New 29g Biocube

[Riley704]

Hi everyone. Just starting out with our tank. Brand new to salt water. We have added the live rock and live sand. I have been reading as much as I can but I still have a few questions. Should we be running our lights? If so for how long? We have some cool looking hitchhikers that we would like to keep if possible. Here is the tank so far








Here is the photo of one of our hitches can someone help identify?




Really excited and wanting to make sure we are doing everything right.

Thanks

 

[Crystal A]

That looks like aptasia to me. Not a good hitchhiker. I would google them and read up, they are stingers and will bug your coral. That is of course if I am correct but I'm sure someone else will chime in.

 

[Crystal A]

Oh the lights I would keep to a minimum and slowly raise the length over time, helps to slow down the algae growth.

 

[Riley704]

We think they might be zoanthids? Maybe. Lol they all kinda look the same

 

[Crystal A]

I hope someone else chimes in with an opinion. If it is aptasia best to get rid of it ASAP.

 

[Ftfunnative]

Sorry friend, it doesn't look good.

 

[Mrc8858]

Yellow polyps

 

[Georgefr]

Looks like aptasia to me, you'll be needing some peppermint shrimp. A couple of days in your tank and the aptasia will be managed.

 

[Mrc8858]

Here's mine

 

[Riley704]

What I have definitely looks like the polyps. Thank you

 

[Mrc8858]

No problem that's what were here for

 

[Crabs]

Like on my thread, I was dealing with an Aptasia problem. My 2 peppermints ridded my tank of them quickly. They don't always though. Especially if ur feeding other inhabitants. They would rather eat scraps of other food in the tank than to dine on Aptasia. Buy them in pairs, everyone recommends buying more than just one because they like to hang out together

 

[Readingexcalibur]

IMO those look just like Aptasia! Here is mine before I eradicated them. You'll know if they are because they will move in the tank over night. Corals don't move!! Good luck!

 

[Mrc8858]

Trust me theyre yellow polyps not aiptasia you can tell by their bright yellow mouth and I own them myself

 

[Crabs]

Since taking a closer look, I guess maybe ur right. I'm not familiar with these polyps but I do c the button in the center. Interesting. These can easily b mistaken for Aptasia. And yes, the anemones do move around and reproduce quickly

 

[Riley704]

They are not moving. Sadly it does appear that some are dying off. I got them from a very reputable lfs so I would think they are not aiptasia. They look identical to the photo of the polyps.

 

[Mrc8858]

Are you feeding them..keep them in medium flow/medium light and feed each polyp twice a week minced mysis or brine shrimp and they will begin budding new heads in no time

 

[Crabs]

Yeah. I don't c anywhere in this thread that u have even finished the cycling process. A lot of hitchhikers will come and go during this time. The polyps might survive but until it cycles, I wouldn't b adding food. Go slowly, if they live, good. If they don't, we'll u didn't pay anything for these coral anyway, right?

 

[Craigj247]

Corals are delicate as it is and to have them
Living in a tank that has not completed the cycle is a hard thing to do. Good luck to you and keep testing your water. And keep an eye out for diatoms they are a part of the cycle process.

 

[Riley704]

So here is where we stand now. After taking some bad advice from my lfs we have a diamond goby and a few zooas. My CUC consists of a blood shrimp, an emerald crab, and a few snails and hermits. I have just recently gotten some clowns that are not doing so well and are in the qt. we have had an explosion of copods which the goby is running around like a fool eating. I am having another diatom bloom so the tank looks pretty ugly right now. I wish at this point we had went a little slower but am figuring this out as we go. Updated pics