Anemone hitchhiker?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

bloojeanz

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Aug 16, 2003
Messages
12
Location
Cornwall England
Please can someone identify this hitchhiker on my new live rock. I am pretty sure it is an anemone but is it a pest variety? He is very beautiful! Approx 1/2" in diameter and when touched he can retract his tentacles and form a dome shape. ( Sorry about the photo quality! )

bloojeanz
 
Hmmm, looks kinda like an aiptasia anemone to me, however, I'm not certain, would like a better pic, if possible.
 
That photo was the best one out of about 100 lol! Any suggetions on how I can improve it? Every time I get close enough to take a decent pic my camera seems to lose focus. I will try again and post back.

bloojeanz
 
Whoops! I think the last two are the same. The anemone is very similar in colour to the photos. He sits flat to the rock and doesn't stick outwards at all. The tentacles are quite curly and there appears to be two distinct rows. I hope this helps!

bloojeanz
 
Oh dear! I will go away and read the instructions which came with my camera and see if i can get a good close up pic. In the mean time I will keep a close eye on the little fella, I am sure he's grown already and I have only had him a week.............

bloojeanz
 
I think what you have there is a form of Flower or rock anemone. May not be aiptasia, but, none the less a hitchhiker,,, I would leave it there and keep an eye on it. If you see any more pop up around it, kill them.. If they reproduce quickly, they could take over your tank and sting anything it gets close to... If it does not multiply, chances are it is just a rock anemone orflower anemone.. Then it will prolly not move around and stay put...
 
Does it look similar to this one below only smaller and a different color?

Cheers
Steve
 
And a different shape! lol Not really steve, it doesn't have the 'folds?' on the tentacles like that one. It's tentacles are smooth but slightly stripey. It does look remarkably like a flower so maybe Tim is right, I think I will keep him and see how it goes. I don't have a huge amount of live rock in my tank so it should be easy to eradicate if he starts to multiply, also I can't keep a 'real' anemone in my tank so I am quite pleased with my little hitchhiker. Thanks everyone!

bloojeanz
 
thers a few different products to kill these.. best if you have a fish only tank look into getting a racoon butterfly... they wont stand a chance... the other thing and is the cheepest.. is PH down for pools... you dont need a lot... the ph dower will come in white little balls... about the size of sand from the beech or a sand box at a park... you have ot be carfully and watch your ph when doing this...just take 2 of the little balls and with your other hand take the rock and set it right on the anemone...it will bubble and fise. if you have more time the best is to fill a 5 gallon bucket and take the rock out and do it over the bucket.. then take a glass and pour water from your tank over the spot were you put it on... make sure you dont put the rock in the water of the bucket due to the ph being so low... the otehr produts you have to enject the anemones wit ha need is the only products we have at the store to kill themm not to sure if there is others... someone else will have to say .... but from what it looks like you dont want them in your tank at all!!!!! hope this help you
 
I don't think I want to kill him, in fact I fed him some mysis last night and he really loved it! He practically doubled in size and his tentacles really expanded. I have asked around and done some research and I am pretty sure he is some kind of flower anemone so he shouldn't cause too much trouble. Thanks anyways!

Bloojeanz
 
Back
Top Bottom