Coral identification help please!!! Aiptaisa????

[TamiH]

I got a 29g biocube tank about a month ago off of craigslist. It's been running for a coupe of years and had good parameters (although I have low phosphate readings) It had quite a bit of algae, which I have cleaned up by increasing the CUC, but was in decent shape with 4 fishies (2 occ clowns, 1 watchman goby and 1 tailspot blenny)

I need some help identifying some corals in the tank-I think one is for sure an aiptasia after some research-yikes! I also got a little frag that was cheap at the fish store, but think it may have GSP on it, so I have islolated it on the bottom for now. I am pretty sure the larger tentacles coming out from the bottom left corner of the rock is aiptasia, but I'm not sure if all the stuff around it is a xenia (although it is brown and not a pretty white or pink) or more aiptasia? If so, I might as well remove the rock entirely even though I know it has some great brittle stars and stuff in it. I attached the images-hopefully it works!

Thanks so much!
Newbie in Frisco TX

 

[TamiH]

Oops! The pic that I think is the aiptasia didn't attach-here it is. It's not fully extended, but has a long stalk it comes out on.

 

[TamiH]

Sorry-one more comment (apparently I can't edit my previous posts) The mass of coral does have a mat and the polyps retract. Don't know if that helps when trying to identify whether it is a forest of aiptasia or if only the larger tentacles are the nem. Thanks!

 

[ckw_1980]

Hard to tell in the pics. If you have aiptasia get aiptasia X. The polyps look like pink hair polyp but maybe not doing do well. Good luck!

 

[ComforablyNumb]

That last pic (right in the middle of the pic)...that certainly looks like aiptasia. The others..its hard to tell.
Where there's one, there's more.
Aiptasia X will give temporary relief...a matted filefish will give permanent relief.


Mine even eats flake food now that its usual diet is gone.

 

[johnike]

That last pic (right in the middle of the pic)...that certainly looks like aiptasia.

Sure does.
Green Star Polyps and Anthelia?
Anthelia can over take a tank like a weed as well.

 

[billdogg]

Sure does.
Green Star Polyps and Anthelia?
Anthelia can over take a tank like a weed as well.

Yup. 4th picture center is aiptasia. If anybody here would know, it'd be Johnike:spin3:

Personally, I would just use a syringe and boiling water to cook it where it sits.

The other pictures are of green star polyps and anthelia, both of which can easily take over an entire tank in short order. I won't have any of either in any tank of mine for that reason.

 

[TamiH]

If I get a filefish though, I can't have other corals, correct??? I have a few other corals in the tank.

 

[afusco01]

I got a 29g biocube tank about a month ago off of craigslist. It's been running for a coupe of years and had good parameters (although I have low phosphate readings) It had quite a bit of algae, which I have cleaned up by increasing the CUC, but was in decent shape with 4 fishies (2 occ clowns, 1 watchman goby and 1 tailspot blenny)

I need some help identifying some corals in the tank-I think one is for sure an aiptasia after some research-yikes! I also got a little frag that was cheap at the fish store, but think it may have GSP on it, so I have islolated it on the bottom for now. I am pretty sure the larger tentacles coming out from the bottom left corner of the rock is aiptasia, but I'm not sure if all the stuff around it is a xenia (although it is brown and not a pretty white or pink) or more aiptasia? If so, I might as well remove the rock entirely even though I know it has some great brittle stars and stuff in it. I attached the images-hopefully it works!

Thanks so much!
Newbie in Frisco TX

It's a brown star polyp in my opinion. Not aiptasia which are more translucent.

 

[ComforablyNumb]

If I get a filefish though, I can't have other corals, correct??? I have a few other corals in the tank.

A matted filefish won't bother your corals.

 

[TamiH]

OK. So maybe bring the frag back to my LFS with the GSP and star polyps on it (can I isolate them on an island, or will they spread?). Kill the 3 aiptasias I see (Joe's juice? Aiptasia X? Buy pep shrimp or filefish?) and looks like the mat of brown polyps is a brown star polyp-from google, that looks like a match (thank goodness it's not an aptaisai covered rock!) May try to peel it off as I don't like it and it's spreading (would rather have GSP!) Maybe I should jsut chuck the rock-but it's my favorite! (The shape is cool and makes the top of my "cave" Thanks for all your help to this newbie!