Help! New live rock covered in anemones

Abso-lutely · 02/03/2009, 01:18 PM

I am brand new here, and I had a strange occurence with my live rock. First off I have a new 70 gallon tank. I purchased 40lbs of Carribbean live rock online that was "partially cured". I expected to re-cure the rock for 2-4 weeks. On the second day or the curing process I noticed several small anemones (less than 1/2 inch in diameter) that look similar to long tentacle anemones. The rock also had quite a bit of pink and purple coraline algae on it already. In less than a week of the curing process the ammonia and nitrite levels were at 0mg/l an had 0.25mg/l of nitrates. I did a water change, bought 40lbs of cured rock from my local pet store, and I turned on the lights. To my surprise there are at least 22 anemones in the tank, the largest is about the size of a fifty cent piece. Has anyone else had this happen?

Its been a week since the lights went on, I fed the enemones once with brine shrimp (it took quite a while to feed 22 anemones). I was not expecting to ever get an anemone since I wanted to get a blue mandarin in a year or so. I quess I will have to re-think my fish inhabitants.

My questions are:
Has anyone else had this happen?
What do I do with all these anemones?
Is there anything compatable with so many anemones?

MrsHaggis · 02/03/2009, 01:28 PM

Do you have any pictures - I'm really curious to see this phenomenon!!!

Sisterlimonpot · 02/03/2009, 01:30 PM

What it sounds like is you have aptasia or glass anemoneâ€™s on your rock. Without pictures I can't tell. However Google pictures and compare them.

These are a nuisance to your tank as they will multiply very rapidly, and plague your tank. You definitely don't want to feed them you want to kill them. There are a number of products out there to get rid of them. aptasia X, Joe's juice, umm kalk wasser to name a few. But it seems like you have an infestation already. And you need to get rid of themâ€¦ the sooner the better.

plateboy3293 · 02/03/2009, 01:31 PM

I second that they are most likely aiptasia or majano both nusiances.

jenglish · 02/03/2009, 01:31 PM

most likely they are either aiptasia or mojano anemones. I can't say for sure w/o a pic but I would be surprised if it was something else. They spread very quickly and wiull sting corals. there are commercially available products to kill it. You can also inject them with kalkpaste, lemon juice or vinegar. Berghia or peppermint shrimp will also eat it. SOme folks have used a blow torch as well. The longer you wait the more trouble it will be.

billdogg · 02/03/2009, 01:34 PM

a picture would help a lot. What you probably have are aiptasia or majano anemones. Sadly, they are both bad, and will reproduce quickly. If that is indeed what you have, there are several options for getting rid of them. The method I have found to be 100% successful 100% of the time is to get a syringe and needle (you can get non-sterile ones at HD/Lowes in the glue section), fill it with BOILING water, and inject each and every one of them. That's right, BOIL THE BA&%@#DS!!! It is time consuming, but will have no effect on tank chemistry or other inhabitants. Others will chime in with their preferred methods, but that has always worked well for me.

Before you jump to action however, send us a picture, or google "aiptasia" & "majano" anemones to confirm that that is what you have.

Bladeslinger · 02/03/2009, 01:37 PM

i used peppermint shrimp for mine... i need to get more apparently so they get hungry enough to eat them....

jenglish · 02/03/2009, 01:39 PM

a peppermint works good on the smaller ones but its been my expereince that they ignore the larger ones. Maybe they have a stronger sting and its not worth it for a meal.

brianx45 · 02/03/2009, 01:41 PM

sounds like aiptasia's, whatever you do stop feeding them and use one of the methods above to get rid of them.

lenny8671 · 02/03/2009, 01:42 PM

+1 on the peppermint

Rjukan · 02/03/2009, 02:19 PM

Hey:

To Reef Central

I also have a feeling these are glass anemones, peppermint shrimp have worked wonders for me with them.

MileHighFish · 02/03/2009, 02:22 PM

since this is a new tank taking the rock out and burning them could be an option, If they look like LTAs then Im sure there majanos. . I have had good luck with kalk paste and a needle. If you can please post a pic..

Abso-lutely · 02/03/2009, 02:27 PM

I will post some pictures tonight. Some look like the pictures of the aiptastia's I found, transluscent cream/yellow. Several are olive green, with 1 white spot on each side of the oral disk - which looks like 1 of the aiptasia pictures. Thank you for the advice! I will get a peppermint shrimp tonight.

Sisterlimonpot · 02/03/2009, 02:40 PM

Canâ€™t tell by your first post but, has the tank finished its nitrification cycle yet?

