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I bought some more LR the other day (ridiculously pink, it was looking a bit like Barbie's underwater lair) which I was 90% sure was devoid of any visible critters. It came from a waterfall-like holding tank so other than a few bits of rubble in bottom, I couldn't see anything of what was on the stuff. Sadly, this was the healthiest stuff I could find locally (the rest was ghostly grey and covered in fungus, I figured this was bad) and it also came in flattish pieces, so I just grabbed some nice shapes and stuck it in a bucket for a while. All I found was a dead barnacle.

When it went in the tank, however, there was a discovery! A not-a-tubeworm. It had what looked like a brown flower in it's middle, somewhat like bad 70's decoration, and clear wavy tentacles. I was going to photograph it for ID, but I was nervous it was going to be one of those bad things.

Well, last night I poked it with the edge of my tongs so I could get a good look at it closed up (is quite hard to see where it is when it isn't out and waving), and it was a little bump of an anemone!

I'm so excited! I've always wanted one but I don't really think I'm skilled enough to risk buying one, nor does the tank really lend itself to these critters. This one is about 5mm across when closed though, if that, so I'm feeling a bit braver about trying. Either way it is stuck here, it has it's foot in a hole in brain coral so I can't think of any way of getting it a more suitable home short of taking out the entire rock.

So, talk to me about very tiny anemones

What do they need? I fed it last night (I'm getting rather good at hand-feeding the rock critters) and it seems to like scallop.
I'm guessing that it'd prefer a much brighter light, which might be on the cards, but how about water things and nutritional needs? Is it OK if I feed it shellfish pieces and bits if meat or should I be using small frozen creatures?

How do I keep the little sprat happy?

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

'nems found on live rock are generally very sturdy. I'm talking aptasia and mojano anems for the most part. You might have one of those two. Not much else would survive the original die off from the rock. If it's not one of those two, post up a pic and I'll try to ID it.

If you have an aptasia or mojano anem, you don't have to do much to keep it alive. I'm pretty sure they host zooxanthellae, but they don't require a whole ton of light. I've seen aptasia survive under a single normal output fluorescent bulb. Also, they move on their own if they want to, so you don't really have to worry about it being in a perfect spot.

BTW, those two brands of anems are usually considered pests by reefkeepers because they will sting and kill corals. However, if corals aren't your game, then there isn't anything wrong with them.

(the rest was ghostly grey and covered in fungus, I figured this was bad)

that is just uncured live rock. Under the right conditions it will become barbie's underwater dreamhouse as well

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

this is aiptasia calla.

Nope, not one of those, though I have 4 of them that are about 3mm tall on another piece. Not dangerous for fish or prawns until they get much bigger, I assume? Somewhat like FW hydra?

No, this is the variety that goes into a half sphere shape with a central divet when it closes. I'll try and grab a photo tomorrow but given it is 80% transparent I don't like my chances.

I think I may have found a 2nd one too, but it currently has 5 little wavy tentacles and is barely visible so it could be anything


So I can buy the Addams Family variety of rock? How long does it take before it sorts itself out and would my lack of appropriate lighting extend that or have any major adverse affects? .This is really just a curiousity thing, given it is the same price I think I'll stick with the pink ones.

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

Aptasia I don't believe are ever strong enough to cause a problem for fish or the larger shrimp/crabs. Maybe small shrimp, like rump shakin' shrimp (the filter gets   shrimp, their real name).

You could get uncured live rock and leave it in a bucket with a powerhead, even without light, until there's no readable ammonia. It might take a month or so.

Try this site for ID's.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Fantastic site, thanks!

I've now discovered that the 2mm small-magenta-pimple-puffy-things are tunicates Much more concise.

It is looking like an aiptasia, but I shall love it just the same


Out of curiousity, if they are so despised by reefers, are they the sort of thing that you could get from other keepers relatively easily? I'm a big fan of things that are hardy enough to survive iffy pet shops so would be rather interested in getting a few more.


For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

Calla, apstatia are a nuscence critter. The reason they are not much of a concern for larger fish, is the fish know what they are and avoid them. They will attack any fish they can touch, big or small. As well, they will do the same for any crustacea they can come into contact with. The other critters in the tank avoid them though.

Two reasons the reef keepers despise them, are that they will sting and kill all corals they can. And, they are extremely hard to get rid of. If you pinch them off to try to kill them, they just grow right back. They are extremely hard to get rid of, once you have them. One fish that actually likes them, as they are a delicasy for said fish, is the copper banded butterfly fish. In a tank that is over run with them, the butterfly fish may not completely get rid of them. But, it will keep them under control. The down side to this, is that these butterfly fishes are on the hard to keep side.

Now, on a side note, they do help to remove nitrates from the water column. The thing is though, that to do so enough to really show its helping a tank would mean an over population of them. Which could be harmful to the fish and other critters in the tank. For this reason, some reef keepers actually let them live in the overflows and sumps. Just killing off any that take up residence in the main tank.

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