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FAQs about Live Rock Hitchhiker/Creature Identification 13
Related Articles: Live Rock, Reef
Systems, Refugiums,
Related FAQs:
Live Rock, Answering Some LR FAQs by James Fatherree,
LR Hitchhiker ID 1, LR Hitchhiker ID 2,
LR Hitchhiker ID 3, LR Hitchhiker
ID 4,
LR Hitchhiker ID 5,
LR ID 6, LR
ID 7, LR ID 8,
LR ID 9, LR ID 10,
LR ID 11, LR ID 12, LR
ID 14,
LR ID 15, LR ID 16,
LR ID17 &
Non-Vert IDs 1, Tubeworm ID,
Polychaete Identification, Live Rock 1,
LR 2, LR 3, LR 4,
LR 5, Curing Live Rock,
Live Rock Selection,
Shipping/Moving, Placement,
Lighting, Water Quality,
Live Rock Studies in Fiji Collaboration &
Charts, Copper Use, Marine
Landscaping, Marine Biotope, Sumps,
Refugiums, Faux
Rock, | 
|
... ID w/ poor images - 7/23/07
No new news this morning.
However I do have 2 pictures of the bubble tip thingy. One first
thing after lights on, waking up, mouth closed. The second you can
see the tongue thingy hanging out and the base to the left. I would
say this is a coral except it moved once when we first got the rock
home and it has the base. The tentacles will expand with water at
the tips just like a bubble tip, they will also get slender and
stretch out longer.
Took this from the top of the tank after
moving the rock it's on so I could get the shots.
Take care
Bridget
<Too small, blurry-unresolved to make out definitively.
Bob Fenner>Need some
help please on an Id - 7/23/07
Hi everyone!
I need some
help, please, on a Marine query titled: "Re: Stone crabs in my tank
(not)". I've been helping Bridget with (obviously) a crab issue,
among other things, but now she's needing an Id for something ) and
I don't know what it is! It doesn't help that the two photos aren't
very clear, but it's described as mobile, pink, almost BTA looking,
but with a "tongue thingy" that hangs out occ. What the heck is
that?! Anyway, I found the query this morning in my folder, but
kicked it back out to Marine.
Thanks, ahead of time, for y'all's
help!
Take care,
-Lynn (Clueless in Seattle!)
<Thank you
Lynn... I too can't really make out what these are... need higher
res., and sized images... The one is likely a polypoid animal,
perhaps an Actinarian, but... Bob Fenner> | .JPG)
|
Bryozoans or feather dusters 7/19/07
I have always thought
that the really small thing growing on my LR where feather dusters. But
after reading about Bryozoans on you super site I'm now wondering . Here
is a picture and a link to a short video 31 sec.
http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa92/emccullough1/?action=view¤t=feather.flv
They are a little easier to make out on the video in the foreground.
Thank you in advance . Your web site has been the absolute best for
finding information on most every question I have.
<Greetings!
Perhaps uniquely among the WWM crew, I've (slightly) studied bryozoans
and named a species, Jellyella eburnea, that encrusts floating things in
the sea (like Spirula and Janthina shells). But I have to admit to not
knowing the answer here. The video doesn't offer enough resolution.
Bryozoan "polyps" are normally very small (sub-mm in size) and the
tentacles (the lophophore) doesn't really wave about in midwater. Each
polyp fits neatly into a small "box" and these make up the colony. The
lophophore has a bent, roughly horseshoe shape. Marine Bryozoan colonies
are typically calcareous or made from a tough, leathery substance;
freshwater Bryozoan tend to look like lumps of jelly. Either way, their
appearance is usually very distinctive. Colonial tubeworms are more
varied and while some build tubes from carbonate or sand grains others
live inside channels in rock or mud. The tentacles on tubeworms are
either one or two spirals of feathery tendrils, very different to the
lophophore of a Bryozoan. So, with all this said, I hope you can ID your
beasties yourself, or failing that, send along a close-up photo that
might reveal these salient features. Good luck! Neale>
Re: Bryozoans or feather dusters - 7/20/07
Thank you for your
reply. And believe it or not that is a close-up the craters in the rock
are about 1/16" to 3/32 " across the feathers are not visible to the
eye. But from your superb discretion of Bryozoans I'm back to thinking
they are some sort of tiny feather dusters.
