Curly Q or Aiptasia - ID Please

[rpscuba]

http://uploads.bestupload.com/redir/13893.jpg

What do I have here??

[iCam]

Hey. Looks like a curly-q anemone.

[rpscuba]

That is what I was wanting to hear. I noticed it in my tank about three days ago. Its behind my LR and I dont know how long it has been there......

[rpscuba]

Can I move it?

[rpscuba]

Are curly-q anemones a nuisance or are they ok to have around? This one is moving around a little bit now, but not far.

[Frick-n-Frags]

That doesn't look exactly like the curli-ques they sell down at the LFS, but it still has the Aiptasia family look to it. Cerianthus anemones, common Aiptasia, curli-ques, and probably that guy are all cousins.

Those white bumps are probably nematocysts and I would guess it could toast the crap out of something.

Do you have some expendable corals like some GSP or the ugly red-haired stepchild zooanthids that hitched in somewhere that you can put near him to see what happens?
I know Aiptasia burn Montipora digitatas pretty consistently, so that might be the acid test as Montis are pretty much at the bottom of the pecking order when it comes to aggression

[hicmndr]

Looks like a Curl-q to me. I have one that came as a hitchhiker on my live rock. It's been steadily growing for the last 9 months, and seemed to sting my xenia that grew too close to it. Luckily the xenia was easy to relocate. Other than that I've had no problems with it. I don't consider it a nuisance.

[rpscuba]

Originally posted by Frick-n-Frags
Do you have some expendable corals like some GSP or the ugly red-haired stepchild zooanthids that hitched in somewhere that you can put near him to see what happens?

I don’t have anything else in the tank. I just set it up in early August and have only added snails and two clown fish. I need to order a chiller in the next couple of weeks as I am not happy about the temp swing when the lights come on (77 in am before lights on - and 83~85 at lights out). I have been holding off adding anything else to the tank until I can provide a stable environment.

Here is a Pict of what I have thus far:

http://uploads.bestupload.com/redir/13888.jpg

[gallery]

i am going to get off subject RPSCUBA the avatar you have is that your B & G ? we just picked up a 13 month old and love him. now back on subject i had a curl-q that never stopped moving and yours looks like mine. my french angel at it. or at least i thought it did. i moved a rock the other day and found it under the rock.

[rpscuba]

Originally posted by gallery
i am going to get off subject RPSCUBA the avatar you have is that your B & G ? we just picked up a 13 month old and love him.

Yes, our B&G is about 9 years old. She is pretty much in charge of the ground floor of our house.

[gallery]

do you go to any bird forums? i have been looking for a good one and havent found one yet.

[rpscuba]

I have not really looked too hard for any bird forums...... let me know if you find aything noteworthy.

[gallery]

parrotalk.com is the best i have found so far. and its not that great. bird people arnt like fish people. reefcentral always has new post , and if you ask somthing you get an answer. the bird forum tou can go for days with no response, or any new post. very slow moving. but i always look for new ones.

[rpscuba]

I hear that. I posted some questions on a chichlid forum for my cousin about a year ago. I dont think its ever been answered....... Reef Centeral has some awsome people on here that is for sure!

[shan820]

I dont know much about birds.... but your pic looks like the curly Q I recently bought from the lfs. How big is it? Have you tried moving it yet? Curly Qs are easy to move, not so much with aips. If you squirt some water at it what happens? Aips will draw way into the rock, curly q just pulls in his dendrils.

[BrookR1]

I'm a bird person. I have a Sun Conure. upatsix.com is pretty active (at least for macaws). Check out birdsnways.com also. The fish chat rooms are definitely the most happening...probably because there's much more to learn.

[rpscuba]

Originally posted by shan820
I dont know much about birds.... but your pic looks like the curly Q I recently bought from the lfs. How big is it? Have you tried moving it yet? Curly Qs are easy to move, not so much with aips. If you squirt some water at it what happens? Aips will draw way into the rock, curly q just pulls in his dendrils.

Its about the size of a quarter, maybe a little bigger. I have not tried to touch or move it yet, I've pretty much just been observing it. I will give your suggestions a try. Thanks.

[gallery]

keep in mind if it does not like where you move it it will just move. it may be happy there

[shan820]

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=1703

Here is some info on Curly Q I just found....

[shan820]

Here are some pics of my curly Q if it helps....


http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/51748curly_q.jpg

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/51748curly_q2.jpg

[rpscuba]

That looks pretty much like it to me. At the present time mine is hiding in the sand under some rock. I can barely see it.