hydroids, or something else?

[s_tooz_123]

My wife's 13.5 gallon tank has recently developed a large number of these little critters. I suspect they are some type of hydroid based on other postings and google image searches, but I have not seen anything that looks exactly like the pictures below.

The heads are about 2mm in diameter and are pink'ish in color (although in the pictures, they appear more white). The stalks are about 2-4mm in length and white in color. The 'tentacles' are white or translucent, and reach out 5-10mm or so.

Any help in identification and eradication would be very much appreciated.

 

[SHNICI]

it look like Hydroids, but the photo is very bright and I can't see them that good to confirm 100%

 

[SHNICI]

The very long tentacles look like aiptasia...

 

[SHNICI]

if they are Hydroids Tiger cowrie may help (eat few types/SPs of them), if it's aiptasia, that many..., best way to kill them with predator like: peppermint shrimp, filefish, Berghia nudibranch.
Are they retract fast including the stalks/tubes if you try to disturb them ? And do they move (the stalks) with the water flow, or the stalks never move and retract ?

 

[David768]

That looks more like a bta

 

[SHNICI]

That looks more like a bta

BTA ? - Bubble Tip Anemone you mean ?

 

[s_tooz_123]

if they are Hydroids Tiger cowrie may help (eat few types/SPs of them), if it's aiptasia, that many..., best way to kill them with predator like: peppermint shrimp, filefish, Berghia nudibranch.
Are they retract fast including the stalks/tubes if you try to disturb them ? And do they move (the stalks) with the water flow, or the stalks never move and retract ?

Hi SHNICI---thanks for the help.

The stalks are soft and the entire creature moves with the current. When disturbed, the tentacles and head immediately retract to the rock level, but not into the stalk (like a feather duster would). The head is still completely visible on the surface of the rock.

They are persistent----even after disturbed, after only a few seconds, the head and tentacles are out in full again.

 

[s_tooz_123]

That looks more like a bta

That would be great if they were bubble tip anenomes, as I could use them for LFS credit. However, we have been watching them for a few weeks now and they seem to have peaked in size----we just see more and more every day.

 

[s_tooz_123]

Thanks everyone for your help.....I'll definitely try to get a better photo to improve identification so I can figure out the best course of action for eradication, but these things are incredibly small.

I do have a short video that may help. You can see that the stalk is soft and moves in the current. Note the small zoa frag on the left side of the screen for size reference.

 

[Hasted]

I also have these. I did a lot of research about a month ago, but can't find the exact thread I landed on.

From what I remember:
They are harmless, mostly. Unless they are in crazy numbers and smothering your corals.
Filter feeders. If you broadcast feed they will multiply faster. Reducing feeding can reduce numbers.
Increasing flow on them can make it harder for them to feed. Mine are only under rocks and such. Where the flow is stronger they avoid in my tank.
People claim they will get worse and then start to go away. Mine are dwindling, but we will see if they all go away.
I didn't find any information on anything that would eat them. One person suggested cutting off the stalks manually. I would never be able to get them all so never tried this.

 

[s_tooz_123]

I also have these. I did a lot of research about a month ago, but can't find the exact thread I landed on.

From what I remember:
They are harmless, mostly. Unless they are in crazy numbers and smothering your corals.
Filter feeders. If you broadcast feed they will multiply faster. Reducing feeding can reduce numbers.
Increasing flow on them can make it harder for them to feed. Mine are only under rocks and such. Where the flow is stronger they avoid in my tank.
People claim they will get worse and then start to go away. Mine are dwindling, but we will see if they all go away.
I didn't find any information on anything that would eat them. One person suggested cutting off the stalks manually. I would never be able to get them all so never tried this.

Thanks for the info --- hopefully they are harmless. I too read a few posts on hydroids which mentioned the broadcast feeding and higher flow could reduce numbers, but none of the pics matched what's I see in our tank.

I have too many of these to count at this point-----easily in the hundreds, so cutting off the heads is a non-starter.

Also, I was able to get what I think are some slightly better photos by focusing on a dark shadow in the rock. As a reminder, these things are only about 2mm across at the head.

I hope that these photos would improve identification, as I would love to have an excuse to go to the LFS and pick up a new critter (filefish, peppermint shrimp, nudibranch?) and let him graze away on these pests!

