Polyps, Polyps and..yes! more Polyps...

[BCWolfen]

So I have all these brown polyps n my tank. It looks like 3 different species or maybe they are all the same just different colorations.

Hoping to get some info on them.

These came with my tank. My research points me towards regular Brown Button Polyps


These arrived on a rock with the Colt Coral I got from Scavenger. Again I'm assuming Regular Brown Button Polyps. But perhaps adiiferent variety than the first due to slightly different coloration/growth.


Now these confuse me the most. They also came with the tank. At first I thought they were the dreaded Aiptasia everyone talks about because they are all over the place. (Maybe they are?) But they sure don't look like any pics I've seen of Ap, and I have boiled a few fellas that I know are Ap's(Much longer tendrils, more translucent).
These lil brown guys pop up everywhere. The other 2 colonies of browns have not really expanded, but these guys will have individuals start to grow on the glass, rocks. I had put in a brand new piece of dead rock and the next morning 3 of these guys had attached to it. They concern me a little. Are they bad? A different form of Aiptasia? Gonna overgrow the entire tank?....Any input appreciated

[KrazyKuch]

That third picture you posted looks like aiptasia to me but the other two don't!!!

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

That third pic is not aiptasia but I do have the same type of anemone/polyp on my Squamosa clam's scutes (sp?). Probably another type of "pest" anemone but mine are not spreading like yours.

In wetwebmedia, there was a picture under one of their pest anemone faqs but no name given.

JMO

Anthony

[Ryan]

NO they are a type of zoo medicine hat had a rock full of them. If you get aptasia beside these guys you can tell the difference i will see if i can get the name it was in summer.

[BCWolfen]

Ya, there was 2 Aiptasia on that same rock. They are very different. They look nice, and really add growth to the tank quick. But I want to be certain that they are not a pest.....

[Scavenger]

Hey Wolfen,

One mans pest is another mans pet. Some people want xenia and others just want it gone. Same with polyps and other softies like it. In my opinion, the trick is just keeping them in control. Usually not too hard. I remember seeing a pic on RC of a tank that was mushrooms everywhere you look. Nothing but! Basically, it all comes down to how you want your reef to look. Bottom line, I can't see them hurting anything at all if they aren't allowed to grow out of control.

[sumpfinfishe]

The first pic is standard green button polyps, the second a brown botton variety, the third however looks to me like it's either majano in the forground and aiptasia in the background, both of which will cause serious outbreaks and will eventually take over your entire tank

The first two will spread at a normal button polyp rate, which can be fast in the right conditions so it's just personal preference whether or not you desire to have lots of polyps everywhere.

As for the later ones, I would nuke them all
Use some boiling RO water with kalkwasser and syringe them all.
If they are a true majano you can also pickup a small chocolate chip starfish, these starfish simply love majano anemones

[BCWolfen]

Thanks for the info Rich. All the ones in the 3rd pic are the same species. I'm reading up on majano on wet web media right now. I think I will be taking them all out as well. The buttons are fine. I like them. All my Aiptasia are gone except for 1 just waiting for the peppermints to get around to it.

[mark]

Have similiar in my tank. To give idea of growth rate, each cluster has about doubled but that been over two years.