Aiptasia Control Via Fuge...

[metalhead]

"Modular forms and elliptic curves! Infinite fire revolving around infinite parallels fractals of infinite reality, each cascading, gliding in an infinite wheel. .." (Ziltoid The Omniscient, 2008 in response to "What's on your mind Bro?")

Seriously though, seeing that photo of Zhenya's anemone tank got me thinking about this... I've heard of people maintaining refugiums full of aiptasia anemone but my question is can a aiptasia problem in the main display tank be controlled or even remedied by having such a fuge connected to it?

I wonder what Ziltoid would say?

Oh, and if anyone needs some fine aiptasia specimens please let me know.

[Ninong]

How would keeping Aiptasia in your sump have any beneficial effects on controlling Aiptasia in your display aquarium?

[metalhead]

How would keeping Aiptasia in your sump have any beneficial effects on controlling Aiptasia in your display aquarium?

That's my question but the Ziltoid quote probably threw you off.

I guess what I'm wondering is if having a booty-load of aiptasia confined in one area would reduce the number present in other areas... Like a traditional cheato fuge helps control algae.

A form of nutrient (or whatever makes aiptasia thrive) export so to say... Except that instead of harvesting cheato to remove "nutrients" the aiptasia would be removing them on their own or so I'm guessing.

It would make sense that there is a limit to the number of anemones that any given closed system could support, though after seeing Zhenya's tank I now have my doubts.

Does this make sense? For some reason I'm having a hard time describing things here... Must be that $%#^ Ziltoid quote!!! :eek3:

[metalhead]

Just in case anyone is curious to learn more about Ziltoid...

Devin Townsend: Ziltoid The Omniscient: Album Review | SonicFrontiers.net

[Ninong]

If you tried to 'harvest' the Aiptasia in the sump, you might accidentally allow some tiny tissue segments to be released into the water column. Your system return pump would then send them up to your display aquarium where they would turn into mature Aiptasia.;;

[metalhead]

If you tried to 'harvest' the Aiptasia in the sump, you might accidentally allow some tiny tissue segments to be released into the water column. Your system return pump would then send them up to your display aquarium where they would turn into mature Aiptasia.;;

Would you necessarily need to harvest them or would they mange themselves in relation to the amount of nutrients available. I've noticed that when I run a filter sock the aiptasia seem to reproduce slower vs. when I am not running one.

[Ninong]

Here is what you said:

A form of nutrient (or whatever makes aiptasia thrive) export so to say... Except that instead of harvesting cheato to remove "nutrients" the aiptasia would be removing them on their own or so I'm guessing.

I assumed you were talking about nutrient export because that's the purpose of having Chaetomorpha algae in your sump/refugium. You regularly harvest some of it and remove it from the system.

Unless you actually physically remove Aiptasia from the system, then there is no nutrient export taking place. In order to export nutrients, something must be physically removed from the system.

Having a lot of Aiptasia, or anything else, growing in your sump may use up some nutrients but that's not the same as exporting nutrients. Some people have macroalgae in their sump for the purpose of using available nutrients so that there will be less nutrients available for nuisance algae in the main aquarium.

In either case, I think keeping Aiptasia anywhere is not a good idea unless you're breeding Berghia nudibranchs.

[charlie]

Wasn't it Anthony Calfo that was actually looking for people to send him their aiptasia here a couple of years back???? They are great filter feeders, but personally, the best aiptasia, is a dead aiptasia. JMHO

[metalhead]

Here is what you said:


I assumed you were talking about nutrient export because that's the purpose of having Chaetomorpha algae in your sump/refugium. You regularly harvest some of it and remove it from the system.

Unless you actually physically remove Aiptasia from the system, then there is no nutrient export taking place. In order to export nutrients, something must be physically removed from the system.

Having a lot of Aiptasia, or anything else, growing in your sump may use up some nutrients but that's not the same as exporting nutrients. Some people have macroalgae in their sump for the purpose of using available nutrients so that there will be less nutrients available for nuisance algae in the main aquarium.

In either case, I think keeping Aiptasia anywhere is not a good idea unless you're breeding Berghia nudibranchs.

Right on... Well I guess I'll just wait and see what happens once I get the fuge set up. If aiptasia start growing in there like everywhere else I may just drop a piece of plexiglass in there that can be removed easily for harvesting. If I do go this route I'd definitely like to try breeding some Berghia as they are in very high demand and very scarce, at least around here... Anybody know where to order some? Thanks for keeping me straight.

[metalhead]

Wasn't it Anthony Calfo that was actually looking for people to send him their aiptasia here a couple of years back???? They are great filter feeders, but personally, the best aiptasia, is a dead aiptasia. JMHO

I definitely agree with you there. If I was going to keep filter feeders in a fuge I would much prefer xenia. Problem is I just can't get rid of the darn things (aiptasia), so once a week or so (2 weeks if the filter sock is in) I mix up some kalk paste and go hunting again.

I didn't know that Calfo had already experimented with this concept though... Do you know if he ever published any of his findings in regard?

[charlie]

Don't rightly know if he ever published anything about that???????

[Ninong]

Don't rightly know if he ever published anything about that???????

Apparently he did. I remember Samper asking about this a few years ago. Here's the thread.

[metalhead]

Apparently he did. I remember Samper asking about this a few years ago. Here's the thread.

Vvvvveeeeerrrrrrrryyyyyyyy interesting........


"Modular forms and elliptic curves! Infinite fire revolving around infinite parallels fractals of infinite reality, each cascading, gliding in an infinite wheel. What is the true meaning of my existence? " (Ziltoid The Omniscient, 2008 in response to "What's on your mind Bro?")

Response to Ziltoid: "You gotta chill man!"