Coral and a Hitchhiker

[LbulletM]

Can anyone ID these? Came on my Gulf Live Rock that I'm currently cycling.

 

 

 

Some kind of worm. Should I remove it while I can?

 

 

Aaaaand is this an aptasia? :-/

 

 

 

Thank you!

[Dylan.N]

Not sure on the coral. The worm is a bristle worm. You can take it out, but chances are there are others in the rocks. And they aren't harmful. And the last one is most likely aiptasia, but the pictures are too dark to tell.

[LbulletM]

Alright, I've seen a lot of mixed stuff on bristle worms being good or bad. Can anyone elaborate?

 

And yea, I'm looking into macro lenses for my camera! Also need to figure out the best lighting for my pictures with this camera (t5i).

 

Thanks for the quick response!

[Dylan.N]

Alright, I've seen a lot of mixed stuff on bristle worms being good or bad. Can anyone elaborate?

 

And yea, I'm looking into macro lenses for my camera! Also need to figure out the best lighting for my pictures with this camera (t5i).

 

Thanks for the quick response!

 

Bristle worms are beneficial because they clean the sandbed. I personally hate them because they are creepy and I don't like hitchhikers.

[Clown79]

The first looks like what was an sps. Possibly stylophora or pocillopora. It may come back. I saved one with barely any flesh on it and its blooming now.

 

That looks like aiptasia, get some aiptasia x and zap it with pumps off. It may take few tries but it works.

 

Bristle worms. They are great cleaners. Very beneficial.

The sown side, if you have way too many, its a sign of far too much nutrients/detritus in the tank. If yoy get really big ones, you need to remove them.

Don't touch them it hurts. I always wear gloves in my tank, bristles are 1 reason why.

[LbulletM]

 

Bristle worms are beneficial because they clean the sandbed. I personally hate them because they are creepy and I don't like hitchhikers.

 

Haha fair enough. I'm not sure if it's alive or not. It was barely moving before, but it hasn't moved spots more than a couple of inches. Might have just been water flow moving it. Will probably remove it tonight if it's still in the same spot.

 

The first looks like what was an sps. Possibly stylophora or pocillopora. It may come back. I saved one with barely any flesh on it and its blooming now.

 

That looks like aiptasia, get some aiptasia x and zap it with pumps off. It may take few tries but it works.

 

Bristle worms. They are great cleaners. Very beneficial.

The sown side, if you have way too many, its a sign of far too much nutrients/detritus in the tank. If yoy get really big ones, you need to remove them.

Don't touch them it hurts. I always wear gloves in my tank, bristles are 1 reason why.

 

I was thinking sps as well, but it seems to be coming back already. I've noticed some fluorescent green within each circle, and there were even feeders out a few times now. I'm going to try to get better pictures of it tonight. I'm looking into macro lenses too.

Definitely going to take care of the aiptasia. I noticed another that looked similar, but more translucent and wider ends. I'll probably go ahead and nix it too.

Oh, actually you can see the tiny feeders in the second picture of it!

[Clown79]

Ya if its not moving, go ahead and remove it. I'd use tweezers.

 

It looks like an sps for sure, just hard to say which one. Some look similar to others.

 

The one thing i would suggest. That algae growth around it, i'd scrub it off with a toothbrush(brand new) and syphon it out. You don't want it spreading or smothering the coral.

 

I've had corals survive a cycle.

[Mariaface]

Oh, hey! I have that hitchhiker coral. It's oculina, probably oculina robusta. Check out guits' rose garden thread

 

Ooh, just read that this is Gulf Live Rock. I had mine shipped overnight, so even a stubborn big bivalve is living it up in my tank at the moment! Good luck - there should be lots of awesome stuff in there!

[Clown79]

I knew someone would know for sure what it was.

 

Thanks!

[LbulletM]

Ya if its not moving, go ahead and remove it. I'd use tweezers.

 

It looks like an sps for sure, just hard to say which one. Some look similar to others.

 

The one thing i would suggest. That algae growth around it, i'd scrub it off with a toothbrush(brand new) and syphon it out. You don't want it spreading or smothering the coral.

