Could someone identify this please?

[Pnutjr]

Hello all,
I've been reading at Canreef for a bit now and everyone is very informative. Thanks! I recently got an established (at least I thought it was) 55 gallon tank. After setting it up with only one lost Tang , my wife found this as in the pic. Its purple with white banded stripes on every tentacle with white tips. I thought it was a bonus. Now I'm thinking its gonna be a nuisance. Any thoughts anyone as to what it is?? Thanks

Pnutjr

55 gallon, 30 + lbs live rock, Perc Clown, Fairy Wrasse, 2 Blue Damsels (mean little suckers), Lawnmower Blenny (somewhere), Cleaner Shrimp, Red star fish, 2 Hermits and 4 common snails

[Aquattro]

pic shows up about the size of a postage stamp...got anything bigger?

[reeferfulton]

sounds like maybe a bristle star

do a search on those , untill theres a larger picture , not sure anyone can help ..

[Pnutjr]

Oops, new at this. Thanks I have reposted the picture in a more viewable size. I think it's some sort of Anemone......


Pnutjr

[Delphinus]

Congratulations! Your very first aiptasia anemone.

Your hunch is correct, it can become a nuisance.

[Pnutjr]

Heh...Thanks. I thought it might be. darn. Thanks all for the quick responses.....And being a Newbie i look forward to all the advice ya'll selflessly give out.....BTW much appreciated that you do.

Pnutjr

55 gallon, 30 + lbs live rock, Perc Clown, Fairy Wrasse, 2 Blue Damsels (mean little suckers), Lawnmower Blenny (somewhere), Cleaner Shrimp, Red star fish, 2 Hermits and 4 common snails AND the new proud owner of a aiptasia anemone

[Alberta-newb]

Welcome to Canreef! I'm a newbie here myself and have found everyone extremely helpfull. I was very excited by my first anenomes as well untill I found out I had aiptasia and majanoes Now I'm learning all the different ways to get rid of them

Francis "Alberta-newb"

[Delphinus]

You have a couple of options.

You can try a biological control - some people have success with peppermint shrimp (I never have, but don't let that dissuade you). I have a CBB (copperbanded butterfly) who loves them to pieces (pun not so unintentional). A CBB is hit and miss though - they don't always take to feeding and sometimes starve to death. They don't always stay reef-safe. Mine also has a taste for pricier LPS like blastomussa and acanthastrea. So I'd say proceed with caution if you go with a CBB.

You can get a syringe and try injecting it with boiling water, lemon juice, or kalkwasser slurry. Or you can get a commercial product like Joe's Juice or Tailored Aquatic's AiptasiaDestroyer.

It sort of sucks to have to do it but you probably should. In some cases they don't proliferate out of control but if they do, they do so in a big way - you'll end up with 100's of them covering your rock. Not very pretty and they can sting corals so not a good place to be..

Welcome to Canreef BTW.

[justinl]

If you're considering biological control (which is always my first choice... Im wary of the chemicals), think about what is appropriate for your tank. For example, although a CBB can be a good choice, it really isn't appropriate in a 55g. In fact that tang you lost should never have been in a 55g either. Don't mean to chastise you and act high and mighty or anything, just letting you know.

[Marlin65]

+ 1 0n that advise.