 

[SHNICI]

Dude, that's AIPTASIA :(
sorry, that photo..., I have 2 only which extend them tentacles like yours on the video, when they are on slower flow, the heads will become with a bit larger disks, and the tentacles shorter and thicker.
Can you post full photo of the tank? And really they like the hydroids will multiply like crazy from the broadcast feeding. You have only 2 options (before they nuke completely your tank):
- To find way to kill them at all with chemicals.
- to take out the LR (if they are only on that one) and to give it for 5-10 minutes RO/DI dip (not always kill them completely)
- to get animal/predator to eat them.
-- if they are everywhere, then I'll use Berghia nudibranch (depending on the tank size I'll get about 3-5 per 100g), you can use filefish or peppermint shrimp (the last 2 will have to play for really long to eradicate them), but for sure you have to reduce the feeding (if you have NOS corals.... will be not good point reducing it).

- the last thing is if they are that many...., and you have second tank to keep for a while all the life stock you have in this one, move everything which isn't with aiptasia on it, the places with the aiptasia on the LR I'll fill syringe with lemon juice (concentration), and after all valuable is out of the tank and all the flow completely stopped, I'll squeeze slowly over them the concentration of the juice (also vinegar can help as well). After few minutes the treated bot of LR I'll take it out and will wash it in separate container with RO/DI for 5 minutes (hope you don't have corals on it), after rinse for 2-3 min in tank water (which you can take before you start all this, to have for rinsing). And in the clean system with all your life stock. After finishing all the job, have to replace completely the water in the tank and before filling it completely, give it a bit rinse from the vinegar/lemon juice concentration.
After watching the LR in the second tank (will name it quarantine tank - QT). That way you will have to "rebuild" your LR scape..., but at least you will get rid of them, otherwise you can lose everything (like corals). Only the LR bits where was mainly the aiptasia keep them for few days in the QT, to can observe them and to kill the rest of the aiptasia.
All this procedure killing it, if it's only over few places (not everywhere), you can do it in separate container (with the vinegar/lemon juice), no in the DT, to can avoid putting in many chemicals. And keeping all like before after the particular LR is clean (observing it for few dais in separate tank)

But from the last 2 photos..., that look kompletely like aiptasia to me.

 

[Hasted]

Dude, that's AIPTASIA :(
sorry, that photo..., I have 2 only which extend them tentacles like yours on the video, when they are on slower flow, the heads will become with a bit larger disks, and the tentacles shorter and thicker.
Can you post full photo of the tank? And really they like the hydroids will multiply like crazy from the broadcast feeding. You have only 2 options (before they nuke completely your tank):
- To find way to kill them at all with chemicals.
- to take out the LR (if they are only on that one) and to give it for 5-10 minutes RO/DI dip (not always kill them completely)
- to get animal/predator to eat them.
-- if they are everywhere, then I'll use Berghia nudibranch (depending on the tank size I'll get about 3-5 per 100g), you can use filefish or peppermint shrimp (the last 2 will have to play for really long to eradicate them), but for sure you have to reduce the feeding (if you have NOS corals.... will be not good point reducing it).

- the last thing is if they are that many...., and you have second tank to keep for a while all the life stock you have in this one, move everything which isn't with aiptasia on it, the places with the aiptasia on the LR I'll fill syringe with lemon juice (concentration), and after all valuable is out of the tank and all the flow completely stopped, I'll squeeze slowly over them the concentration of the juice (also vinegar can help as well). After few minutes the treated bot of LR I'll take it out and will wash it in separate container with RO/DI for 5 minutes (hope you don't have corals on it), after rinse for 2-3 min in tank water (which you can take before you start all this, to have for rinsing). And in the clean system with all your life stock. After finishing all the job, have to replace completely the water in the tank and before filling it completely, give it a bit rinse from the vinegar/lemon juice concentration.
After watching the LR in the second tank (will name it quarantine tank - QT). That way you will have to "rebuild" your LR scape..., but at least you will get rid of them, otherwise you can lose everything (like corals). Only the LR bits where was mainly the aiptasia keep them for few days in the QT, to can observe them and to kill the rest of the aiptasia.
All this procedure killing it, if it's only over few places (not everywhere), you can do it in separate container (with the vinegar/lemon juice), no in the DT, to can avoid putting in many chemicals. And keeping all like before after the particular LR is clean (observing it for few dais in separate tank)

But from the last 2 photos..., that look kompletely like aiptasia to me.

While he MAY have aiptasia in the tank, what he is taking pictures and videos of I am pretty sure is not. These are much finer and on stalks.

