Non photosynthetic anemone id

[Armt350]

I've got a hitchhiker anemone that is solely nocturnal. At first, I thought it was aiptasia but the fact that it has a hard bulb as a base it retracts into and that it only extends at night. The color is right for aiptasia, but I've never had them not extend during the day.

the blue tint photo is daytime

This is at night illuminated with white light

 

[Katrina71]

Aiptasia https://g.co/kgs/WvcHu48

 

[bradleym]

It is possible it is a NPS coral, rather than an anemone. It reminds me of a sun coral I used to keep. Have you ever seen it in a different location?

 

[Nano_Man]

See if you can get a better picture probably what post 1 said

 

[Dburr1014]

That totally looks like a aptaisia, a pest, kill it now.

 

[Rjukan]

If that's Gulf rock it could be a cup coral, hard to tell for sure without better pic.

 

[Armt350]

It is possible it is a NPS coral, rather than an anemone. It reminds me of a sun coral I used to keep. Have you ever seen it in a different location?

It has never moved, there are two of them in the tank on separate pieces of rock. During the day they are fully closed.

I'll get better white light photos during daytime hours. I'm not sure if I can get a better nighttime photo than I already provided. They are of similar size to sun coral polyps.

 

[twentyleagues]

If the rock came from the gulf and this "entity" has a calcified base I'd guess its a hidden cup coral. I've not seen that color on one before though. Would definitely get better pics. Do you know where the rock came from? I had wanted hidden cup corals when I had my non photosynthetic tank, but I could never source them. If it is hcc it needs to be target fed.

 

[Armt350]

That totally looks like a aptaisia, a pest, kill it now.

I would agree except for where the foot would be is a hard base similar to a stony coral polyp. Also that its non-photosynthetic is odd for aiptasia since they are known to host symbiotic cells.

 

[Armt350]

If the rock came from the gulf and this "entity" has a calcified base I'd guess its a hidden cup coral. I've not seen that color on one before though. Would definitely get better pics. Do you know where the rock came from? I had wanted hidden cup corals when I had my non photosynthetic tank, but I could never source them. If it is hcc it needs to be target fed.

Not sure where it was sourced, although I doubt it's from the Gulf. It was purchased in Germany and most of our stuff comes from the Med or South Pacific.

 

[twentyleagues]

Not sure where it was sourced, although I doubt it's from the Gulf. It was purchased in Germany and most of our stuff comes from the Med or South Pacific.

Well non photo lps come from all over the world. From your pics and description I believe that before anemone of some sort. I could be wrong but it really doesnt look like aptasia to me.

 

[Armt350]

Here are some white light daytime photos. Its immediately to the right of the star polyps.

Here is the other sample as viewed from the front.

And here are presumably two skeletons from versions that did not survive.

 

[twentyleagues]

Here are some white light daytime photos. Its immediately to the right of the star polyps.

Here is the other sample as viewed from the front.

And here are presumably two skeletons from versions that did not survive.

For all intensive purposes it looks like a black sun coral just not a growth form I am familiar with. I would treat it as such. Direct feed small meaty items, keep it out of direct light.

 

[Armt350]

I'm about ready to call them as a NPS brown cup or sun coral from the Dendrophylliidae Tubastraea family/genus

 

[Mr_Knightley]

They could be young polyps of one of the black tubastrea species, likely T. micrantha. These species spawn in home aquariums and the Larvae often settle and continue to grow. Hidden cup corals, and a lot of other NPS, are clear or otherwise light in color; Tubastrea are known for their strong, opaque colors.
Feed them every night if you want them to survive. Not many NPS can grow without daily feedings.

 

[Mr_Knightley]

Lol we all posted at the same time.

 

[Armt350]

For all intensive purposes it looks like a black sun coral just not a growth form I am familiar with. I would treat it as such. Direct feed small meaty items, keep it out of direct light.

The big one is out of direct light, the smaller is in direct light but there is nothing to be done about it. I'll give it a go for directed feedings and see what it grows up to be.

 

[Armt350]

Lol we all posted at the same time.

Now time to deal with the crab I spotted while trying to ID this guy.