Warm shallow seas worldwide; spread widely on live rock
Water
saltwater
Reef safe
no
Lighting
Any; it thrives in most aquarium lighting
Flow
Any
Care
Aiptasia is a small, brownish, see-through anemone, usually 1–5 cm tall, that arrives on live rock or coral frags. It is a pest, not a coral to buy: it multiplies fast and stings corals. Control: remove it early. Options include peppermint shrimp (Lysmata wurdemanni), Berghia nudibranchs, the Aiptasia-eating filefish (Acreichthys tomentosus), and injecting each anemone with a commercial killer or kalkwasser paste. Cutting or scraping makes it worse, since every fragment can regrow. Do not sell rock or frags carrying Aiptasia without saying so. Neither LiveAquaria nor Top Shelf Aquatics lists this species; the figures are general guidance for the genus, not from a source. Sources: none; general reef-keeping knowledge only. Checked October 2026.
Diet
Photosynthetic and also catches food; extra feeding of the tank makes it spread.
Breeding
Spreads by pedal laceration (small pieces of its foot break off and grow into new anemones). Do not propagate.
Compatibility and tank mates
A pest: it stings and irritates corals, and spreads across the rockwork.
Last updated 8 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.
About Aquatic-Auctions
Aquatic-Auctions (aquatic-auctions.com) is a UK online marketplace for aquarium and pond livestock and equipment: tropical and marine fish, corals, shrimp, snails and other invertebrates, aquatic plants, tanks, filtration, lighting and food.
Items are sold by auction, buy it now or classified advert, by hobbyist and business sellers in the UK.
Buyers pay sellers directly; Aquatic-Auctions does not hold the money. Hobbyist sellers must offer PayPal and may also take cash on collection. Business sellers take PayPal (required) or cash on collection, and bank transfer only once they have a seller rating of 50 out of 100, a company and pet-selling licence checked by Aquatic-Auctions, a bank account in the company's name, and bank details approved by Aquatic-Auctions.
Buyers are told to pay by PayPal Goods & Services, never PayPal Friends and Family, gift cards or crypto.
Live fish and other vertebrates must be sent by specialist live-animal couriers (for example APC Overnight or DX Express), never by Royal Mail. Some invertebrates and plants may go by Royal Mail Special Delivery or 1st Class within its rules.
Banned and invasive species (for example those on the GB invasive species lists) cannot be listed, and sellers must meet the site’s animal welfare standards.
Members must be 16 or over to buy (16 and 17-year-olds with a parent or guardian’s agreement); sellers must be 18 or over.
Business sellers show their address, company details and pet-selling licence to buyers. Seller ratings run from 0 to 100: +1 for each positive feedback, −1 for each negative.
The site includes a free community species wiki with care guides (water parameters, tank size, diet, temperament, breeding).
Aquatic-Auctions is run by Etavonni Tech Limited trading as Aquatic-Auctions (company number 10204188), Aldershot, Hampshire, UK. Contact: info@aquatic-auctions.com.