Filter feeding sea cucumber in rock ID 4/22/04
Hello Crew...
<howdy>
As my tank continues to mature, I find more things to ID. (Beats the alternative!) Most I have been able to research but from time to time something pops up that evades me. I have attached two photos of one of my live rocks. There is something growing out of the rock that looks like tree branches. They are white and almost clear. In one photo you can see what appears to be a base attached to the rock. These are growing on one particular rock in about three places. You probably have a huge section in the FAQ but I have yet to find it.....
<they are harmless filter feeding sea cucumbers like the Phyllophorid described on page 307 of our book, Reef Invertebrates>
Also, I have noticed schools of some unidentified critters deep within the various holes of my LR. I have tried to photograph these with no luck. I can only describe them as just big enough to see with the naked eye, moving around very quickly in schools. If you have ever walked out at night and noticed gnats swarming a light, that is what this looks like. They are very small (little dots) but they are moving in the water (not on the rock). 
<sounds very much like swarming copepods... a good sign>
I have developed a large amphipod population and I thought these might be newbies. 
<nope... no swarming of Amphipods. The babies scurry like the parents along the rocks>
I know my description is lacking but I can't catch one to look at it as they are in the holes of my LR and never seem to come out into the main water column.
<no worries>
Lastly, I have a fairly new green button polyp (one frag) that has been in my tank for about one week now. He opened up right away but after a couple of days, he stopped opening. Still looks alive and every now and then he will just open enough so I can see a bit of green but he has not fully opened since day two. Everything else is acting normal. ?? He is close to my leather toadstool (frag) since he came on the same rock.
<it may simply need some days or weeks even to acclimate to the new lighting/water quality. Please do not stress it with a move in the tank but rather leave it be with patience to acclimate>
20 gallon - 130W (2x65) PC Custom Sealife w/moonlights
Temperature -- 80 f.
pH -- 8.2 - 8.3
Specific Gravity -- 1.023 - 1.024
Calcium @440 ppm Alkalinity @ 11.6 dKH.
Ammonia 0.0
I don't have any fish. I have all softies (zoos, xenia, leather toadstool, button polyp, green star polyps with some hermits, snails and a cleaner shrimp.) 
Thanks for a great site. My only complaint is the FAQ's are stealing my sleep!! Keith
<best regards, Anthony>

LR Critter (1/14/04)
Hi Bob, <Steve Allen tonight>
I have been running a salt water tank for about a month now.  I bought live rock for it and noticed some strange 'thing' on it. <LR usually has lots of interesting critters.> I talked to the store where I bought it and they couldn't help me...maybe my
explanation isn't very good.  I was hoping you could help me identify what this 'thing' may be. <I'll give it a try.>
It is white, no thicker than a piece of thread, some look as if they have little (very little) leafs, the majority just look like white thread.  They can move in and out of the rock but only from a certain spot.  On the rock there is something that looks just like a hole which has been raised a little around the edges.
For each of these holes there are only 2 threads.  These threads come out of the hole move around a bit then go back in.  Can you tell me what these are??? <Almost certainly a marine worm, most likely of the genus Phyllochaetopterus. Read this excellent article by Ron Shimek and check the pix: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-05/rs/
Thank you, Todd Hawman <Hope this helps>
P.S.  Attached is a simple picture to try and explain.

Re: Identification (corals and live rock hitch hikers) 1/10/04 Hi and Happy New Year, crew from fish heaven. Saludos to Marina. I'm the guy from Honduras. I need some identification: Enclosed are 4 photos.  <Hello in Honduras!  Adam here today to try and help out with your ID's> >>Side note from Marina, Hola mi amigo!  Espero que estes bien.  Marina One with a yellow marble size object on a live rock, collected here on a reef. The closest I came to identifying it is: bubble sponge. It grows pin head size little balls that detach and float around till they attach to some other object. <This one (Pic 005S) definitely looks like a sponge.  Most don't grow and reproduce in captivity (except some cryptic ones), so congrats for having it do so well!> The next is a 1" diameter half golf ball size object that looks to me like a SPS type. <This one (Photo 005[1] and 007S) is Favia.  It will do best with fairly bright light and will appreciate being fed occasionally when it's feeding tentacles are extended (probably at night).> The 3rd are 2 Ricordea ?  type inverts on a rock that were bought at a pet store in Miami and brought to me as a Christmas gift. Unfortunately the bearer didn't ask for name. <This one (pic 001S) may be Rhodactis, but probably Discosoma.  The ID of Corallimorphs is pretty tricky as no one really cares to study them much.> The 4th is a live rock covered with what looks like Ricordeas or Rhodactis to me? It also was bought in Miami. <I agree with this one (pic 003S).  Most likely Rhodactis.> Don't worry about me collecting live rock from the reefs here. The rocks were from a private island where the owner farms his own live rock for no other reason then to preserve and grow the reef. He collects coral rubble from land and puts it back in the water just to enjoy seeing it grow back live things. People like this exist!  He is a good friend of mine and I was able to pry some pieces from him for my tank. Any clues are more then welcome. <What a great source of live rock!  Most of us only can dream of getting it so fresh from the ocean.> Thanks in advance, Bernd <No problem.  Adam>