Hitchhiker ID

[errdivideby0]

I was looking in my aquarium today and on my live rock I noticed some hitchhikers (or at least what seem to be hitchhikers to me). Could someone please help me in identifying these, letting me know whether they're good or bad, and the best thing to do in their removal if they're bad.
Thanks in advance!



Sorry about the picture quality, there are a couple of these guys across the tank. I think they're Aiptasia but will let the experts decide.


These guys are sticking up from the substrate across the aquarium.



There is a little clear tube thing, almost like a tentacle, that sticks out of this every now and then. It can go pretty far.


Have no idea on this, it just kinda sits there.


There are a few patches of this around the tank. This is the biggest though.



There are a few groups of these guys around the tank, this is the one that I could get the best picture of. Sorry about the quality.

[errdivideby0]

After looking into some things I think that the 3rd group of pictures might be Spinoid worms, would I be correct in saying that?

[melosu58]

I just know that the brownish ones are aiptasia and they are not good.

[errdivideby0]

Do you know any way to get rid of them? I've heard that if you put a peppermint shrimp in the tank it will eat them, is this true?

[errdivideby0]

Oh also when you say the brownish ones do you mean the one in the first group of pictures or in the last?

[melosu58]

Originally Posted by errdivideby0

Do you know any way to get rid of them? I've heard that if you put a peppermint shrimp in the tank it will eat them, is this true?

FantasyReef Databases-Viewing item "Aiptasia Removal Methods"

[errdivideby0]

Thanks for that information. I will be sure to get some peppermint shrimp with my cuc.

[Kurt_Nelson]

1st pic - aiptasia. I'd go with the "kalk paste" or "Joe's Juice" method. Peppermints are hit and miss and can take a while. Search for "kalk paste" on the site and you'll find info.

2nd pic - Some type of macro algae. Either that or fish poop.

3rd/4th pic - Can't see anything, but from the description it sounds like some type of worm.

5th/6th pic - No idea.

7th/8th pic - colonial hydroids. Considered a bad hitchiker, but not a terrible thing. I've always had patches of them in my tank. If you nutrients are high, they'll reproduce quickly, which is what makes them bad. The ones you show in the pictures look like they could be easily removed with tweezer. Just grab the clump at the base, and twist them off the rock.

[errdivideby0]

With the colonial hydroids just grab them with tweezers while they're in the tank? I'll try that tonight. As for the aiptasia I'm going to try the lemon juice first since that's the easiest to get. Also I will put up some better pictures of the others to be able to try and get a better Id when I get home from work tonight

[melosu58]

Xtalreef

Here is a good hitchiker site

[errdivideby0]

I took the syringe and shot at the apitasia, hopefully I got it. A white cloud shot up from it when I sprayed at in/at it, not sure if that was just the lemon juice or what. I had a nice surprise though when I shot at the Apitasia. After shooting it a small little brittle star came scurrying out from the rocks! Here are some pictures of it!





I noticed a new hitchhiker today. It's a little white tube that sticks up from the rock and moves around with the current of the water. Here are some pictures.




Here are some more pictures of the other guys. They look pretty nice but then again looks can be deceiving. Sorry the picture isn't the best, they're hard to get a picture of.




Heres another picture of one of the other ones, it's a little clearer then the other.



As for the colonial hydroids when picking them off the rock do they need to then be removed from the tank or would it be harmless to leave the floating in the water and let the filter suck them out. Also is there any other way to remove them then pick at them wiht tweezers. If I were to do that with all of them I would be there for a long time, the section of the rock that they're on is pretty big.

Thanks for all the help!

[errdivideby0]

A few minutes ago the lights went out in my tank and I noticed another hitchhiker that I was able to identify, a Bristle worm!

[Kurt_Nelson]

If you pluck the hydroids off, remove them. If left in the tank they'll most likely re-establish somewhere else. If your aquascaping allows you to remove the rock they're on, I'd just take it out and scrub it with a wire brush. Smearing kalk paste over them will also kill them, but if you're talking large areas and not just a few spots, that probably isn't a good thing to do. Too much kalk in the tank will mess with your water parameters.

[errdivideby0]

Tomorrow when I get the rest of my live rock I will take it out and scrub it. Thanks for the help!

[roka64]

The white thing looks like a feather duster, the other white looks like a branching sponge, both harmless.
I use this:
Nanoreefing.Com :: View topic - Aiptasia Killer
for aiptasia, same concept as kalk and joes juice....

[thincat]

Page 1, The third from the bottom is some kind of calcarious algae. I have those in my tank and they don't bother anything.
Page 2, The first and second pictures are of some brittle starfishes, they are good to have in a reef tank.