id please

eternalspy · 10/10/2015, 08:16 AM

Hi all,

my live rock is in my aquarium for 3 weeks now and i start seeing these encrustations opening up.

does anyone have an indea what this is?

The biggest one is double the size and only opens at night.

First i thought it was aiptasia but, these ones are encrusted to the rock and polyps usually only extend during the night.

the small ones have an orange/pinkish color and the extensions are transparent orange with a small white dot at the end.
The bigger one that is only open at night has full orange extensions with some white dots at the end of them.

Thanks!

Michaël

eternalspy · 10/10/2015, 08:17 AM

some more pics.

I really have no idea, is this a pest?
Don't think it are anemons, really looks like it is encrusted to the rock,
had some glass anemones before but those you could clearly see the foot was attached to the rock and not encrusted like this.

PS: in the first picture I've circled what they look like when they are closed up.
Thanks all!

Dkuhlmann · 10/10/2015, 08:54 AM

What cool hitchhikers! The colored ones appear to be non-photosynthetic possibly sun corals and need to be fed. They will die if you don't feed them. Mysis is a perfect food for them.

The others appear to be ball anemone, they are a pest but one of the better looking ones. And they usually won't take over a tank like Aiptasia do.

R33FM4N_RC · 10/10/2015, 08:55 AM

I have had those in my tank before, but I never had a problem with them bothering the corals or other livestock. I always thought they were some sort of anemone.

Sugar Magnolia · 10/10/2015, 09:02 AM

Those are actually not ball anemones. They are harmless hidden cup corals, Phyllangia americana. Great little hitchhiker corals.

Dkuhlmann · 10/10/2015, 10:17 AM

Adrienne, I believe you are correct. I didn't look good enough at the whole thing, I just went by the ball tips. Cool hitchhikers for sure.

Make sure you feed those non-photosynthetic's they need to eat or they will die. Also don't over feed them. Maybe feed one or two mysis twice a week. There are some good posts in tips Here: http://reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=555

eternalspy · 10/10/2015, 10:43 AM

Thanks all,

i've looked over some images and they are indeed a match with the Phyllangia americana.

Never seen those before, great to have a community like this that knows a lot

I have already stocked some mysis shrimp in the freezer for in a couple of weeks so i'll try to feed them.

Tonight i'll take a picture of the bigger one, just to confirm if that's also one of them.

Thanks all!

Cheers,
M.

R33FM4N_RC · 10/12/2015, 01:53 PM

I had those in my tank, I didn't know they were coral, so I never feed them. They lived for a year and a half until I gave the tank away.

10/10/2015, 08:54 AM	#3
Dkuhlmann Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 8,823	What cool hitchhikers! The colored ones appear to be non-photosynthetic possibly sun corals and need to be fed. They will die if you don't feed them. Mysis is a perfect food for them. The others appear to be ball anemone, they are a pest but one of the better looking ones. And they usually won't take over a tank like Aiptasia do. __________________ Previous tanks: 200 gal fowlr 9" Emperor Angel and many different butterfly fish 4" maroon clown and several other fish, 50 gal sump, 40 gal mixed reef/fish mostly softies and LPS. Current Tank Info: 40b 750 gph 45 lbs lr, 2"-3" sand, 165w full spectrum dimable LED, 20 gal sump/refugium 30 lbs lr, Bak Pak 2 skimmer, 4" sock temp 79-80, sg 1.026, NH3 0, NO2 0, NO3 <10, ph 8.2, calc 400, mag 1300

10/10/2015, 08:55 AM	#4
R33FM4N_RC Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2015 Posts: 7	I have had those in my tank before, but I never had a problem with them bothering the corals or other livestock. I always thought they were some sort of anemone. __________________ Regards, R33FM4N_RC ------------------------ Just remember, ignorance is bliss...until it kills you.

10/10/2015, 09:02 AM	#5
Sugar Magnolia Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Northern VA Posts: 17,691	Those are actually not ball anemones. They are harmless hidden cup corals, Phyllangia americana. Great little hitchhiker corals. __________________ Adrienne The only thing to fear is fear itself....and spiders.

10/10/2015, 10:17 AM	#6
Dkuhlmann Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 8,823	Adrienne, I believe you are correct. I didn't look good enough at the whole thing, I just went by the ball tips. Cool hitchhikers for sure. Make sure you feed those non-photosynthetic's they need to eat or they will die. Also don't over feed them. Maybe feed one or two mysis twice a week. There are some good posts in tips Here: http://reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=555 __________________ Previous tanks: 200 gal fowlr 9" Emperor Angel and many different butterfly fish 4" maroon clown and several other fish, 50 gal sump, 40 gal mixed reef/fish mostly softies and LPS. Current Tank Info: 40b 750 gph 45 lbs lr, 2"-3" sand, 165w full spectrum dimable LED, 20 gal sump/refugium 30 lbs lr, Bak Pak 2 skimmer, 4" sock temp 79-80, sg 1.026, NH3 0, NO2 0, NO3 <10, ph 8.2, calc 400, mag 1300

10/12/2015, 01:53 PM	#8
R33FM4N_RC Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2015 Posts: 7	I had those in my tank, I didn't know they were coral, so I never feed them. They lived for a year and a half until I gave the tank away. __________________ Regards, R33FM4N_RC ------------------------ Just remember, ignorance is bliss...until it kills you.

10/10/2015, 10:43 AM	#7
eternalspy Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Dendermonde, Belgium Posts: 7	Thanks all, i've looked over some images and they are indeed a match with the Phyllangia americana. Never seen those before, great to have a community like this that knows a lot I have already stocked some mysis shrimp in the freezer for in a couple of weeks so i'll try to feed them. Tonight i'll take a picture of the bigger one, just to confirm if that's also one of them. Thanks all! Cheers, M.