need help identifying lots of things. please help

[greenman]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#i just bought a 55g tank from this guy and this is my first. ive been trying to identify some of the creatures in the tank.i have been doing well except a few anemones (i think) have me stumped. any help would be greatly apreciated.im not sure if its good or bad. im guessing bad. it seems to be reproducing quit fast. there are about 5 of them, this being the largest at about 2 inches. the tank is also covered with what i believe to be aiptasia.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#IMG alt="image file name: 2k6eb8713157.jpg" src="http://www.captivereefing.com/richedit/upload/2k6eb8713157.jpg" border=0#ed_cl##ed_op#IMG alt="image file name: 2k20f24fd4cc.jpg" src="http://www.captivereefing.com/richedit/upload/2k20f24fd4cc.jpg" border=0#ed_cl#is this aiptasia?#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# thanks for the help. i have lots more growths and questions. i just didnt want to overload anyone#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[dakar]

No worries about overloading...feel free to post away (if there are really that many break them up into similar groups and start a thread/topic for each)

The second pic sure looks like aptasia to me, not 100% sure about the first one though, it's very similar but the transparency is really cool.

Great pics BTW.

[Reptoreef]

Aptasia.

[shovelhead91701]

what is the harm in having these in your tank? will they multiply too quickly and harm the corals etc?

[Limpit]

Yes, Aptasia will take over a tank in a very little time. I can remember several years ago when reef tanks first started to show up around here in the early 80's that a LFS had a tank that was just covered with them. Just LR with Aptasia all over it and a couple of Blue Damsels and they called it a reef tank, LOL.
I would recommend getting rid of the Aptasia as soon as you can.
Dakar recommended to me to use Pickling Lime and it worked great to get rid of a couple of them that I had.

[greenman]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# yea man , my tank is infested with this junk. i got itset up about a week ago and i noticed today that there are 20 or so tiny ones popping up. some arent quite "rooted" yet. man i swear theres got to be 75 to 100 of these things.i heard that peperment shrimp will eat the small ones but not any of decent size. i also heard that a six lined wrase would eat them but i have a few sorry pieces of coral that i would like to save. the pet shop up the street said that the clear anemonae was cool. he didnt know what the name for it was but he seem to think that it was somewhat desirable. it does not have a tube like the aiptasia. it comes out of a clunp that sits on the rock.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# i have more pics if anyone would like to guess what they are.what about these things?#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#IMG style="WIDTH: 372px; HEIGHT: 237px" height=397 alt="image file name: 2kceceb07ce6.jpg" src="http://www.captivereefing.com/richedit/upload/2kceceb07ce6.jpg" width=497 border=0#ed_cl##ed_op#IMG alt="image file name: 2kb127db0fa9.jpg" src="http://www.captivereefing.com/richedit/upload/2kb127db0fa9.jpg" border=0#ed_cl##ed_op#IMG alt="image file name: 2ka93bfc220a.jpg" src="http://www.captivereefing.com/richedit/upload/2ka93bfc220a.jpg" border=0#ed_cl##ed_op#IMG alt="image file name: 2k0e32185b9c.jpg" src="http://www.captivereefing.com/richedit/upload/2k0e32185b9c.jpg" border=0#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Reptoreef]

Buttons, sponge, sponge, buttons.

[Reptoreef]

BTW, look at the LFS for aptasia eating shrimp(peppermints) or even a copperband butterfly. Dakar's idea with the pickling lime will do a great job, too.

[greenman]

what do i do with the pickling lime? thanks for all the help guys.

[dakar]

The method being reffered to for getting rid of the aptasia is simple, mix up a few teaspoons of pickling lime with just enough water to make it into a thick paste, apply the paste right to the aptasia. Smother the suckers with the paste, we use a syringe (minus the needle) they'll be history within 24 hours. The paste will disolve into the water column as calcium that is useful for other inhabitants.

Just be as careful as you can not to paste up anything you don't want dead and gone, it's quite potent.

[Reef_Angel]

The button polyps are good things. They can be very pretty, and fun to feed brine shrimp to. They get bigger and spread similar to a zoanthid. The sponges are also a good thing, and you'll see different types of sponges in all tanks.

The aptasia you want GONE, either by adding an aptasia eating peppermint shrimp or a copperband butterfly fish,(as stated by Moderator Repto!). The clear one you have is just a more mature aptasia. They tend to get more clear as they grow larger. They aren't a good thing so be sure to kill it with the rest of them.

