Aiptasia - hiding in the dark

BighohoReef

A reefer in need is a friend indeed!
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Hi All, We're in the process of moving all our corals from our nano to 100g (no live rock), while checking/cleaning our one of our corals it accidentally broke where the skeleton had died (we've been nursing it back to health) in doing so it revealed the frag plug below which low and behold had been hiding two little anemones underneath (might explain the coral health issues). This my first time seeing aiptasia on one of our pieces, looking for a confirmed ID/help on this little bugger (I've seen big ones in the wild and assumed little brown tentacles meant aptasia). We've isolated the chalice but I have some questions for the community:

It's been in the tank for a month glued to the back wall, what are the chances that it released babies into the water column?
Keep the piece or nuke it? I'd prefer to keep it
Does aiptasia survive in the dark?
What is your success rate of using lemon juice vs. chemicals

Should I take the following preventive measures:
Get a filefish or no filefish? I read they like to eat zoas
Get aiptasia eating nudies? expensive and die off if there isn't any aiptasia

Tank environment:
LPS dominant tank
Low to moderate flow (chalice was in a low flow area)
Moderate to low par

Our normal regiment of introducing corals into the tank:
Inspection with dental loops
CoralRX dip and toothbrush scrub (especially the frag plugs)
QT 2-3 days in a separate tank to monitor
2nd CoralRX dip before going into the main tank (varies on the piece)
Sits on a frag rack 2-3 days before finally be glued down

We got this piece from one of a local hobbyist.

I'm already super paranoid about pests in the tank so I'm on high alert after discovering these little hitchhikers. I appreciate any feedback!

Thank you for your help!

IMG-1472.jpg
 
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Neoalchemist

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Yes, aiptasia. If you can attack the aiptasia outside of the tank do so.
Take a look at Frank's tanks F-aiptasia it works a little better than other methods as long as you follow their directions to the letter
 

ZoaAddiction81

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I’ve used Aiptasia X it’s a temporary band-aid then they come back full force.....Neoalchemist is correct that franks stuff is good lasts longer on contact doesn’t wash away in the flow..Just don’t get it on your corals..
 
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BighohoReef

BighohoReef

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I haven't seen anything on the rocks but that doesn't mean that they aren't there. I'm more worried that it pushed something into the water column.
 

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