Strange Anemones

[Dewman]

So I picked up a piece of cured live rock today out of a friends tank and put it in my quarintine tank until I know what is in the rock. I picked it because it was encrusted with Green Star Polyps. Well, when I picked it up, I was stung. So I looked and under the edge of the rock there was a hole.
I put the rock in the quarantine tank up side down, so I could visually moniter the culprit when he poked his head out. Well, it turns out, I have an anemone. It's not partiularly colorful (all brown) and it is rather small (1.5 inches). It packs quite a sting though. I only have one book in my collection that deals with identifying these critters, so I took a trip to Barnes and Noble. I found one that looked similar to this one listed in a book under "Marine Pests".
It says this guy is bad news. It said they spread fast and should be eradicated.
From what I have described, could anyone tell me if I need to end this miserable creatures life before I introduce this rock to my tank? I hate killing anything on any of the rock I have bought. But if it needs to be done... also, my emerald crab just took hold of one of the arms of my Galaxea. Maybe I should let my crab meet the new anenome

[ December 31, 2001: Message edited by: DEWMAN ]</p>

 

[Dewman]

Thanks Anemone

Well, this morning I found the bristleworm dead. You were right. He was hanging out of the hole this morning half eaten. The anemone however, was still there. He was looking really healthy and happy.
Well, I have heard the word aptasia thrown around on this board a bunch but always assumed it was some sort of horrible algae. I have a dwarf angel in my main tank (coral Beauty) he is happy and eating well. I just put him in there yesterday. Would it be o.k. to introduce the aiptasia into my tank when the rock has been properly quarintined? Do they multiply quickly? If so, What should I be looking for?. He doesn't seem to be hurting the star polyps next to him.
Or is this a no-no ? Please be kind to me, I know very little except about the animals I own. But now I own one of these (for better or for worse) I haven't had much time to research anything else. Maybe Tomorrow at work..

 

[Old Guy]

If it is Aptasia don't place it in your main tank, I don't like killing any animal, so you can put it in its own small tank with just a little light and it will probably outlive anything else you buy.

I had one single Aptasia in my tank for over a year with no problems. I upgraded my lighting and before you know it my tank was crawling with the stuff. It took 4 Pepermint Shrimp, and a copper banded butterfly to get rid of all of it.

HTH

 

[Anemone]

Dewman,

Your anemone sounds like it could be an Aiptasia. However, I doubt it was the source of the sting (especially if you got it on the fingertip area - you most likely wouldn't feel an anemone sting here). I'd bet you have a bristleworm in the area (especially on the underside of a rock) - now those can hurt anywhere when you get a bunch of bristles!

Kevin

 

[Dewman]

Understood. Like I said the dwarf angel is about to come out of quarintine. I am thinking of starting a 5.5 gallon Reageant (wal-mart eclipse equivalent) tank and I might put him in there with some mushrooms and such. Thanks again.