hundreds of aiptasias, shrimp not eating em

[Cuttlefish]

Since I corrected the Mg level everything seems to be great. Except for the fact that my aiptasia problem may have crossed a point of no return. I dont know how Im going to get rid of all these other than hours of work, manually pulling them out.

The question is.. these aiptasias look different than the one I left growing in the MT for my CBB and wrasse to eat. In fact those fish dont even eat these things. Someone told me they were "walking aiptasia's" but i cant find anything on the net on that name. I was wondering if that one normal looking anenome was creating these different looking kind or if its a different species all together. Like I said these things dont have a stem, just a base and scraggly tentacles. They swim too. I wasnt sure if I should go ahead and kill that one food creating Aiptasia or if it wasnt the cause of all these walking type. Gah, this is gonna be one hell of a pain to get rid of. I should have never let it get this far.

[ScruffyRubicon]

Can you get us a pic or two or even more? Someone should be able to help you better with a positive ID.

[tdwyatt]

Pix?

Do they look like Aiptasia or Anemonea cf. majano?

Do they look somewhat like a 1-3mm bottlebrush?

Also see this post by Julian re: hydroids: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issu...003/invert.htm

Good in-focus macro shots would help a lot.

[Cuttlefish]

wow must be my lucky day, assistance from the famous tdwyatt
I will try to get a pic on here. They look like aiptasia but without a stem and tentacles are more kinked and scraggy. At one point I thought they might have been hydroids or majanos but all the pics ive seen of them really dont look like these things. Ill go pick up a cam cord now. I mean it this time.. really gonna buy a cord.

BTW the last time I talked about them someone told me the fact that they swim like jellyfish when dislodged gave it away. I really dont know how else to describe em lol. Brown lookin aiptasia things, without a stem, just base and scraggly tentacles, that swim.

[Mr.Peanut]

They swim?

[tdwyatt]

Too bad you don't have a microscope with a camera built in, these sound like the hydromedusa stage of many hydroids. A common one is the genus Obelia Rather than write a bunch on this, I'll post a link to an invert bio class on-line that details this type of organism. To me, the description of no stalk, along with the clue of many that are in the medusa stage as that they apparently have come up suddenly in a tropical marine biotope in quantity point to such an organism.

I would need pix to confirm this, however.

See:
http://webs.lander.edu/rsfox/invertebrates/obelia.html

[tdwyatt]

Originally Posted by Cuttlefish

wow must be my lucky day, assistance from the famous tdwyatt ...

Alice and Cath both told me (and I believe Butch and Dick both alluded to this) that the correct term is "infamous."

[three90s&125sump]

Originally Posted by tdwyatt

Alice and Cath both told me (and I believe Butch and Dick both alluded to this) that the correct term is "infamous."

Ill just call you "El Guapo"

[sks4613]

If they truly are aiptasia then these IMO would be the best choice although not the cheapest alternative. They will do the trick and beats adding chemicals to your tank. They also work fairly quickly. Again just my thoughts. Doesn't sound like your describing aiptasia though. Also if they are aiptasia and you try to pull them out you will only make your situation worse. Good luck.
http://www.berghia.net/marketprice.html

[Jadinop]

I posted in your other thread. I was told they are a type of walking anemone. That's not the scientific name of course and there is little to be found about them on the internet. They commonly show up in refuge algae and I see them from time to time. I will get a pic next time I see one. They definately swim when knocked off of whatever they are holding onto. They don't retract like aiptasia and are easily physically removed by lightly scraping them off. They don't tear apart if lightly scraped so you won't create more by physically removing them. The usual aiptasia remedies like kalk, aiptasia x or peppermints will work on them. Of course, nothing will work overnight.

Another thing to consider is that an outbreak of filterfeeding anemones like aiptasia or these walking anemones can indicate an excess quantity of nutrients in the water.

[Cuttlefish]

Very frustrating. I thank you for all your help though. Some of them swim, some dont. I was very stupid for letting that one Anenome live. Fish seem bothered by ich again, maybe its because my salinity is way up. I tested nutrient levels and they appear fine. will test again tomorrow. I had green algae growing on the glass and I let it grow because tons of pods seemed to like it. Then I bought some snails and let my Sea Hair go to town on it. There are many sea hare droppings, basically piles of green pellets that I keep sucking off the bottom. Ive lost my patience with it for the time being. Ill see what I can do tomorrow. Thanks again all.

[Cuttlefish]

this exactly what I have...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aedCOPi9lok

This is what my refugium looks like. These little SOBs are all over the glass just like this guys. You knock em loose and they try to swim away. I also have ALOT that dont swim. More like the typical aiptasia.

I guess Ill try to remove as many as I can and then release a whole bunch of Berghia into the fuge. DIE you little @#!%&^!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DIIIIEEEEEEEEE!!!!

[tdwyatt]

DEfinitely hydroids in the medusa stage.

[Jadinop]

Looks like them to me but they are not hydroids as the video title says. It is an anemone. there is no tube body and they don't change over time to any other stages.

[Cuttlefish]

This is a bit of a confusing topic eh guys? Whether they are hydroids or aiptasia or some other kind of anenome, can I feel confident that theres something that will eat them? An hour ago I was in total despair, thinking about all the money Ive spent on this tank and what else it could have gone towards. Its frustrating. between this KH problem and these freaking pests I can totally understand why people get fed up and tear down their tanks.

At least now im hopeful I can remove the bulk of them manually and then release berghia or something to eat the ones i didnt get. I wonder tho, after they have eaten all the anenomes what will i do with them? Wont they starve?