Live Rock Hitchhikers

[ReeferRusty]

Bought 12lbs of live rock the other day and have it in a hospital tank.

Have a mass amount of hitchhikers but have questions about two.

#1) This guy looks like an anemone. It is a reddish black color and moves around quite a bit. Mostly to move toward the light. Is hanging around in a hole nearby a piece of leather coral. Just curious what it may be.


#2) This is a starfish I believe. It moves around and likes going into a hole once in a while. White with blue spots?


Any info Helpful!!

 

[carried]

2nd pic is a Asterina starfish. Harmless but multiply kinda fast. I can't make out the 1st pic. Do u have a better pic?

 

[ReeferRusty]

I can circle the item im talking about if that helps lol. Its the black thing with tenticals centered in the picture.

 

[ReeferRusty]

Here are two more pictures.

 

[carried]

It's still hard to make out. Poss aptasia? Or button polyp? Anyone else?

 

[ReeferRusty]

If aptasia... should I remove?

 

[carried]

Yes def. If you can get the rock out take a torch to it.

 

[ReeferRusty]

Got it with syringe and boiling water. May have found another in another rock. Might just scrap and go with dry rock from BRS.

 

[Crabs]

That's part of the fun of LR. Like an Easter Egg Hunt. Loads of beneficial HH 's as well as bacteria for getting a new tank going. But also a few bad apples, generally. If u aren't feeding the tank, a couple peppermint shrimp will get rid of Aptasia. They would rather eat anything but these anemones. But if there's no other scraps for them to feed on the Aptasia will disappear.
I just battled an Aptasia outbreak myself. Aptasia x worked, but these things break apart when threatened. For every 1 I got rid of 3 new ones would take its place
I'm not fond of Peppermints but they're as hard to get rid of as the anemones. Ever try catching one? They can stay until I can figure out a way to catch them. I've had much worse critters in my tanks

 

[cloudxsoldier]

interesting thing. Looks jet black.
I would wait to get a another oppinion on it before nuking it.
Its shape deffinitely resembles aptasia, but the color? I wouldn't know.

Do what I do and wait for MR X to have his say

 

[ReeferRusty]

I got two peppermint shrimp. No more aptasia

 

[Flreefer]

Glad the Peppermints worked for youconsider yourself lucky

 

[Flreefer]

They've worked for me too in the past, but they are really hit or miss. I've heard many cases where they did not work for people.
Good luck with your tank!

 

[Rosesrblu1]

That black thing is def not an aptaisia. Aptaisia are clear with som stripes and stuff. Although I don't know what it is, I def know what it isn't. Could it be a rock flower neme?

 

[ReeferRusty]

Its brown. And it WAS aptasia. It is now gone...all of them.