View Full Version : What are these things?
piglet007
03-09-2005, 2:47 PM
Sorry I don't have a picture but this live rock has these red tentacles hanging out moving around. We didn't see it until we put it in the tank. There are a few of them on the rock. THey look like they are moving.
OrionGirl
03-09-2005, 3:08 PM
Size? Here's a good place to check for hitch hiker info: http://reefs.org/hhfaq/
piglet007
03-09-2005, 3:21 PM
Sorry for not posting the size. One is round, about a dime in size with long ,bout 1.5 to 2 inch tentacles. The other two are smaller with shorter tentacles. and I just spotted a third one. The tentacles are a reddish burgungy color.. Checking out the website now
OrionGirl
03-09-2005, 3:58 PM
Sounds like aiptasia--not a good thing. Sorry.
piglet007
03-09-2005, 4:42 PM
Yep, that is what they are. Figures. I thought that with getting the cured rock I wouldn't have these things? Either way, reading up now on what to do about them. Do they hurt the fish though? I keep reading that they are no good for reef tanks and will eat coral and stuff, but nothing about fowlr or is that considered a reef tank. Am I making sense? Probably not.
morleyz
03-09-2005, 5:39 PM
In proper conditions they will take over your tank and attach/grow on everything in a FOWLR or reef. If you see a bunch coming out...I'd complain to the LFS and see if you can't bring it back, then get your rock from somewhere else.
Kabong
03-10-2005, 1:53 AM
Peppermint shrimp will eat them and its a good excuse to get a new critter for your tank! WIN/WIN
piglet007
03-10-2005, 7:20 AM
This is the route I am going to go. We took out the little rock that had one in it and attempted to remove it ourselves, they turn into this jelly. It was really yucky. I know they can come back if we do it this way so we are just opting for the shrimpy. Is it safe to have that with the damsels? Also, I don't think my tank is fully cycled yet. I haven't had a spike with the exception of a nitratre spike but that went back down.
tuchon35
03-10-2005, 7:55 AM
Just took a look at the hitch hiker page, thank you for the link!!
OrionGirl
03-10-2005, 8:02 AM
I wouldn't add a shrimp yet. You're best bet for killing them off is to get kalkwasser and make a paste, then inject it into the stump. Manual removal results in more--all those little slimy bits can turn into new ones.
Shrimp are hit or miss--some will devour them, some won't touch them. Peppermints can be hard to find, and are often mislabeled. They are also pretty tough on beneficial worms in the tank.
Sometime even when the pepermints are labeled right they can be worse than the aptapsia IME. Joes juice works really well it's sort of like exposing a vampire to sunlight .
hth
chris
Gealcath
03-11-2005, 4:20 PM
Aiptasia are one of the few Anemonies that even an inexperience begginer who doesnt have a clue about water quality can keep alive. However they have nasty stings that often can kill corals and some fish, mostly because they reproduce REALLY fast.