Anemone Hitchhiker?

75Gallons · #1 09/07/2007, 02:22 PM

My tank is going through its initial cycle right now and I have some seed rock in with base rock. The only thing that I have running is powerheads and I only turn the lights on when I'm inspecting the tank. My problem is that I've noticed a pencil eraser sized invert on some of the seed rock and it looks like a small anemone. Its nearly impossible to get a decent picture of it because of the angle believe me I've tried. It seems to reach for the lights when I have them on. My problem is this I've been keeping the lights off and I haven't been feeding the tank at all to prevent any type of algae bloom. How can I keep this anemone alive in the meantime. Hes been in there for over a week at this point. Think he will last about 2 more weeks which should be the time that I turn all the equipment on and start using the proper lighting?

Carlos · #2 09/07/2007, 02:28 PM

Sounds like aiptasia to me.

Is it brown?

Do an image google on the word "Aiptasia" and see if yours looks like it.

Carlos

75Gallons · #3 09/07/2007, 02:32 PM

Yeah its not Aiptasia although I have seen a small cluster of them in the tank. This one has a shape more similar to a bta. Its arms are really short however.

Carlos · #4 09/07/2007, 02:42 PM

Mojanos?

75Gallons · #5 09/07/2007, 03:00 PM

Possible but its really impossible to tell at this point since its colorless and its arms are so small. I'd like to keep it alive in any case until it gets a little bigger. What should I feed one that small and how will it affect my tank cycling?

Carlos · #6 09/07/2007, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 75Gallons
What should I feed one that small and how will it affect my tank cycling?

Hard to tell if you dont know what it is. I may or it may not get larger with time.

An anemone that small (or whatever it is) should not affect your cycling period.

Carlos

an411 · #7 09/07/2007, 03:34 PM

75Gallons why don't you have all your equipment running while cycling and by leaving the lights out I think you are just avoiding the unavoidable. You are going to have an algae breakout once the lights go on anyway. I ran mine during my cycle and as soon as the algae started to grow I knew it was time to add the clean up crew.

75Gallons · #8 09/07/2007, 03:40 PM

You may be right. Guess theres no avoiding it.

an411 · #9 09/07/2007, 04:20 PM

Yeah I would run th em and then you have nothing to worry about with
Anemone

coast2coast7390 · #10 09/07/2007, 04:22 PM

aww shoot i had it but now im drawing a blank...lol...

pikachusalad · #11 09/07/2007, 04:39 PM

The pencil eraser size and the fact that you saw a small cluster of them makes it sound like maybe a hydroid - in which case, you don't want to keep it alive.

I covered my little patch of them with epoxy and then glued a chunk of rock on top of the epoxy to hide it. Haven't seen another one in months.