Help with coral identification

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Reefaddict

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Jul 3, 2003
Messages
201
Location
California
I have a small coral, I think,... growing out of a piece of bleached dead coral that came with my LR. It is translucent or whitish but you can see through it. Very small, about a 1/4 inch tall, it has a stem or tube like bottom and the top has about 20 small tentacles that are always open. Today I took a plastic syring and sucked up a mysis shrimp and hand fed it to the tentacles...to my suprise it immediatly wraped around the shrimp and proceeded to "swallow" the shrimp. Now I can see the shrimp in the tube...WOW!

So what is this venus fly trap kind of clear, small coral, or is it a coral at all?

BTW my tank is only three weeks old so thats why all the enthusiasm for such a small thing!

Thanks for any suggestions!
 
[mod]Moved to the SW-Identification forum for proper exposure[/mod]


in response it sounds like more of an anenmoe type. With this general description, and the fact it is such a young tank, makes me suspicious it may be aptasia but you say it's "whitish" which puts doubt to that assumption.

Any chance you could get us a snapshot?
 
Almost certainly aptaisia from the behavior and the description. Don't go by color, I have seen them translucent, green, brown and white..ish.

Aptasia
3aiptasia.jpg
 
I agree with the Aiptasia ID, with just one question ... does it have a solid skeleton? If so, it may be a "hidden cup coral" - Astrangia sp. or Phyllangia americana. These are non-photosynthetic corals, often seen as hitchhikers.

If you can see a distinct "tube", though - I'd stick with the Aiptasia ID. Aiptaisa are often called "Glass anemones" because of their translucency.

Kevin - fantastic pic!
 
Thanks for the quick replies mates!

I will try to post a pic in this thread in the next couple of days.

So if it is Aptasia, or not, what should I do? It sounds like you don't want these things around? Whats up with lemon juice injection?

Kevin's pic looks almost exactly like mine, except mine is more white-clear, and maybe a little smaller. There is definatly a tube like stem though, and it seems to be growing a little larger everyday.

Thanks for all the help!

The New 105
 
Hrmmmmmm!

We actually have something similar to what he described in our tank on our live rock(tank is only about 5 weekish old). But they don't look like that picture. We have white and rustish colored ones but their "tenticles" arent tube-like as the one in the picture they looke more "feathery". Does anyone know what they could be? One of our white'ish ones actually looks like a pale lilac color. Another thing is all of a sudden some brown algae has appeared on the side of the tank, on the heater and the 2 middle tubes of the UGF...its isolated to that area only...is this bad? It seems odd =) My digital camera will be here any day now(bought a cheaper used one until I can find a better one for sale) so I will send pictures.

Reef, is yours like the picture or do yours have "feathery" tenticals also?

Thanks as always!!
 
Wow thats funny...what do you mean boiled?

I wonder if someone could tell me why you don't want them, and how much lemon juice do you inject?

Thanks again

The New 105
 
hara i never heard that we have a rock with 2 of them that can go in so deep that you can not inject if we take the rock out of the tank and boil it will it cause a die off issue when we readd it to the tank?
 
these aiptasia were localized in one area, on a point of a rock. I boiled water in a pot and then held the rock in the water, just the part that had the aiptasia on it. Then after the rock cooled, i returned it to the tank. it does not cause a die off, as you have sterilized that part of the rock...nothing left to die and rot. it is dead and off.At least I have never had problems with it and i guarantee you, the aiptasia does not come back. just make sure the rock totally cools before returning it to the tank.
 
thanks much that really helps hubby is so frustrated he was going to just take the rock out and let it dry out in the sun this is much better and both of them are on the same side of the rock guess i am cooking something new tonight 8)
 
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