Stranger danger?

fox0521 · Nov 6, 2020

Hey Folks,

I’ve got a piece of rock sprouting something I can’t ID. It’s sprouting in multiple different places on the rock. LFS couldn’t help much (doesn’t help that my video isn’t of the best quality ). All I can tell is that these very small guys are growing in little groups of 4 or 5 heads, their centers glow bright green under blue led’s (that’s how I noticed them), and they have brown “hairs” that line the outside of the “heads”.I attached a video, but I can always try to get a better image if it’s not clear enough!

Fish_Sticks · Nov 6, 2020

Hard to tell from the video... maybe colonial hydroid, sponge/filter feeder, or some type of anemone?

fox0521 · Nov 6, 2020

A couple pictures, these any better?

Fish_Sticks · Nov 6, 2020

They kind of look like palythoa (palys) from the photo, but still hard to tell.
Are they translucent?

vetteguy53081 · Nov 6, 2020

I see a possible vermetid snail or tube worm
Pics too blue and video good but too much shimmer

Fish_Sticks · Nov 6, 2020

On second thought, they 'kinda' look like aptasia, an invasive anemone, take a minute to look into it and confirm... Not saying it is, but airing on the safe side here.

ScubaFish802 · Nov 6, 2020

Hydroids maybe? Looks like lots of tiny green circles with individual tentacles? Hard to see with dark blue lighting though. Possible pic under white lights?

fox0521 · Nov 6, 2020

I’ll have to look up some of your suggestions! Here’s a pic in white light.

JGT · Nov 6, 2020

fox0521 said:
I’ll have to look up some of your suggestions! Here’s a pic in white light.

Aiptasia for sure.

fox0521 · Nov 6, 2020

JGT said:
Aiptasia for sure.

Yikes. Advice for containment or removal? They’re popping up on a quite a few different areas of this one rock. It is possible to remove the rock if necessary, but I don’t want to kill off beneficial bacteria.

JGT · Nov 6, 2020

fox0521 said:
Yikes. Advice for containment or removal? They’re popping up on a quite a few different areas of this one rock. It is possible to remove the rock if necessary, but I don’t want to kill off beneficial bacteria.

Natural or chemical? Peppermint shrimp and berghia nudis will help get rid of them. Injecting them with a slurry made from kalk or h2o2 will also work.

fox0521 · Nov 6, 2020

JGT said:
Natural or chemical? Peppermint shrimp and berghia nudis will help get rid of them. Injecting them with a slurry made from kalk or h2o2 will also work.

I prefer the natural route when possible. I have a hammer, a Duncan, and 2 snow onyx clowns. Peppermint shrimp and berghia nudis are compatible? Newb here

Mr_Knightley · Nov 6, 2020

not aiptasia. Aiptasia does not fluoresce and gets far larger. What you have are colonial hydroids, relatively harmless unless they start living around corals. Not something to worry about in the slightest, they'll die out at some point and reappear somewhere else in the tank. I personally quite like them, I got a few in my own tanks.

leighla wolf · Nov 6, 2020

There is also injecting them with Aiptasiax or lemon juice (they literally melt) however with lemon juice only do a few at a time because it will drop pH

fox0521 · Nov 6, 2020

Mr_Knightley said:
not aiptasia. Aiptasia does not fluoresce and gets far larger. What you have are colonial hydroids, relatively harmless unless they start living around corals. Not something to worry about in the slightest, they'll die out at some point and reappear somewhere else in the tank. I personally quite like them, I got a few in my own tanks.

And if they do start living around corals? There are a couple popping up in the middle of some GSP. On the same rock. (Sorry, I know, blue lights make it hard to see )

Mr_Knightley · Nov 6, 2020

fox0521 said:
And if they do start living around corals? There are a couple popping up in the middle of some GSP. On the same rock. (Sorry, I know, blue lights make it hard to see )

I wouldn't worry to much about it, the best plan of action though would be to smother the area in superglue and let it dry to the rock. I would only do that if they are clearly doing damage though.

Fish_Sticks · Nov 6, 2020

My advice would be to get it out asap, regardless of hydroid or aptasia.... Whether its remove the rock and place outside for a week and soak in rodi freshwater for another week, or injection.

I'm sure others will have great suggestions too.

You can always regrow bacteria.

Fish_Sticks · Nov 6, 2020

Mr_Knightley said:
not aiptasia. Aiptasia does not fluoresce and gets far larger. What you have are colonial hydroids, relatively harmless unless they start living around corals. Not something to worry about in the slightest, they'll die out at some point and reappear somewhere else in the tank. I personally quite like them, I got a few in my own tanks.

I assume they're problematic because they sting corals? Just curious... never had the pleasure of seeing these things.

Mr_Knightley · Nov 6, 2020

Fish_Sticks said:
I assume they're problematic because they sting corals? Just curious... never had the pleasure of seeing these things.

Yeah, that tends to be the main problem with them. From my experience though they tend to stay in the shadows and more often then not won't get in the way of corals. But, I've only ever had a few occurrences of these guys so my know-how isn't complete.