What is growing on LR?

[Jshelle01]

I am starting to cycle a 210 gallon salt water tank. All the rocks were dried for over a year and a half. It has been about 2 weeks now and I have these tube like colonies growing on two or three rocks. They grow in little patches. I am not sure if this is something to worry about or just part of the cycle. Let me know what you think.

 

[scooter31707]

Can't really tell, but IMO, maybe aiptasia or mojanos.

 

[Jshelle01]

I looked at pictures of aiptasia and it seems to have like a zenia coral type shape to them. Also if it is aipasia, how do I get rid of it??

While these "things" are little colonies of tubes.

 

[Jshelle01]

Another picture...hopefully it is better

 

[aadams22]

Not sure. But 210 gallons is pretty big so im sure once you start stocking fish something will kill it for food lol

 

[RocketEngineer]

Search colonial hydroids. I've had them and they can be problematic if they get out of control. Manual removal is tough but a coating of kalk paste did most of mine in.

 

[Jshelle01]

Maybe these are too young in their lifecycle but the ones in my tank do not have the tentacles like aptasia and hydroids. Do the tentacles develop later on in the cycle? The tubes look empty and are clear in color.

 

[Jshelle01]

any other thoughts or suggestions on what I should do?

 

[skp]

If they have flexible tubes then they are colonial hydroids. Very bad and hard to kill. I would take out all the rock and bleach it... or start with new rock.

 

[Swanwillow]

I'm wondering how you got hitch-hikers when the rock was dead. Did you add anything to the tank to start the cycle?

 

[Jshelle01]

I added a piece of frozen raw shrimp to the tank. Other than that, the rock has been sitting in a dry rubbermaid container for over a year. I hand picked off as much as I could yesterday but I am not sure if that will do the trick or not.

 

[skp]

I couldn't get rid of them so I cooked my rock in a Tupperware container for 6 months and then I left it at my inlaw's house because I had to move away for a few years. The container was partially open and all the water evaporated leaving the rocks covered in dry salt. I closed the container up and it was sitting like that for about 3 years before I moved back and started up again. The tubes are still there but nothing is inside them. Maybe they came in with live sand? They have a medusa stage.

 

[Jshelle01]

I may be in the same situation as you were. These rocks have been sitting outside for a while and possibly the person I got them from has the hydroids. I have never seen anything inside of them so they may just be bed but the empty tubes are still there.

Either way I have hand picked out as many as possible with tweezers....about 2 hours later...I have 90% clean rock surface from where I started.

Thank you for all the help with this. Hopefully the tank finishes cycling around the first of the year. I will be quarantining all livestock and dipping all corals before being placed in the display tank. This is my best attempt in keep unwanted pests/hitchhikers out of the main tank.

Hope it all works out. Just got to remember to take it slow. Rushing only causes more issues down the road.

 

[Jshelle01]

Also, I don't think these pests came with the sand because it was dry sand. The bags had been sitting in my bedroom for about 5 months before it was added to the tank.