<Cool. Glad to be of
help. Either way, they look like very interesting beasties. Cheers,
Neale>
Invertebrate Id's - 7/18/07
Dear WetWebMedia Crew --
<Hi
there!>
First, let me say thanks for your website. We've learned
a lot from reading all the responses you've posted to everyone else.
(That's a fantastic resource.) <Why thank you!> We are brand new to
the aquarium game and have just set up a 55G tank with live rock
(live rock came cured, everything settled very quickly and tank has
been running smoothly for almost a month now), a few fish (2
scissortail goby dartfish and a dwarf tang,
<(?)I’m not familiar
with this fish but I don't know of any tangs suitable for a 55g.>
...will be adding more over the next month),
<Go
slowly/conservatively when choosing/adding more fish this early on,
and be sure to keep an eye on water chemistry.>
...and a couple
of Aiptasia-eating shrimp (which happily ate all the Aiptasia that
came on our live rock over the course of a couple of weeks). <Yay, I
love it when that happens!> We have a couple of questions,
particularly about the remarkable diversity of invertebrate life
that came on our live rock. <It’s amazing, isn’t it!>
1. In
addition to the feather dusters and the pulsing xenia that came on
the rock (xenia now seems to be growing slowly - new arms appearing
on its base), we just discovered a Discosoma (is small, flat,
approximately 1" when spread out, purple with green dots in lines
spreading from the center). <Sounds pretty!> It seems ok, but our
question is that it moves. It is sitting in a crevice in the rock.
During the night and much of the day, it pulls into the crevice
where we can't see it at all. For several hours during the day
(particularly late in the day), it emerges, and spreads out to its
full width. Is this normal? <Hmmm, not for any Discosoma that I've
heard of/seen. I'm thinking it's probably not a Discosoma.> Is it
ok? <Most likely typical for whatever it is.> We haven't found any
indication of any behavior like this in the websites or books we've
looked at.
<I’d love to see a picture of this little guy. It
sounds like it might be a type of anemone to me(?).>
PS. Our
light cycle is 130W blue actinic for 1.5 hours AM and 1.5 hours PM
with 9 hours 130W white actinic in between. Xenia started growing
once we increased the lighting about a week ago.
<Yep, they
appreciate more light.>
2. Last night, in the dark, I discovered
a brand new tentacle (4" long, single tentacle, 2mm wide, broad
bands of beige and dark, was beige with black dot at center of end
of tentacle). Weird thing is that the tentacle hates light. <Heeee!
I’m pretty sure I know what this is! Don’t worry, it’s good.> I'm
wondering if it's an arm of a brittle star. <Don't think so!> If so,
is it dangerous? <Aaaahh, run for the hills! <Grin> Sorry - no, it’s
okay.> Anything else it could be?
<Well, without a picture, I
can't be positive, but it sure sounds like a Peanut worm/Sipunculid.
They’re harmless little detritivores that always remind me of
elephant trunks sniffing at the rocks. Color-wise, they are just as
you describe, with or without bands. The body/band colors vary from
whitish to beige, tan, brown, grey, and black. Please see these
links for photos and more information re:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/pnutwrmidfaqs.htm
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-04/rs/index.php. >
It was
only one arm, moved slowly, but was very flexible, clearly
controlled throughout (i.e. it was not waving in the current).
<Typical for these guys.> Any sort of light I bring towards it makes
it pull deep into the rock until we can't see it anymore. <Again,
very typical.> (Can't get picture because don't want to shock the
other creatures in the tank with the flash. <Understandable, and
okay. Just check the photos at the above links for
comparison/confirmation.> [I'm sure our corals are living on the
edge having survived shipping and the whole new tank thing.])
3.
We've seen a small crab hiding in another crevice. We've only seen
legs, even at night. We've seen definite small black claws and what
look like hairy legs. I would guess that the current size is 1-2"
including legs.
<Hmmm, yes, watch out for crabs. They’re cute,
and seem harmless, when they’re little, but most are opportunistic
and can grow up to be trouble. Please see these links for more
information on crab ID'ing and advice (see the Xanthid group at the
first link):
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-12/rs/index.php
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/arthropoda/crabs/swcrabs.htm
>
Thanks for your help (and for your wonderful website)
Dave
and Laura
<You're very welcome and thanks for being a part of
it! –Lynn>
Re: Invertebrate Id - follow-up - 7/19/07
<<Hi Dave and
Laura! Lynn here again.>>
Thanks for your reply.
