What is this thing? Would you keep it?

[BContos]

I bought a few gorgonians from KP Aquaculture and they came in yesterday with one having this attached to it. Is it some sort of bivalve? It has stuff growing on it and I’m not sure if I should pull it off or leave it? It’s in QT right now.


I also noticed on my other order from yesterday (different vendor) there’s a very small aiptasia growing between the flesh and the glue/plug of a soft coral. I’m trying really hard to keep aiptasia out of my DT so what would be the best way to handle it? Cut the soft coral at the base ditching the plug and bottom tissue and pray it recovers? I left all the corals alone after shipping I just acclimated and added to QT figuring they could de-stress and I would dip etc tonight.

 

[Reef Wizard]

I bought a few gorgonians from KP Aquaculture and they came in yesterday with one having this attached to it. Is it some sort of bivalve? It has stuff growing on it and I’m not sure if I should pull it off or leave it? It’s in QT right now.


I also noticed on my other order from yesterday (different vendor) there’s a very small aiptasia growing between the flesh and the glue/plug of a soft coral. I’m trying really hard to keep aiptasia out of my DT so what would be the best way to handle it? Cut the soft coral at the base ditching the plug and bottom tissue and pray it recovers? I left all the corals alone after shipping I just acclimated and added to QT figuring they could de-stress and I would dip etc tonight.

I wonder if it is some kind of bivalve maybe a scallop with stuff on it?

And for the aiptasia. Maybe try and super glue it down instead of cutting the base. If you are very careful take some kalk paste f aiptasia or aiptasia x and use it on it. Just very delicate dont get it on the coral

Cutting or pulling the aiptasia directly will be worse outcome.

I would opt to cut the base of the flesh as last resort. Unless you really want to. But then again it could be on another part of the coral unseen

 

[BContos]

I wonder if it is some kind of bivalve maybe a scallop with stuff on it?

And for the aiptasia. Maybe try and super glue it down instead of cutting the base. If you are very careful take some kalk paste f aiptasia or aiptasia x and use it on it. Just very delicate dont get it on the coral

Cutting or pulling the aiptasia directly will be worse outcome.

I would opt to cut the base of the flesh as last resort. Unless you really dont want to. But then again it could be on another part of the coral unseen

I don't think I can apply anything to it without getting it on the base truthfully its small (maybe the size of the tip of a ball point pen?) but appears to be growing from the base of the coral even though I doubt it is considering its a soft coral.

If I was to cut the base of the coral off what would I need to do to help keep it alive? Honestly... I would be willing to throw the whole thing away before I took a chance on that spreading to the other corals. I am trying to be ruthless with not allowing it to make a way into the DT.

Would the coral dip kill the thing attached to the gorgonian, you think? I plan to dip everything tonight I wanted to give it time to de-stress after shipping.

 

[Reef Wizard]

I don't think I can apply anything to it without getting it on the base truthfully its small (maybe the size of the tip of a ball point pen?) but appears to be growing from the base of the coral even though I doubt it is considering its a soft coral.

If I was to cut the base of the coral off what would I need to do to help keep it alive? Honestly... I would be willing to throw the whole thing away before I took a chance on that spreading to the other corals. I am trying to be ruthless with not allowing it to make a way into the DT.

Would the coral dip kill the thing attached to the gorgonian, you think? I plan to dip everything tonight I wanted to give it time to de-stress after shipping.

Not 100% sure but the dip likely would kill the attachment to the gorgonian. Coral RX is what I use.

If the aiptasia is that small superglue if keeping or just cut it.

This is your discretion to cut it. But just cut it and keep in lower lighting and spot feed the coral. I will say though you will likely end up with aptasia at some point in the tank. They are just so small sometimes that its impossible not to get them

I ended up with one that either came on a frag plug or an invert and I dip all my frags.

 

[BContos]

Not 100% sure but the dip likely would kill the attachment to the gorgonian. Coral RX is what I use.

If the aiptasia is that small superglue if keeping or just cut it.

This is your discretion to cut it. But just cut it and keep in lower lighting and spot feed the coral. I will say though you will likely end up with aptasia at some point in the tank. They are just so small sometimes that its impossible not to get them

I ended up with one that either came on a frag plug or an invert and I dip all my frags.

Everything that is wet has been quarantined/medicated before going into my DT. This is my first round of corals for this tank but after having to shut a nano down due to aiptasia in my first year of the hobby I am trying to be diligent. These corals will spend 6 weeks @ 81 degrees in QT (per Humble Fish's recommendations) unless more issues pop up and then they will stay longer with at least 3 dips in between to make sure we catch any lingering eggs that may have hatched. So I am praying I can keep my DT as close to pest free as possible.

I have Coral RX to use too!

 

[Reef Wizard]

Everything that is wet has been quarantined/medicated before going into my DT. This is my first round of corals for this tank but after having to shut a nano down due to aiptasia in my first year of the hobby I am trying to be diligent. These corals will spend 6 weeks @ 81 degrees in QT (per Humble Fish's recommendations) unless more issues pop up and then they will stay longer with at least 3 dips in between to make sure we catch any lingering eggs that may have hatched. So I am praying I can keep my DT as close to pest free as possible.

I have Coral RX to use too!

Good luck with the tank!

@ISpeakForTheSeas may be able to ID that on the gorgonian for you.

 

[Tamberav]

I would keep it, looks like a beneficial filter feeder with tons of beneficial life and coralline on it. I would be happy if I got that as a free hitchiker.

What size was the gorg you ordered? I am going to order some when my new tank is ready. That one looks nice and big.

 

[BContos]

They were all “Medium” and came in great sizes!

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Good luck with the tank!

@ISpeakForTheSeas may be able to ID that on the gorgonian for you.

Sorry, busy few days for me.

If the critter opens and shuts, then it's most likely a bivalve of some variety, and would be a harmless filter-feeder.

However, I would recommend removing it to clean it off, then putting it somewhere the hitchhikers on it can't spread, as I see a bunch of boring Spionid worms on it (the little "hairs" sticking out in pairs - these can do really bad things to a tank if they get a foothold in it).

 

[Nate Chalk]

Looks like a man eating boogie crab.

I would leave it alone while you still can.