Please Help!!!

[enforcer]

My 4' tank is approaching 12 months and I've got these really small, sharp red coloured spikes starting to grow all over the rocks, skimmer, etc. Is there cause for concern?

I've also had these small brown coloured anemone looking things starting to sprout all over on the rocks, and my aquarium keeper gave me some "Tropic Marine" (Elimi-aiptas) with syringe and solution. It dosen't work. How do you get rid of these rotton things????

I need some advice...can anyone help....:(

[Largo50]

The brown colored anemone looking things sound like aiptasia or mojano, both of which the Elimi-aiptas should kill. You need to post a pic to make sure of what you are trying to kill.

Joe's Juice is another product for aiptasia.

Red spikes will need someone else, I never had those.

[korndogg091]

If you want to kill the aiptasia naturally you can try pepperment shrimp or a copperband butterfly fish. If you decide to go with the fish research it first, its sometime delicate and will nip at certain corals.

[enforcer]

I've never heard of aiptasia or mojano...but when I googled the names found this is them!!!!

I've given them the solution but it dosen't do anything.

http://fins.actwin.com/pics/Aiptasia_sp2.jpg

As for the spikes...they are very small red spiky bits. (I really need a good camera for this, don't I?). The largest of them look like half of a tip of a broken pencil. It is a bright red, and its hard.

Anyone seen anything like this, and should I be worried ?

[enforcer]

I was too embarrassed to post this initially because I thought some people would think I was crazy...but now you've said it I did get a copper band but he hasn't touched any of them.

This is what he looks like, I've had him a week and he hasn't touch them....will he??

http://frontpage.simnet.is/dna/Copperband-Butterfly-02.jpg

[NirvanaFan]

are the sharp red colored things vermetid snails? Try a google search for them.

[muerk1]

The red things are probably foraminiferans or forams for short. They are usually hitchhikers on live rock. They are harmless and live off of detritus and dissolved nutrients. One way to get rid of the anemones is to get some kalkwasser (calcium hydroxide powder) and mix with a little water. Then use a syringe to inject each anemone with the solution. The pH of the solution is 12.5 and caustic, so it will just melt away the anemones. Only do a few a day because it could cause an ammonia spike or cause your pH to rise too much.

[3mrhythm]

i've seen the red things you are talking about many times .. harmless and they dont get more than like 1/16 of an inch tall

[shabash]

Boiling water or burning them them with a flame(lighter) will also work if you can remove the rock to get at them, if not the the kalkwasser or joe's juice should work. The first two are free though ;).