<<You're
very welcome!>>
Here's a picture of the "Discosoma" and some
other notes/questions.
<<Okay, let's roll!>>
>>...and a dwarf
tang,
<(?)I'm not familiar with this fish but I don't know of any
tangs suitable for a 55g.>
It's something called a "chocolate
yellow mimic tang". It's supposed to stay <6".
<<Gotcha, that
one I do know! It’s Acanthurus pyroferus, and although they can
actually get up to 10” in the wild, they’re apparently slow growers,
and I've never heard of one reaching that size in captivity (now
that's sad!). Depending on what size yours is now, you may be okay
for a while. Just keep an eye out for stress related problems down
the road (disease, aggression). Tangs need lots of space and don’t
do well when they feel confined.>>
>...will be adding more over
the next month),
<Go slowly/conservatively when choosing/adding
more fish this early on, and be sure to keep an eye on water
chemistry.>
We're adding an average of less than 1 fish/week and
tank chemistry seems good... at least so far.
<<Yep, sounds
okay. Generally speaking, I wouldn’t add more than one fish every
two weeks. It just depends on the size/type of fish, set up, etc.>>
We've got both live sand and 70 lbs of Marshall Islands live rock
(so is high volume for weight) which had already been very well
cured at our LFS. <<Nice rock!>>
>> appearing on its base), we
just discovered a Discosoma (is small, flat, >>approximately 1" when
spread out, purple with green dots in lines spreading from >>the
center). <Sounds pretty!> It seems ok, but our question is that it
moves. It is >>sitting in a crevice in the rock. During the night
and much of the day, it pulls >>into the crevice where we can't see
it at all. For several hours during the day
>>(particularly late
in the day), it emerges, and spreads out to its full width. Is
>>this normal? <Hmmm, not for any Discosoma that I've heard of/seen.
I'm thinking >>it's probably not a Discosoma.> Is it ok? <Most
likely typical for whatever it is.> >>We haven't found any
indication of any behavior like this in the websites or books
>>
we've looked at.
<I'd love to see a picture of this little guy.
It sounds like it might be a type of anemone to me(?).>
Unfortunately, it didn't appear yesterday, so we're worried it's
died, but we've attached a picture of it from a few days ago
(purple1.jpg). Sorry for the blurry pic.
<<No worries, I know how
difficult it can be to get those pictures! It does look a lot like a
little Discosoma/shroom of some variety (possibly two there in the
photo), but I’m sorry, I just can’t see it/them well enough to tell.
Hopefully, if/when it comes back out we can try again!>>
>>2.
Last night, in the dark, I discovered a brand new tentacle (4"...
<Well, without a picture, I can't be positive, but it sure sounds
like a Peanut worm/Sipunculid. They're harmless little detritivores
that always remind me of elephant trunks sniffing at the rocks.
Color-wise, they are just as you describe, with or without bands.
The body/band colors vary from whitish to beige, tan, brown, grey,
and black.>
That's exactly what it is! Thanks!
<<Yay, you’re
most welcome!.>>
Also, any idea what this is? (red1.jpg,
red2.jpg) The big leaf came on the live rock. The little (4mm tall?)
pieces are spreading over the rock.
<<Both appear to be some sort
of Rhodophyta (red algae) although the larger pieces/whorls on photo
“red2” look not too dissimilar from some corallines I’ve seen. I’m
sorry, I just can’t quite see them well enough to determine/narrow
it down for you. One thing to note though, it’s a good idea to keep
an eye on any algae that starts spreading over the rocks like you
mention. That’s a pretty good indicator of something that could get
out of hand. Continue practicing good husbandry, keep nutrient
levels low, and if you have a refugium with some competing algae,
that’s even better!>>
Thanks
Dave and Laura
<<Anytime!
-Lynn>> |   
|
Small tubes over rocks... Small Tube Snails (Petaloconchus spp)
7/11/07
<Greetings! Mich here.>
Could you guys tell me what
those small tubes are.
<Hopefully!>
They are coming out all over
my live rock? They are hard, can't see anything coming out and some are
linked in a single cobweb texture.
