Can Aiptasia Strip Water of Nutrients?

[RedOtterCoral]

I've been battling aiptasia in my acro-dominated tank, which is just around 5 months old.

I have ~a dozen sps frags, and a pair of rainbow acans. Several of the older acro frags are starting to encrust onto the rock or at least over the frag plug, and the acans have dropped several heads.

The aiptasia have grown in number and size and I've recently introduced berghia to help combat them.

My question; recently, I noticed some of my puffer frags including my fastest growing milli not having as much polyp extension. There's still some, but across the board less extension and I noticed a little bit less vibrancy in color.

Did my tests and noticed my nitrates were low (for my system) at 2.4. I've traditionally had those closer to 15 and even up to 20.

My question is, can Aiptasia remove nitrates from the water? While I've had some growth in my coral, I didn't think it would be enough to reduce my nutrients that much. Input and output have remained the same, I've actually fed a bit more recently due to adding a clown and 6 line to the system.

Would appreciate everyone's thoughts! I'm going to try and increase my nitrates slowly and see if it helps my issues.

Thanks!

 

[scotty333]

Nitrates sent consumed by aiptasia , they maybe catching some food , the extra you’d now putting in
What’s all your other parameters , light and flow
Maybe some tank shots will help

 

[RedOtterCoral]

All other parameters are in expected/historic ranges.

I try to keep flow moving fairly decently with the SPS focus, so my return is high, split into to returns and then I have a jump 2x gyre as main flow source.

Lighting is 2 xr15s set VERY high due to their notoriously poor spread and penetration, and a pair of or3 blue bars.

Lighting is pretty intensive at peaks, which is why my I think everything was doing so well with nitrates at 15-20. I know with higher Lighting you need more available nutrients.

 

[Uncle99]

Everything is consuming nitrates.
So no more, no less than other competitors.
I battled those things for years, but eliminated 100% with a copperband and about a week.
Wasn’t as hard as some say, and that beak can get into acros easily.

 

[RedOtterCoral]

Nitrates sent consumed by aiptasia , they maybe catching some food , the extra you’d now putting in
What’s all your other parameters , light and flow
Maybe some tank shots will help

A couple recent photos, including the military when it was really happy last week.

Sorry the quality isn't great, not much of a photographer

 

[RedOtterCoral]

Everything is consuming nitrates.
So no more, no less than other competitors.

But as the population increases, so would the consumption, yes?

 

[Uncle99]

But as the population increases, so would the consumption, yes?

Makes sense. The more of anything living the more organics are used.

 

[scotty333]

But as the population increases, so would the consumption, yes?

Really , your nitrates lowering are not due to aiptasia using them
No chance
Maybe a million in a cube might but even then I’m not convinced
People have loads of nems in their tanks and never report low nitrates due to the amount of nems , it’s absurd

 

[RedOtterCoral]

Makes sense. The more of anything living the more organics are used.

And my aiptasia have probably tripled in size/number since the start of the month.

I love CBBs, I just don't like the mortality rate on them, even the readily-frozen eating ones

 

[scotty333]

And my aiptasia have probably tripled in size/number since the start of the month.

I love CBBs, I just don't like the mortality rate on them, even the readily-frozen eating ones

So your nitrates dropped? Is that where your info is coming from?

 

[RedOtterCoral]

So your nitrates dropped? Is that where your info is coming from?

Yes, if you had read the post instead of calling the question and back and forth @Uncle99 and I were having "absurd", my nitrates have dropped considerably from their normal levels, with a rapid expansion in Aiptasia being the only major difference.

I never said I was right, it's why I came to the forum to review my logic and get others' input.

 

[Uncle99]

Yes, if you had read the post instead of calling the question and back and forth @Uncle99 and I were having "absurd", my nitrates have dropped considerably from their normal levels, with a rapid expansion in Aiptasia being the only major difference.

I never said I was right, it's why I came to the forum to review my logic and get others' input.

Ok

 

[RedOtterCoral]

Ok

Sorry, that wasnt directed at you. I was saying you and I were politely discussing the possibility of an increasing aiptasia population affecting nitrate, and old scotty above went and called me absurd lol

 

[exnisstech]

And my aiptasia have probably tripled in size/number since the start of the month.

I love CBBs, I just don't like the mortality rate on them, even the readily-frozen eating ones

I think much of the problem with CBBs is from people not training them properly to compete for food. They also don't do well in sterile QT tanks with pvc pipe. I've just added my second so I now have a pair in one tank and they compete with large tangs and have no problem getting their share of the food. Mine will not touch pellets or flake tho, only frozen.

 

[scotty333]

Sorry, that wasnt directed at you. I was saying you and I were politely discussing the possibility of an increasing aiptasia population affecting nitrate, and old scotty above went and called me absurd lol

I wasn’t calling you absurd , I was saying that uncle99 backing this without data is absurd

You say “While I've had some growth in my coral, I didn't think it would be enough to reduce my nutrients that much. Input and output have remained the same, I've actually fed a bit more recently due to adding a clown and 6 line to the system.”

So why would your corals not reduce nitrate but the aiptasia would? I think the opposite here

 

[scotty333]

Sorry, that wasnt directed at you. I was saying you and I were politely discussing the possibility of an increasing aiptasia population affecting nitrate, and old scotty above went and called me absurd lol

And less of the old ya whippersnapper