Millions of Tiny Jellyfish

[TripleT]

I guess this is what we're seeing? Pretty insidious...

[worldnewsmap]

I know you have said you have tried everything, but i had a similar problem and i used some Ruby Reef and it killed them off. I know this is not what it is intended for but was just a side effect to it, but hey it seemed to work just make sure you doing water changes on it. to get to the point of to many fish in too small of a tank it seems like you have been doing a good job keeping your tank going so IMO i say keep doing what your doing if it aint broke dont fix it till it is.

[gon08]

Originally Posted by jenglish

Have you tried taking the rock out and blow torching it?

This is not an option. The tank is covered... the glass the 40 lbs of rock frags power heads... everything. Besides isn't torching a bit extreme?

Originally Posted by jenglish

As for the tangs, I think I side with Brian and Sandra here that you have them in WAY too small of a tank. I have seen a St. Bernard live in 3x5' enclosure in it's own poop. It was fat and wagged it's tail when I walked up to it.... so it was fat and happy. So your tangs leave me with two possible conclusions. You have found 2 statistical anomalies of tangs that can survive in very cramped conditions and thrive where 99.9% or better would not.... or you are simply mistaken in the health and living conditions your tangs are living in. I'm only guessing based on probabilities which it is.

Ok lets put the tang issue to rest. The tangs went into the tank as juveniles 3 years ago. I have multiple tanks and when the fish outgrow the tank they will be removed. My problem is that everyone has jumped at my throat about the tangs without asking for any info about the system or the age or even the size of the fish. I have been in the hobby for 22 years and I've set up and maintain some pretty large tanks for restaurants, malls, and a few celebs. I've worked at the local aquarium for a bit and I had a good sized frag grow out greenhouse (damaged by hurricane Wilma) for several years.
My fish generally die of old age ( I had a maroon clown that died during hurricane Wilma in 2005 which I bought just before Hurricane Andrew in 1992.) The fish are not the issue here so please save it for another thread.

[gon08]

Originally Posted by TripleT

I guess this is what we're seeing? Pretty insidious...

Not sure that's it but I'll do some research.... Thanks

[smtank]

They are an invasive anemone similar to majano. They will wonder to the sandbed and any other available site. Reproduction is accelerated by feeding the tank. When they get to that point nuking the rockwork is the only fix and then keeping any remaining ones in check with typical aiptasia erradication methods and cutting back on feedings. Foods that are dispersed like frozen..... only increase their numbers. Using quality pellets is good alternative.

Good Luck.

[Frogmanx82]

I suppose you've checked around. I found this http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v155/p115-126/ which confirms that at least one filefish will eat some hydroids. There are some sea slugs that eat them, but they seem impossible to obtain. Most people with hydroid issues just wait them out or live with them.

[returnofsid]

I'm not sure if you've even got a proper ID yet. A proper ID will be needed, to figure out how to battle them. Someone mentioned that they couldn't possibly be Aiptasia, since they swim. Well, there is a swimming form of Aiptasia.

As for the criticism about the tank being overstocked, that criticism may be relevant. Too many fish, in too small of a tank (which you definitely have) requires more fish food, than a tank that's less stocked. More food= more nitrates, more nitrates=more food for pest anemone.

[gon08]

Originally Posted by returnofsid

I'm not sure if you've even got a proper ID yet. A proper ID will be needed, to figure out how to battle them. Someone mentioned that they couldn't possibly be Aiptasia, since they swim. Well, there is a swimming form of Aiptasia.

As for the criticism about the tank being overstocked, that criticism may be relevant. Too many fish, in too small of a tank (which you definitely have) requires more fish food, than a tank that's less stocked. More food= more nitrates, more nitrates=more food for pest anemone.

I've taken the feeding into consideration. I don't generally dump food in the tank, instead I feed with tweezers. The tangs also get Nori daily. I use Phosban in a reactor and my phosphates are unreadable on standard tests and Nitrates are around 5. If anything I was getting some STN on my coral from High alkalinity and low nutrients.

As for the ID... nothing definitive. I have pics and video circulation plus searching myself but still nothing.

[epic.exposures]

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[DaveP]

Curious about a definitive id on these rascals as well. Are they in fact jelly fish vs. swimming anenome (does this even exist)?

