intruder alert

[Mr. S]

I have some type of anemone type organisms growing around in my tank. They are not aptisia??!!! (that round, tentatacled polyp like thing). These look more like baby anemones. About the size of dimes. Brown colored with purple tips. I know I am vague, and have no pics. Mostly concerned if I should be concerned and if they are evil how do I get rid of them. When I try to remove them by hand they shrivel up and I can't remove all of them. They were hitchhikers on my last shipment of LR. Thanks for any help.

[Python73]

Mojano anemones. Prettier than aiptasia but same threat level. Will spread to plague levels with good light or food source. Harder to kill than aiptasias, though some people claim to have kalked them to death. Several fish prey on them, like certain butterflies, bicolor angels, and emporer angels.

S !

[Alice]

Python's got the ID nailed on this one, I'd bet. They don't spread as fast as aiptasia but they do spread and they're nasty buggers and tough.

I had them in my nano. I had to remove all the rock from that tank and give it a good flushing with clean SW and in the process I discovered that if the rock is left out of the water for 10 minutes or so, the anemones will release their foot from the rock and you can pop them right off with your fingernail. That's not going to work for rocks with corals on them or if you have to take your tank apart but it came in useful in my case.

I've seen Racoon butterflies go after majano like candy but most butterflies are hard fish to keep, unfortunately.

Injecting them with kalk is probably your best bet.

Good luck!

[Pirate]

I debated this topic with a friend of mine and the only conclusion that we came up with is that there are no known natural preditors at least none that we could find. Some folks say that there is a nudibrach that will comsume them, but with the flow in my tank I have not had any success with nudibranchs. I inject them with kalk, I just use a syringe and hit them at the base if you can. Good luck these things are tough.

[Mr. S]

Thanks, I will try the Kalk. What dosage should I use? My general mix up level or something more concentrated?

[reefcam]

The kalk method works fairly well, but you need to remove them. I tried the Kalk method and left the anemone to die in areas where I can't get them, to find out they came back to live the next day. I think they just expell the stuff. But initially, the anemone will be in shock and will look grip.

I've tried bi-color angel with no luck. My only 100% sure way of getting rid of them is to remove the rock and dip in FW for 2 days. But now I have base rocks.

Man, now they come in purple???!! Wanna trade. j/k

[Mr. S]

I will trade you my infected rocks for your LR good rock for absolutely free!!!! hehehhehhehe

[photobarry]

I injected some with glacial acetic acid. They completely dissolved off the rock and I haven't seen any since. Vinegar is 5-8% acetic acid and some people have had luck with that.

[cath]

Yup! Majano is incideous.

Acedic acid, eh? Mwahhahahahaha

[Pirate]

I have never had one grow back, well not yet anyway. I keep my fingered crossed and the syringe ready. I normally put approx 1 tablespoon in a half cup of very hot water, inject them at the base, which can be tough since they retract, and that should be good. I know folks that say that they have had luck with just boiling water through a syringe also.