A little help???

[tankedalot]

I'm new here and I'm attempting to start my first reef tank. I've just uploaded pics of my tank and wanted to know if anyone here can ID the critters that I discovered growing on the LR I brought home from the LFS.
Here's what I'm talking about:

 

[Josh]

Looks like aiptasia. Get a peppermint shrimp.

 

[OctaviousMonk]

yeah I agree, most consider it a pest. My peppermints eat them when small, but there are many other ways people try and get rid of them, judt do a search.

 

[tankedalot]

aiptasia? I think that's what the guy @ the LFS said. He said there was a chemical I could get that would kill them. I'd rather take a more natural approach to getting rid of them. The shrimp are what I am looking for, THANKS! Will a shrimp take on one of these buggers when they're as large as the main one in the pic? It's the size of my watch!

Thanks again everyone!
Jake

 

[Josh]

Don't use chemicals until you have tried the shrimp method.

If you have 2 peppermint shrimps and aren't adding much food to the tank they will get hungry and take down most sizes of aiptasia. Keep in mind that some of them will not eat them at all, unless you are good at identifying them you won't know which ones you will get until you try. Give them a week or two and most of the aiptasia should be gone.

 

[KathyC]

You might want to go after the largest one with a syringe with vinegar. A shot right into the 'heart' of it will kill it. You don't have to shoot it with much vinegar, a little squirt will do as long as it's directly inside of it.

I agree, do get the peppermints, they will take care of any relatives it may have produced that aren't as large.

 

[cali_reef]

I would take the rock out of the tank and dig them out with a screw driver or chisel.