Coral Hitchhiker? thought it was aptasia at first... now thinking LPS?

Radioheadx14 · 02/03/2008, 11:09 PM

I got a frag from reeftopia.com and it had a weird little hitchhiker on it. I thought it was aptasia at first because I noticed tentacles swaying in the current. Upon further investigation, I noticed a neon orange disk and a white mouth. The tentacles are clear with white bands. I looks like a very small LPS polyp. It has cross-section groves that point to the mouth like some LPS poyps. The pictures are crappy cause i don't have a macro lens, or I don't know how to use my camera right. LMK what you think. I have had aptasia before in other tanks, but this looks very different.

Front view

Side view:

Here is a photoshop pic i made of what it looks like.. there are 6 lines that point to the mouth, 3 on one side are black and 3 on the other are orange. I only drew one tentacle, but there are about 15 around the outside. Also, there is no polyp stalk like an aptasia.

If it is a LPS, what should I do? i have read that LPS and Zoas may attack each other.

kau_cinta_ku · 02/03/2008, 11:23 PM

looks like hydroid to me

bertoni · 02/04/2008, 02:09 AM

I agree. That drawing definitely looks like a hydroid.

Radioheadx14 · 02/04/2008, 06:09 AM

Does anyone have an example of this hydroid? It doesn't look like any hydroid I have ever seen because of the neon orange ring on the disk.

Redstratplayer · 02/04/2008, 06:18 AM

Cup coral

www.melevsreef.com/id/lps

About half way down the page

I have about 10 in my tank,harmless
i feed them mysis.

techreef · 02/04/2008, 01:09 PM

i 2nd cup coral. got lots of 'em on my TBS live rock order. harmless critters to my knowledge.

sufunk · 02/04/2008, 01:39 PM

3rd on cup coral, although i was told they were "hidden cup coral"

Either way,harmless in my tank and actually some of them look pretty cool under my actinics or moon lights.

MiddletonMark · 02/04/2008, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sufunk
3rd on cup coral, although i was told they were "hidden cup coral"

Those are only the one's you don't see

I'd agree on the cup coral or pseudocorynactis ID ... though hard to tell from the pic [so I could be wrong].

Radioheadx14 · 02/04/2008, 05:18 PM

Thats what i was thinking, cup coral, Is it bad that its right next to a zoa polyp?

cczarnik · 02/04/2008, 05:33 PM

I wouldn't worry. The cups dont colonize (at least mine never have) and they're not going to invade the zoos. If the zoo's don't get along they will just spread the other way. I've got cups all over my TBS rock, they haven't caused any problems.

They're tough too, you prob couldn't kill them if you tried!

Radioheadx14 · 02/04/2008, 08:33 PM

Well thats good, I kinda like it although its small.

02/03/2008, 11:09 PM	#1
Radioheadx14 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 1,601	Coral Hitchhiker? thought it was aptasia at first... now thinking LPS? I got a frag from reeftopia.com and it had a weird little hitchhiker on it. I thought it was aptasia at first because I noticed tentacles swaying in the current. Upon further investigation, I noticed a neon orange disk and a white mouth. The tentacles are clear with white bands. I looks like a very small LPS polyp. It has cross-section groves that point to the mouth like some LPS poyps. The pictures are crappy cause i don't have a macro lens, or I don't know how to use my camera right. LMK what you think. I have had aptasia before in other tanks, but this looks very different. Front view Side view: Here is a photoshop pic i made of what it looks like.. there are 6 lines that point to the mouth, 3 on one side are black and 3 on the other are orange. I only drew one tentacle, but there are about 15 around the outside. Also, there is no polyp stalk like an aptasia. If it is a LPS, what should I do? i have read that LPS and Zoas may attack each other.

02/04/2008, 02:09 AM	#3
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	I agree. That drawing definitely looks like a hydroid. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

02/04/2008, 06:18 AM	#5
Redstratplayer Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: NJ Posts: 241	Cup coral www.melevsreef.com/id/lps About half way down the page I have about 10 in my tank,harmless i feed them mysis. __________________ New Jersey Reefers club Saving the World's Reefs one living Room at a Time. Current Tank Info: 20G long &10sump/fuge

02/03/2008, 11:23 PM	#2
kau_cinta_ku Moved On Join Date: May 2005 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 8,669	looks like hydroid to me

02/04/2008, 06:09 AM	#4
Radioheadx14 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 1,601	Does anyone have an example of this hydroid? It doesn't look like any hydroid I have ever seen because of the neon orange ring on the disk.

02/04/2008, 01:09 PM	#6
techreef Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Montclair, NJ Posts: 1,046	i 2nd cup coral. got lots of 'em on my TBS live rock order. harmless critters to my knowledge.

02/04/2008, 01:39 PM	#7
sufunk Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Davie, Florida Posts: 2,004	3rd on cup coral, although i was told they were "hidden cup coral" Either way,harmless in my tank and actually some of them look pretty cool under my actinics or moon lights.

02/04/2008, 05:18 PM	#9
Radioheadx14 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 1,601	Thats what i was thinking, cup coral, Is it bad that its right next to a zoa polyp?

02/04/2008, 05:33 PM	#10
cczarnik Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Franklin, TN Posts: 433	I wouldn't worry. The cups dont colonize (at least mine never have) and they're not going to invade the zoos. If the zoo's don't get along they will just spread the other way. I've got cups all over my TBS rock, they haven't caused any problems. They're tough too, you prob couldn't kill them if you tried!

02/04/2008, 08:33 PM	#11
Radioheadx14 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 1,601	Well thats good, I kinda like it although its small.