Need help identifying hitchhiker on new frag

[Mariners]

Hi everyone,
Got a new fruit loops zoa frag and i did the normal coral rx and then qt tank for a couple days. This frag has been in my dt for a couple weeks getting it acclimated to leds. Anyway i noticed what looks like tentacles (either a small feather duster or worse a small aiptasia). Anyway, the pic quality is a bit poor as it is from my ipad--if you look at the main fruit loop polyp (left) and baby polyp on right--right in between there are four whiteish tentacles. Whenever something comes disturbs like when i target feed phyto or a hermit crab goes on top the frag, it will disappear for a few seconds then come back. Any ideas? Paranoid about aiptasia? Plz help before i start glueing the area and possibly ruin my fruit loops.

 

[saltnewb]

Hard to tell in those pics, but I recently went through an aiptasia issue. For some reason all the aiptasia in my tank felt their best spot was right next to the zoas. I got myself a peppermint shrimp and they were all gone within a couple days. The bummer is the shrimp is nocturnal, so I don't get to see it at work during the day time, but that's okay, I can see that it has been working hard.

 

[Mariners]

Lol, thx im in a state where we are extremely limited on live things we can purchase unless it is indigenous to our waters. So no peppermint shrimps for me. The fact i have some zoas means its sorta not supposed to be here. I guess ill start covering the spot w glue .

 

[John Carroll]

Lol, thx im in a state where we are extremely limited on live things we can purchase unless it is indigenous to our waters. So no peppermint shrimps for me. The fact i have some zoas means its sorta not supposed to be here. I guess ill start covering the spot w glue .

Where are you?

 

[Mariners]

Hawaii

 

[reef lover]

I think harmless feather duster...looks like it has a tube to retract into...

 

[40B Knasty]

I am not seeing it either. Need to pull back on your zoom. If it is aiptasia. Pull that sucker out. That stuff is horrible to have. I had to nuke 20lbs of LR to get rid of them.

 

[Reef man 89]

Hawaii

You can't own anything that's is not native to Hawaii?

 

[saltnewb]

I would say before you start gluing, see if you can get a clearer picture for confirmation of whether it is aiptasia or something else.

 

[Mariners]

Thx for the input, everyone. Earlier i actualy saw it grab red fish flake so ill wait a couple weeks. Also the fruit loops are sorta smothering it now--wouldnt the aiptasia sting the polyps from opening. I dunno it is so small so i ordered one of those magnifying glasses w led lights.

 

[40B Knasty]

Thx for the input, everyone. Earlier i actualy saw it grab red fish flake so ill wait a couple weeks. Also the fruit loops are sorta smothering it now--wouldnt the aiptasia sting the polyps from opening. I dunno it is so small so i ordered one of those magnifying glasses w led lights.

I had 4 pieces of aiptasia on one frag. Never stopped the polyps from opening up.
There is my 4 month old fruit loops

 

[Mariners]

Oic, what did u do for the aiptasia on the frag?

 

[40B Knasty]

Oic, what did u do for the aiptasia on the frag?

What I did is something I prefer not to say. It is 100% dangerous. Typed words and one misstep could lead to death or being blind.

 

[Mariners]

Wow lol, i know i had hydroid issues before and i wound up tearing down the tank and boiling all my rocks and starting anew. Ill guess ill glue to be safe and hope the fruit loops survive. Better to sacrifice 1 frag then the whole tank.

 

[40B Knasty]

You could always get some protective gear. Frag what you can of the fruit loops and dump the old frag rock/plug

 

[Mariners]

Okay so when i did a water change today, i glued the spot where the "thing" (either aiptasia or feather on the right) was and now it reappeared on a different part of the frag (left). It is reddish, brown and it looks like aiptasia--hopefully these pictures are clearer than the others.

 

[randy4083]

That is aiptasia and I've superglued them before and it worked and I only had 1

 

[saltnewb]

way better pictures and yes that is aiptasia. they seem to multiply without reason, other than to drive us mad. You should check out what's available to you that could eat it, unless you want to also inject them with lemon juice using a syringe.

 

[Mariners]

Thx saltnewb and randy4083. Gonna glue that spot but if it somehows burrows to another spot on the frag, then i guess salvage what i can of the fruit loops and get rid of the old plug. Thx again for your inputs.

 

[40B Knasty]

Thx saltnewb and randy4083. Gonna glue that spot but if it somehows burrows to another spot on the frag, then i guess salvage what i can of the fruit loops and get rid of the old plug. Thx again for your inputs.

Honestly salvage what you can. It takes only one cell to regrow. If you do your messing around with it in the tank. First thing it does is go into protect and populate mode. Spewing out cells into your tank. Also tuck itself in to protect at least one cell.
You do not want these in your tank. Everything is a 50/50 shot, but really it is 10/90. Way to many dreamers out there. I had to nuke 20lbs and cycle those rocks for 7 weeks. What a pain..