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FAQs on Identification of Stinging-Celled Animals 3

Related Articles: Cnidarians, Water Flow, How Much is Enough,

Related FAQs: Cnidarian IDs 1, Cnidarian IDs 2, Cnidarian IDs 4, Cnidarians ID 5, Cnidarians ID 6, Cnidarian ID 7, Cnidarian ID 8, Cnidarian ID 9, Cnidarian ID 10, Cnidarian ID 11, Cnidarian ID 12, Cnidarian ID 13, Cnidarian ID 14, Cnidarian ID 15, Cnidarian ID 16, Cnidarian ID 17, Cnidarian ID 18, Cnidarian ID 19, Cnidarian ID 20, Cnidarian ID 21, Cnidarian ID 22, Cnidarian ID 23, Cnidarian ID 24, Cnidarian ID 26, Cnidarian ID 27, Cnidarian ID 28, Cnidarian ID 29, Cnidarian ID 30, Cnidarian ID 31, & Anemone ID 1, Aiptasia ID 1, Stony Coral ID 1, Mushroom Identification, Soft Coral ID, Alcyoniid ID, Xeniid ID,

Anemones, etc Hi Bob,  I posted some questions at the WWM forums a couple of days ago, but no response. <Mmm...> I'm finally trying my hand at a few reef inhabitants.  Here is my anemone: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v345/Pufferpunk/55gCorals/GreenTippedAnemone.jpg <Nice pic, pix> The gal at my LFS (whom I trust) said I don't need much light for this creature, as it eats krill. <Mmm, not so... I would provide both types...> I only have 2 32wt bulbs as of right now, but will be upgrading (not sure how soon, or to what). The only filtration I have on there is a BakPak (& 50 lbs LR). I also am keeping these other corals: http://photobucket.com/albums/v345/Pufferpunk/55gCorals/ They are in a 55g tank, that has been SW for over 2 years, but LR has only been introduced within the past month (cured by me for 3 weeks). Could you please identify the creatures I have & let me know if my system is enough to support them, what I should feed them & anything else I may need to know?  The anemone has really fat arms & has been eating krill. <Let's see. The first two and sixth are Corallimorpharians, as you have them labeled, the third your anemone (a BTA), the fourth a grouping of Zoanthids, the reddish polyps look like some sort of Clavulariid> So far I have not seen any issues with the puffers & what I have.  What else could I add? <Heeee!> Thanks for your time.  ~Jeni PS My 14 year old niece, just dove the Great Barrier Reef yesterday! <Ahh, seems to run in the genes! BobF>