<At first glance, I thought these
were the calcareous tubes produced by the Serpulidae family of feather
dusters. However, your description more closely fits Caribbean or small
worm snails (Petaloconchus spp) and closer visual inspection would also
indicate this to be the case.>
I used to have some on bottom of
rocks but they have started to multiply rapidly.
<Not uncommon.>
Thank you guys!
<You're welcome from one of the gals!> | 
|
Hitchhiker ID's and a couple other questions – 07/01/07
Dearest Crew-
<Hello Ester! Mich with you again.>
Let me thank you
again for all the knowledge and support you provide!
<On behalf of
Bob and the Crew, you/all, are welcome!>
My marine life is probably
the most thankful since they are really the beneficiaries!
<Very
true!>
Tank Specs:
5-month-old 75 Gallon
40 lbs. live rock
1/2 inch fine sand bed (I am looking in upping this to 3+ in the future)
Remora Pro w/ Mag Drive 3 and skimmer box (I have to clean the
collection tube, twice a day, to get skimmate since it gets buildup
really quickly, but I do get brown skimmate every day since I perform
this task).
Rena Filstar xP canister filter (cleaned every Wednesday
and Sunday)
Two powerheads for circulation
Corallife 260 watt
compact fluorescent lighting system (12 hour cycle)
2 Ocellaris
Clowns
1 Neon Goby
2 Peppermint shrimp
2 Cleaner shrimp
8
snails of varying types
11 hermits
Feed with New Life Spectrum 1mm
pellets in the morning and Mysis in the evening (making sure that
nothing is left after 5 minutes)
<Wow! Nice regiment!>
I have not
had any water quality issues due to my regular maintenance and weekly
water change schedule so my questions do pertain to that, but if you
need to know: Ammonia-0, Nitrate-0, Nitrite-0, pH-8.2, specific gravity
1.024
<All good!>
My addiction in this hobby is for the live rock
and all the extras you get with it!
<I love watching the new life
develop... A bit like magic!>
But due to our limited budget, which I
think is a blessing at times since it has kept our pace really slow, we
can only get one piece a month.
<Slow and steady.>
My goal is to
focus on the live rock until I get my 80 lbs. I want, and then move on
to more fish or possibly a couple corals.
<A wise, reasonable plan.>
So (finally) question #1: my newest piece of live rock is long and flat,
so I can either have 'side 1' up or 'side 2' up, but both sides have
some interesting algae, so if you can help me with an ID so I can decide
which side will be devoid of light...
<Will try!>
I believe that
the first one on the 'side 1' image might be a type of Halimeda? The
second, some type of red algae?
<Yes. I am in agreement with you.>
On the 'side 2' image I think the second one might be Dictyosphaeria
cavernosa? and I have no clue on the first one in this set.
<I'm not
sure of the first photo on side 2, but I think both photos on side two
are sponges, the second photo may be a Spiny Ball sponge (Leucetta sp.)>
So which side do I put down and risk loosing the life do to lack of
light?
<I think side two is likely to thrive without light.>
My
other question pertains to HOB refugium... would the large CPR AquaFuge
2 be worthwhile to the tank (my Birthday is soon and I get to pick
something out), or is it too small to really be effective on a
75-gallon? I don't have the space under or around the tank to get one
that is not HOB.
<Do you have a sump? This is where I would put a
refugium if space were limited, but any refugium will benefit your tank.
Though I'm not sure of the cost/benefit ratio.>
Finally, while I
have you, our future fish plans are for a Kole Tang and a school of
Cardinals (5 maybe). Is this overstocked if you include what I have
currently?
<I think this would be ok, but I would go with one of the
smaller species of cardinals.>
Especially if I would like to someday
get a coral or two?
<Still should be ok.>
Thanks again for your
time, sorry this was so long!
<Welcome! No worries! Mich>
Esther | 
| 
|
Need help with identification 6/10/07
Hi Crew!
<Hi Liz!>
I
bought some cured live rock for my new 90 gallon tank (ammonia and
nitrates 0, no fish in there yet) and need help identifying the white
things, for lack of a better word! I'm attaching a picture, which you
will hopefully be able to see. <Nice picture.> I thought they might be
Aiptasia, but they do not move or shrink away when I touch them. They're
soft, squishy, and easy to rip off. What are they, do I want to get rid
of them, and what's the best way to do so?