 

I've had corals survive a cycle.

 

Thanks for the suggestion! I'll go ahead and scrub it tonight. Would hate to lose the coral. Last night's ammonia levels were near 0 BEFORE a 5 gallon water change! Nitrites and nitrates are through the roof, but the combination of Stability and nightly water changes seems to be working well. Also ordered the Aptasia X last night. Should arrive Thursday. Hopefully that's not too late! Definitely looks like Aiptasia though. Here's another picture I took last night.

 

 

Might have one more on another rock. It seems a little clearer though with slightly wider tentacles. I couldn't get a good picture of it because of where it's at, but here are a couple bad ones from the other night. It's on the right rock near the bottom of the left side.

 

 

 

Oh, hey! I have that hitchhiker coral. It's oculina, probably oculina robusta. Check out guits' rose garden thread

 

Ooh, just read that this is Gulf Live Rock. I had mine shipped overnight, so even a stubborn big bivalve is living it up in my tank at the moment! Good luck - there should be lots of awesome stuff in there!

 

You're awesome. That's exactly what it looks like! I'll have to check out that thread too :-) It's a little underwhelming under whites, but with blues you can see some really cool green rings within each polyp. You can kind of see it towards the top part of the front branch in this picture.

 

[LbulletM]

Oh, I have another one that I wasn't sure about. I posted it in my tank thread, but not here. Anyone have any ideas? It's not a great picture...

 

Right in the center.

 

[Mariaface]

I have the same thing, and I don't remember a 100% certain ID on it. It encrusts, though?

[Clown79]

I'd be concerned about removing any of that green algae that came on the rocks.

 

I would also use a turkey baster(new) to blow off any detritus off the rocks.

 

How come you started doing water changes? I only ask because most wait till the cycle is complete to perform their first water change.

 

Do you have a sump or hob filter?

[Mariaface]

I'd be concerned about removing any of that green algae that came on the rocks.

 

I would also use a turkey baster(new) to blow off any detritus off the rocks.

 

How come you started doing water changes? I only ask because most wait till the cycle is complete to perform their first water change.

 

Do you have a sump or hob filter?

 

 

When you want to preserve the life on the rocks (soft cycle), keeping ammonia as close to 0ppm as possible is key. Water changes, prime, activated carbon, and bacteria dosing all help with this.

 

 

I totally agree about basting the rocks, but be gentle with all those super soft-looking sponges you have!

[Rural]

aptasia was only fixed for me by true peppermint shrimp... good luck

[LbulletM]

I have the same thing, and I don't remember a 100% certain ID on it. It encrusts, though?

 

Seems to. Haven't gotten a great look at it yet. Will get better pictures and such once the cycle is over and I add my dry rock.

 

I'd be concerned about removing any of that green algae that came on the rocks.

 

I would also use a turkey baster(new) to blow off any detritus off the rocks.

 

How come you started doing water changes? I only ask because most wait till the cycle is complete to perform their first water change.

 

Do you have a sump or hob filter?

 

Concerned in that I should remove it? I bought the last baster at Wal-Mart the day before Thanksgiving just for the tank :-D

 

I started doing water changes to avoid losing the corals. Each water change has been brought to temperature and salinity and I've added 2 capfuls of Stability to each 5 gallon change. The 5 gallon changes were about 25% when I started. I had left the water kind of low to leave room for my dry rock, but went ahead and topped it off the other day to reduce bubbles from my filter. Now water changes are ~20% of the total volume. It's a 29 gallon tank with an AC110. I think I'm going to need to shave the impeller, and I want to do the refugium mod once the huge pack of carbon has gone through a few cleanings.

 

 

 

When you want to preserve the life on the rocks (soft cycle), keeping ammonia as close to 0ppm as possible is key. Water changes, prime, activated carbon, and bacteria dosing all help with this.

 

 

I totally agree about basting the rocks, but be gentle with all those super soft-looking sponges you have!

