What's Growing in My New Tank???

[scarlett778]

Hi everyone.....I just started my tank about a month ago with live rock and sand. I've added a feather duster and some coral, but I've noticed some other things in the tank. It came from the live rock. One of them is an anenome and there's some grouped feather dusters, wierd bug like creatures that have a red band on it's back and this wierd odd thing that comes out once in a while. I was wondering if anyone knew what it is....It looks like a yellow centipede (about an inch long, many legs, and lives in the rocks). Could someone help me with with what this may be and is it ok to have it in my tank? I'm also a bit worried having an anenome in the tank too. Anenome is not carpet like, it's just a single long one with many tenticles (sp?), pink, and likes brine.

 

[ellisz]

Sounds like aiptasia, some type of pods and bristleworms. All are good except the aiptasia. They will spread quickly. Those are just guesses from the descriptions though.

Check out the ID forum for pics or this link:
http://www.reefs.org/hhfaq/

The link is from the sticky in that forum

 

[scarlett778]

Thanks for the great web site.....and yes it looks like it's the bad anenome. You think I might be able to take it off with a tweezer? it's still fairly small.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Picking it out will do nothing. It will look gone, but will come back. You need to kill it from the root.

You can either buy peppermint shrimp (most of which will eat small aiptasia) or buy Joes Juice. I've used Joes Juice before and it works wonders.

http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=29599;category_id=3799

HTH 8)

 

[scarlett778]

It has a root? Hmmm....maybe it's not it, I really don't know for sure. If it has a deep root, will still be able to move around? I noticed it moved a couple inches from yesterday.

 

[scarlett778]

bump

 

[haus]

I don't think that he meant "root" in the literal sense of the word. But by picking it off with tweezers it will grow back becuase some of the aptasia will remain living on the rock, and by using Joe's Juice (which has worked wonders for me too) you will kill the whole aptasia without the possibility of it growing back. I have also read that injecting boiling water into the aptasia works well, although I have never tried.

 

[Devilishturtles]

I don't think that he meant "root" in the literal sense of the word

I didn't. (And I'm a SHE for the record ). But yes, it can dig deep into the root to hold on tight, just like any other anemone. Picking it off with tweezers will just get it out of your sight for a while. It will be back.

I don't think boiling water is as effective. You would need to inject it straight into the mouth for it to work and it has to be very, very, very hot(like..boiling), and that is almost impossible to acheive.

Best of luck.

 

[neilster1]

I don't think that he meant "root" in the literal sense of the word. But by picking it off with tweezers it will grow back becuase some of the aptasia will remain living on the rock, and by using Joe's Juice (which has worked wonders for me too) you will kill the whole aptasia without the possibility of it growing back. I have also read that injecting boiling water into the aptasia works well, although I have never tried.

i just used the boiling water trick on aptasia in my tank.. worked quite well!