What is this?

[Travis]

Well I have been noticing these critters for a while and they seem to be multiplying. What are they? Aptasia??

I don't think that aptasia can be flrescent green, or can they??

[exel170]

They sure look like aptasia to me, Go and get a pepermint shrimp, he will take care of that in not itme.

[Travis]

Ok, any other suggestions on what it might be, if it is Aptasia, I will get a Pep. Shrimp to take them out

[samthebigfish]

i have had them in every saltwater tank i have ever had- get a shrimp.

[Travis]

k, thanks

[Meercat_Maric]

Aptasia - very young and small - but already colonized..

[Travis]

ok, Peperment shrimp, here I come

[SaltyDawg]

NOT APTASIA!!!!!!!! They are cluster dusters. Touche thier tubes or blow strong current on them they will retract and you will see thier skeliton like tube. They also glow green under heavy actinic.

[cornstar]

Are they transparent? If not, then they my not be apitasia.

 

They dont look like aiptasia from the picture.

[reef hugger]

Those ARE NOT apitasia. I am still trying figure out what exactly they are. They have been identified as hydroids and crown jellyfish, two slightly different things. Most authors call them hydroids and Nilsen & Fossa call them crown jellyfish. Check this page down at the bottom under "Nasty" Regular Hydroids" http://www.rshimek.com/cnidaria.htm This is probably correct for the id.

 

I have some in almost every tank that I have. When the nutrient levels where high or I was feeding BBS they produced little medusa's that would swim around the tank. None of them survived for very long b/c of the pumps.

[Travis]

Ive had them for several months and never seen them swim around.

[MiniReefin]

i would say watch them, they look cool.

if they start harmin stuff, then its time to die.

[BKtomodachi]

People! NOT AIPTASIA!!!! Those are hydroids, the only form of sessile medusa cnidarians. Kind of an oxymoron, but thats what they are. Do you by chance feed baby brine shrimp?

[Travis]

as of right now I don't feed anything. The tank is in cycle. So are these hydroids bad or good? are they rare? Do they get any bigger?

[MperRluvR]

hydroids are bad news. i have digitate hydroids in my 120. they quickly took everything over. the bad part is they must be manually removed. they have a harsh sting and can sting other corals. they will quickly become a nuisance if you do not rid your tank of them. Good luck. For best results, either pull them yourself or take a small line of tubing and a small brush and brush while you are sucking water out of the tank near where they are, so that once you brush them off the rock, they aren't still in your tank.

[Travis]

Thanks, luckaly the rock that they are on will be easy for me to remove and place back.

[davinaster]

Did you remove them? I've got a small colony (3 polyps) that were the first hitchhikers to make an appearance in my tank. I think they look cool, and so far they haven't grown, multiplied or become medusae.

[Travis]

Oh, yeah, I forgot to update this thread. I got a pair of Pepermentshrimp and not but 2 days after the shrimp being in the tank, the colony disapeard....I guess the put the muscle on'em :