Nuisance Anemone Outbreak -- Please Help ID

lark · 04/27/2008, 09:29 AM

Well, pretty much literally overnight, I've had a massive outbreak of some kind of anenome. I think it's probably aiptasia, but I've had a minor aiptasia outbreak before and they were much more brown. These are white.

These are a bunch of white pod/tube like things that, pretty much overnight, are clustered all over my rock. It happened in about 2 or 3 days, and I could nearly 100 of them all of the sudden. None have yet opened into classic anemone shape, but they look like it's imminent. This darn hobby is so humbling at times. Can anyone id and tell me if they know what these are. Pictures aren't great, but in the first you can see some hanging under the rock in the top of the pick. In the second there's one sticking out horizontally from under the rock. Thanks. I guess any suggestions welcome too. I suppose I'm about to learn all about berghia nudibranchs (how do you even pronounce that) and copperband butterflies. Crud.

Twz · 04/27/2008, 09:32 AM

I have these in all my tanks,
They are definitely not any type of anemone
im pretty sure that they are a type of sponge and not harmful at all (They have been on my rocks for nearly 4 years)

skippy2 · 04/27/2008, 09:47 AM

They are called pineapple sponges and are a filter feeder. How old is your tank? They should disappear on there own after awhile.

lark · 04/27/2008, 11:00 AM

Interesting. Thanks guy. These aren't really fuzzy -- they are more smooth. But this is a relief.

I guess I assumed they were an anenome because I also have a couple of tini aiptasia looking things also in the tank, and so I thought they were related.

I've had luck with peppermint shrimp on aiptasia, and so I think I'll get another for those, if these new white things aren't anemones.

04/27/2008, 09:29 AM	#1
lark Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 535	Nuisance Anemone Outbreak -- Please Help ID Well, pretty much literally overnight, I've had a massive outbreak of some kind of anenome. I think it's probably aiptasia, but I've had a minor aiptasia outbreak before and they were much more brown. These are white. These are a bunch of white pod/tube like things that, pretty much overnight, are clustered all over my rock. It happened in about 2 or 3 days, and I could nearly 100 of them all of the sudden. None have yet opened into classic anemone shape, but they look like it's imminent. This darn hobby is so humbling at times. Can anyone id and tell me if they know what these are. Pictures aren't great, but in the first you can see some hanging under the rock in the top of the pick. In the second there's one sticking out horizontally from under the rock. Thanks. I guess any suggestions welcome too. I suppose I'm about to learn all about berghia nudibranchs (how do you even pronounce that) and copperband butterflies. Crud.

04/27/2008, 09:47 AM	#3
skippy2 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: S.W. Michigan Posts: 3,205	They are called pineapple sponges and are a filter feeder. How old is your tank? They should disappear on there own after awhile. __________________ Peggy Current Tank Info: no tank

04/27/2008, 09:32 AM	#2
Twz Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Edmonton Posts: 628	I have these in all my tanks, They are definitely not any type of anemone im pretty sure that they are a type of sponge and not harmful at all (They have been on my rocks for nearly 4 years)

04/27/2008, 11:00 AM	#4
lark Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 535	Interesting. Thanks guy. These aren't really fuzzy -- they are more smooth. But this is a relief. I guess I assumed they were an anenome because I also have a couple of tini aiptasia looking things also in the tank, and so I thought they were related. I've had luck with peppermint shrimp on aiptasia, and so I think I'll get another for those, if these new white things aren't anemones.