Just a polyp....or a bad guy?

[jonboyb]

Had this pop up in a piece of live rock I used to seed my coraline growth. I had thought all along it was a good guy, but it's beginning to get larger (it's about the diameter of a dime now). I want to be sure it's not a nasty before it gets out of control. With my early aiptasia battles, it's probably a majano or something with my luck It glows green under the blue nightime LED's, and closes up pretty often. It does not seem to retract into the rock though.

 

[jonboyb]

I should also note, it has a central disc (the pics aren't very good) and really doesn't look like the aiptasia I've battled with long tentacles that grow straight from the "stalk". Until recently, it just had very short "tentacles", now it has a few longer ones which is why it worries me now.

 

[Fluff]

Definately a bad guy. Looks like aiptasia to me.

 

[roka64]

I agree, they probably look different since they are a little bigger.

 

[jonboyb]

Guess my aiptasia battle wages on then Starting to wonder if it'll ever end. In fact, my entire aquascape is torn down and laying out as much as possible in the tank right now trying to eliminate ever last one. It's done wonders for my coraline growth though. I really didn't think this one was aiptasia though, when it's fully open, it has a flat disc center and the "tentacles" fold back. Not to mention it looked cool glowing in the dark

 

[Ziggy953]

If it retracts quickly from you touching it or getting near it then it is most likely aiptasia.

 

[MrMalta]

If it retracts quickly from you touching it or getting near it then it is most likely aiptasia.

My feather dusters do this as well though.

 

[roka64]

That's definitely not a feather duster.

 

[jonboyb]

Didn't have time to fight it before leaving the house. Went on a trip for the weekend and came back to find this critter had grown considerably. It's now taller and about the diameter of a nickel and has a flat center disc a little smaller than a dime. When prodded, it simply closes up into a ball and doesn't retract at all....looks kinda like a fat lollypop when closed. The tentacles haven't grown at all.....just the center disc diameter and height. I agree it appears to be an anenome, but I really don't think it's aiptasia.

 

[pat8you]

It may be something besides aiptasia. Hard to tell. Either way if it was me i would try and get rid of it just to be on the safe side.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Could be majano also, but agree with pat8you.

 

[rafecci]

looks like the majano's I had in my tank. I ended up taking the rock and all to the LFS and have them identify them.

 

[jonboyb]

I moved it to a QT tank to see what it it does. Weird little critter. Closes at night like a polyp, but it's certainly an anenome. It hasn't moved or spread either. I even put the rock it's on somewhat upside down so it had no light and it still didn't move. Just stayed closed up.

 

[rafecci]

Patience ---- ha ha. When I moved my tank around it took about a week to move. Try to google images of the different identifications given and compair. I know there are a lot of different "styles" of everything that has been mentioned.