Aiptasia on TBS rock?

[dwculp]

Does anyone know if Aiptasia is common on TBS rock? As I l;ook through the tank I am starting to see anemones on the rock. I know one is a very small condy, the others I am not sure. I will try and post some pics later.

[Lord Nemo]

i got my shipment in today and so far i've seen none.

[willray]

yes it is common. on any live rock.But i also got a lightbulb anemone,looks similiar. kill aptasia w syring containing hot water and bit lemon juice.

[dwculp]

Originally posted by Lord Nemo
i got my shipment in today and so far i've seen none.
I doubt you would see any right away, it takes awhile for some of the life to recover. I just started seeing anomenes in my tank a couple of days ago. I have about 5-6. I know one is not an aiptasia as it looks nothing like one. However, I am not sure about the others.

[docklink]

I can only relay my own experience, but based on it, I wouldn't worry. There was a rather contentious thread a number of months ago without any real conclusion. You can do a search of this forum if you desire.
I believe that technically there are aptasia on the TBS rock, though the term aptasia is a genus name and not a single species. The type of aptasia that puts people in a panic and spreads like weeds seems to come from the pacific. The type of aptasia (or anemone that looks like it) that shows up on the TBS rock doesn't seem to spread with any vigor.
When I recieved my first shipment, I had 3 very small anemone that looked very similar though not quite like the aptasia running amoak in the LFS's rock tank. Two have disappeared over time and the third has enlarged by maybe 1/2 in six months.
With the second shipment, one rock had a half-dozen anemone that looked much more like the "bad" aptasia. That had me concerned. However, whether it was the pair of peppermint shrimp (still doing great) or other factors, they slowly disappeared over the course of about 2 months. I never saw the shrimp picking at any of them but who knows what happens after lights out? HTH

[dwculp]

Thank you for the information. I believe I had read that thread but couldnt remember much about it, I will do a search on here later this evening.

[molloy]

I've had my first half of rock for 3 weeks and second half since Saturday. There are a dozens of anemone's on the rock. I can't believe how many. I've only just started finding out what all of these things are and didn't realize that I had anemone's until this thread. Now, I wonder if they're bad too.

I waited for a couple of weeks for the first order of rock, so I got a couple of yellow tail damels and they have been doing great in the tank - even through the cycle. I was going to take them out when I got the rock. I took them out while filing the tank with the sand and rock, but after a couple of hours it settled down and I put the damsels back in. No real spikes at all.

Anyway, in only 3 weeks, a few on the anemone's have gotten huge. One in particluar is giant already. I think it was about an inch in diameter and it's already 2 inches in diameter.

If the damsels are OK, they couldn't be that bad, right?

-Brendan

[JSB5776]

I probably had 10-15 Aptasia on my TBS... I tried the hot water... 8.3 buffer... lemon juice... culdnt get anything to work and only succeeded in killing surrounding life... then I bought Joes Juice... Killed ALL the aptasia in 20 mins...

Seeing how Time = Money... Joes Juice was the cheapest way to go!!!

[nuts590]

pair of peppermint shrimp will take care of the problem (and just about any other anemone you'll ever get near your tank) in very short order. Had a problem with mystery anemone, put in a pair of peppermint shrimp, week later there wasn't an anemone in sight...

[JSB5776]

Wish I was able to get my hands on the Pepermint shrimp that you can... I had two of them in there and they wouldn't look twice at aptasia...

[phil519]

dwculp -

as i recall reading your thread about tbs, you received a few peppermints. Are they still around and if so - I guess they are not taking a liking to these anemones that have appeared?

just curious as I'm awaiting my second shipment and I noticed a very very small (what looks like) anemone in a hole in my tbs LR.

[liverock]

Originally posted by phil519
dwculp -

as i recall reading your thread about tbs, you received a few peppermints. Are they still around and if so - I guess they are not taking a liking to these anemones that have appeared?

just curious as I'm awaiting my second shipment and I noticed a very very small (what looks like) anemone in a hole in my tbs LR.

If it was aptasia, peppermints would eat them....does that tell you something?

