New tank Just got live rock and found this

Live rock Hitchiker - Imgur

Looks like Aiptasia. I'm at kind of a loss at the moment and am looking here for some guidance. I have recently dismantled my 60 gal tank to move it and change my filtration system. I got a bum scoop from my LFS and need to reengineer my set up. If others are interested I can share on that.

Meanwhile, before I had determined that my set up wasn't going to work I invested in 45# of live rock. Put it in my tank. After positioning it, I noticed the attached critter.

Right now my tank is empty, the live rock is in a plastic tub with a heater and a small canister filter which was used for the tank initially. Its got moving water and filtration etc.

I plan on getting my sump/refugium and tank set up sometime this weekend. Meanwhile what should I do about this guy? Just ignore it? Once my tank gets healthy and up and running invest in some peppermint shrimp. Can I pull the rock out where this guy is, and do somethign to get rid of him? Should I call the LFS and let them know that they're selling rock with aiptasia?

Thanks

 

Yup aiptasia.

 

I wouldn't ignore it or plan on adding peppermints to eat it as they may not.I would either return the rock and pick out another or treat it with something such as Aptaisia-X

 

I'd just zap it now with the aptaisa x or soemthing like that. If there is only one, and a small one at that, its not too bad. The reality is that no LFS can ensure you that they are 100% aptaisa free....one or two is manageable. There was a guy that posted yesterday that had dozens of them on his...that was not good and the store should have known better...one little one like that...you kid of have to give them a pass on that. Also, not that you have some live rock to seed with, you should by dry rock from here on out when you add rock...its much cheaper, and it has not hitchikers....and it will turn into nice love rock in a few months in your established tank.

 

Welcome to 3Reef

Take the Rock out, use one of those butane fire starters, - looks like an Cig lighter with a long stem, works about the same as one though.

Heat just that area of rock for about a minute, and put it back in, gone, done.

 

interesting, good to know

 

Super glue... or burn that **** off the rock with a torch!

 

I covered my few spots with reef epoxy. Never cane back

 

If u dont have a lighter to use and dont want to buy aipstasia x you can squirt lemon juice from a syringe or baster into the center of it and it will die, you can also boil water and do the samething, the small amount that u squirt in wont damage anything else that you have there

 

If this were me, I would ditch the whole rock. Sounds extreme, but there a more than a few of us who have experienced enough frustration with aptasia. Even after burning them, epoxying (spelling?), medication, and boiling water/vinegar (I tried them all at one point), getting rid of the rock is the only 100% sure fire way to prevent the heartache.