Red Center Aiptasia

LbulletM · Nov 14, 2017

Regrettably, I do not have a picture as it was spotted within my rock work when I drained my tank and moved rocks to capture a fish that I was evicting. I tried to take a picture quickly (the tank and bucket temperatures were dropping rapidly) and my phone didn't save the picture, but...

In the back of my aquarium, I found several larger anemones that I am assuming are Aiptasia. They look just like the normal Aiptasia - pointy ends, beige color, etc - except one of the 3 I noticed had a very, very dark red center. Has anyone else experienced this? Are these actually Aiptasia? I assume they've been there forever, shielded by the rock that I have leaning against the back of my tank, but I haven't had an outbreak since I started a year ago.

DSC reef · Nov 14, 2017

Could it possibly have eaten something? We have very large ones in the overflow that literally have darker brown/rust colored centers and stalks. Some have white spots that developed. When some PE calanus or pellets get through they normally catch them and it looks pretty cool to see the colors in the stalk from the food. Even reef roids get through sometimes as well and I can clearly see the color in the aptaisia.

LbulletM · Nov 14, 2017

DSC reef said:
Could it possibly have eaten something? We have very large ones in the overflow that literally have darker brown/rust colored centers and stalks. Some have white spots that developed. When some PE calanus or pellets get through they normally catch them and it looks pretty cool to see the colors in the stalk from the food. Even reef roids get through sometimes as well and I can clearly see the color in the aptaisia.

Ohhhh, that's definitely possible. "Rust colored" is probably a really close description. I only blow out that back portion every once in a while, so who knows what it could have gotten a hold of. I can jusssssttt barely see it if I lean all the way over my tank and peer straight down using a step stool. I'll have to keep an eye on it! Thanks!