 

^Yup, this! Noted on the sponges. Thanks! :-)

 

aptasia was only fixed for me by true peppermint shrimp... good luck

 

That'll be the second line of defense. Or a file fish. Have to look into both options more. Hopefully if I keep on top of them for the rest of the cycle with the Aiptasia X, I'll be ok.

[Clown79]

I would take caution with peppermints. They don't always eat aiptasia but do often enjoy munching of fleshy corals.

 

None of my peppermints ate the aips buy decemated 3 brains. They were 100% peppermints not camels.

 

Aiptasia has always worked for me.

 

The leafy substance on the rocks, its hard to see what it is in the pics, not sure if its an algae you want or one that could be an issue. So you may have to remove it.

[LbulletM]

I would take caution with peppermints. They don't always eat aiptasia but do often enjoy munching of fleshy corals.

 

None of my peppermints ate the aips buy decemated 3 brains. They were 100% peppermints not camels.

 

Aiptasia has always worked for me.

 

The leafy substance on the rocks, its hard to see what it is in the pics, not sure if its an algae you want or one that could be an issue. So you may have to remove it.

 

Thanks, Clown. I might try to get some better pictures of the algae. Wasn't aware that some of the macros were still detrimental.

 

So, I rotated my rocks last night 1) to more easily access the Aiptasia for Aiptasia-X treatment and 2) to make sure I didn't have any additional Aiptasia to take care of.

 

 

Here are pictures of that other anemone that I was mentioning. Anyone got recommendations for "should it stay or should it go". Unlike the brown Aiptasia, it did not immediately retract completely when hit with a baster. It retracted a little bit, more slowly, and never went completely back into the rock, even after a couple of bursts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Found some new corals, too! They were on the back side of my Oculina. Any guesses? They don't have the white stripes like my cup corals, but there seem to be a few of them huddled together.

 

 

And finally, found this little guy. Hasn't come out of the rock, yet, so it's not a great picture, but any guesses? He moved a little bit deeper, but was still visible after trying the baster on him.

 

 

Here are some additional algae pics as well:

 

Near the Oculina (and the new corals, obviously):

 

This rock is nearly covered in these. Almost fern like leaves. (on the left side out of focus on the second picture):

 

[Clown79]

If its macro algae it should be safe but you want to ensure its not sonething like bryopsis, those take over and are hard to irradicate.

 

Did you scrub/clean the rocks before adding to the tank.

 

The first few pics is aiptasia.

 

The others look to be either ball(strawberry) anemones or maybe majano. Its hard to say when they aren't fully open

[LbulletM]

If its macro algae it should be safe but you want to ensure its not sonething like bryopsis, those take over and are hard to irradicate.

 

Did you scrub/clean the rocks before adding to the tank.

 

The first few pics is aiptasia.

 

The others look to be either ball(strawberry) anemones or maybe majano. Its hard to say when they aren't fully open

 

I didn't scrub the rocks before adding, didn't know I was supposed to (first tank). I just picked off anything that was definitely dead. Ammonia is basically zero today and yesterday (days 7 and 8). I think Stability is helping a lot.

 

I think I'll just nuke both anemones when the Aiptasia X gets here tomorrow.

 

Here's some better pictures of the algae. PS. Thanks so much for your help.

 

 

 

 

I have the same thing, and I don't remember a 100% certain ID on it. It encrusts, though?

 

Yup. Definitely encrusting.

[LbulletM]

Edit:

I think my other anemone might be a Curley Cue?

Encrusting one might be star coral?

[Clown79]

I'm not sure what algae that is. Its fern like.

I would start a thread on identifying the algae.

[LbulletM]

Thanks. Will do!

[Clown79]

It looks like a kind of bryopsis to me. If the consensus is bryopsis you want to get rid of it Asap.

[Mariaface]

Okay! Took me a couple of days to find a name. I had this algae as a hitchhiker, but while valonia is ruining my life, I couldn't keep this one alive past the cycle. Possibly because according to a post in 2012 (with Metrokat sourcing John over at Reefcleaners), blue-legged hermit crabs make short work of this stuff and I have one in my tank.

 

Caulerpa Verticillata?