<They are Syconoid
sponges. You may read more here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/spongeidfaqs.htm
You do not need to remove
them. They are harmless filter feeders. If for some reason you do want
to remove them, your rip off technique should suffice.>
As always,
thanks for your help.
Liz
<Welcome, Alex> |
|
Hitchhiker on a Rock, Blurry Photos – 5/13/07
Hello to
you,
<And to you! Mich with you tonight.>
I recently bought a
rock with star polyp. The day after, I notice something on it, at first,
I thought it was a little piece of dead hard corals. But after looking
at it longer, I found that it was moving. Opening and closing like a
clam, with two holes, like a clam (the Tridacnid Clams) and what look
like lashes on one of the hole (again, like a clam). So I dub it a
boring clam since it moved inside the rock when it feels vibration (that
was me, kneeling too fast in front of the tank to look), and I was amaze
at how fast it moved and disappeared, about an inch deep. But tonight,
while I was watching it, something was bordering it and it was moving
itself with a lot of freedom, squishing one side, then the next, up and
down, like somebody moving his mouth and trying to get ride of a fly.
After looking closer, I saw that it had no shell. Now the big question,
what is it?
<Hmm, a very good question. I do wish you photos were a
little clearer. Does you camera have a macro setting? Most do, the
symbol often looks like a little flower. This might allow you to
capture a better, more focused image.>
Is it some kind of boring
clam, or something else?
<If it doesn't have a shell, it is likely
not a boring clam. Perhaps an ascidian/tunicate of some sort, better
pics would help here.>
I know from the way it has two holes that
it's a filter feeder, but should I provide him with something to eat and
what, phyto (DT's)?
<I would continue as you are.>
Sorry for the
pictures, it's the best I could.
<Look for the macro setting. It
will allow you to take better close-up pics and help us, help you to ID
your critter.>
Thank you for your time.
<Wish I could be of more
assistance! Mich>
Karine | 
|
Re: Hitchhiker on a Rock, Blurry Photos, Now Not so Blurry Photos... ID
? 5/15/07
Hello again,
<Hi Karine, Mich
with you again.>
I hope that this picture will be more helpful.
<Is clearer, thank you.>
I forgot to mention that the critter is
half an inch from side to side. You say it could be an Arcadian
<Ascidian>/tunicate, but wouldn’t it be fix on the rock, this critter
move
very fast inside the rock and far enough that I couldn't see
it.
<May not be an Ascidian/Tunicate. Unfortunately I'm still not
sure what it is. Are you sure there is no shell? It does kind of
resemble a bivalve to me. RMF any thoughts?>
Thank you.
<I apologize for the lack of usefulness. Mich>
Karine
<<This
newer photo looks to me like a couple of anemones. Please read here re
discerning the major groups of Cnidarians:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/cnidaria.htm
and the linked files
above and where you find them in-text. BobF>> | 
|
A "Guest" Arrived on my Live Rock: Velvet Swimming Crab (Necora puber)
5/13/07
Hi Guys,
<Hi Kim, Mich with you.>
I just wanted
to start by saying your site has been a tremendous resource! It has
helped me many times.
<Wonderful to hear!>
I have tried hard
to find an answer to my question without having to ask but I'm not
having much luck. I hope you might be able to help me out.
<I will
try!>
I purchased 75 lbs. of live rock recently and after about a
week I found a "visitor" I noticed a rather large (aprox. 2 inches)
crab hiding in one of the holes in the rock. After many attempts of
trying to identify this crab I finally found out what he is. It is a
velvet swimming crab.
<Necora puber>
His bright red
eyes were the major give away on his ID.
<Ahh, yes, also
called the Devil crab.>
I can't seem to find much information on him
other than he is very aggressive and gets about 4 inches across. I was
wondering what your opinion is on him. Should I leave him in the tank
or find him another home?
<I would not keep this crab in
a tropical marine setup. It is not a tropical species. This crab is
typically found in the North East Atlantic, off the shore of the
UK! I'm not quite sure how it ended up in your live rock. This crab
can pack a pinch that could bring tears to your eyes, so please be
careful. Perhaps a nearby public aquarium could provide a suitable
home.>
The tank he is in right now is a 72 bow-front FOWLER
set-up. Thanks for your time.
