Anemone on Live Rock

[trippclark]

Earlier this week I purchased a few pieces of wormy live rock to add to the live rock already in my tank (just a few pieces . . . <5 lbs.). Two of the pieces have numerous small anemone's (perhaps as many as 10 total from just a fraction of an inch to about an inch in sizes). Lighting in the tank is, I think, satisfactory to allow them to thrive (about 8-9W per gallon), but what about food? Do I need to try to hand feed these anemones? Supplements? Suggestions?

 

[fender]

What kind of anenomes are they? Any pics?
Are you sure they are not aiptasia?

 

[trippclark]

hmm . . I can post some pics tonight . . . they look very much like the Curly Q anemones sold on this site (shades of brown . . . some slightly yellow/gold some slightly purple . . . but overall a translucent brown)

 

[cprdnick]

They are more than likely aiptasia, there are several types of this stuff, and it's not good for a reef system. If you have a FOWLR then I guess you could leave them.

 

[jedininja]

Even with fish only i would remove them. They spread like whildfire and i think they look bad. If there are aiptasia that is.

 

[xrayman]

Aptasia

 

[trippclark]

So, here are the picures. What do you think . . . anemone or aiptasia?

 

[trippclark]

And another picture . . .

 

[trigger reid]

in a way it sorta looks like a rock anenome but could be a curly q

 

[trippclark]

I hope you are right. I don't need any Aptasia to deal with.

 

[trippclark]

Oh yeah, here is one more picture. A close up in which you can see 3 of the very tiny ones.

 

[trippclark]

Any more ideas/opinions out there? Is this a welcome addition or an evil predator? If it is desirable, I return to the question from my original post regarding food, suuplements, and care to make them thrive. If undesireable, ideas for ridding myself of them? THANKS!!!

 

[bang guy]

They are Aiptasia Anemone. You should probably kill them before they get out of hand.
If you want to keep one as a pet you could put it in a seperate container.

 

[trippclark]

Bummer . . . several questions though . . .
How do you kill them? I saw elsewhere that you can use a kalk mixture. Is this the best method? I do not have/use kalk, but use tropic-marin bio-calcium, will this work the same way?
Won't killing them poison the tank?
I am guessing that putting "a keeper" in the sump would not work, right?

 

[trippclark]

Okay, researching a bit on the side . . . see that indeed sump would be a bad idea. I can just see one getting in the pump and getting sprayed back into the tank in hundreds of pieces -- each to start anew!
I see lemon juice as a suggested remedy -- very odd; and Peppermint shrimp as a predator. Thoughts on these? I am thinking about killing what I can with lemon juice and introducing 3 Pepermint shrimp to control little ones and any newcomers.

 

[cprdnick]

The problem with the lemon juice is that you actually have to inject it into the stalk of the anenome. Try this it worked great for me when I got some of those nasty things.

[hr]
Prepare stock solution
1. 1 tsp. pickling lime - food grade calcium hydroxide
2. 2 tbls. tap water.
boil water and lime in microwave for 40 sec.
keep closed plastic container in cool place.
You will need a vet syringe from a pet store that sells vaccinations
This mixture comes out of the needle very thick. You do not need to inject the Aiptasia.
Just release a small amount on to the aiptasia and it will take it in. This mixture seems to stick to the
anemone, but it does not stick to the other inverts. We also use this mixture on problem hair algae.
We have killed 20 or 30 at a time in 55 gallon reefs and it did not hurt anything.

[hr]
compliments of the fellas at GARF.
BTW for the plastic container, I found that a sterilized film canister is the perfect size and is leak proof to this stuff.

 

[trippclark]

cprdnick,
Thanks for the tip. Did you boil in something else (glass perhaps) and then pour into film container, or will those little things stand up to boiling without melting? And when you say "keep closed plastic container in cool place" do you mean room temperature cool or refrigerator cool?
Tripp

 

[cprdnick]

Nah, ure only microwaving it for 40 seconds, if I remember right, I did it in the film canister. I just keep mine under the stand with a clean syringe at the ready. I haven't had to use it for a while but I wanna gittem before they really tick me off. It probably wouldn't hurt it to keep it in the refrigerator, but its pretty thick after mixed anyway so I can only imagine how bad it would be when cold.
BTW, I don't know if it'll hurt anything but don't just shoot it all on there, any excess will ball up and fall off the rock. As long as it mists the face of the aiptasia it'll do good. I shot too much once and my yellow watchman goby darted out and ate some of the excess that fell, he never died or got sick, so I thank the lord for that one.
Clint