Aiptasia anemone? Maybe?

[Beginnerreeftanker]

Hey there, I am a beginner in the world of roof tanks.  Just recently I was looking at my tank, and saw what appeared to be in anemone.  After some further research, I came to the conclusion that it was an Aiptasia Anemone, and that I should try to exterminate it as soon as I can.  I am sorry for the bad photos, but that is all I can get at the moment.  It is a grayish purplish color and only maybe 2 to 3 millimeters long.  I really like all my hitchhikers, and just wanted to make sure that this was a bad one before I kill it. Does anybody know what exactly this is?

[Beginnerreeftanker]

These are the photos:

[Break]

Hard to say for sure from those pictures (could ID with better shots), but looks like aiptasia to me. I would get rid of it to be on the safe side.

[Beginnerreeftanker]

Ok thankyou.  I probably will to be on the safe side.  I just don’t want to be killing a harmless creature on accident instead.  But it does look like an Aiptasia, so better safe than sorry.  

[Beginnerreeftanker]

These pics really aren’t better, but I can’t get any better ones with what I have.  

[Break]

There are at least 16 species of aiptasia and I'd bet that's one of them; it's harder to ID specifically when they are smaller and less mature.

 

Some can regrow from practically a single cell remaining on the substrate, so it's worth shutting down an infestation early. Plus, it's more likely that this tiny polyp is a pest like an aiptasia or majano rather than something beneficial you'd want in your tank.

[Beginnerreeftanker]

Ok yes then I’ll probably put lemon juice or something into its disk then to kill it.  

[Break]

17 minutes ago, Beginnerreeftanker said:

Ok yes then I’ll probably put lemon juice or something into its disk then to kill it.  

Very hot water and lemon juice will all do the job, but it can be hard to inject the tiny ones and ensure none of the anemone's cells spread around the tank. Most aiptasia will readily try to eat Aiptasia-X, so there's always that option, too (though they do tend to implode a bit after doing so). However, some folks find it easier to just encase it in a bit of superglue and with a tiny one like this, that might be the way to go.

I'm sure other folks on here have tips as well - many of us have battled these evil little bastards at one point or another.

[Beginnerreeftanker]

Ok, I might try that.  So would

i just squeeze some superglue over the top of it to try and encase it inside the rock?  Will I be able to see the superglue, and do you know if that will prevent it from spreading at all?  I was also thinking about using Aptasia X

[Beginnerreeftanker]

And while I’m talking to you, as you seem very experienced with all of this, would you happen to know what this is?  It popped out of my live rock about 5 days ago and seems to be flourishing.  

[Break]

37 minutes ago, Beginnerreeftanker said:

Ok, I might try that.  So would

i just squeeze some superglue over the top of it to try and encase it inside the rock?  Will I be able to see the superglue, and do you know if that will prevent it from spreading at all?  I was also thinking about using Aptasia X

Yes, encasing it in the rock would be goal; should prevent it from spreading. You'll want to use a cyanoacrylate gel superglue. Coralline algae and corals will grow over it eventually, though it may be noticeable for a while.

 

I have had good success with Aipatasia-X in the past. It costs a lot more than lemon juice, but I find it's easier to get the small ones as they will readily try to eat the substance. For the lemon juice you need to inject the base of the stalk with a syringe and it can be tough to do when the tiny ones bunch up in self-defense.

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51 minutes ago, Beginnerreeftanker said:

And while I’m talking to you, as you seem very experienced with all of this, would you happen to know what this is?  It popped out of my live rock about 5 days ago and seems to be flourishing.  

Are you referring to that small white branching structure sticking out near that hole?

[Beginnerreeftanker]

Yes

[Break]

What do you mean by "popped out"? Did it seem to move on its own and emerge suddenly or did it grow in size over time out of the hole? Does it ever move and retract at all or is it more of a static structure? Does it look like it has pores or opening on it of some kind?

[Beginnerreeftanker]

The structure seemed to be static, not moving really at all.  However when I woke up today and the light was not on in my tank and most of it was in its hole and one strand that was larger at the end of it was out more.  And when I said “popped out” I meant that one day it wasn’t there, and the next day when I got out of bed it was out of the rock.  Although it does look like it has grown more over the past week. At the back of the structure there seems to be a disc type thing where the structure is coming out of, with little holes in it.  The actual white structure doesn’t seem to actually have any pores however.  Here Ere more pics.  (It is only around 2-3 millimeters right now too)

[Snow_Phoenix]

It's an aiptasia. Kill it before it spreads.

[Beginnerreeftanker]

I know that the first post I did is Aiptasia, but the white thing that just popped out of the rock is not one I do not think.  I have seen starfish go over the top of it and have not been stung, and it does not look like one at all.  Anyway, for the Aiptasia I am going to use Aiptasia x most likely.  

[Ratvan]

Does the white thing retract if poked?

[Beginnerreeftanker]

I don’t know cause I haven’t tried it.  Do you think I should? 

[Ratvan]

1 minute ago, Beginnerreeftanker said:

I don’t know cause I haven’t tried it.  Do you think I should? 

I generally would, although the more I look at it the more I think some sort of Branching Sponge 

[Beginnerreeftanker]

Ok so it did not react, it just kept swaying in the flow of the water. However, it has come out farther than this morning.  

[Break]

5 hours ago, Ratvan said:

I generally would, although the more I look at it the more I think some sort of Branching Sponge 

That was my first thought as well

[Tired]

The white thing is probably a sponge. Likely it's either growing further out, or something in the rock (amphipods or the like) is pushing it further out to make more space.