What could it be?

So I moved a few rocks around in my tank and whoa! Discovered this. Not sure if its a coral or an invert or what. I touched it when moving the rock and it pulled itself in and closed up in less than a second. Has these long pointy legs/arms/tentacles. heres 2 pics did the best i could with them

Cant quite see good enough but possibly a mouth in the center of it?? o_O

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Mike Johnson

Well-Known Member
A ball sponge, too; great find. Make sure you don't move it into direct sunlight.

P.S. Kill the Aiptasia behind it, now.
 
sorry Mike just caught the P.S. on your comment.....thats what Im referring to...it looks really evil.....reminds me of the mouth monster in the sand from Return of the Jedi that eats people
 
luckily this is a rock that I can get out of my tank without much trouble...just take out the rock and scrap it off with a knife into the garbage?
 

Mike Johnson

Well-Known Member
That might not do the trick, they have a way of getting into very small crevices. Any left over part will turn into multiple aiptasia. Kill it with kalkwasser or Aiptasia X.

I've gone through pints of Aiptasia X and think it multiplies them.

After battling my main source of stress and anxiety for a number of years, I've found that natural predators are the way to go. It might require a tank personality makeover.

What's best is to never let them in in the first place. I have a high respect for Aiptasia and think that are a highly advanced form of life. They can reproduce in three different ways, they can take in nourishment in three different ways, and they can live in total darkness or high light. I'm sure that if we studied them enough we'd find that they probably never get cancer.

Remember, I said bubonic plague.
 
If i inject it with aiptasia x or kalkwasser do i still have to fish their body out? or does it dissolve? I had no idea this guy was even in there, he must of been tiny and came inside one of my rocks
 
what if I take the rock the aiptasia is on and just put him in a bucket of ro/di water without salt....wont it just die? then peel him off and put the rock back in the DT?

[EDIT] but that would probably kill everything else on the rock then too, ugh. Maybe I should just leave it alone and introduce some peppermint shimp and hope they keep it under control? The aptasia is the size of a half dollar. Also when they die do they release a harmful toxin like other anomenoes that can kill fish?
 

Bearjohnson

Well-Known Member
PREMIUM
RS Ambassador
When I pull a rock with it on it, I just run the Aiptasia section under hot water in the sink and it just falls off the rock.

Whatever you do....don't mess with it in the tank. It will release it's eggs or whatever they are called into the tank and in a month or so, you'll see many other sprouting up.

Aiptasia-X works well and also kalkwasser paste. One shot - one kill:)
 

DianaKay

Princess Diana
RS STAFF
Maybe I got lucky but I started out finding only a few & I bought only 1 peppermint shrimp. The aptasia disappeared & I've never seen anymore sprout up. I think my coral banded shrimp killed my peppermint shrimp right before he got a free ride back to the LFS.
Yep, I think I've been lucky except for the Verminted Snails and a controllable (so far :fingerx:) amount of green bubble algae. Seems like it's ALWAYS SOMETHING!
Hope you wipe out the aptasia. Wondering if a dip in Coral RX would be an effective solution? Anyone know?
 

Mike Johnson

Well-Known Member
I've seen Aiptasia survive a hot water treatment, not all, but I've seen it. Also seen them survive a freshwater dip. Coral RX won't kill them either and actually improves their health if that's possible.
 

DianaKay

Princess Diana
RS STAFF
I've seen Aiptasia survive a hot water treatment, not all, but I've seen it. Also seen them survive a freshwater dip. Coral RX won't kill them either and actually improves their health if that's possible.
Aww Shucks!! Guess take it out of the tank & give it a good meal of Aptasia-X then. :guns::chainsaw:
 

kyle4201

Active Member
sorry Mike just caught the P.S. on your comment.....thats what Im referring to...it looks really evil.....reminds me of the mouth monster in the sand from Return of the Jedi that eats people

Do you mean the Sarlacc in the Great Pit of Carkoon they were going to throw Han in?. LOL,, I have referenced that a few times on here. :)
 

kyle4201

Active Member
Every 1 talks a great deal about the X product. I used "Joes Juice" and havent seen 1 of those things in over 2 months. I even rerocked my tank an looked 4 them everywhere, none to be found. I will stand by this product. You dont have to stop your flow for more that 5 min and it melts them right away. had about 10 of them over 1 month pop up,, no more in the tank. Joes Juice works 4 me. (im not only the president, im also a client, lollol)
 
LOL, yes Kyle thats exactly what my aiptasia reminds me of.

Bear, im gonna try the running it under hot water see if it unlatches itself, its an easy rock to get to. I would toss the rock but its got other coral growing on it. I'm going to pick up a peppermint shrimp tonight on the way home too....I really hate adding more livestock to the tank at this time but I think itll be beneficial to prevent the spread of this aiptasia.

I've heard that only 2 things can survive a nuclear bomb and a zombie apocolypse....thats roaches and aiptasia's!
 

Bearjohnson

Well-Known Member
PREMIUM
RS Ambassador
Just an FYI - Not all peppermint eat aiptasia

In fact I've yet to see my peppermints even touch the stuff.
 
If I'm taking the rock out of the water for a few minutes....would the Joe's Juice be effictive If I dosed it outside the water? that way less chemicals are floating through my water? thoughts?
 

DianaKay

Princess Diana
RS STAFF
I think that would be best (killing it outside the DT) since you said the rock was easy to remove.
I figure if you do much of any kind of needed chemical applications (even gluing frags) that doing it right before a routine WC would be best.
 
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