Mary TBS

[dwculp]

Originally posted by phil519
dwculp -

as i recall reading your thread about tbs, you received a few peppermints. Are they still around and if so - I guess they are not taking a liking to these anemones that have appeared?

just curious as I'm awaiting my second shipment and I noticed a very very small (what looks like) anemone in a hole in my tbs LR.

The pepermints eat anything they can get their claws on, except the couple of anemones that came on the rock. The anemones have not spread either, so I guess they are not Aiptasia.

[phil519]

Hi Mary - thanks for all the help you've given me - it's been a real great experience so far. Kudos to Richard too of course!

dwculp - glad to hear the shrimp are still around - seems to me if they ignore it and the anemones aren't bugging anything - you should be in good shape. (just my humble opinion though - as if I know anything!)

[liverock]

Originally posted by phil519
Hi Mary - thanks for all the help you've given me - it's been a real great experience so far. Kudos to Richard too of course!

dwculp - glad to hear the shrimp are still around - seems to me if they ignore it and the anemones aren't bugging anything - you should be in good shape. (just my humble opinion though - as if I know anything!)

Don"t forget Mark, Marys husband that dives all this rock up outa the Gulf!

That is all of us!

I am off to the keys tomorrow to get another load of seed rock for our site in the Gulf....sea ya next year!

Richard TBS

[dwculp]

Originally posted by phil519
Hi Mary - thanks for all the help you've given me - it's been a real great experience so far. Kudos to Richard too of course!

dwculp - glad to hear the shrimp are still around - seems to me if they ignore it and the anemones aren't bugging anything - you should be in good shape. (just my humble opinion though - as if I know anything!)

Those pepermint shrimp are hilarious guys! I am telling you, if peppermint shrimp grew to 6 feet that would eat the entire Earth eventually.

I was never worried about the anemones anyways. They look more like "curly cue" anemones than anything else.

[figuerres]

I have seen dozens of photos posted over the last 2 years where the question of "Is this an As*" or "What Kind of Anemon*"
or "Is this a bad Anemonie" or "My rock is loaded with..."

Guys and Gals there is a *VERY COMMON* coral on rock from the Gulf area called an "Atlantic cup coral" normaly they are about the size of a dime to a nickle across, are mostly one polyp and have long tentacles that look a lot like an anemonie.

Look for the base, if you can't see a fleshy "STalk" but you can see what may be a base with the
* <== Star shape of a coral then 90% it's a cup coral.

I wonder how many times a new load of TBS rock has had dozens of nice little corals killed due to this error in ID?

[Iphis]

Here is one of my hidden cup corals:

Hidden Cup Corals (http://reefcentral.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=77992&papass=&sort=1&thecat=500)

You can see the one there that is mostly retracted.

There is one directly below it that you can see, it has all its clear tentacles extended, but you can't see the base as well.

Iphis

[figuerres]

Originally posted by Iphis
Here is one of my hidden cup corals:

Hidden Cup Corals (http://reefcentral.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=77992&papass=&sort=1&thecat=500)

You can see the one there that is mostly retracted.

There is one directly below it that you can see, it has all its clear tentacles extended, but you can't see the base as well.

Iphis

yeah the base can be hard to spot, deep in encusted "stuff"

but a close exam can spot the difference.

after a few it's easyer to tell, if it's your tank it's not too hard
it's harder to tell with some photos ...

but yes you got a nice shot there of the base.

[phil519]

Interesting find today...I was checking my sump water level and observing some of my "bad" gorillas in the sump. Then as I scanned my eyes to my return pump...I see...a tiny anemone.

It is not a cup coral...I've got a lot of those in the tank.

Any suggestions as to what I should do?

If I try to keep it - doesn't it require light for photosynthesis? or can it live with just supplemental brine shrimp...?

If I try to get rid of it - obviously I don't plan on having peppermints in my sump - do I scrape it off?

It's sitting on the bottom of my sump - about the size of a dime. There is a baffle that separates it from my gorilla crabs.

I find it amazing that it made it down the overflow (aga megaflow).