<You're welcome! Mich>
Kim
Re: a "guest" arrived on my live rock (Necora puber)?, update: now
Eriphia sebana. – 5/13/07
I must apologize,
<No
worries.>
I just got a call from my LFS and they think they may have
found out that he is NOT a velvet swimming crab.
<Ahh, the initial
ID did not make much sense, as Necora puber is a cool water species, but
stranger things have happened.>
After doing their research they now
believe it might be Eriphia sebana.
<This would be more logical.>
We have been working for over a month to ID this guy.
<Could have sent a photo here.>
Which from what little bit of
information I can find on him makes more sense being that they are from
Fiji.
<Yes, along with Australia, the Maldives...>
Could you tell me a bit about Eriphia sebana?
<Will
try. Hmm, it seems I'm on a toxicology run. What ever you do, don't
eat this crab! Ingestion can result in PSP Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning
and I suspect this potential for toxicity could also cause problems if
the crab were to die in you main system.>
Should I leave him in or
remove him.
<I would keep him isolated.>
I do have
an empty 10 gal. with live rock already set up and cycled for a hospital
tank....could I keep him in there?
<I think this would
be wise.>
If so...what should I feed him.
<Most
crabs aren't too finicky. I would offer a variety. Reportedly this
crab eats algae during the day and relies on predation for midnight
snacks!>
I'd hate to get rid of him, he is very neat to watch at
night.
<Watch, learn and enjoy! But be aware he can be an
aggressive crab so between the aggression and the toxic potential, you
may need to keep this a species tank.>
Thanks again for
all your help,
<Welcome! Mich>
Kim
Strange Critter ID Please: Chiton 5/10/07
Hello there!
<Hi Jo, Mich here!>
I know that you guys are really busy but I
was hoping you might be able to help me ID this critter.
<Certainly will try!>
We are currently setting up our second
reef tank. The LR is from Indonesia as far as I know and this
"thing" has showed up twice now, both times at night with all lights
off. It seems quite shy and retracts slowly back in its hole as soon
as the room light is put on. I find watching the LR and the
critters on it one of the best things in this hobby.
<Heee! Yes, I would agree. One of my favorite parts too! When I
was setting up my tank most people just didn't understand when I
would tell them how excited I was watching all the life emerge from
the LR. I would get comments, with undertones questioning my
sanity: "So you've spent the last hour staring at rocks?" >
We
had new forms of life coming up in our 2.5 years old reef right up
to the end and managed to ID most of them but this is really
unusual. Any thoughts? It is flesh colour and I thought it was some
sort of bivalve but it seems quite soft, a bit like an anemone.
<Looks like a chiton to me. They are reef safe and generally graze
on algae. A lucky addition! Do enjoy it!>
Many thanks for your
time and looking forward to hearing from you soon
<Welcome! Mich>
Best regards,
Jo Vasey |
Re: strange critter ID please photo now added, Chiton
5/12/07
Hi Mich and thanks for the quick reply!
<Hi
Jo! You are quite welcome.>
Are Chitons what some call
"Stomatellas" (please forgive me if I've spelled this wrong)?
<No, they are two different critters and your photo is not a
picture of a Stomatella snail.>
I did a search on Google but
the critter doesn't look much like the search returned on chiton
- the main difference being the lack of a shell on his back.
<Many different species, not all have the "classic" chiton
look.>
The 2 black holes/openings look a little bit like
craters?
<I think you will find there are more than two
"holes", there are likely 8 "holes" or eight linearly arranged
overlapping articulating plates, which make up the shell on his
back.>
Any more thoughts?
<Nope, I still think it is a
chiton. Please see similar photos here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/invertidfaqs.htm
Chiton ID
9/9/03
and here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/snailidfaq3.htm
Prehistoric
worm...errr...??????? 1/30/04>
I think I saw it last night
quite longer and stretched inside the rock which is very porous
and you can see through but could be wrong.
<Likely so, they
do tend to stay in the same location emerging typically at night
to feed. The behavior you described in your prior email is also
consistent with a chiton.>
It is really bugging me now. My
LFS is kindly looking after my livestock during house move and
upgrading the tank. We are getting our corals back soon - I am
trying to decide if I should remove the piece of rock with the
critter to the sump where it won't be tempted to munch on
anything?
