What the heck is this thing?

[ryshark]

It only comes out of the live rock at night time and is always in the same place. I think I have 2-of them. Thanks. It does not look like aptasia.

 

[Fluff]

Does it react to touch? Have you seen it expand out of the rock any more than that? Any chance you could get a closer macro shot?

 

[ryshark]

I'm not sure about touch. But it does retract when there is any kind of light in the tank. The stalk retracts into the rock and you can still see the head part laying flush on the rock. The head dead on looks like a disc with 6-8 spikes coming out, making kind of a star shape.
I will try to get a closer picture tonight when it comes all the way back out. Thanks.

 

[roka64]

Dose it look like the 1st pic?
Xtalreef
It looks kinda like an aiptasia, but the coloring is more like a mojano.
Are the tips pointy or rounded?

 

[Innovator]

Looks to be aiptasia, which a little Calcium Hydroxide mixed with water (I prefer sw) and injected into the stalk along with spraying on the head/tentacles should take care of

 

[ryshark]

I have had my fair share of aiptasia, so I know exactly what that looks like. This thing looks very different from regular aiptasia. Unless of course there are different species of aiptasia then maybe. I will see if I can get a close up picture when it comes back out tonight. I admit, in the pictures I have on here already it does look like aiptasia, but up close is a different story. I will probably try to kill it with some type of aiptasia killer, either that calcium hydroxide or joes juice.

 

[Innovator]

I admit, in the pictures I have on here already it does look like aiptasia, but up close is a different story.

Well it would either be Aiptasia pallida or A. pulchella. It could be possible a specie of anemone, but I have my doubts.

I will probably try to kill it with some type of aiptasia killer, either that calcium hydroxide or joes juice.

They are one in the same.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Can't help you with the ID, but I had an identical thing like that show up on a small piece of live rock I recently got with some blue polyps. I watched it for a week before I gave it the kalk paste "welcome". Agree that it doesn't look like the aiptasia I'm used to seeing either. I haven't had a majano before, and thought maybe it was some variety of that. Either way, I didn't want it there and decided not to wait and see what it was going to grow in to. I made that mistake with my first aiptasia.

 

[ryshark]

I just gave it the "kalk paste welcome." So far so good.

 

[mandown123]

i dont know... that thing looks pretty cool not for nothing.. and the fact it is nocturnal is even more interesting. If it was me i wouldve taken the chance and let it grow out a little bit - (although thats easy to say when you dont have to deal with the potential outbreak if it was a bad idea! hehe)

 

[land locked]

Live Rock - Tampa Bay Saltwater Aquacultured Live Rock - The Package Organisms
I have the same, I was told it was a cup coral see the picture.

 

[land locked]

On that site, you will need to scroll through until you get to the coral: cup. Sorry that was confusion.

 

[ryshark]

Yeah, I think that is it! Thanks for the website. Maybe I shouldn't have killed it.

 

[mandown123]

is it dead?

 

[roka64]

Well, here are some of your cup corals:
LiveAquaria.com - Live fish, corals, inverts, plants, live rock & sand
I think you did the right thing.
I don't think it was a cup coral.