Had ONE of these...pic

[3_high_low]

...now I see four! Are these bad news? They aren't AIPTASIA, are they?

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1662230&a=12735600&p=48867026

[mr9iron]

Im not 100% sure but they look like aptasia to me. BTW nice looking rock.:D

[Ida]

hey how are you doing? I dont think those are aiptasia. I live on the west coast of FL and those look just like the same things that I collect from the gulf and they dont seem too troublesome. I have them in a seperate tank from my display but I do have some star polyps and button polyps in there also. I have some that are pretty cool lookin. I think they are some sort of an anenome but I am not sure, but if you find out please let me know.

[reefer6]

They sure look like aptasia to me Ida is right (glass anemone) do they extentd really long like they are reaching for the light? If so kill em they dont seem to bother anything until you have about 200 everywhere and they start stinging coral.
BTW if they are aptasia I would get a couple peppermint shrimp they will take care of them in a hurry.

[john f]

Had One, Now I have four.

You answered your own question.
Aiptasia are only troublesome because of their rapid rate of reproduction.
Yes, those are aiptasia and you need to get some pepermints (L. wuerdmanni?) to get rid of them.



John

[ixbx]

They don't look like Aiptasia to me. I could be wrong but I never saw a Aiptasia with that kind of color.
now look at this pic (center and left center).
http://members.home.net/ixbx/clovapt.jpg
Aiptasia before a pepermint shrimp.

[Learning All The Time]

Have had three in my tank for the last three years they always stay close to the rock never extend out away from the rock and haven't really reproduced. All three are at the base of a toadstool leather and have not caused a problem. They seem to be attached very deep in the crevices of my live rock and sometimes I don't see them for days at a time. Any chance that they were there all the time and just deep in the crevices hidden from view until recently?What would concern me is if they are reproducing rapidly, they might pose a problem.
HTH,
George

[Kermit]

Those look like some form of flower anemone to me.

[Agu]

They're not aiptasia imho. The pic of aiptasia that ixbx posted is the typical aiptasia we see in our tanks. I had a few of the animals that 3hl posted and they never appeared to cause a problem. They disappeared shortly after adding peppermint shrimp fwiw.

Agu

[3_high_low]

I dont think they're aiptasia either, and it's possible I overlooked the other two not in the pic. The other 2 are much smaller.

I'll keep closer tabs on growth and reproduction of these. If it's reproduction that has ocurred, they went from 1 to 4 in about 5 months. I'd consider that a problem.

Even if they aren't Aiptasia, if they multiply like that, and I'll assume they are capable of stinging corals, then I should prolly get rid of them. :(

[john f]

That's the point I was trying to make.
As far as an exact indentification down to species level........we can't do that for most of the corals in our tanks, let alone the hitchhikers.

FWIW, I have had several different pest anenomes in my tanks over the years, and had a bunch that looked just like the pictures above. I've seen 'em fat and dark (In high light areas) and white and stringy in low light areas.


John

[Skipper]

I agree with john f. It sure looks like an aiptasia to me. I'd try to get rid of it.....quick!

[Neal358]

dont look like aptasias to me but more like a polyp i have 3 that look like that in my tank and the close up at night just like a polyp do thos close up or are they open all the time

[NaH2Ofreak]

They are not the "typical" aptisia. They can be a pest however. It depends on where they are growing. The ones I have had do sting pretty good.

It is simple. If you like them and they arent bothering anything, keep them. If you have doubts, they are bothering something or you think they are ugly, shoot them full of boiling water.

Dennis