ID Please..

[casiano80]

Got this green stars and at night i notice this at night.... not sure what it is..

[Tim Marvin]

I can't see it very clear, but I'd guess an aptasia.

[Henry]

With out a better pic, I have to second Tim and say its an aptasia.

[Instar]

I agree - aiptasia.

[OrionN]

If you don't know what an Aptasia is, you are really new at reef keeping. You really, really need to get rid of it or else you will be sorry. The time to get rid of Aptasia is when there are only a few, or only one. Take my word on this.
Minh

[casiano80]

How do u get rid of it...... And yes Im still kind of new to reef Keepin...

[::pete::]

http://www.premiumaquatics.com/thestore/prods/STOP-APTAS6OZ.html
http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/msubpestaiptasia/a/aa061903.htm

Hope it helps and here is a pic http://www.aquarium.net/faqs/aiptasia.shtml

[OrionN]

How do u get rid of it...... And yes Im still kind of new to reef Keepin...
Just take the piece of coral [b]out of the tank[b] and scrape the aptasia off. These animals are very prolific, any piece of tissue can and will regenrate into a new animal. This is why they are soo bad (also very aggessive and will kill just about any corals they come in contact with). Just make sure you get the very last piece of tissue off the rock and then rinse the rock and put it back into the tank.
Minh

[Sherri]

I got a couple of peppermint shrimp and I am completely aptasia free. I was beginning to have a bit of a prob. trying to eradicate them. They are a royal pain if gotten out of control. I have noticed recently in a lot of the LFS's, they have aptasia on the corals/rocks they are selling. A real easy way to spread it to your tank.

[sholzrichter]

I agreed with Sherri. Pepperment shrimp will take care of it. I tried different ways to get rid of it. Pepperment shrimp was the best way. After I put them in, all my aptasia are gone within a week. The bigger one was about 1/2". That was over a month ago. I haven't seen any new once so far.

[Jenn]

Can you put peppermint shrimp in the same tank with 2 scarlet cleaners?

[oceancube]

hey raul, well if you want later on the day i can go over and help you out, we can try to squirt it with kalk first, if not we can just use a razorblade and cut it rightoff. JENN- yes you can keep them together, ive had all types of shrimps with no problem, as long as you feed and don't starve them!!!

[Sherri]

Don't know about scarlets Jenn...maybe someone else can answer that, but I have 2 peppermints in with 2 cleaner shrimp and they are fine.
Yep, sholzrichter...I had a few pretty good size ones on my back glass BEHIIND all my rocks which I couldn't reach. They're gone also. I don't see any at all. The peppermints have been one of my best investments other than my cleaner shrimp. What a cleanup crew. Ich & aptasia!

[Jenn]

That will work...thanks Sherri and Rudy.

[OrionN]

Guys and gals,
If all he has is one aptasia on a piece of rock that he can easily tank out of the tank, then take it out scrapes it off or tosses it in the trash. No need to add a bunch of animals or fishes, or inject it with kalk, boiling water or acid or.......
Don't use a cannon to kill a fly because you can cause lots of collateral damages and not get the job done by missing it.
Minh

[casiano80]

Thanks alot for all the help. Rudy just left my house and he said that its not aptasia and that he doesnt know what it was. But im still goin to get rid of it.....

[OrionN]

If it is not an aptasia, I would just leave it be and keep a close eye on it. You can always remove it if it become too agressive and multiply too fast.
Minh

[DaBird]

If it IS aptaisa...I think a cannon is just about right...

[MikeP]

Just leave it be - I have no less than 5 species of 'hitchiker' anemones in my tank (one intentionally intorduced - miniature carpet anemone). None of them are prolific and most showed up out of the blue or with live rock I purchased. Majanos and aiptasia can be a plague but if it's not one of those let it be IMO - diversity of life in our tanks is one of the most interesting parts of this hobby and you might nuke that anemone only to find it's an very rare species that seldom appears in captivity.

my 2cents.

[Instar]

Peppermint shrimp also eat every sea squirt and tunicate in the tank and pull them out of the live rock. They will do in your BTA's given the time, if the clowns don't protect them and will mess with polyps, especially yellow polyps and eat tubastrea corals. They eat anemones of all kinds. So long as you don't mind all the stuff they eat, when the peppermints get large enough, they eat aiptasia. Many people say they have trouble with this. Its b/c peppermints live in colonies with lots of cover to hide in. Small ones seem to be too much in shock to venture out after aiptasia when kept as one or two. They are basically nocturnal. I kept a colony and watched as they cut tiny little polyps off my montipora and millepora corals in the late afternoon every day. Didn't seem to do irreparable damage to the sps though as the tentacles they ate grew right back. They are shy and may leave things alone for a while, but, in due time. Keep an eye on them for sure. After my experience with them, they will never go in one of my reefs where I can't get them back out again unless I don't keep any of the things they eat in that one.