the pipe and by using a very conservative grade, the water was just slowly gravity fed down the pipe and dropped back into the sump. Seems like a sound idea, but man, if any of them got loose...yuck!

 

[rustybucket145]

Seriously though, I do know of a LFS near me that would have plenty for you to 'seed' you Aiptasia refugium.

 

[sean48183]

Aptasia play chemical warfare. Get enough of them they might add some nasty stuff to your water that might infiltrate your tank. I would say stick with algae but if your really gonna try it good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

[ozfish]

My sump is completely packed with Aptasia, the sand bed, all 4 walls, totally packed. Some are 2" or more across. My display is kept clean by my Chelmon Marginalis and my 4 peppermint shrimp. I occassionally put one or two of the shrimp in the wier to clean it out. Apart from my becket skimmer this is my only other form of nutrient export, no macro at all. No nitrite, nitrate or PO4 readings are detectable by UV-VIS spectrometry. Tank is 3 years old, 190 gals, with DSB and LR.

 

[reverendmaynard]

I still think using anthelia or xenia makes more sense.

 

[Cubman777]

Culturing aptasia is like spreading computer viruses on the internet, or developing anthrax in your basement. THere is no need to do it, and doing it is just wrong. Society doesnt deserve it!