Sorry for repeat, here are the pics!

[Kates]

Ok, this is a repeat of my previous post about brittle stars and other hitch hikers. There are two large clams on the LR piece. The pics show what I think are some hard corals -an orange-brown cluster seen on the left clam on the LR. Also, please see the light brownish colored anemone to the right of the right-most clam. If that makes sense, LOL! I have some aiptasia on the LR which I need to take care of, but I am not sure if this guy is one or not, It is much lighter colored than I the aiptasia, and seems to have fewer tentacles. I also included a pic of the mushrooms which are throwing out babies like crazy. I hope thats a good thing Thank you so much!

[thebkramer]

Hey again!
The orange-brown cluster of tubes are just that...tube coral. They are pretty neat and when adjusted will have tiny tentacles/polyps. Look at them real close. They are common on LR. You also have some clams on the LR. I'm sure you will come across alot more as time goes on.
And the other is aiptaisia. It comes in many different ugly colors! Get rid of them as soon as you can before they multiply and multipy and multiply! I saw 3 in your pics
Check out the link I gave you in your other thread.

[Kates]

Thank you! That was a great link. LOL I was really hoping the anenome was something cool. I even fed it a piece of fish and it grew like three times the size it was originally. I thought "Hmmm it sure grows fast...". I will have to start eliminating them. Thanks again!

[thebkramer]

They do grow extremly fast. I hate hate hate them. I have one in my tank that is the size of a tennis ball. I can't kill him!!!! And the last time I tried he actually ended up almost killing me! He stung me and I had an allergic reaction and was rushed to ER. So please be careful and get yourself some gloves if you don't have them already!
It was sooo painful! Just like getting stung by a jellyfish. So good luck with your assasination of the dreaded aips!

Oh...and your very welcome!

[Kates]

LOL I do need to get some gloves. Are tube corals LPS, SPS, or something else? Should I think of them as hardy, like the the mushrooms? I got the mushrooms as a way to gauge my readiness and tank's readiness for more advanced corals.

[thebkramer]

Oh they're hardy alright. You don't have to worry bout feeding them or anything. They like light. Mine survived a tank crash 6 mo ago. I lost 90% of my tank. The tube coral, buttons, and star polyps were the only corals that survived along with a few hermits and a nassarius snail! So they are hard-e! lol I believe they are mostly filter feeders. I actually just got another large bunch from LFS. I went looking for LR that had amphipods and found the tubes broken off all alone on the bottom. They are a little bigger than yours. LFS gave them to me for 2 bucks! Its always nice to come across stuff like that! Anyways, I'm rabbling, sorry. I hope I answered your question through all of that!

[iap]

What kind of rock is that? I have a few pieces that look exacty like that and I have aptasia in it as well!!! I got a peppermint shrimp, hope he eats it up.

[Kates]

Hey sorry for the late response. Thanks for all the info thebkramer! The tube corals do seem to be hardy, they are rather pretty I think, but maybe thats cuz I haven't gotten anything fancy yet LOL. iap, this rock was from my LFs as "Florida Life Rock". It looks very similar to me to pics I've seen of other stuff from Florida. Very pretty and so colorful, but OMG the aptasia!!!I have started to see them sprout EVERYWHERE! I guess I have to go on a lemon-juice injecting rampage, but I'm worried in my small tank( 20g) the lemon juice may have a negative effect. So I may get a peppermint too LOL

[iap]

yea that sucks man, i have 3 or 4 pieces of that exact same rock and that aptasia is popping up. i put a peppermint shrimp in it, he has yet to touch them tho. so i may go the lemon syringe route or i might get a berghia nudibranch to get rid of them.

[thebkramer]

Just to let you know....it seems that LR that comes from Florida also comes with ALOT of aiptasia, along with many other hitchhikers. Some are good, some not so good. Keep checking your LR at night. I bet you have many hitchhikers!!! Including MANY gorrilla crabs!! I hope you get lucky and only get aiptasia as your worst HH!

[iap]

i have a crab as well. not sure gorilla or what.. very small and tucks into the rocks when i come looking

[thebkramer]

So sorry iap! I hope this guy isn't him!

[IMG]http://i42.*******.com/21or6gj.jpg[/IMG][/IMG]

[iap]

oh man. he was hairy .. not sure if he had black claws.

is that the gorilla crab? how can i get rid of that thing?

[thebkramer]

By luck! I've had many in my past. I've only be able to get one gorilla crab outta my tank. They are quick and very sneaky! He was bigger than the actual size of the pic ^! He was totally destroying my tank! So one night I stayed up late waiting for him with my meat fork (the big one) and a night light. When he finally came out, I was able to corner him, and then I skewered him. Bye-bye gorilla. I left his body in the tank to be devoured!!
_

[iap]

dang. ok. guess i better figure out a plan. he is very very tiny guy ducking into the smallest of holes in my live rock.

[thebkramer]

Gorillas are real BLEEPS!! They tear apart your coral, as they get bigger they start to break off rocks and make HUGE burrows ALL over the tank. It be one thing if they would stay in one area, but they don't. I have a 55g, and he had burrows through out the whole tank. It was a mess. Rocks were falling, as where my corals. They also will eat your shrimp, snails, hermits, and fish! Keep an eye on him. If you have to, you could even make a makeshift trap!

[iap]

yea most def. i think some local reefers have a trap i could borrow to try to get this sucker before he becomes a pain to me. thanks for the heads up