[figuerres]

Originally posted by phil519
Interesting find today...I was checking my sump water level and observing some of my "bad" gorillas in the sump. Then as I scanned my eyes to my return pump...I see...a tiny anemone.

It is not a cup coral...I've got a lot of those in the tank.

Any suggestions as to what I should do?

If I try to keep it - doesn't it require light for photosynthesis? or can it live with just supplemental brine shrimp...?

I had one that grew in the dark.... it grew till I had to get rid of it as it was large and was looking like it would eat a fish :eek2:

If I try to get rid of it - obviously I don't plan on having peppermints in my sump - do I scrape it off?

It's sitting on the bottom of my sump - about the size of a dime. There is a baffle that separates it from my gorilla crabs.

I find it amazing that it made it down the overflow (aga megaflow).

if it's not gonna eat any fish or such...

then i'd let it grow a while and ID what kind it is... might be one you can keep ....

[phil519]

Sound reasonable to me. I didn't plan on doing anything to it...but I think it won't survive without some food. I'm going to try and get a pic of it to post -but it's clear and with the acyrlic sump - it's difficult to photo.

[phil519]

quick other question. I looked at this pinnedAiptasia (http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=514384) Post and I know identification is difficult - but it looks like the pic all the way on the left (first row).

Anyway - as I said - i'll me eye on it and if next week there are 10 of them - I'll know what to do.

Don"t forget Mark, Marys husband that dives all this rock up outa the Gulf!

OOOPS I forgot about him. I also didn't know he's married to Mary! yes - many kudos to you too!

EDIT: I do not think this is aiptasia - although it may "look" like the pic I mentioned above - I do not think it is. Just want to be clear on that. It seems more likely to be some kind of hydroid (if I understand the term correctly)

[figuerres]

Originally posted by phil519
quick other question. I looked at this pinnedAiptasia (http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=514384) Post and I know identification is difficult - but it looks like the pic all the way on the left (first row).

Anyway - as I said - i'll me eye on it and if next week there are 10 of them - I'll know what to do.



OOOPS I forgot about him. I also didn't know he's married to Mary! yes - many kudos to you too!

EDIT: I do not think this is aiptasia - although it may "look" like the pic I mentioned above - I do not think it is. Just want to be clear on that. It seems more likely to be some kind of hydroid (if I understand the term correctly)

Question:

do the arms have any branching?
if they do then it's not an anemoney at all.

I have some gorgonians on my rock that for the first 3 months were hard as heck to see, and could have been mistaken as aiptasia .... now they are very big and no chance of confusion.

if you can get it to attach to a small rock and then you can move it where you can get a photo...

[phil519]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v610/buyerny/jelly.jpg

I would guess it to be about an inch long when fully extended - 2 inches if the tentacles were all the way out.

[figuerres]

Hmmm....

try and get a better focus, you have a good start at a photo; just work on focus so we can see some details.

when you get a better shot give an indication of the animals normal "UP" side.

from what I could see it might be any of several things... which is no real help...

if you can get a sharp focus Dr. Ron might be able to help ID it.

is it "Attached" to one side?

is the end near the lower right the "UP" or the "DOwn"?

can you feed it ? what happens? how does it process food?

can you count the arms?

are the arms just simple tenticles or are they branched?

each of the above can help narrow down the ID

[phil519]

Sorry - I've been trying to do my best to answer your questions (and also weigh how much time I really want to spend iding this critter versus euthanization!). Here's a better pic...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v610/buyerny/whatisit.jpg

It appears to have "attached" itself to the glass (small glass container with open lid i put it in). The water in the sump flows over it - hasn't made a move to get out of the glass for 48 hrs.

I attempted to feed brine shrimp but the shrimp appeared to simply not "stick" to the tentacles. But then again this was when it was withdrawn in that previous photo. I tried to count the number of arms - but they are too small to see.

[figuerres]

Yeah!!

Good Photo!!

from what I see this is definately an Anemone of some kind.

may be the evil kind.... that part I have to leave to others to say.

you may post this to Dr. Ron and see what he says...
or start a new thread here asking the fine folks of TBS to comment on it.

[phil519]

Thanks figuerres, I will post and try and get an idea from Dr. Ron.