 

[SHNICI]

While he MAY have aiptasia in the tank, what he is taking pictures and videos of I am pretty sure is not. These are much finer and on stalks.

perfect, in that case can you tell us what you think about ? For example I'll give example ID only if I have a clue about something, can't just exclude w/o giving clue until something else is given. And you are "pretty sure is not", so?

Sorry, really can't find anything else which can match that, will be very helpful to me and probably most of the users if you can tell what is on the photos and the video :)
Aiptasia..., if you google it, you will simply find over 15+ different SP from the Family Aiptasiidae ;)
I'm sure the OP will be able to match to one of them in the images (from google)
-> Wiki - Aiptasiidae
-> Wiki - Aiptasia
-> Google - Aiptasia
-> Google - the fastest spreading SP
-> Google - Exaiptasia
-> Google - Bartholomea
-> Google - Aiptasiogeton

If you need more info @Hasted , just let me know.
Personally have 7 different Aiptasia SP which I'm looking after, I know they are pest, but I have tank with aiptasia only. Yes you hear it right, I'm watching and aiptasia w/o trying to get rid of it :)
And if you read all of the written (exclude and sorry for the bad English if that make you unsure what I wrote) I say I have one which is very similar to his one, if you watch the video, they are on high flow, which will stretch them as they appear there ;Smug :cool:

 

[Hasted]

My wife's 13.5 gallon tank has recently developed a large number of these little critters. I suspect they are some type of hydroid based on other postings and google image searches, but I have not seen anything that looks exactly like the pictures below.

The heads are about 2mm in diameter and are pink'ish in color (although in the pictures, they appear more white). The stalks are about 2-4mm in length and white in color. The 'tentacles' are white or translucent, and reach out 5-10mm or so.

Any help in identification and eradication would be very much appreciated.

Went through some more threads again to try to help. Some are just for pure identification, while others have some info. Not too much out there in terms of eradication.

Hydroids?

Are these hydroids? If so do I need to worry and how do I get rid of them because they are everywhere in the sump

www.reef2reef.com

Hydroids?

Found these on an older piece of live rock that was given to me. Tank is 2 months old and the suspected hydroids are not spreading. Moved the rock to quarantine tank just in case. Any ideas on I'd? They are tiny and evenly spread out on the rock.

www.reef2reef.com

Hydroids???

Just noticed a few small patches of these. Are they hydroids?

www.reef2reef.com

White Hydroids ?

Didn’t see them until I added some Tisbe pods in, all livestock seem to be doing fine. Are they a threat ? Will they go away on their own ?

www.reef2reef.com

This was about 6 pages of searches. If you happen to need more, let me know. I can breeze through more pages to link more threads.

As for me, I am just trying to decrease my broadcast feeding and positioning flow in areas with larger numbers. It appears to be working, but barely.

perfect, in that case can you tell us what you think about ? For example I'll give example ID only if I have a clue about something, can't just exclude w/o giving clue until something else is given. And you are "pretty sure is not", so?

I am not an assertive person. There are very, very few times I will talk in complete confidence, even if I am fairly certain I am right. Even in my profession where I KNOW I am right, I will still word things with a chance. It is a character flaw of mine.

In this case, yes. There IS a chance I am wrong. I will definitely type in a way to reflect that. I am trying to help OP.

I looked through all of your links. Very useful information. If it wasn't for the video he posted, I would be inclined to agree with you.

However, due to the video being identical to what I also see in my tank, it makes me feel as though my research on hydroids is on the right track.

Feel free to look through the links I posted above to see if you agree with their identification. Your research with your Aptasia tank may also be useful for the posters inside these threads (if they were identified incorrectly).

I would like to see a video of your high flow aiptasia, though! I think it would help with identification for both OP and I.

I appreciate the time you took to post a detailed message!

 

[SHNICI]

Went through some more threads again to try to help. Some are just for pure identification, while others have some info. Not too much out there in terms of eradication.

Hydroids?

Are these hydroids? If so do I need to worry and how do I get rid of them because they are everywhere in the sump

www.reef2reef.com

Hydroids?

Found these on an older piece of live rock that was given to me. Tank is 2 months old and the suspected hydroids are not spreading. Moved the rock to quarantine tank just in case. Any ideas on I'd? They are tiny and evenly spread out on the rock.

www.reef2reef.com

Hydroids???

Just noticed a few small patches of these. Are they hydroids?

www.reef2reef.com

White Hydroids ?

Didn’t see them until I added some Tisbe pods in, all livestock seem to be doing fine. Are they a threat ? Will they go away on their own ?

www.reef2reef.com

This was about 6 pages of searches. If you happen to need more, let me know. I can breeze through more pages to link more threads.