There is another type called Mojano that looks similar to aptasia, but is darker in color and has more tentacles. People often confuse majano & aptasia as they are both anemones and look similar. You DON'T want mojano if they happen to appear. You can pull at them, dig at them or smash them, but all you'll be doing is spreading the little nasties further into your system. Kill these if you ever get them with the pickling lime solution Dakar is posting, as there aren't any fish or shrimp that like mojano (correct me if I'm wrong). Use an empty syringe with no needle, plunge up the mixture, and squirt it on top and in the hole they may be dwelling in. If you don't have a syringe, I suggest buying a medicine dosage syringe for children's liquid medication from your drugstore or grocer. It's worth it as you may have to use it again at some point, so consider it an investment into your reefing equipment! I also save my empty syringes from puppy/pet vaccines. Don't leave any part of them showing. This solution will wear away from the rock you put it on in time, or you can break it away from the rock after 3 days without harming your corals or your water. Don't put the solution directly on a coral though!! Both types generally hitchhike their way into your tank from something you bought or acquired from a tank other than your own. The darn things look kinda cute at first until you know what they are capable of doing to your reef. Have fun nuking the little pests!
....Angel :angel5:

[tigersax7]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Ive heard the pepermint shrimp are suppose to eat the aptasia but havent seen it happen yet. we have two of the littleSOB'sin my main tankand the pepermint shrimp havent eaten them yet...of course this could be because my girl friend spoil the shrimp by feeding them brine from a turkey baister(sp). As far as the pickling lime wherewould one get this? my LFS has no clue. And are there any other ways to get rid of the aptasia...two tine ones hitch hiked into my tank on a zoa frag and spend there time among the zoa's I dont want to use pickling lime on themand the lazzy shrimp wont venture out to get them? Any one got any sudjestions?#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[dakar]

Pickling lime can be had in a lot of grocery stores, somewhat seasonal for some, but mostly now as fall approaches. It'll be in the canning area. Only two brands I know of Balls and Mrs. Wages, either will do the trick. I've heard they can also be purchased online.

The LFS won't carry it, instead they'll likely carry Kalkwasser (or something similiar as a calcium suppliment, of course they'll want to sell you that, it's pretty much the same thing, just priced upwards of $12-$15 for a 6-8 ounces, versus $1.50 for a 1lb can of pickling lime. Not sure if it's as effective as the pickling lime or not as we personally haven't tried it.

On the zoa frag, they can be tricky, if the frag is too smal to split again to get at the aptasia easily, do your best at pulling as mush as you can of it off with forceps, tweezers, or a hemostat, get as much as you can, it'll very likely grow back but may gain you some time for the zoa's to grow out a bit.

[Reptoreef]

All of those things are just brand names for the same thing... pure lime(kalkwasser is German for lime+water). I get my lime in 50# bags from home depot in the concrete section. I've never had a problem.

[greenman]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# thanks for all the help people, i got the pickling lime but i think ill try the shrimp first. i did quite a large water change yesterday and murdered the big daddy. after that i felt bad and decided i would try and take care of it naturaly but, if that dosent work, ill have to start killing. i found a ton of the little things when i moved some rock around.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# heres my tang playing peek-a-boo. thanks again for the advice.#ed_op#IMG alt="image file name: 2k644c0f5be1.jpg" src="http://www.captivereefing.com/richedit/upload/2k644c0f5be1.jpg" border=0#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Reef_Angel]

Tangs can be so much fun, and so personable. They do love to play games with you. Great shot! Save it because you just never know when we'll have a photo contest! Priceless!

[greenman]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#the first pic was about 2 mounths ago. this was what it had grown into until my peppermint shrimp (i think) took it out.still not sure what it was. looked like some sort of stoney coral.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#IMG alt="image file name: 2k64c234d88a.jpg" src="http://www.captivereefing.com/richedit/upload/2k64c234d88a.jpg" border=0#ed_cl##ed_op#IMG alt="image file name: 2k01ad441551.jpg" src="http://www.captivereefing.com/richedit/upload/2k01ad441551.jpg" border=0#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#this is what the base looked like when it was closed.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[zoo-a-holic]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Yeppers, aptasia. The clear one is not that hard to come by! i HADa blue one, a clear one, a green one. I guess it all depends on what they eat?!#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[greenman]

the base was hard like a rock. its still there. when these things close up, theres nothing left. its just hard. aiptasia at least has a blob?