anemone help please

[pmcrazi]

:help: I started my 36 bow salt tank over a year ago, and have purchased a bunch of live rock over time. I had first noticed a small purple/brownish anemone, which I figured if it came in the live rock was a rock anemone, and was ok. Well, that one got bigger, then all of asudden I had 2 big ones, now they are spread out throughout my liverock, in holes. I probable have 20-30 babies, and have been slowly losing fish. The only fish I have left are a few damsels, a percula clown, and a pajama cardinal. They do not look like the "rock anemone" picture, however they do resemble the "thousand-hand" purple anemone. Would these be killing off my fish? I just lost my yellow tang, and have lost other fish over the past few months (such as wrasse, basselets, and gobies) Any help would be greatly appreciated. At this point I would like to just "get rid" of them if there is a way how, with out ruining my tank. I also have green star polyps, hawiian feather dusters, lots of crabs and snails too. Thanks in advance for any info.
Karen

 

[viper_930]

By the sound of it, could be aptasia. Do a search for it on how to get rid of it. I haven't heard of them eating fish, especially big fish like that though.

 

[thomas712]

Yeah sounds like the aptaisa pest anemone.
Add a couple of pepermint shrimp and watch those pests dissapear.
And welcome to the board

 

[pmcrazi]

I did some reading and someone suggested injecting them with lemon juice, anyone hear of that before? The peppermint shrimp sound good, I just don't want them bothering my feather dusters, or polyps. LMK if that should be a problem. Also wondering about green algae, and was reading about sea slugs... my turbo snails and herm crabs just aren't doing the job on the live rock.
thanks again for info
Karen:happyfish

 

[jacob_poly]

kalk does a pretty good job, but once they are part of your tank they resurface time and again. Also if you have peppermint shrimp you might want to get rid of the bigger aiptasia in the tank since they wont touch it. They do a good clean up job with juvenille ones...

 

[pmcrazi]

...so what is "kalk" ???? thanks for info,
ps are my polyps gonna be ok with pepermint shrimp?

 

[jacob_poly]

well you take a spoonful of kalkwasser and put 2-3 spoonfuls of close to boiling water in it and stir it into a thick paste. Pour it into a syringe/turkey baster (without the needle) and then squirt each anemone with a little. You have to be careful when doing this in smaller tanks since too much kalk could suddenly cause the pH to drop if the salts precipitate out (I think thats what happens). You could do some more searches for this method of aptasia elimination. You have to be careful not to squirt anything else though.....If I can find a link on this I will post it....

 

[pmcrazi]

thanks for the welcome, and all the help... ok I'm not blonde but I have no idea what "kalkwasser" is, or where I buy it. I also read about using lime or lemon juice and a syringe also> any thoughts to this? Will need to do something soon, everyday I see more and more of the little -!#$&%$. If I decide to buy some peppermint shrimp for my tank how many would u recommend?
Thanks for all the help, appreciated very much
PS Just aquired 2 huge Hawaiian Feather dusters that are gorgeous, will try to take some pics... Karen

 

[buddahjon]

i have heard just boiling water does the trick too

 

[pmcrazi]

OK, tried the boiling water trick tonight, put it in a kids medicine syringe and blasted em as close and quickly as I could. They seemed to immediately get very dark and shrivel up into my LR. I tried to remove them with a turkey baster, but the $^%*!& wouldn't let go!!! I have 3 peppermint shrimp on order from my LFS, but won't be in till friday. I also asked about the kalk-stuff, and they showed my a small bottle which was about $12 with I think powder in it. I figured I'd just try the boiling water first. I sure hope this works soon. BTW, anyone know why my scooter blenney would disappear, I was taking some pic's of my tank just last night and he was there, now today I can not find him anywhere:notsure: gonna try to add some pics... thanks every1 for the great advice, will keep ya posted. Karen

 

[pmcrazi]

sorry bout the bad pic, but the others with the aiplasia were very blurry...anyway, just figured out the pic thing heres that Hawaiian Feather Duster... enjoy!

 

[pmcrazi]

OK, just 1 more pic and question, below my "missing" scooter blennies tail on this last pic below on my LR are red/purple colored circular patters that have appeared throughout my tank on my LR and glass, they are hard to scrap off, are they good? They are also on my lift tubes to my filter and protein skimmer. thanks again...Karen
PS if anyone has seen my missing scooter please send him back... (sniff)

 

[buddahjon]

could he have buried himself in the sand?
is your cleanup crew good enough to dispose of a scooter corpse?
do you have any pets, and what type of hood/top/cover do you have?

 

[bigdjp]

The red/purple spots you have is Coraline Algae and is good.

 

[pmcrazi]

big- thanks for the info, glad to hear thats the good stuff.
As far as my missing scooter, I have glass canopy top, cc/ls mixture, about 10 blue leg hermies, 5-6 turbo snails, 1 emerald crab, bunches of green star polyps, hawaiian feather dusters, (all those darn aiptasia-working on) 1 blue damsel, 1 green chromis, 1 pink damsel, 1 percula clown, and 1 pajama cardinal. Whew...tons of LR too. Thanks again for info...will keep looking for my scooter...
PS for got to show u my pj's...lol

 

[edwar050]

Scooter blennies are all to often like mandarin dragonets I believe. Yours looked extremely thin and I am more than likely guessing he passed away. They have the same behaviors as mandarins and are a little easier to keep although there bodies are similar and yours looked thin my friend.

 

[pmcrazi]

:nope: thanks again for the info, I indeed believe he has gone to fishy heaven. I did just buy him about 2 weeks ago, and he seemed good, took to acclimation well, and was quite a busy guy "scooting" around. Well, thanks for the adv.
Karen

 

[edwar050]

np sorry for the bad news, I had one and he did the same thing, took to acclimation. I got him at the lft for 8$ becasue he was very thin, I didn't think he'd make it but gave it a shot. I actually saw mine die though, I hate loosing fish.
Brad