<Most are harmless algae eaters. If it were
me/mine, I would not be concerned.>
Many thanks again and
looking forward to hearing from you again!
<You're
welcome! Hope this gives you more confidence in the ID. Mich>
Best regards
Jo | .jpg)
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LR Growths 4/30/07
I have live rock in my tank and noticed white
cottony like protuberances growing off the sides of the rock. It looks
like a feather duster in the making but the tube is white and cottony.
It does have "feelers" on the ends. <Most likely a filter feeder of
some sort, probably a species of tube worm.>
Could you please tell
me what this is? <Take a look here
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/feather.htm > Is it a parasite?
<Extremely doubtful.> I am worried about the cat shark. (it is the
only fish I have in the 40 gal tank) <Much too small of a tank for this
fish.>
Thank you so much,
Allie
<Chris> Life on Live
Rock - 04/20/07
I heard about your website a little while
ago and I have to say it's a great place to get some great info.
<Thanks.>
Anyway, I was wondering about my live rock in my 56 gallon
saltwater tank. I have 40 lbs. of live rock in my tank for about two
months and everything went well with the curing process. There is a
little bit of coralline algae, but I was hoping you guys could tell me
how long it will take for more coralline algae and other life to emerge
on my live rock.
<Mmm...depends on how caustic your curing process
was, how much die off you have. Id the water parameters are acceptable
it should not be long until life starts to be apparent...it's already
there, just not as noticeable as it will be. Hold off on adding fish as
long as you can (be patient) as they will have a negative affect/impact
on the microfauna populations.>
Thanks for your time and help.
<Welcome, Adam J.> LR Growth of some kind... No Photo –
4/10/07
Folks,
<Pete,>
The more I read on your site the
more I realize there is to learn
<Heee! Yes, the more you know, the
more you realize you don't know!>
- thanks for such a terrific site.
<Glad you like it and are learning from it.>
I have a 29 gal with 34
lbs of cured live rock, 20lbs of LS, 1 lunare wrasse,
<No! No!
No! The Lunare wrasse (Thalassoma lunare) needs plenty of room to swim,
and should be in a tank of at least 75 gallons. This is not a good fish
for such a small system and it may take a bite out of your brittle star
and torment your other fish ...to the point of death. Please do more
research before assuming care for any living creature. This is not a
good fit. I do hope you are getting a larger tank in the near future or
can find this fish a more appropriate home. More here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/wrasses/index.htm and
related links in blue.>
1 damsel, 1 tomato clown, 1 black
long-spined urchin,
<Would be better in a larger system.>
and 1
brittle star.
All levels are good except for nitrates
running about 60 at this point and coming down.
<Too high! Please
read here to reduce your nitrate levels: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nutrientcontrol.htm >
Whisper 60 filter, zoomed powerhead. All inhabitants and LR will be
moving to a new 75 tank within a few weeks.
<Oh, much better! Still
have compatibility issue with the wrasse.>
The LR has been in the
tank now for about 2 months and I noticed something growing on the rock
and I would love to know what it is.
It about the size
of a quarter, grayish in color. Looks like a bunch of circles all
connected together at their sides. The circles have at their center a
darker grey spot. If I can get a pic of this I will send but don't have
one available now.
<Pictures make things much easier. From your
description I'm guessing you have a tunicate or sponge of some
sort. Without a photo hard give much more.>
Any clues what this
might be ?
<See above.>
Best regards and thanks in advance,
<And to you! Welcome! -Mich>
Pete Re: LR Growth of some
kind – 04/11/07
Mich thanks.
<Pete, you are most
welcome!>
Some more questions if you don't mind.
<Certainly>
I have the new 75 gal tank setup.
<Yes, thank you for
the reminder.>
80 lbs live sand, 70 lbs fully cured Pukani, Remora
Pro with Mag 3, 2 ZooMed powerheads at opposite sides of the tank, and
(don't laugh) a Whisper 60 filter just for some additional water
movement and filtration.
<Ok, not laughing, though
amused.>
Lighting is currently a 50/50 fluorescent. The LR went in
the tank yesterday. Salinity 33 gravity 1.024 Ca 340 Po 3-4 <High!> Ph
7.8 Nh3 0 No2 0 No3 5. I know that the Ph is a little low - so I added
some buffering agent. Question: Since I have so much live sand and
live rock in the tank - will it cycle or need to cycle before I can put
some of my 29 gal inhabitants in the tank ?
