Is this a Good Beastie or a Bad Beastie?

Z

zar

AC Members
Nov 22, 2004
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These guys obviously came along with my live rock when I started cycling my tank. The rock they're on is Solomon Islands stuff, and much more "live" than my other rock (from Tonga). Ignore the brown sponge-looking stuff and focus on the translucent flower-like guys in the circles.

I described these things to my LFS and they said (1) they had never seen blue/translucent versions of what I described, and (2) it sounded like a Bad Beastie. I have yet to show them the photo, because I'd like to get your esteemed opinions first.

Anyone know what these are and if they're good or bad?

The one on the left is smaller, but the one behind the rock (circle on the right) is about twice that size and seems to be thriving. They've both been in the tank about 2-3 weeks. The one in the back has grown the most.

(sorry about the picture size; it's hard to see unless it's big)

thanks,
bruce

DSC02048-revised.JPG
 
One addendum to the last message. There is also a brown version of this thing on the same rock. About the same size as the one on the left. I don't know if that makes it a different type of beastie or not.

Here's another one I just noticed for the first time this morning. I saw two of these little wormy things on my glass. Each are about 1/4" long and definitely alive.

Good or bad?

(And how the heck am I ever going to know about ANY of these things in my tank; do I just have ask someone every time?! :-)

thanks,
bruce

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the top one is bad, its the only beast you need to worry about.
the bottom one looks like something completely different (and harmless)

Dont stress over any of these things, you'll find million of critters come out of live rock, no need to have any undo stress on any of them cept the original one which can sting corals.

If your not keeping corals then no need to worry about anything at all.

to remove it just get a turkey baster or syringe (sp), suck in some boiling hot water and zap it to oblivion

nice pics, but try cropping and zooming them more next time as they are quite large

it looks like an aiptasia
http://www.reefscapes.net/articles/breefcase/aiptasia_control.html
Aiptasia.jpg
 
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Is there a hard structure in the middle, or just a soft central stalk? If the latter, they are possibly mejano anenomes, a pest that will spread quickly and can sting and injure beneficial corals. If there's a hard stony structure, it's a type of stony coral--I think they are claled cup corals. The stony portion should look like a little ring with a small coin shaped piece that sits on it's side in the middle. Cup corals are very hardy, and survive in most setups. I have several large clumps of them in with a trigger and burrfish--they leave them alone.

Agree, the bottom one looks like a small worm of some kind--likely a harmless detrivore.

Here's a link with some good ID's for many common hitchhikers: http://reefs.org/hhfaq/
 
I would say that the animals in the top photo are definitely Aiptasia. They have amazing reproductive capabilies and I have heard of individuals producing up to sixty clones in twenty four hours. I have never seen them spread that fast, but the point is; once you see one or two you will want to keep an eye out for them for a while because they will pop up all over the place. Introducing a predator into the tank is an effective way to control these things as well as the aforementioned boiling water bath. The peppermint shrimp and copperband butterflyfish are both good aiptasia eaters, though their compatibility with some polyps and soft coral is questionable. Whatever you do, don;t try to smash them or clip them from the rocks or anything like that. A new aiptasia can grow from even a tiny peice of tissue-it would be like trying to eliminate dandelions from your yard with a lawnmower, the seeds just fly everywhere, and the plant will rejuvinate from the remaining base. I am fighting a constant battle with these "trash anemones" as I call them, but I always have a few in my tank no matter what. Good luck!
 
get a turkey baster and suck it off as soon as you can. pray that you can
often people get the cousins of that anemone called a curely que anemone mixxed up with them but aiptasia are proliferant pest anemones.. they will choke out and sting corals and soon they will be everwhere and uncontralable.. they make a product called
"joes juice" just to get rid of them..... they are EVIL
 
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