Why do aiptasia eat Aiptasia-X?

[Tired]

I've just used some Aiptasia-X for the first time, and I was surprised at how readily the anemone will capture it and draw it in like it's food. As far as I'm aware, Aiptasia-X is 10% calcium chloride and 1% sodium hydroxide, and clearly it's corrosive to them. Why do they think a slurry of coral skeleton and lye is something they can eat? Shouldn't they retreat from it? 

 

I suppose it doesn't really matter why, as long as it works, but I'm curious. 

[braaap]

21 minutes ago, Tired said:

I've just used some Aiptasia-X for the first time, and I was surprised at how readily the anemone will capture it and draw it in like it's food. As far as I'm aware, Aiptasia-X is 10% calcium chloride and 1% sodium hydroxide, and clearly it's corrosive to them. Why do they think a slurry of coral skeleton and lye is something they can eat? Shouldn't they retreat from it? 

 

I suppose it doesn't really matter why, as long as it works, but I'm curious. 

 

It is essentially burning them. They are reacting as a defense mechanism.

[Tired]

These didn't react defensively, though. They curled their tentacles inward differently than I'm used to on distressed anemones, and they didn't shrink their entire bodies down or jerk away. Plus, don't they actually eat the stuff? IIRC that's why it's effective, because it destroys all the little spores (planarians? whatever they are) inside 'em.

[mcarroll]

If you don't do it right they DO recoil, "spitting" it all over the area around them in the tank.  (which is harmless)

 

To me it seems like it's triggering a food/eating response WHEN you do it right.  A "trick" on them?

 

I've never gotten kalk paste to work like Aptastia X or Joe's Juice work either, for what that's worth.