As for me, I am just trying to decrease my broadcast feeding and positioning flow in areas with larger numbers. It appears to be working, but barely.



I am not an assertive person. There are very, very few times I will talk in complete confidence, even if I am fairly certain I am right. Even in my profession where I KNOW I am right, I will still word things with a chance. It is a character flaw of mine.

In this case, yes. There IS a chance I am wrong. I will definitely type in a way to reflect that. I am trying to help OP.

I looked through all of your links. Very useful information. If it wasn't for the video he posted, I would be inclined to agree with you.

However, due to the video being identical to what I also see in my tank, it makes me feel as though my research on hydroids is on the right track.

Feel free to look through the links I posted above to see if you agree with their identification. Your research with your Aptasia tank may also be useful for the posters inside these threads (if they were identified incorrectly).

I would like to see a video of your high flow aiptasia, though! I think it would help with identification for both OP and I.

I appreciate the time you took to post a detailed message!

Sorry If I sound rude! But my opinions are on both: Watching and reading :)
What I mean:
I Read the OP description few times and think about:

Hi SHNICI---thanks for the help.

The stalks are soft and the entire creature moves with the current. When disturbed, the tentacles and head immediately retract to the rock level, but not into the stalk (like a feather duster would). The head is still completely visible on the surface of the rock.

They are persistent----even after disturbed, after only a few seconds, the head and tentacles are out in full again.

I hope that (what I underscore and Bold in the OP description will give you the complete answer what's it.
All the readings (again after your examples) I wasn't able to find hydroid (which was my 1st point before the video), which is retracting to the bottom with the stalk. all the known hydroids which are mature (like on the photos and the images and from the OP description are retracting to the rock lvl which mean isn't hydroid.
If in any of this you can find hydroid which is retracting this way, I'll appreciate it, as all of this threads you show me, I'm been reading completely.
And yes, for sure I can't be 100% sure what exactly is this.
The best way is I to see on person, but that can't happen. The other way is: the OP have to turn off completely the water flow in the tank (return pump and the power heads/wave makers), and that for at least 10 minutes. After to make video touching any of this animals with something sharp, and zooming on it will see from the point where the OP touch it (push it to dent it) will come out filaments from the inner part of the creature. Having the shapes, the color, the behaviour and the description that will show us we are dealing with Aiptasia.
( I don't recommend it, because can spread them a bit more if they are aiptasia, which I'm 99% sure. Just for about 10 minutes they will retract the expelled filaments usually, otherwise from them can become new aiptasia spread from the water flow, that's one of the defense mechanism aiptasia have and way to spread itself).

But check what I Bold and underscore, and try to find answer by this please :) And at the end if you still have this (which you say look like yours), try to touch them, and tell us do they shrink that way like the in the OP description Please. Will be very interesting to me to find hydroids with similar behaviors. Then I'll do all my best (can much more than what's here by me), to find and tell you what you are dealing with for sure ;Smug :cool:

Regards

P.S. few pages back, I was looking for ID, and 2 member was telling me it's nudibranch, and even after all my descriptions, over 100 photos and few videos posted, they keep saying it's slug...., but at the end it appear to be one of the WORST pests ever I met. If you are interested in why I'm that confident and why I sound that way, please have a look and follow all what's written in, probably you can learn something new, like I do almost every single day from the "Hitchhiker & Creature ID" forum.

Coral/creature ID ? Anemone or ?

PLEASE DON'T SAY NUDIBRANCH, ISN'T 100% PLEASE DON'T SAY NUDIBRANCH, ISN'T 100% PLEASE DON'T SAY NUDIBRANCH, ISN'T 100% Got this yesterday from LFS (it was on a LR with another coral as a hitchhiker) It's reacting to the light very fast (almost follow the light from the torch. crawling after)...

www.reef2reef.com

At the END, Please someone of the #reefsquad team to HELP, PLEASE, I'll appreciate it.
If someone from the @ReefSquad / @ReefSquadLeader team check that thread, please check the whole thread and give us a clue what's what Please.

 

[SHNICI]

I would like to see a video of your high flow aiptasia, though! I think it would help with identification for both OP and I.

I appreciate the time you took to post a detailed message!

I don't have at the moment any under high flow, as I change the way how I breed them at the moment. only in my DT have few (but regular brown SP), which are under flow, and again isn't that high, to can show you how they look (similar to his one).
From the photos (few of this are with head near 1") and there you can clearly see 5 Aiptasias SP, on 2 of them you can see Aiptasia which is completely whyte. the particular one (don't member the particular SP) is very close to his one, just the head is with near 5mm disk.