[JohnnyAirtime]

Originally Posted by gon08

They really don't actually. Majanos are easily 10 times the size and they don't swim. They're about 1/4 the size of an adult aiptasia. The tentacles are kinda curly with some red coloration and have little to no stalk.

Are you sure?


(Per the original poster's problem or question);

I have these in my tank too.

They don't swim, unless disturbed or are trying to get somewhere other than where they are planted. If you try and remove them, they lose a limb... and it floats around the tank (I'd assume, to make another).

For the most part, they look similar to an Aptasia, however they don't have a long stalk like an Aptasia. And their tentacles aren't long straight and sharply pointed like an Aptasia.

If I remove it from the acrylic, loc-line, rock...etc, and don't net it right away... it swims, pumping water like a frantic jelly fish.

... I've not been able to get rid of them either, however... slowly the population is dissending with me picking them out. So is my Aptasia (even though I've not seen a Peppermint in my tank since I put them in - all 10 of them. Which before I used Berghia, and now they are also gone, I think). I'm not sure if my removing them is helping, or they are just being eaten by something.

I'll read more of this thread, as I didn't see anything yet that described them accurately (with a real name).

Here's a picture of one large (about an inch in diameter) and a smaller one behind it, in my refuge;

[gon08]

Johnny that's pretty close except mine don't have that many tentacles and the largest one is about 1/2 across with tentacles completely stretched. Mine tend to stay put for the most part but they do migrate throughout the tank at different times. At night they come towrds the top and when the lights come on they travel down a bit. My lights just came on and the front glass is covered. Within a few minutes they're gone. They swim around and grab on to whatever they can. I've even seen them grab on to fish and let go when they realize it's not stationary. Also they will not grab hold of live coral tissue. When they do they let go quick which leads me to think that they don't have very potent nematocyst compared to the coral. They haven't damaged a single coral as of yet.

[JohnnyAirtime]

Originally Posted by gon08

Johnny that's pretty close except mine don't have that many tentacles and the largest one is about 1/2 across with tentacles completely stretched. Mine tend to stay put for the most part but they do migrate throughout the tank at different times. At night they come towrds the top and when the lights come on they travel down a bit. My lights just came on and the front glass is covered. Within a few minutes they're gone. They swim around and grab on to whatever they can. I've even seen them grab on to fish and let go when they realize it's not stationary. Also they will not grab hold of live coral tissue. When they do they let go quick which leads me to think that they don't have very potent nematocyst compared to the coral. They haven't damaged a single coral as of yet.

Do they swim and/or look like this? (Mine do!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aedCOPi9lok

... could it be that mine are a small form of Aiptasia?

[gon08]

Here is mine. They actually do look pretty much the same.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzKdjTPUIU4

[JohnnyAirtime]

Originally Posted by gon08

Here is mine. They actually do look pretty much the same.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzKdjTPUIU4

Ahhh yes, then they are "same" as the one I pictured, however the one I pictured is in my Refuge (lights were out, and I turned them on to get the picture). That one of mine, is a healthy specimen (mature). The pictures and video your showing (with less tentacles) are similar to how mine start off, when they were in my display tank.

Now, they are often in my overflow, and always in my fuge. Not in the sump, but the slow water movement of my fuge.

I think something ate them out of my main display, as I used to see them MUCH more often... and there were LOTS of them.

Here's what I've done thus far (not for these pesky anemone things);
I added 12 Berghia (as I had some healthy aiptasias).
... 3 months, and most of the aipts were gone. All but a few. I didn't see but one Berghia or two at most for the 3 months, even after lights out with a flashlight (early AM or late PM). I assumed the Berghia were slowly dying off.
I then added 10 peps (which I know are Berghia predators)
... and soon I had no aptasia at all. And any hitchhiker Aips slowly disappeared also.
When I noticed the last of my Aipts, I also started noticing these pesky little varmints that I took pictures of (per previous post)... And they multiplied quick! I picked most of them off the rock... and either let them go into my sump or netted them as best I could. Now, only a few I can see remain in my display. But, who knows what lurks below the rock (I've got LOTS of rock!). Thankfully, I noticed these guys will rise to the top of wherever they are. And I continue to try and remove them.

