Is this coral or algae?

dankolle

Reefing newb
This just came up...I used to have some star polyps that lived on this rock but they died somehow. Nothing has grown here for 6 months until I just noticed these today. Any idea what it is?

5751091538_175e9c9ed3_b.jpg
 
There could have been one sitting there on the rock and then just multiplied.

If nothing is on that rock other than those, take the rock out of the tank. Let it dry out real good or pitch it.

I have some of them on a colony of zoas... biggest PITA to get rid of. Only thing that I have found that works is smothering them in super glue. But then I always miss some and they start growing again.
 
So I noticed this little creature in a few other spots in my tank...when you say it's bad what does that mean? It takes over or does it actually harm the tank?
 
Whats the best way to get rid of them? They are concentraded right now...one on a rock I might be able to move (cemented to another rock) and the other is on a perm rock under about 45 pounds. Can I choke them off by cutting off light?
 
No, i would get cover them in super glue, then epoxy over them. And then attack the area with aiptasia X. They are some the hardest pests to get rid of.
 
Turning off the light won't kill them. Smother them with something -- super glue is a good bet. If I were you, I'd remove those rocks altogether.
 
I removed the one rock that was cemented on there...do I just let it dry out or can I bleach it to kill the hydroids?

As for the other rock, it's too hard to remove, its like a 25 pound rock with two other corals growing on the far side of it, so I just loaded the suckers with super glue and it seems to be encasing them. I scanned the whole tank for any other signs and I cannot find any.
 
I would dremel or chip out the area where the hydroids are. Not sure how they reproduce but I had a few pop up in far reaches of the tank.
 
I am revisiting my post after a few months because my hydroid outbreak just up and died. I removed a few rocks and every other week I would notice a new colony. I tried to keep a head of them, but nothing worked. All of a sudden I noticed the colonies stopped coming up and the active ones I had are now gone...Anyone know why that might be?
 
So now I am worried, I'd always assumed these were a type of duster. This is whats in my tank and I'm not sure I can get this rock out without causing issues to other corals.
 

Attachments

  • tank.jpg
    tank.jpg
    26.1 KB · Views: 197
yuuuup Sammy... I got em too :(

all mine just so happen to be on a huuuge piece of rock that supports alot of other rock so to take it out i'll need to practically dismantle the tank :(
 
I removed all of the rocks that I could to get rid of them, and then I covered what was left with super glue but they kept growing.

In regards to my post above, I noticed them disappear right after I got my yellow tang. It could be coincidence or it could be the tang ate them, but they are gone...no evidence of them what so ever. I would do whatever you can to rid them...they grow so fast it is crazy
 
Back
Top