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FAQs on Identifying Aiptasia Anemones 5

Related FAQs: Aiptasia ID 1, Aiptasia ID 2, Aiptasia ID 4, Aiptasia ID 6, & Cnidarian Identification, Anemone Identification, Aiptasia/Glass Anemones in General, Eradication by: Berghia Nudibranchs, Peppermint Shrimp, Butterflyfishes, Filefishes, Chemical Injection, Hypo/Hyper-Salinity.

Related Articles: Impressions of Methods to Eliminate Pest Anemones by Steven Pro, Aquarium Culture of the Aeolid nudibranch Berghia, Predator on the nuisance anemone Aiptasia By Anthony Calfo, Anemones, Cnidarians

Re: Blue/Purple Aiptasia? -- 8/24/10
Bob,
<Pete>
Thanks one more time for your response!
<Welcome>
I have decided to try to clean out the tank of Aiptasia. I have picked up a peppermint shrimp and would like to try to slowly kill off the Aiptasia with lemon juice and a hypodermic needle.
<Takes a good to great deal of patience>
However, I came across two other suspicious anemones. They are suspicious because they look like they might be something other than Aiptasia, and I would like to make sure they are Aiptasia before I get rid of them! I am hoping I could get your opinion. They are quite small, look different from the majority of the anemones in the tank and react more to stimuli than the other anemones around them.
With thanks,
Peter
<Might well be other species w/in the same (Aiptasiidae) family... eradication techniques. BobF>


It looks like small Aiptasia - but I didn't think it is 5/10/10
Hi everyone,
<Marc>
I have two candy cane corals that I have had for many months and I noticed some time ago something that looked like small Aiptasia on the hard skeleton but I wasn't convinced. I have had Aiptasia before and it grows far quicker than these little suckers and does not appear to have the small cilia (or hair like growths) along the tentacles. The small anemones are only about 2 - 4 mm long at the largest with around 5 - 6 tentacles and are all joined together by a small thread run along the coral skeleton of the candy cane. They have not spread to anything else that I can see in the QT I have them in.
Any ideas would be really helpful. I will try to get some photos when I can get my hands on a better camera.
Thanks
Marc
<Best guess: Hydropolyps, Hydroids. See here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/hyzoanidfaq.htm
and the linked files above; including Compatibility/removal. Bob Fenner>

Re: It looks like small Aiptasia - but I didn't think it is 5/12/10
Thanks for the quick reply. I was hoping you could actually positively identify the hydroids from the photo I have attached.
Thanks again
Marc
<Oh! These are Octocorals... Xeniids, Clavulariids. B>
Hi everyone,
<Marc>

Curious Pic/Anemone ID 5/6/10
In the center of photo, just above coraline algae..it has a transparent body with (as you can see) a slight mushroom appearing top of which many tentacle like protrusions can be seen. Do you (by my rough description:)) know what this is?
<Appears to be a Glass Anemone of some type, likely the dreaded Aiptasia.
See here.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/aiptasia/aiptasia.htm>
Thx
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Mike

Re: Aiptasia? ID, pix? 4/27/10
I now no longer believe them to be Aiptasia. In spite of the fact that they are very closely spaced together and see through, the actual tentacles themselves are very spindly, and they are not many. They resemble see through fibers, like a fishing line but far skinnier. On each anemone there are probably only eight or so of these long but thin tentacles. Does this still sound like Aiptasia to you, and if not any suspicions?
Apologies in advance for the many questions.
All the Best, Sam
Please send along well-resolved image/s. Bob Fenner
Re: Aiptasia?
<Hello Sam>
I forgot to mention that the tank is only about 2 months old, and still has trace amounts of ammonia even after cycling. Are Aiptasia hardier?
<They are, unfortunately, very hardy>
Or will they simply die off soon?
<More likely they will spread>
P.S. Thanks for the quick response, it's very much appreciated.
<No problem. Simon>

Re: Aiptasia? 2 megs pic?!... 4/27/10
<... let's see... You haven't searched before writing us three times... or else you'd have known:
http://wetwebmedia.com/aiptasidfaq2.htm
and the files above...
These are Hydropolyps... READ: http://wetwebmedia.com/hyzoidf3.htm
and the files above... Don't write before searching. BobF>

crop
Thanks for the ID 4/27/10
Thanks for the ID! I did browse through the archives and did see the hydro FAQs, however I did not find that certain page. I found the exact same species as are in my tank in one of those pictures. Sorry for any
inconvenience. Cheers, Sam
<Thank you Sam. BobF>

Unknown inhabitant: Aiptasia Anemone.ID and Control 2/1/2010
Well Hello!
<Hi Dani!>
I have someone living in my tank that I was hoping you could help me ID.
<Sure.>
You can't see it very well in the pictures but this little guy is coming out of a tube in a piece of my live rock. It goes inside the tube if anything touches it but doesn't seem to be bothered by movement. The tube feels kind of soft and almost squishy to the touch. Anyway, I would like to know what it is so that I can either remove it if it is harmful or take care of it properly if not. Any info you can give would be very helpful.
<Looking at the pictures, it is an Aiptasia anemone. They are pests.
Thankfully, if you catch them early, they are easy to control. Have a read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/aiptasia/aiptasia.htm
for some background and read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_1/cav1i3/aiptasia_impressions/aiptaisia_impressions.htm
for the best methods to kill them. I've found injecting them with a Kalkwasser slurry works the best.>
Thanks much!
<My Pleasure.>
Dani
<MikeV>

Aiptasia? 11/3/09
Hi Crew!
<G>
I looked over the FAQ's on identifying aiptasia, and found some previous posters pictures that looked similar, that you confirmed or thought were aiptasia, and some that looked similar that were identified as not being aiptasia. I would really like to know for certain if I should "yank" these guys from the tank.
<Mmm, I wouldn't... Looks to be a good deal of space for them here...>
I believe they are all still attached to the half shell you see there, so they would be easy to eliminate at this point. Thanks in advance, your site is awesome!
Greg
<These are Zoanthids. Bob Fenner>

Aiptasia (I think) 10/1/09
Good Morning Crew,
<Hi Matt>
I have a quick question this morning. The other day I noticed what may have looked like one lonely aiptasia on a piece of my live rock that I just purchased. I decided to let it go for a few days just to make sure. Now, this morning, I checked the tank and it was not there. I looked around and found it halfway across the tank!!! Do these pests move around like that.
<Not that fast.>+
I have had a TON of them before that just multiplied like crazy but have never moved on me. Now I am not sure if that is what this is or not.
<And?>
Thanks for your help.
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Matt

Identification Question, Aiptasia 8/14/09
Hello,
<Hi>
I wrote this question a week ago and don't know if it was received (I say this because I asked a boxfish related question the night before that email and it was answered in a couple of hours) but I have a identification question of this sea anemone looking thing that is in my tank. Can you tell me what it is? Thanks!!
Jeff
<Looks like an Aiptasia to me, see here for more http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/aiptasia/aiptasia.htm .>
<Chris>

Anemone, What Is It 6/21/09
Hi I have 3 small clear Anemones. I have not been able to ID them. Attached is a pic of them. Could you let me know what they might be. Are the Bad or good Anemones?
<Appears to be a species of Glass Anemone, not desirable. See re here.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/index.htm  Scroll down... to Aiptasia...>
Thanks
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
<<Time for new spectacles James... see the skeletons underneath? This is a solitary Caryophylliid... RMF>>
Dan

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