Cnidarian Identification 10/17/07 Hello again <Hello> The sack like growths are in the photos at the top and bottom of this page www.wetwebmedia.com/cnididfaq4.htm. Do you know what they are now? They had covered the tank within weeks. Do you know where they came from or what I can do to get rid of the remaining ones, in case they spread again? Thanks again, Danielle <To quote Bob on the FAQ, "Leave them... look like some sort of polypoid life...". I could not venture a more accurate guess.> <Chris>

Re: Creature ID,  Pseudocorynactis sp, Aiptasia -- 10/04/07 >Hi, ><Hello Ben! Sorry for the delay. I had some problem accessing your links> No problem. Just wanted to be sure you got it. <<Yes! Got it!>> Now maybe I can help you. That link is to "flickr"; flickr uses Java, but otherwise should work with any modern browser. It is one of the most widely used sites in the world for images. Firefox will work perfectly, as will Opera, Safari, Explorer, Omniweb and Mozilla. Just make sure Java is on. Firefox is *highly* recommended - best browser on the planet, and it is free. <<I have a Mac so I'm using Safari.>> >just a cornucopia of living goodness. ><Amazing, isn't it?> Indeed it is. <<One of my favorite things was just watching what developed from the LR.>> >We popped it in our 55-gallon tank, which was about two months old at the time, and everything has done just fine. ><Glad to hear! Is this the tank in your bathroom? Is quite a beautiful bathroom I might add!> Thank you. My sweetheart and I built it. This was an empty box, an abandoned church, and we're building an interior into it as time and funds allow. <<How cool! You have done a beautiful job with the bathroom for sure!>> Yes, that's the bathroom tank. We have three others that are freshwater. Odds are good there are more salt tanks in our future. We have room, and motivation is growing. No surprise to you, I'm sure. <<Yes, as one of my crewmate Andrea said... Multiple Tank Syndrome is hard to fight.>> >But do watch out with this Xenia... it can become a "weed".> Not sure I mind, really, I find them quite beautiful. Especially when they pulse. <<Assuredly! Xenia can be quite beautiful, some people can't get xenia to grow, while others can't get rid of them!>> The intent is to make a reef tank, not so much a fish tank, but I'm not sure we're looking for conventional imports - I'm very curious to see what grows. All manner of things are starting up. If they really get crazy, maybe I'll put them in a new tank. :-) They took transport poorly, took many days to recover, and some died. Be easier if they were local. <<Absolutely, shipping is a big problem with this coral.>> >We only have a couple of small, innocuous fish at this point, going slowly. ><Slowly is good!> That's my understanding. I'm patient. Mostly. :-) <<Heehee! Can be hard but is worth your while!>> ><This appears to be Pseudocorynactis sp, a corallimorph.> Ah. Thank you. With the name, I found a pic and a little info on your site. Very good. <<Glad to hear!>> ><This may be an Aiptasia that has collapsed upon its self... a good thing... more reading for you below on this matter.> Nope, definitely the same as the other patch; opens nightly now. Funky little thing. <<Oh Good! Pseudocorynactis sp. are very desirable corals.>> >The last patch of jelly still looks the same as shown in the image above. Here's how a closed one looks: ><This pic is a duplicate of the Xenia.> Now THAT is just plain weird. I still have the original email in my outbox, and the correct three pictures are linked. Can you tell me what web browser you are using? <<Safari.>> Something is flat busted. You're not using... cough... AOL, are you? <<Heehee! No.>> Because there's just no polite way to put it, AOL is last decade's technology today, busted, crippled, censored and laden with the digital equivalent of Aiptasia. Or copper sulfate. :) <<Heehee!>> ><Ummm, if you like Aiptasia... You will want to try to eliminate this pest. More here: Yes, I've read all about them, and am willing to throw one or more nudibranchs in there if required, <<Can work, but I would recommend other means first. Especially while you have a reasonable amount to get rid of. I would recommend injecting the Aiptasia with a syringe filled with either Calcium or Lemon juice. The Berghia nudibranch are good, but are obligate Aiptasia eaters... therefore once the Aiptasia are gone the Berghia will slowly starve to death. The other means can be effect.>> but so far, they just seem interesting and pretty to me. <<So far but you really will want to get rid of them. They can kill and limit the grow of other desirable species.>> No migration. Yet. <<Yet being the key word here...They can really take of and multiply very, very quickly.>> If they start killing things, as seems likely from everything I've read, then it'll be a nudibranch picnic as soon as I can get some. <<Again I would recommend other means first, and use the Berghia only as a last resort. Cheers and good luck to you Ben! Mich>> Ben

Strange creatures on the aquarium glass    5/3/07 Dear Sir,    <Adeel>   I hope you are doing good. This is my first time, so I apologize if not following any fixed procedure for asking a question.    <You're doing fine>   Tank Details : I have a 50 gallon fish only salt water tank with some amount of live rock. Its been about 6 weeks or so since I setup the tank. I collected water from the sea FYI. I have two 3 striped damsels. Just today I added a pair of percula clown. All other parameters are normal...since I believe the nitrate cycle must be complete by now.    <Yes>   Question : I have noticed very very tiny almost a dot sized white spots on the aquarium glass. On close observation, I noticed the white dots actually have tiny white hair/spikes...almost like a tiny microscopic sun or a microscopic flower. It is totally white. When I push it off the glass with the tip of a stick, the creatures just falls off and floats with the water current till it settles down. I hope I have given a good description.  What are these things and do I need them? <Mmm, could be a polyp form of life of some sort... Cnidarians... of any of the three Classes... Hydrozoan... Scyphozoan... or...?> Are they beneficial...if not how can I kill them? <No way to tell, and not likely easy... Very likely "came in/along" with the water... If you want to continue to collect your own, it needs to be processed... in the dark, by poisoning possibly... Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/seah2onatural.htm and the linked files above> I have put in too much in setting up the tank and cannot think about losing it. Please tell me if these creatures are safe or not although they are microscopic sized. Just to add. I have also noticed those white roach type bugs that run around on the glass.   Thanks for all your help.      Adeel   Let me know if you need a picture. Its very difficult as they are microscopic, but I can try anything to save my tank. I am writing all the way from Dubai and I love your website. Good work. <Thank you for your kind, encouraging words. Chances are that what you describe is not problematical... But again, I would at least store all new water in the dark for a few weeks before using. Bob Fenner>