Polyp Hitchikers And Other Thing

[gregswimm]

So I got some LR for a new tank, I may have bought the LR the day before my tank is going up >_> . A recent tank breakdown at the LFS was too juicy to resist. I ended up with a macro or 2 and some polyps and tons of coepods that skittered off the rock as I went to weigh it.

I did not pay any extra for the hitchhikers so if I loose them its not a loss, but it would be awesome if I could not kill them lol. I know impulse buying is the bane of the hobby, but I was not planning on getting corals.

Anyway, It would be awesome if I could get an attempted ID on these polyps and some tips on how not to kill them. Also, my only SW testing device atm is a hydrometer, tank is a little under 1.023 and I have the tank placed near a 400w HPS that is being used for my indoor garden.

 

[guidedbyechoes]

the first couple look like closed up zoas. If you put a light on them even a flashlight they will open. The last looks like a pest anemone called aiptasia. You want it gone fast. Few things will kill it and it can overtake your tank and kill everything in it.

 

[gregswimm]

The smaller piece has started to open as indeed a blue Zoa. The larger piece with smaller 'holes' has yet to open, it is also not 'attached' like the Zoa. Ill try and get a better pic, but it looks like an acrop, which I know almost nothing about.


The dark 'polyps' you think are aneminies? They have less tenticles than the Zoa, they are not linier either, thin at the base and thick in the middle.

 

[guidedbyechoes]

The smaller piece has started to open as indeed a blue Zoa. The larger piece with smaller 'holes' has yet to open, it is also not 'attached' like the Zoa. Ill try and get a better pic, but it looks like an acrop, which I know almost nothing about.


The dark 'polyps' you think are aneminies? They have less tenticles than the Zoa, they are not linier either, thin at the base and thick in the middle.

Yes the darker one that isnt part of a colony.

 

[gregswimm]

The smaller piece has started to open as indeed a blue Zoa. The larger piece with smaller 'holes' has yet to open, it is also not 'attached' like the Zoa. Ill try and get a better pic, but it looks like an acrop, which I know almost nothing about.


The dark 'polyps' you think are aneminies? They have less tenticles than the Zoa, they are not linier either, thin at the base and thick in the middle.

Yes the darker one that isnt part of a colony.

Ohh, that should have been a dead give away. Is there no way to control their growth? I kinda like it

Also I found a centipede type worm, looks like a bristle worm, I found it on the unknown mulit-branched coral and may have caused it damage. Now i have to find it again lol.

 

[guidedbyechoes]

The smaller piece has started to open as indeed a blue Zoa. The larger piece with smaller 'holes' has yet to open, it is also not 'attached' like the Zoa. Ill try and get a better pic, but it looks like an acrop, which I know almost nothing about.


The dark 'polyps' you think are aneminies? They have less tenticles than the Zoa, they are not linier either, thin at the base and thick in the middle.

Yes the darker one that isnt part of a colony.

Ohh, that should have been a dead give away. Is there no way to control their growth? I kinda like it

Also I found a centipede type worm, looks like a bristle worm, I found it on the unknown mulit-branched coral and may have caused it damage. Now i have to find it again lol.

Controlling its growth is very easy. Remove the portion of rock the nem is on and move it to another small system, feed it regularly. In 6 months or so you will have about 100 of them. You will then promptly wish you didn't

Bristle are fine as they don't harm corals. I don't care for them though as they can get huge. http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_KbY2-hV_4 this is a good comparison video against fireworms which suck.

 

[gregswimm]

The smaller piece has started to open as indeed a blue Zoa. The larger piece with smaller 'holes' has yet to open, it is also not 'attached' like the Zoa. Ill try and get a better pic, but it looks like an acrop, which I know almost nothing about.


The dark 'polyps' you think are aneminies? They have less tenticles than the Zoa, they are not linier either, thin at the base and thick in the middle.

Yes the darker one that isnt part of a colony.

Ohh, that should have been a dead give away. Is there no way to control their growth? I kinda like it

Also I found a centipede type worm, looks like a bristle worm, I found it on the unknown mulit-branched coral and may have caused it damage. Now i have to find it again lol.