<It may not cycle per
se, but I would wait a couple of days to see if you have any detectable
ammonia or nitrites.>
I want to upgrade my lighting to the Current
USA Outer Orbit (150W). This seems to be a great light - thoughts?
<Definitely better than what you have currently. Is a metal halide
pendant, correct? Other than that, I am not familiar with this specific
brand/light.>
Also, based on the current setup of the 75 with NEW
lighting could I place a few corals in the tank successfully and a
"janitor crew" of snails and shrimp?
<Yes, you should be able to
successfully grow many types of corals. Just, do some research before
assuming care for any living creature.>
Thanks in advance,
<You're very welcome!>
you guys (and gals) are the best!
<As one
of the gals, I thank you for the inclusion! -Mich>
--Pete
PS -
I tried snapping a pic of the growth - batteries were dead in the cam -
I'll try again once they have recharged and then forward.
<Sounds
good, I'll be on the look out!> Re: LR Growth of some
kind...follow up – 4/13/07
The light you asked about is a
compact MH, actinic, with "moon glow" LEDs.
<Sounds good.>
What
would you suggest for a chemical filter other then the Whisper. I don't
want to go the refugium route yet and WD seem to be a bad idea, no room
for a sump yet either.
<Ho buoy! You're not making this
easy. Again I would highly encourage you to consider a refugium if not
now, then at some point in the future. As far as chemical filtration
the usually Carbon would be the obvious choice.>
PO
reading you didn't like - what's is the expected range ?
<Phosphates
should be undetectable!>
Thanks again!
<Welcome! -Mich>
--Pete
Things that Suddenly Appear... Out of the Blue...
Waters...LR 3/21/07
Howdy!
<Doody?>
Over
these last few months, I have become accustomed to things suddenly
appearing in my aquarium.
<Isn't that cool!>
So far,
I have been delighted to see a few nice big red mushrooms with green
stripes come out of nowhere, Mysis Shrimp hiding in the shadows, and a
couple of little colonies of polyps and small feather dusters suddenly
sprouting.
<Sweet!>
I've had a small hair algae problem,
which is slowly becoming less so, mostly because I was over feeding my
fish. Recently I bought an Aqua C Remora-nano protein skimmer, and have
been really surprised by the amount of gunk it pulls out. I change out
about 7 gallons of the 24 in the nanocube a week, and seeing so much bad
stuff in the water just kind of shocked me.
Anyways... I've been
running the skimmer off and on for about 2 weeks now, and I suddenly
have some Caulerpa taxifolia sprouting up on one large rock in
particular. At least, I think its C. taxifolia, as it looks the same,
but with shorter fronds that seem to me to have thinner blades... Is it
just now appearing due to the water conditions finally being "right" for
it, or is there a better chance that it came in some other way and has
gained a foothold?
<Not sure how it got there or if it
matters, but if it's on the live rock in your display, I'd be pulling
out as quickly as possible.>
I don't want it to take
over the tank, but I do want to have some of it in there for good
measure.
<You can have some, just keep it in a 24 hour lighted sump,
not in the display. It will take over if allowed to and is very
difficult to remove once established. More here and the link in blue,
especially the FAQS: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/caulerpaalg.htm
>
What do y'all think?
<Get it out! -Mich>
Darby
Re: ,,,hot pink, ID without photo or much info, not possible -
3/12/07
Hi there:
<Hello Barbara, Mich with you today.>
Found your site. Yeeha!
<WooHoo! A hardy welcome to you!>
I
bought a piece of L.R. On it, is what appears to be a coralline algae?
<OK.>
It is "hot Pink",,, breathe taking.
<Very nice.>
It
would appear it closes up?
<Mmm, not coralline algae.>
Opens at
dusk?
<OK.>
When it is closed. The creature looks like the rock
it's attached to.
<Hmm, many possibilities here. Any chance you
could send a photo?>
I hope you, are able to help.
<With a
photo, hopefully, without, not so
much. Sorry.> Barbara
Pearson.
<Michelle Lemech>
Athabasca, Alberta. Canada.
<Gouldsboro, Pennsylvania, USA.>
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