Aiptasia

Infesting anemones that arrive with live rock. They reproduce rapidly and sting nearby corals. One of the most hated parasites in the reef.

Detailed explanation

Aiptasia are small brown anemones that arrive as stowaways on live rock and coral fragments. They seem harmless at first but reproduce with impressive speed and can infest the entire aquarium.

The main problem is that Aiptasia have stinging tentacles that damage nearby corals. They steal space, food and light. An aquarium infested with Aiptasia is an aquarium where the corals suffer.

They reproduce both by splitting and by pedal laceration: even a small fragment of tissue left on the rock regenerates a new individual. This is why mechanical removal (tearing them off) makes the situation worse.

Biological remedies are the most effective. The shrimp Lysmata wurdemanni is the most used natural predator. Not all individuals eat Aiptasia with the same voracity but a group of 3-5 usually works. The filefish (Acreichthys tomentosus) is another effective predator but can also pinch corals.

Chemical remedies include direct injection into the oral disc with products such as Aiptasia-X (Red Sea), concentrated kalkwasser paste, lemon juice, or calcium hydroxide solution. The injection must be precise: if the Aiptasia retracts before absorbing the product it survives.

The best prevention is to carefully inspect every rock and coral fragment before introducing it into the aquarium. A dip (bath) in CoralRx or Bayer solution helps eliminate hidden Aiptasia.

In severely infested aquariums, the nudibranchs Berghia stephanieae can be used. They are specialized predators that eat exclusively Aiptasia. When the Aiptasia run out, even the nudibranchs die for lack of food.

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