aiptasia??

[Bucktronix]

before i got my peppermint shrimp, i would try and kill them with boiling water.. as if they could hear me getting the stuff ready they would disappear deep into the rock and come out later that day only to go through the same ritual over again.

 

[judyb]

I had what I was told was probably an aiptasia in my tank (hitchhiker, of course), and had finally (after two days) gotten up the nerve to try to kill it even though that goes against the grain. Anyway . . . . the dang thing has disappeared!!
I've searched to the best of my ability without removing all the rock, but can't find the little critter.

Now I notice four tiny new creatures and I'm wondering if they could be related? as in could he have split himself into these new guys? The original one was clear/pinkish, about an inch or so altogether -- half tentacles and half column -- and hung out behind the intake on the skimmer. The new jobbies are almost colorless, about 1/8 inch column and <1/4 inch almost hairlike tentacles. I can't get a picture -- they just don't show up that well.

Any ideas about what could have happened to the first guy? My tank is 20 gal, 5 months old with 20 lbs. LR, a coral banded shrimp, yellow tailed damsels, 4 hermit crabs, 4 snails, one 4-inch bristle worm, three feather dusters -- nothing that I would have thought could get to the anemone much less eat it. I'm baffled.

 

[Aquatic Noggin]

Well if it was Aiptasia (and it sounds like it was) be glad it's gone. I've never heard of them moving so something may have eaten it (coral banded shrimp?) or it simpley died. It sounds like a daughter colony formed before it disapperad though.

If you do a search you'll find lots of information about aptasia on this board.