A peppermint shrimp wonâ€™t last long in a new tank that's still cycling.

Abso-lutely · 02/03/2009, 02:45 PM

The tank finished the nitrification cycle in the first week, and I have done 1 water change since then.

Sisterlimonpot · 02/03/2009, 05:59 PM

I wouldn't suggest getting a shrimp. Even if it might be a reduced cycle since you got cultured rock, I wouldnt rush anything. I'd still wait 4 weeks

Abso-lutely · 02/03/2009, 07:55 PM

Here are a few pictures of the anemones.

02/03/2009, 01:18 PM	#1
Abso-lutely Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Maryland Posts: 12	Help! New live rock covered in anemones I am brand new here, and I had a strange occurence with my live rock. First off I have a new 70 gallon tank. I purchased 40lbs of Carribbean live rock online that was "partially cured". I expected to re-cure the rock for 2-4 weeks. On the second day or the curing process I noticed several small anemones (less than 1/2 inch in diameter) that look similar to long tentacle anemones. The rock also had quite a bit of pink and purple coraline algae on it already. In less than a week of the curing process the ammonia and nitrite levels were at 0mg/l an had 0.25mg/l of nitrates. I did a water change, bought 40lbs of cured rock from my local pet store, and I turned on the lights. To my surprise there are at least 22 anemones in the tank, the largest is about the size of a fifty cent piece. Has anyone else had this happen? Its been a week since the lights went on, I fed the enemones once with brine shrimp (it took quite a while to feed 22 anemones). I was not expecting to ever get an anemone since I wanted to get a blue mandarin in a year or so. I quess I will have to re-think my fish inhabitants. My questions are: Has anyone else had this happen? What do I do with all these anemones? Is there anything compatable with so many anemones? __________________ Aura Current Tank Info: 70 gallon reef

02/03/2009, 01:28 PM	#2
MrsHaggis Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: St Louis, France Posts: 675	Do you have any pictures - I'm really curious to see this phenomenon!!! __________________ Nothing scarier than a clown!! ----------------------------- 1 ClownFish 1 SixLine Wrasse 1 Foxface Rabbitfish Mushrooms Long Polyp Leather Green Anchor Coral Zoanthids Trumpet Coral Goniopora Current Tank Info: 360 litre (95 US Gallons), Tunze DOC Skimmer 9010, Lights: Metal Halide 250 Watt and 2x24 Watt Moon Lights, Tunze MultiController 7095

02/03/2009, 01:30 PM	#3
Sisterlimonpot R.C. Fraternity President Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Litchfeild Park AZ Posts: 11,490 Blog Entries: 2	What it sounds like is you have aptasia or glass anemoneâ€™s on your rock. Without pictures I can't tell. However Google pictures and compare them. These are a nuisance to your tank as they will multiply very rapidly, and plague your tank. You definitely don't want to feed them you want to kill them. There are a number of products out there to get rid of them. aptasia X, Joe's juice, umm kalk wasser to name a few. But it seems like you have an infestation already. And you need to get rid of themâ€¦ the sooner the better. __________________ Jimmy MASVC President Dishes are done man! Current Tank Info: 300 in progress

02/03/2009, 01:31 PM	#4
plateboy3293 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Hillsborough, New Jersey Posts: 1,038	I second that they are most likely aiptasia or majano both nusiances. __________________ Wars come and go but my soldiers stay eternal Current Tank Info: 155 gallon bow

02/03/2009, 01:31 PM	#5
jenglish Marquis de Carabas Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Evansville, IN Posts: 2,523	most likely they are either aiptasia or mojano anemones. I can't say for sure w/o a pic but I would be surprised if it was something else. They spread very quickly and wiull sting corals. there are commercially available products to kill it. You can also inject them with kalkpaste, lemon juice or vinegar. Berghia or peppermint shrimp will also eat it. SOme folks have used a blow torch as well. The longer you wait the more trouble it will be. __________________ Jeremy Brown liquor never hurt anybody “Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse" Pierre-Simon Laplace I should want to cook him a simple meal, but I shouldn't want to cut into him, to tear the flesh, to wear the flesh, to be born unto new worlds where his flesh becomes my key. Current Tank Info: broken and dry

