# Aiptasia? I.D needed..



## willieturnip (Aug 30, 2009)

Is this aiptasia? 

It's about 1/4 inch tall. Never come across them before so I'm not quite sure if it is or not.

Just above the little feather duster.


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## willieturnip (Aug 30, 2009)

Note: The tentacles don't appear to be as pointy as most aiptasia I have seen on the web.


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## Pasfur (Mar 29, 2008)

Looks like it to me. There are different aiptasia species, so don't be fooled by the appearance!


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## willieturnip (Aug 30, 2009)

Oh great. What a fantastic christmas present! :lol:

Aiptasia X looks like an easy solution. Or a chisel and hammer - losing 50 grams of rock isn't going to kill me.


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## terryap (Sep 22, 2009)

that's what I used...hammer, but lost most of that rock since it was infested with aiptasia, and it looked exactly like your photo above, but was all different sizes....I wouldn't panic with just one little one though, but good idea to get rid of it, it apparently spreads quickly


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## onefish2fish (Jul 22, 2008)

turn the pumps off and squirt a shot of 100% lemon juice into its mouth.


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## turk86 (Apr 7, 2009)

Aptasia X works wonders. Death within 15 minutes!!


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## wake49 (Jul 2, 2008)

Try the Lemon juice. I have had success with this on single aiptasia. I had an outbreak though. I would've destroyed my alkalinity trying to squirt lemon juice into one hundred or so aiptasia. I bought peppermint shrimp, and haven't seen a single aiptasia since. It took buying quite a few shrimp (I have at least half a dozen in there), but after a few months, the aiptasia is gone.


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## Pasfur (Mar 29, 2008)

wake49 said:


> Try the Lemon juice. I have had success with this on single aiptasia. I had an outbreak though. I would've destroyed my alkalinity trying to squirt lemon juice into one hundred or so aiptasia. I bought peppermint shrimp, and haven't seen a single aiptasia since. It took buying quite a few shrimp (I have at least half a dozen in there), but after a few months, the aiptasia is gone.


I read an article in Coral Magazine recently that said there are 2 different species of shrimp sold as Peppermint Shrimp. The pictures looked nearly identical. One eats aiptasia and the other does not, which is why you are best to purchase a small group of these shrimp to ensure you actually get some of the aiptasia eating species in your purchase.


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## cerianthus (Jul 13, 2008)

Only one? Suck the whole thing up with hypodermic syringe. No additives/chemical. Simple physical removal.


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## CamryDS (Oct 5, 2009)

Pasfur said:


> I read an article in Coral Magazine recently that said there are 2 different species of shrimp sold as Peppermint Shrimp. The pictures looked nearly identical. One eats aiptasia and the other does not, which is why you are best to purchase a small group of these shrimp to ensure you actually get some of the aiptasia eating species in your purchase.



Yup, be careful of the colors. You want to purchase a bright vibrant variety. The darker colored ones are the ones that reside in california, which do not consume aiptasia -- I just recently learned this with an article online.

I have aiptasia in the tank and got stung a couple of times while moving rocks around, it's great now though. All aiptasia are gone and i'm happy.


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