Controlling its growth is very easy. Remove the portion of rock the nem is on and move it to another small system, feed it regularly. In 6 months or so you will have about 100 of them. You will then promptly wish you didn't

Bristle are fine as they don't harm corals. I don't care for them though as they can get huge. this is a good comparison video against fireworms which suck.

Cool, thanks for the vid. I think I have the smaller think species but I removed him anyway. I read somewhere that if there is no detritus available that they will eat polyps. I sorta blame him for the new damage to the unknown multi-'spike' colony. Either that or it's dying. I also found a clam clamped on to it, don;t know if it was eating the polyps or what but I took him out too. He kinda looks like a coquina but not smooth.

 

[gregswimm]

Also, is there any chance that the 'pest anemone' could be a zoo? http/www.projectbat.com/Aquarium/novprop10/sparklypink.jpg or do my colorblind eyes deceive me? I'm not trying to be argumentative, I just don't want to throw out something that may be a coral.

 

[guidedbyechoes]

Also, is there any chance that the 'pest anemone' could be a zoo? http/www.projectbat.com/Aquarium/novprop10/sparklypink.jpg or do my colorblind eyes deceive me? I'm not trying to be argumentative, I just don't want to throw out something that may be a coral.

Try to touch it with something, if it can retreat into the rock its definitely something you should get rid of.

 

[gregswimm]

Also, is there any chance that the 'pest anemone' could be a zoo? http/www.projectbat.com/Aquarium/novprop10/sparklypink.jpg or do my colorblind eyes deceive me? I'm not trying to be argumentative, I just don't want to throw out something that may be a coral.

Try to touch it with something, if it can retreat into the rock its definitely something you should get rid of.

It doesn't 'retreat' it just pulls its arms into itself in a simmliar manner as the zoanthids. It also has no stem, it is flat on the rock.

 

[gregswimm]

scratch that, I didn't give it a good enough poke. It 'dissapears' into the rock when I poke it. I had 2 dead pods floating in my tank, I fed one to the polyp and it ate it. Guess it's not a coral after all which is a shame because it is pretty. I also have the typical apistas. How do I take them off the rock? I would rather not have to chip a piece of rock off.

 

[guidedbyechoes]

scratch that, I didn't give it a good enough poke. It 'dissapears' into the rock when I poke it. I had 2 dead pods floating in my tank, I fed one to the polyp and it ate it. Guess it's not a coral after all which is a shame because it is pretty. I also have the typical apistas. How do I take them off the rock? I would rather not have to chip a piece of rock off.

hopefully some one will chime in soon with the correct way I was told to inject them with vinegar. Yeah, dont do that. Also be aware that unlike coral if its not happy where its located it can move around. I dropped a shell on top of one and it moved out from under the shell and hopped on top.

 

[gregswimm]

scratch that, I didn't give it a good enough poke. It 'dissapears' into the rock when I poke it. I had 2 dead pods floating in my tank, I fed one to the polyp and it ate it. Guess it's not a coral after all which is a shame because it is pretty. I also have the typical apistas. How do I take them off the rock? I would rather not have to chip a piece of rock off.

hopefully some one will chime in soon with the correct way I was told to inject them with vinegar. Yeah, dont do that. Also be aware that unlike coral if its not happy where its located it can move around. I dropped a shell on top of one and it moved out from under the shell and hopped on top.

I tried boiling water, but it melted my syringe lol. One of my manjano anemones has also spit, shame they are so pretty.

 

[gregswimm]

Any idea what these tenticle things are on the left of the zoa rock?

Top middle of this photo there is a an oyster of sorts with polyps on the top of it, anyone seen it before? I'm hardpressed to find any info on it and should I be feeding it? There are also some encrusting corals on the bottom of the suspended rock, cannot seem to find them. Another photo here. I have no idea what the polyps are either, they have yet to open.

 

[gregswimm]

So are coral shrimp good predators for bristle worms. Call them what you will but I have seen them eating my polyps and have been un able to catch them before they retreat. I saw one that was at least 8 inches long.

I also have snail that is motoring around my tank, it has a huge foot and a tube that sticks out the front of it. About 1/4-1/2" long the shell is flat on one side and pointy on the other. It is always gone before I can snap a photo of it, but it looks very pretty. Any idea what it may be?