Little white pests...but not Aiptasia...and other problems Hi, hope you can help! <Will do my best> Background: We have a 125 gal saltwater tank with 2 filters, protein skimmer, but no reef lighting (yet). <... but some lighting?>   Inhabitants are a yellow tang, Firefish, coral beauty, 2 cleaner shrimp, a pink knobby Cuke, a dozen or so hermit crabs, and damsels.  (Neon damsel, blue damsel, humbug damsel, 3 green Chromis.)  We have several large live rocks, and a few pieces of fake decorator coral junk while we wait to get the right lighting to add the real stuff.  Substrate is a mix of live sand and crushed coral.  Chemistry and temp perfect.  Tank is about 6 mo.s established.  All is well in there. We have a 20 gal hospital tank for inductees and sick guys, currently only inhabited by 2 cleaner shrimp and a few hermits, about 4 months old.  A few pieces of decorator plastic caves, and a few pieces of live rock.  Same substrate.  Same chemistry and temp as 125 gal tank, but our new fish dont survive it not sure if something is wrong in there or if we are getting bad stock or whats going on.   <Good list of speculations... you are using your big tank's water there? I would> We dont want to introduce new fish into the big tank, because weve already experienced chasing down the sick guy in the big tank, and its not good for any of the other inhabitants. <Well-stated>   We had two Lunare wrasses in the main tank for about a month that were trying to eat everyone else, so we moved them to the hospital tank for a few weeks before returning them to the pet store, and they were fine in there. <Interesting... gives weight to the "initial bunk livestock" theory> We feed with frozen multi-pack foods in the eve, and leave dried seaweed pieces pinned up during the day, both of which are eaten voraciously, but nobody looks to be starving, or even close, and the shrimp are molting and hermits moving to new homes, but no visible food decaying or spike in nitrates, so think we are good with feeding. Problem #1:  Every time we get new fish, they die in the hospital tank, usually within 3-5 days of arrival.  We do 10% water changes (in both tanks) every week.  We have tried a 100% water change in the hospital (several times).  We have tried restoring it with water from both the main tank and clean water source to help match. <Ah, I see>   (Water source is completely purified, we bought a water purification system solely for the tank water, and add Oceanic Salt.) <I would read over re synthetic salt mix brands... on WWM, the Net... and switch to something else (myself)>   Occasionally we see signs of ich on the new guyswhen we do, we remove the carbon in the filter and treat with Kick Ich. <This product is worse than worthless. Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/homeopathfaqs.htm At best it's a misleading placebo, worse, it may be poisoning your system to a degree> but sometimes no signs of ich, they just keel over.  We used to induct our fish over a several hour period to the hospital tank, lights off, adding ¼ cup to their bags at a time until introducing, but have gone even farther now to a drip method where we place the fish and water in a (covered, dark) container, and slowly drip the hospital tank water into the container until it overflows into a bucket (4-6 hours or so), before introducing the fish into the tank.  Still they die.  Any advice or thoughts??? <Lots... for here, try a PolyFilter in your water flow path... see if you "get any color"... You likely have a poison source here... perhaps a bit of metal from... a clamp? Ornament? Check with other hobbyists in your LFS/source store... do they have similar lack of "luck?"> Problem #2:  Several months ago we were thrilled to see a bunch of little white things birthed in our 125 tank and floating around.  (Hey, stuff is living!!)  =)  They were free-swimming, with a tiny ring of tentacle looking things around the top, sort of hydra-looking, and may have been Aiptasia, <Nah... not this life's M.O.> but if so did not last long.  (Probably got eaten.)  About a month ago, there was a birthing of same in the hospital tank.  We had added some live rock, and also infused some water from main tank, so dont know source.  At the time there were (doomed) fish in there, so only one of the birthed critters survived.  He lodged himself on a shell and grew to be about an inch or two long!  He was white, with a large rotund belly, and a small hole at one end.   <Sounds like my ex-brother in-law> No visible tentacles, really, but a small circle of very short hair like things around its hole.  Interior appears almost hollow.  No narrow base, far removed from Aiptasia descriptions, obviously alive due to growth, but not movement, (stationary in all regards), and very ugly.  Sort of like an onion?  After another batch (3) of new fish died, we removed him as well, as we did not know what he was and he was therefore suspect. (About 3 weeks ago.) <Likely not related to your fish mortalities, and don't know what this is exactly... see below> Last week, there was another birthing of these things in the hospital tank! They appear first as free-floating creatures with little umbrella heads (very tiny), almost like hydras, but then affix themselves everywherethe glass, heater, shells in the substrate, and commence to filling out with the wide belly onion look.   They are growing, and are now already probably 1/8-1/4 inch long.  I have searched and searched and cant determine what these things are.  They fit the description of Aiptasia in how they arrive and behave, but not at all in appearance after that. <Actually, not an Actinarian (anemone) but likely a hydroid of some sort... a guess based on your description of appearance and life history. Not desirable, but no reason to panic either... they are originating from a bit of live rock (strobilizing is the fancy word). They will "run out of eggs" someday soon.> Any help? <Oh yeah, getting to something in the way of a real solution... Here's the big wind-up and the pitch.... a refugium! I'd attach another (live) sump container to your existing system, put it on at least a reverse timed lighting schedule (do get some light for your main tank if you don't have this as well), and grow some live macro-algae, have a DSB there... Voila! Whatever the problems are/were, solved. Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/refugium.htm and the linked files above till you understand rubber band. Bob Fenner> Thanks,
Tracy

Coral, Anemone ID help? I got this little red polyp on a rock and cannot figure out what it is.  I can tell you that it is about 10mm across and at night it produces 12-15mm long polyps/tentacles that extend like a Majano, with bulbous tips. This is a low res shot. http://www.maurophotography.com/photoshoots/Tank-5-2005/images/_DSC4000.jpg  This is a high res shot: http://www.maurophotography.com/saltwaterfish/_DSC4001.jpg  <Interesting> Here is my initial attempt at ID over at Boston Reefers: http://www.bostonreefers.org/forums/showthread.php?p=114748#post114748.  Thank you for any help you can give me in id'ing this little guy. Mauro DiBenedetto <Thank you for sending this along... Am in agreement with the speculations in the list/string... may be a cup coral sans corallite thus far, or some sort of Actinarian... I would not panic, or negatively react in any case (leave it be), and wait/see what develops here. Bob Fenner> 

Re: Coral Anemone ID help? I really appreciate the email. Thank you for writing back. I will not kill the little guy. M. <Real good. BobF>

Re: New info: Re: Coral Anemone ID help? It is now eating a hermit crab. http://www.bostonreefers.org/forums/showthread.php?p=117756#post117756 <Neat... is a (so far) single polyp Scleractinian... can make out the corallite through the side. Bob Fenner>  


CAN YOU ID THIS FOR ME???  And if its not too much trouble give me some care guidelines for it... I think it's Alveopora... <How many tentacles do you see? I count more than Alveoporas (12) per polyp... Looks like 24... a Goniopora... Please see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/gonioporapix.htm a terrible choice for marine aquarium keeping... And what's worse...  This specimen has been artificially dyed: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/dyedcorals.htm.   I do hope you did not buy this animal/colony... Poor choice all the way around. But good that you investigated before endorsing such activity. Bob Fenner> and perhaps this I've heard called a Blueberry Sea fan... <Same pic sent twice...> Thanks for all your help <I do hope you're pulling our fins...> <<Two photos not retrievable. MH>><<Interestingly I could only get the dyed yellow Goniopora. RMF>>


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