Rgwiz11 Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 My roommate and I added some LR to our tank and are going through the constant water testing phase. Today, when I came home from work, I noticed some things growing in the tank. Problem is, my roommate and I are both new to the hobby and have no idea what it is we have growing in the tank. So, three different things I've found so far. Anyone know what it is I got? It's a little hard to see, but it's near the center of the rock. It's reddish brown and looks to have little branches coming off of it. This stuff is interesting. I never see it in the morning. It just looks like a rock with a lot of tiny holes in it. But, when I come home from work and the lights are on, this stuff has sprouted out and is wafting around in the current. To me, these look like Zoas, but just seem really scattered around instead of growing together in a little colony. Any help would be appreciative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamp Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 top pic looks like a colt coral, second star polyps, and the third polythoas or zoanthids. All cool easy starter corals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rgwiz11 Posted October 22, 2009 Author Share Posted October 22, 2009 Many Thanks Hamp! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brooks Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 I'm not sure about the first, but the second looks like some sort of Star Polyp, and the third is a Palythoa of some sort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GKarshens Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 Actually I think the top one is a Kenya tree leather. Colt corals are more bunched up. I agree that the other 2 are some star polyps and some type of Paly. Look like the common called Button Polyp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rgwiz11 Posted October 22, 2009 Author Share Posted October 22, 2009 Thanks for the info everyone! After seeing some pictures of the Kenya Tree Coral, I definitely think that is what I have. Also, good to know that we didn't have an outbreak of something bad. Ammonia and Nitrites have been at or near 0 for a week now. Getting closer to the time we can add some livestock...on purpose this time. Very exciting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexKilpatrick Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 Look online for pictures of aptasia. That's the one you want to avoid. They are pretty easy to spot, and are sort of clear-ish compared to other similar poylps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rgwiz11 Posted October 22, 2009 Author Share Posted October 22, 2009 Thanks alex Aptasia is the one thing we have looked at pictures of because we have heard so much about it and read a lot about people trying to avoid it. But, because a lot of the pictures are so varied of what it actually looks like, it became a running joke in our apartment to refer to everything we saw growing as Aptasia. "Look at the size of that aptasia," or "Ooooo, we had another aptasia outbreak on that rock." Finally, I figured the best place to figure out what the stuff really was would be to post it here. My roommate and I plan to do a water change this weekend and continue to watch our parameters. If everything is staying A-OK, we plan to add our first group of cleaners (5 hermits, 10 snails, and a pepp) in about two weeks. We are still debating about whether or not to put in a yellowtail damsel at the same time or wait to see how the cleaners do first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 Something to keep in mind .... all of these are great starter corals. They tend to outlast almost anything you throw at them. The Kenya tree will throw off frags of itself down the road. So you will have little trees in various places. And star polyps are generally know to spread and spread and spread Now these are not bad things, but something to keep in mind. I had some hitchiker start polyps, which eventually took over half of my 24g tank (even went up the back wall!). They are now sequestered on an island in my 75g (star polyps do not like to grow on sand). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rgwiz11 Posted October 22, 2009 Author Share Posted October 22, 2009 I've been reading that the Star Polyps are only aggressive if stuff isn't growing around them, if that is the case, can the be "sequestered" using other corals to kind of box them in? Not that I don't like the little fellas, but I like other stuff too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 I've been reading that the Star Polyps are only aggressive if stuff isn't growing around them, if that is the case, can the be "sequestered" using other corals to kind of box them in? Not that I don't like the little fellas, but I like other stuff too It depends on how aggressive the other coral is. I have had star polyps cover a pipe organ coral and grow right over top of zoas. But and anemone right next to them stops them in their tracks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zarathustra2 Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 Yea, I have some GSP that overgrew a few Paly frags recently. now I keep it seperated and it seems to work well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.