Your aiptasia experience/s?

[Scavenger]

Originally Posted by untamed

I'm unable to answer the poll because it seems to be assuming that Aiptasia are, or have been, a problem.

I've had a few in my tank for 3 years now. I notice small ones popping up here and there over the years, but they rarely seem to survive.

To give some idea. I had one large one in my tank two years ago...now I have two. In fact, I haven't seen the second one for a few days now. It may have died.

If it isn't Aiptasia, it is an incredibly indistinguishable close relation. My tank is mainly SPS and I dose Kalk 24/7.

Of note, I also cannot keep Xenia...and have limited success with soft corals. My star polyps survive, but don't thrive. Something in there makes my tank not right for Aiptasia reproduction.

This is my experience almost word for word (Just not SPS dominated or kalk'ed 24/7). I have a very unscientific and unconfirmed theory on this (in my case anyway).

I've seen apstasia once or twice and have killed off both my attempts at keeping xenia. The first "clearance" was when I did a water change in which I hadden't notice the heater had cracked in the mixing tank. The second was after I dropped a screw into the tank that took a couple of weeks to find and remove. (very rusty by then).

I suspect that both species have a very low tolerance to metal or the oxidation of metal. I also use well water run through a Brita for top up and changes. I have no idea of metal content in the water.

I don't know for sure, but I wouldn't hesitate to suspend a screw in a test tank containing apstasia to see if I'm right or not. I just haven't had the time, motivation or apstasia to confirm this.