ID on brown "Marine Ivy"!

[jont]

Hello there,
Is there anyone out there who could identify this "marine ivy" type of stuff that has taken over my tank. Over the past few months it has covered everything.
is desperate need for an ID or better still a method of getting rid of it.
Any assistance is greatly appreciated.

Below is the link to pictures IDing the stuff.
Thanks,




http://jontfish.myphotoalbum.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=album01[/img]

 

[Devilishturtles]

I don't have a clue. Looks like an ecrusting coral on the surface, but the runners it seems would signify a macroalgae. Nice pictures though.

A few questions that might help.

How quickly does it grow?
Do you have to prune it often?
Does it ever change color, retract, expand, etc?

Welcome to AA, btw.

 

[jont]

Thank you.
To answer the questions:

It grows like wildfire.
I try and take as much out when doing a water change but the more I take out the quicker it comes back. It's not easy to get out.

It retracts in the evening (when the lights go down) and its like a web across the rock. It is also climbing up the back of the tank. The best way to describe it is like ivy up a wall.

I post another picture up of the web to give you a broader picture.

Many thanks,

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Almost looks like a type of zoanthid, but not like anything I've ever seen a picture of.

 

[jont]

Thanks for your patience. Ive uploaded another couple of photos (not so close up, wish fish in the foreground) and if you look closely, you will see all the brown seaweed type looking stuff in the background.
Thanks again.
Jont

http://jontfish.myphotoalbum.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=album01[/img]

 

[roka64]

WOW! That is really taking over! You have me stumped too. Have you tested your phosphates/nitrAtes?

 

[Sadielynn]

I have to say it looks more like a star polyp of sorts .I actually think it is a star polyp ... I have seen it with a browner look . When you say it retracts does it have a mat under it ? What color is the mat if it does have one.
This is at the moment the best pic I could find of it http://saltaquarium.about.com/library/photos/blpiccoraljdillmangreenpolyps4.htm

 

[jont]

Thanks for the above.
No, at night is retracts rather like a feather duster worm!
All water tests are coming up perfect.
With regard to a star polyp - the tentacles are much thinner and its basically one giant organism spread over the tank.

 

[Fluff]

Do a search for encrusting gorgonian. I believe this is what you have. I think it looks awesome but I can understand why you would want to limit it's growth. Removing it would be simular to any matting coral I'd imagine, you'd need to scrape it from the rocks.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Do a search for encrusting gorgonian. I believe this is what you have. I think it looks awesome but I can understand why you would want to limit it's growth. Removing it would be simular to any matting coral I'd imagine, you'd need to scrape it from the rocks.

That was my guess too, a Briareum sp. or something like that, but if you look closely in the pictures, these seem to be "runners" like caulerpa grows. Or is that part of the way it spreads? I thought the encrusting gorgonians grew with the purpleish mat?

 

[Fluff]

That was my guess too, a Briareum sp. or something like that, but if you look closely in the pictures, these seem to be "runners" like caulerpa grows. Or is that part of the way it spreads? I thought the encrusting gorgonians grew with the purpleish mat?

Don't know Lindsay, I have no personal experience with it. Just offering my opinion from what the pics look like to me.


jont,
can you possibly post a photo of the animal in question while it's closed up? That may help.

 

[jont]

Trust me guy's, this is not awesome, looks good maybe, but it is strangling everything in its wake. Even the tipped coral is getting smothered by it and my clams are covered with it.
I looked up encrusting gorgonian and I beleive we are on the right path, however these organisms seem to be a single organism in a specific area, whereas this is all over the place.

My Aquarium guy said he's never seeing anything like it either.

Lindsay, I've put more photos of it up on the photo site, you'll notice that the (in some photos) the brown tenticals are retracted leaving a spongy web like things.


http://jontfish.myphotoalbum.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=album01[/img]

 

[Ziggy953]

That stuff is unbelievable....wow....what a mess....It does look like some kind of star polyp in the macro shots....wow....