Is Aiptasia Possible in Fresh Water?

[Rikotek]

Strange question, I know, and I have not seen any results on searches so I am guessing it is not possible.

The reason I am asking is that I am in the process of converting my 90gal saltwater tank into a freshwater (keeping a smaller salt tank now).

When this tank was a saltwater tank, I had a massive aiptasia breakout (who hasn't in a marine tank at least once?). Since I have converted it, I have cleaned the tank thoroughly (not using soap obviously) but I would like to use the same heaters, powerheads, and other hardware (which previously had aiptasia attached to it).

I am willing to bet that the lack of salt and other water differences would make this impossible, but I would like to be sure. If it is more than a remote possibility, I would like to save myself the headache now and buy new powerheads/heaters.

Again, I am fairly certain that they would not be able to grow, but I thought I would ask the experts!

Thanks everyone!

-Eric

[fkshiu]

Relax. Aiptasia cannot exist in freshwater since they are invertebrates and unable to osmoregulate. As soon as the SG drops below around 1.015 or so the aiptasia will literally implode.

You should thoroughly clean your equipment in any event in a vinegar solution which will kill anything left on it. It's just better starting out with everything nice and clean.

[Rikotek]

Whew! That is excellent news, and it makes perfect sense.
Plus, you made my day with the thought of 'imploding aiptasia'.

Thanks a lot!
-Eric

[bvlester]

If you are going to be useing the rock in fresh water then pore some bioling water over the worst infected rock this will kill everything on the rock as nothing will live long in the fresh water anyways.
I did buy some rock a few years ago and 1or 2 pieces had Atapsia on it an a couple did come off in the bucket that the rock was in. I dumped the salt water down the drain and put fresh in it and the atapsia lived for a couple day butthen died. They are resilent little buggers.
If you want everything out of the rock then biol for 1 hr and then rinse a couple of times this will kill everything and remove some of the critters. I would not want all the critters in my rock to be rotting in a fresh water setup.
Bill

[Funky_Fish14]

Not that im trying to get all technical here, but the aiptasia when exposed to the freshwater would actually EXplode rather than IMplode. :P If the water was super-saline (hypertonic) then the cells would lyse (push out all their water to equalize osmotic pressure) and 'implode' or shrivel up. The opposit happens in hypotonic water, the cell fills with water to reduce the osmotic difference and the cell becomes so full of water it explodes.

No, no chance at all of aiptasia living in freshwater! Cheers,

Chris

[Zoaelite]

Not that im trying to get all technical here, but the aiptasia when exposed to the freshwater would actually EXplode rather than IMplode. :P If the water was super-saline (hypertonic) then the cells would lyse (push out all their water to equalize osmotic pressure) and 'implode' or shrivel up. The opposit happens in hypotonic water, the cell fills with water to reduce the osmotic difference and the cell becomes so full of water it explodes.

No, no chance at all of aiptasia living in freshwater! Cheers,

Chris

Feels like my first year of University all over again :lol:, I don't know about salinity swings but I have watched an Aiptasia survive for over 3 weeks in a sealed small jam jar. Were talking no air, no food and no heat but as they are salt water inverts the fresh water should kill them.

[Funky_Fish14]

Haha Ohh yeah, they can definitely survive that!

And what year are you in? Haha. I know, its just first year stuff... but its fun, and very interesting :D