I do have a few aiptasia in my sump, but it's odd... they are clear since the lighting is only over my fuge. You can see food in the base of them. I often will pick them off the sump wall and let them float back into wherever, sometimes the pump area where they can be pumped back into the display (why? I do believe I still have some hungry peps... even though I don't ever see them).

So, did the aipatasia eaters help me cure the other pesky unknowns?? I don't know.
... but it would be nice to know what to call these swimming things you deferred to as "Jellyfish"

[JohnnyAirtime]

BTW:

There are 17 species in the Aiptasia Genus. The species that are well known are the Glass Anemone A. pulchella, Brown Glass Anemone or Pale Anemone A. pallida, Small Rock Anemone A. diaphana, and the Rock Anemone or Trumpet Anemone A. mutabilis.
(http://animal-world.com/encyclo/reef...mone-Facts.php)

... I've been looking and googling. Looks like your not the only with this same question as to a "swimming" aiptasia looking anemone.
As an example; http://reefcentral.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1796365

[gon08]

Mine are everywhere though they are most abundant in the main tank. I even have them in the Phosban reactor which means they are surviving going through the pumps impeller. In my experience the peppermints wont touch them and the raccoon butterfly went straight to them but after tasting and spitting out a couple he gave up and turned on the coral which was always a possibility anyway.

[JohnnyAirtime]

Originally Posted by gon08

Mine are everywhere though they are most abundant in the main tank. I even have them in the Phosban reactor which means they are surviving going through the pumps impeller. In my experience the peppermints wont touch them and the raccoon butterfly went straight to them but after tasting and spitting out a couple he gave up and turned on the coral which was always a possibility anyway.

"everywhere"? ... that sucks!

But ya, most things will survive through an impeller. Even my small maroon clown went through twice (either a Mag9.5 or Mag12) and survived!

And I didn't think Peps would eat them, or Berghia, or a RB Fish.... but, I'm not sure why mine aren't as noticeable or seem to be less and less. Maybe, they are all hiding from me and stock piling under a rock!! EEEK!

... keep this going, and lets find out what they are. SOMEONE has to know!!

[Zappo]

Manual removal is the only thing I could find after searching the net for a while. Neat little critters, but I can see how a large number would be annoying. As for predators, I couldn't find any info on specific species. Just that there's some nudi's that eat em. Well, a small tuna, shark, swordfish, pacific salmon, or sea turtle might also do the trick... But that's not going to happen.

[gon08]

Originally Posted by Zappo

Manual removal is the only thing I could find after searching the net for a while. Neat little critters, but I can see how a large number would be annoying. As for predators, I couldn't find any info on specific species. Just that there's some nudi's that eat em. Well, a small tuna, shark, swordfish, pacific salmon, or sea turtle might also do the trick... But that's not going to happen.

Can you imagine that after all the flak I got for having tangs?

[Fishfish0001]

Originally Posted by gon08

Can you imagine that after all the flak I got for having tangs?

Im pretty sure most people would just be like: Holy...

[Angel*Fish]

I think they deserve a their own special common name like mini devil jellies or something. Someone will come up with a clever one

[JohnnyAirtime]

I put up my question, picture ...etc. up on other sites to aid in GONO8's search, and to aid in my curiosity... this is what came up thus far;

Boloceroides mcmurrichi;
http://www.poppe-images.com/?t=17&photoid=934807
http://www.e-coralia.net/atlas/main.php?g2_itemId=5138

Could it be??

[gon08]

Originally Posted by JohnnyAirtime

I put up my question, picture ...etc. up on other sites to aid in GONO8's search, and to aid in my curiosity... this is what came up thus far;

Boloceroides mcmurrichi;
http://www.poppe-images.com/?t=17&photoid=934807
http://www.e-coralia.net/atlas/main.php?g2_itemId=5138

Could it be??

Wow!! If it weren't for the number of tentacles I would say that's it... time to do more research. THANKS!!!

[gon08]

I grabbed some Aiptasia X from a friend today and it kills them instantly. Only problem is how to administer it to that many creatures. You have to get it as close as possible to the oral disk which is ok for aiptasia which are about the size of a dime generally, but these things are the size of a pencil eraser at their largest stage. I guess I'll just zap as many as I can. If I can't get rid of them at least I'll take out some of my frustrations on them.