What on earth is this? (two ID's and one question)

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Greyhaven7

AC Members
Sep 19, 2005
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This wasn't in my tank earlier today (around 3pm) when I went to feed my lil guys, but at around 9pm I spotted this weird bubble coming out of my substrate (bubble is about 1.5 inches in diameter). It looks like some kind of egg sac, but I don't have a clue. The "stalk" it's attatched to wasn't there either, but hasn't moved, despite the fact that the "bubble" is gone now. I didn't notice any obvious motion other than the bubble "blowing" in the current. Any ideas?
bubble1.jpg

bubble2.jpg

bubblecloseup.jpg

image from about an hour later when the "bubble" had deflated.
bubbleshrink.jpg



I'm assuming these lil' bastages are aiptasia?
aiptasia.jpg



Is it ok that my tank is home to what appers to be thousands upon thousands of these little guys (copeopods I think they are) and a hundred or so flatworms (as seen on the upper left of the rock). I know they're harmless/beneficial, but in the numbers that I have them in, I don't know... (55gal).
copeopods.jpg
 
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Thing one looks like a worm broadcasting eggs, or excreting something. I often see my worms turning their rears out of the rocks and defecating, but it's not usually so full of mucus.

Thing two may be aiptasia, but kind of look like hydroids to me. They can be pesky as well, and difficult to kill, but haven't spread as much in my tanks.

The little things may be copepods or isopods. Either way, they shouldn't be a problem. They will both multiply if there is plenty of food (they are grazers/scavengers) and places to breed.

Small flatworms can be a problem if the population gets high enough that they smother corals. Some species can poison tanks if you have a mass die-off. Some larger species can smother snails with toxic mucus to kill them. Hard to say which you have from that photo.
 
I would call whats happening in your tank benificial, reproduction and pods are not a bad thing. . maybe the anemones could be, but other than that seems you have a fruitfull tank and a worm reproducing. I may be wrong, but I don't think so.
 
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