02/03/2009, 01:34 PM	#6
billdogg Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Grove City, Ohio Posts: 10,806	a picture would help a lot. What you probably have are aiptasia or majano anemones. Sadly, they are both bad, and will reproduce quickly. If that is indeed what you have, there are several options for getting rid of them. The method I have found to be 100% successful 100% of the time is to get a syringe and needle (you can get non-sterile ones at HD/Lowes in the glue section), fill it with BOILING water, and inject each and every one of them. That's right, BOIL THE BA&%@#DS!!! It is time consuming, but will have no effect on tank chemistry or other inhabitants. Others will chime in with their preferred methods, but that has always worked well for me. Before you jump to action however, send us a picture, or google "aiptasia" & "majano" anemones to confirm that that is what you have. __________________ I'll try to be nice if you try to be smarter! I can't help that I grow older, but you can't make me grow up! Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef with 40b sump, RO 150 skimmer, AI Sol Blue x 2, and a 60g Frag Tank with 100g rubbermaid sump. 2 x Kessil A360w lights, BM curve 5 skimmer

02/03/2009, 01:37 PM	#7
Bladeslinger Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Boynton Beach, FL Posts: 65	i used peppermint shrimp for mine... i need to get more apparently so they get hungry enough to eat them....

02/03/2009, 01:39 PM	#8
jenglish Marquis de Carabas Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Evansville, IN Posts: 2,523	a peppermint works good on the smaller ones but its been my expereince that they ignore the larger ones. Maybe they have a stronger sting and its not worth it for a meal. __________________ Jeremy Brown liquor never hurt anybody “Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse" Pierre-Simon Laplace I should want to cook him a simple meal, but I shouldn't want to cut into him, to tear the flesh, to wear the flesh, to be born unto new worlds where his flesh becomes my key. Current Tank Info: broken and dry

02/03/2009, 01:41 PM	#9
brianx45 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 56	sounds like aiptasia's, whatever you do stop feeding them and use one of the methods above to get rid of them.

02/03/2009, 01:42 PM	#10
lenny8671 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: hartlepool U.K Posts: 342	+1 on the peppermint

02/03/2009, 02:19 PM	#11
Rjukan Day Dreamer Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: SINY Posts: 625	Hey: *To Reef Central* I also have a feeling these are glass anemones, peppermint shrimp have worked wonders for me with them. __________________ - Pete Current Tank Info: 60 gal Deep Blue cube, AquaC EV180, Kessil H80 fuge, A360WE TB

02/03/2009, 02:22 PM	#12
MileHighFish Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: NM. Posts: 1,722	since this is a new tank taking the rock out and burning them could be an option, If they look like LTAs then Im sure there majanos. . I have had good luck with kalk paste and a needle. If you can please post a pic.. __________________ See "Red House" for pics!! I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're goin', and hook up with them later. Mitch Hedberg Current Tank Info: Reef tank, 100 gal Lee Mar polished.. 60 sump.. 800 watts mh 20k radium..Ran on "Taiwan HQI Ballast" 330 watt VHO.. 48 watt compacts (dawn/dusk).. sps/lps tank..

02/03/2009, 02:27 PM	#13
Abso-lutely Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Maryland Posts: 12	I will post some pictures tonight. Some look like the pictures of the aiptastia's I found, transluscent cream/yellow. Several are olive green, with 1 white spot on each side of the oral disk - which looks like 1 of the aiptasia pictures. Thank you for the advice! I will get a peppermint shrimp tonight. __________________ Aura Current Tank Info: 70 gallon reef

02/03/2009, 02:40 PM	#14
Sisterlimonpot R.C. Fraternity President Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Litchfeild Park AZ Posts: 11,490 Blog Entries: 2	Canâ€™t tell by your first post but, has the tank finished its nitrification cycle yet? A peppermint shrimp wonâ€™t last long in a new tank that's still cycling. __________________ Jimmy MASVC President Dishes are done man! Current Tank Info: 300 in progress

02/03/2009, 02:45 PM	#15
Abso-lutely Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Maryland Posts: 12	The tank finished the nitrification cycle in the first week, and I have done 1 water change since then. __________________ Aura Current Tank Info: 70 gallon reef

02/03/2009, 05:59 PM	#16
Sisterlimonpot R.C. Fraternity President Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Litchfeild Park AZ Posts: 11,490 Blog Entries: 2	I wouldn't suggest getting a shrimp. Even if it might be a reduced cycle since you got cultured rock, I wouldnt rush anything. I'd still wait 4 weeks __________________ Jimmy MASVC President Dishes are done man! Current Tank Info: 300 in progress

02/03/2009, 07:55 PM	#17
Abso-lutely Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Maryland Posts: 12	anemone pics Here are a few pictures of the anemones. __________________ Aura Current Tank Info: 70 gallon reef