Little Guys Growing

[Tank2379]

Could someone ID these little guys there growing all over this LR.... I think these are bad?

 

[Caige]

im kinda new at this and the pic isn't that clear -- but I would guess "colonial hydroids". Yes, if that is them, they are bad!

 

[Tank2379]

Yeah that's the best shot right now But If it is what you say it is? How would I got about getting ride of them? I'm currently in a cycle process don't want them in there if they are going to ruin anything....

 

[Caige]

Xtalreef

Look at this site. Very useful. Has a pic of them -- to me it looks like your pic... again, i'm new at this so do panic over what I say LOL

 

[melosu58]

The pic is hard to tell. Just make sure it is not aiptasia. You`ll see a pic of them in that link.

 

[Tank2379]

Couple More Pics

Alright I took a Few more Pictures, hopefully you can get a better eye on this little guys....

 

[Tank2379]

Basically they are infested on this Rock and if it is Bad What should I do... I was thinking about scrubbing the Rock down and using it as rock rubble in my Canister Filter and replace my Media with it.....

 

[austinsdad]

Do they retract quickly when touched?

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Not sure what they are. They do kinda look like colonial hydroids, but the ones that I've seen (in my tank!) don't have that long of a stalk and are a lot smaller. These almost look like some type of clauvaria or anthelia, which are soft corals. (Some will say they're just as bad as hydroids though... since they spread like weeds!)

Not sure what to tell ya - a better picture with a macro/closeup setting might help? I've had some luck using a paste of saltwater and kalkwasser layered on hydoids to make them go away. I've got about 5 patches of them in my tank, but they don't really cause any issues. But they can be a problem if they get out of control.

 

[Tank2379]

Yeah they don't retract back into the Rock but they just kind of bend over to one side I'm just wondering if it's some kind of Mini Anemone..... But they aren't coming out of the rocks you can actually see the roots growing on the outside of the rock itself.... I'll try to get a better Picture as possible... They look like a bunch on Veins spreading on the rock....

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Yeah they don't retract back into the Rock but they just kind of bend over to one side I'm just wondering if it's some kind of Mini Anemone..... But they aren't coming out of the rocks you can actually see the roots growing on the outside of the rock itself.... I'll try to get a better Picture as possible... They look like a bunch on Veins spreading on the rock....

That definitely sounds like a soft coral then... probably a type of clauvaria or pachalavaria (spelling?). Colonial hydroids will retract quickly back into their hard tube if you wave your hand over them. And you don't see them spreading by a mat-like structure. Soft corals spread as a mat of vein-like "roots" spreading across your rock. Clauvaria will fully retract into their "tubes" while Anthelia don't fully retract.

But a better picture will help...

 

[Tank2379]

Yeah I'm trying to get a Better Pic But i'm post one in a Second