I need 2 ID's: what type of mushroom is this & and what type of zoa is this?

[tirtza]

Anyone have any idea what type of mushrooms these are?

This little zoa just showed up on this rock, it's the only one and it's not to healthy looking....any idea what it might be or might have been??

 

[siptang]

I'm no expert but it doesn't look like zoa to me... it looks more like an aptasia... also like i stated in other thread, get rid of that bubble algae!!

 

[kiefers]

Dang,........ not that type of shroom! Pft. you mean by the bubble alg? Hmmmmm looks like a nuclear green. Hard to tell with this picture tho, sorry.

 

[tirtza]

Quote:
Dang,........ not that type of shroom!
hahaha......I'd share if it was
So do does everyone agree that it's apstasia? It's the little round thing surrounded by the bubble algae.
Here are some more pics of the mushrooms....

 

[tirtza]

I just yanked out the little critter that might have been apstasia. I took a pair of tweezers and pulled and tugged and yanked that little sucker completely out. If it's really aptasia, that's probably only a temporary fix....any one have any suggestions?

 

[spanko]

Mushrooms are Discosoma sp. Can't be sure on the other thing but doesn't matter too much now untilunless it regenerates.

 

[jerthunter]

I don't think it is aiptisia, looks more like majano to me. If it were aiptisia I would recommend peppermint shrimp since individual removal can be difficult.

 

[spanko]

Looking at some more pictures of Aiptasia I believe that is what you had there. I was a bit confused with the large oral disc, but see that some have that feature and with the curly tentacles I am fairly certain of it being an Aiptasia sp.
"Many aquarists consider Aiptasia to be the dandelion of the ocean. Just like our weeds in our yards, they grow quickly, and will come back if you don't remove the entire organism. If even a portion of the pedal disc (foot that attaches to the substrate) or tentacles remain, it can regenerate a new polyp. Sloppy removal can easily turn one polyp into hundreds in a short time. Like the mythic Greek hydra, when you remove one head, two grow in its place! If the anemone is repeatedly irritated (say, by consistently removing the head-or oral disc), it will asexually reproduce at an alarming rate. Some hobbyists attempt to remove their Aiptasia manually, but it can result in a population explosion. What is even worse, these anemones can "walk" or "swim" away. They will detach their pedal disc and launch themselves into the water, pulsing their bodies like a jellyfish, until they have found a better, more protected area of your aquarium. They can also detach and reattach their pedal disc in a manner that helps them walk along the substrate, just like a snail or corals from the family Xeniidae."

 

[tirtza]

aaahhh scary! I hope I permanently removed that evil little creature. Only time will tell....

 

[muse1]

We had some of those Aiptasia on our LR. maybe about ten of them I got one peppermint shrimp, he ate them all. I haven't had a problem with them on my LR again....Peppermint is the way to go.

 

[tirtza]

I would love to add a Peppermint shrimp or two.....I just have a (really huge) Skunk Cleaner shrimp that is kind of an evil Peppermint Shrimp serial killer. Before I realized what was happening, the skunk cleaner had literally killed and eaten 4 Peppermint shrimp. The last one he killed, I saw him pin the Peppermint shrimp up against the rock and he was ripping away/eating from the Peppermint's mid-section. It was pretty graphic! I never realized how big my Skunk Cleaner shrimp was until I compared it to all of the other Skunk Cleaner Shrimp I've seen in various stores. If I add a Peppermint, it'll definitely be the absolute biggest one I can find so that it can defend itself.
Peppermint shrimp aren't expensive....but if they're going to just serve as food for my Skunk then forget about it Plus I kind of feel bad for the little guys....