playing with Aptasia

A

ahud

New member
Hello,

Has anybody experimented with Aptasia and what nutrients they consume/how fast the reproduce?

I am interested in if they would be a viable idea for nutrient export if you could keep them closed off. I can't find good information on their biology because all the information is on to get rid of them.

My tank is not even setup and I plan to experiment with them in a 10gallon tank and not on my main system so no need to post comments slamming the idea. Please understand I am just trying to learn:wavehand:
 
aiptasis is a kind of anemone. it doesnt consume any nutrients except light and food. i hv never heard or read of anyone using aiptasis as a source of nutrient export.
 
Yeah I thought it may be an absurd idea, but I was still curious. I thought I read something about people keeping them for some type of filtration (cyrptic zones maybe), but I could be mistaken.
 
I was going to comment saying I don't think they are photosynthetic. If they were, it would be as simple as turning the rock over as to prevet it from getting light to kill it.
Either way, I think a study on their nutrient requirements woulde be interesting. Might be easier to control their spread and growth if it was understood.
 
They can consume quite alot. Every time I feed my fish, I feed one specific Aiptasia in my refugium. It grows larger every time I see it. I cant tell you measurement wise but I can tell it is growing fast. They can reproduce quickly if aggitated and have proper water conditions/lighting. I do think they spread faster in a more established aquarium in my case.

Goodluck with growing them in a seperate tank. I tried that becuase I needed a food source for Bergia Nudi's. The GD things wouldn't reproduce to save my life. I harassed them every day and never saw reproduction. Only random floaters. But vis versa, they are booming in my 40g BR. More than ever before. I try to kill them and nothing works. Not sure what I am going to do.

They do grow quite large when target fed Mysis/Brine shrimp. The one I have in my refug is roughly 1 1/2" across and growing every day. I do believe they are a nutrient export when properly placed inside a refugium. I have placed some of the baffles of my sump so when uneaten food passes through the baffles, the aiptasia can catch it before it rots. I think in certains cases such as mentioned above, they are beneficial but in terms of in a DT, they are horrid.

As far as eliminating them goes, your options are:

Aiptasia X, Joe's Juice, and other similar products
Copperband Butterfly
True Pepperment Shrimp
Bergia Nudibranch
Taking the rock out and allowing it to dry, killing all life including pests
A newer technology being tested by Paul B. (It is an water proof electrical rod that will kill the Aiptasia/majano. He has a video up showing how it melts the majano.)

Other than Nudi's, all other choices are hit and miss.
 
Last edited:
From Experiance

From Experiance

I have a 30 gal tank that was put on hold while I am building a 55gal reef and another 55gal prop for RBTA's. The tank over a couple days can see the aptasia multiply. Couple weeks and they are all over the place, in the filter, on the glass and heater.

The consume any food that gets near and cannot get away. I had one that was a quarter inch across and it ate a small blue green chromis on me.

I read somewhere that they can multiply by a hundered in one day, they get into the rocks and are hard to kill even with Kalk. I was able to put 3 Peppermint Shrimp in and after 2 days I started to see some gone that were smaller.

After 1 week, half were eaten except for the large 1 inch ones. 30 days I can only see a few left out of about 300 - 400 and they are the real small ones in the small holes in the live rock. (I tried for a couple months with the suringe and Kalk, but would not even bother now that I have seen how the Peppermint Shrimp have done!) :beer:

Note: Peppermint Shrimp may also go after other anemones or sometimes other softies like mushrooms or such.

Could be used to retain waste particles but you would have to make sure they do not get back to the main system. They are very small dots like the end of a pencil lead.

Hope this helps with your ideas.
 
If my memory serves me right, I remember someone on RC grew aiptasias in their overflow as a form of filtration or nutrient export or something. I remember thinking it was a wacky idea, but maybe you can dig up that thread somewhere.
 
What search option would you use? Anything with Aptasia in it gives you a million post about how to kill it.

For something that grows so fast there must be some use for it.
 
A reefer in my area used his "coast to coast" overflow to grow aiptasia which then acts as a filter feeding overflow for the water before going below the sump.
 
I thought I recalled someone on here who used aptasia in their sump as an extra filter.
I would think you would be ok with keeping it in the sump (not have to worry about them moving into the main display).
 
Anthrax15 said:
They can consume quite alot. Every time I feed my fish, I feed one specific Aiptasia in my refugium. It grows larger every time I see it. I cant tell you measurement wise but I can tell it is growing fast. They can reproduce quickly if aggitated and have proper water conditions/lighting. I do think they spread faster in a more established aquarium in my case.

Goodluck with growing them in a seperate tank. I tried that becuase I needed a food source for Bergia Nudi's. The GD things wouldn't reproduce to save my life. I harassed them every day and never saw reproduction. Only random floaters. But vis versa, they are booming in my 40g BR. More than ever before. I try to kill them and nothing works. Not sure what I am going to do.

They do grow quite large when target fed Mysis/Brine shrimp. The one I have in my refug is roughly 1 1/2" across and growing every day. I do believe they are a nutrient export when properly placed inside a refugium. I have placed some of the baffles of my sump so when uneaten food passes through the baffles, the aiptasia can catch it before it rots. I think in certains cases such as mentioned above, they are beneficial but in terms of in a DT, they are horrid.

As far as eliminating them goes, your options are:

Aiptasia X, Joe's Juice, and other similar products
Copperband Butterfly
True Pepperment Shrimp
Bergia Nudibranch
Taking the rock out and allowing it to dry, killing all life including pests
A newer technology being tested by Paul B. (It is an water proof electrical rod that will kill the Aiptasia/majano. He has a video up showing how it melts the majano.)

Other than Nudi's, all other choices are hit and miss.
Click to expand...

Hummm, is there a link to said video for Paul B? Thanks!
 
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