 

[Hasted]

Sorry If I sound rude! But my opinions are on both: Watching and reading :)
What I mean:
I Read the OP description few times and think about:


I hope that (what I underscore and Bold in the OP description will give you the complete answer what's it.
All the readings (again after your examples) I wasn't able to find hydroid (which was my 1st point before the video), which is retracting to the bottom with the stalk. all the known hydroids which are mature (like on the photos and the images and from the OP description are retracting to the rock lvl which mean isn't hydroid.
If in any of this you can find hydroid which is retracting this way, I'll appreciate it, as all of this threads you show me, I'm been reading completely.
And yes, for sure I can't be 100% sure what exactly is this.
The best way is I to see on person, but that can't happen. The other way is: the OP have to turn off completely the water flow in the tank (return pump and the power heads/wave makers), and that for at least 10 minutes. After to make video touching any of this animals with something sharp, and zooming on it will see from the point where the OP touch it (push it to dent it) will come out filaments from the inner part of the creature. Having the shapes, the color, the behaviour and the description that will show us we are dealing with Aiptasia.
( I don't recommend it, because can spread them a bit more if they are aiptasia, which I'm 99% sure. Just for about 10 minutes they will retract the expelled filaments usually, otherwise from them can become new aiptasia spread from the water flow, that's one of the defense mechanism aiptasia have and way to spread itself).

But check what I Bold and underscore, and try to find answer by this please :) And at the end if you still have this (which you say look like yours), try to touch them, and tell us do they shrink that way like the in the OP description Please. Will be very interesting to me to find hydroids with similar behaviors. Then I'll do all my best (can much more than what's here by me), to find and tell you what you are dealing with for sure ;Smug :cool:

Regards

P.S. few pages back, I was looking for ID, and 2 member was telling me it's nudibranch, and even after all my descriptions, over 100 photos and few videos posted, they keep saying it's slug...., but at the end it appear to be one of the WORST pests ever I met. If you are interested in why I'm that confident and why I sound that way, please have a look and follow all what's written in, probably you can learn something new, like I do almost every single day from the "Hitchhiker & Creature ID" forum.

Coral/creature ID ? Anemone or ?

PLEASE DON'T SAY NUDIBRANCH, ISN'T 100% PLEASE DON'T SAY NUDIBRANCH, ISN'T 100% PLEASE DON'T SAY NUDIBRANCH, ISN'T 100% Got this yesterday from LFS (it was on a LR with another coral as a hitchhiker) It's reacting to the light very fast (almost follow the light from the torch. crawling after)...

www.reef2reef.com

At the END, Please someone of the #reefsquad team to HELP, PLEASE, I'll appreciate it.
If someone from the @ReefSquad / @ReefSquadLeader team check that thread, please check the whole thread and give us a clue what's what Please.

Shoot. I Will go in and stab some of mine. Haha!

It may or may not help OP, but I am down to try it.

Give me a day or so and I will go on a stabbing spree.

 

[SHNICI]

Shoot. I Will go in and stab some of mine. Haha!

It may or may not help OP, but I am down to try it.

Give me a day or so and I will go on a stabbing spree.

just look not to have flow at the time, because the filaments spreaded can appear new aiptasias.

 

[s_tooz_123]

Hello all---sorry for the late response. I just got back from a 12 hour shift at work and don't have access to the internet from there. Anyway---

Dude, that's AIPTASIA :(
sorry, that photo..., I have 2 only which extend them tentacles like yours on the video, when they are on slower flow, the heads will become with a bit larger disks, and the tentacles shorter and thicker.
Can you post full photo of the tank?

Yikes on the Aiptasia ID....I am hoping that is not the case. Here is a photo of the entire tank----I don't think you will be able to see much of these tiny creatures from the full tank photo, however, the rectangular highlighted is where the first few pictures as well as the video were taken, and the circular highlighted area is from my latest post (with the singular creature in front of the dark background).

@Hasted and @SHNICI:
I really appreciate all your help. I looked for a few hours a day for several days before I finally gave up and decided to post my question. In all my searches (both on R2R and google), I could not find anything that closely resembled my critters. I am going to go back now and look at all the posts both of you have highlighted and see if I can't identify something that matches them. I too am up for the "stabbing" a few of them to see how they react. If I can get that done tonight, I will be sure to post a video of it.

Thanks again for your continued help.