can u help ID this?

franv · 06/27/2007, 06:46 PM

hi everyone,
a friend of mine from a local fish club is a bit worried about this in his tank...

heres what he wrote on our local forum "Can anyone ID this for me. quite a bit of it has started to turn up in my sump. Some on the glass and some raped around the base of my caulerpa.
Recently a flame scallop died and my Amonia and Nitrite rose quite a bit.
It is only since then that this started to turn up. "

any help would be greatly appreciated.
fran

Frick-n-Frags · 06/27/2007, 07:00 PM

OK, just anecdotal fuel powered surmizing here, BUT...

I believe you are associating two very unrelated events. whatever that is, it smells like a subtle filterfeeding something that will never have any major impact on the tank regarding trashing the water chemistry or killing things. even the bristle worm likes it.

T Man · 06/27/2007, 07:01 PM

There are several things to ID in this picture, but this is what I see. Spirorbid worms, a Bristle worm and a fragment of Grape Caulerpa, all of which are common in sumps. TinMan

Frick-n-Frags · 06/27/2007, 07:02 PM

that is not algae. look closely at the part attached to the glass

T Man · 06/27/2007, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Frick-n-Frags
that is not algae. look closely at the part attached to the glass

If I'm seeing it right, could it be a Chiton? It sure does not look like it is attached to that branch. Maybe I'm not seeing it right. T

Colin · 06/28/2007, 06:18 AM

Don't flame scallops normally die? IIRC, they're hard to keep.

As for the picture, I don't see anything deadly there. The big branchy white thing looks like a caulerpa holdfast. Then there's the bristle worm and the chiton.

--Colin

franv · 06/28/2007, 06:38 AM

im pretty sure its the big branchy white thing he's worried about...whats caulpera holdfast? a frag so to speak?

Colin · 06/28/2007, 06:39 AM

Caulerpa holdfast = "root".

--Colin

Frick-n-Frags · 06/28/2007, 08:00 AM

caulerpa "vines" are made of large single cells. they are completely round in cross-section. any disruption causes a hemorraging and yellow gook leaks out.

whatever that is on the glass has more of a solid tube with a hollow center. tubeworm tubes on the glass look like that, like look real close at those spirorbitids even. they look like that

at first glance, those branches to the right look like typical caulerpa shoots for sure

also, holdfasts can't cement to glass, they only hold fast, so that's why in my first post, I ran with the sum total of all the weird "grows in the dark" things and it seems like an animal.

that's why, I just can't go with it being caulerpa

if it is algae, I would say it is a piece of dead red macro, something with a more solid structure

BUT if he says they are growing everywhere like that, back to the animal argument.

Colin · 06/28/2007, 08:20 AM

OK, my second guess would be some sort of sponge or tunicate. Whatever it is, I doubt it killed the scallop.

--Colin

Travis L. Stevens · 06/28/2007, 08:26 AM

It looks like it might be a sponge or a formaniferan.

Travis L. Stevens · 06/28/2007, 09:25 AM

I just re-read the thread. Can I change my guess to Caulerpa roots?

reefing102 · 06/28/2007, 11:02 AM

i used to have it but then they just went away. never figured out what it was so i just left it as is. never harmed anything

06/27/2007, 06:46 PM	#1
franv Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: ireland Posts: 182	can u help ID this? hi everyone, a friend of mine from a local fish club is a bit worried about this in his tank... heres what he wrote on our local forum "Can anyone ID this for me. quite a bit of it has started to turn up in my sump. Some on the glass and some raped around the base of my caulerpa. Recently a flame scallop died and my Amonia and Nitrite rose quite a bit. It is only since then that this started to turn up. " any help would be greatly appreciated. fran

06/27/2007, 07:00 PM	#2
Frick-n-Frags Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: north central OH Posts: 10,740	OK, just anecdotal fuel powered surmizing here, BUT... I believe you are associating two very unrelated events. whatever that is, it smells like a subtle filterfeeding something that will never have any major impact on the tank regarding trashing the water chemistry or killing things. even the bristle worm likes it. __________________ Only Dead fish swim with the current. Current Tank Info: 2 50 gal tanks, sump, still BB

06/27/2007, 07:01 PM	#3
T Man ~PPPPPPP~ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Emerald City Posts: 1,045	There are several things to ID in this picture, but this is what I see. Spirorbid worms, a Bristle worm and a fragment of Grape Caulerpa, all of which are common in sumps. TinMan __________________ He that can have patience can have what he will. ~ Benjamin Franklin Current Tank Info: click the "TzFuture" folder in my profile

06/27/2007, 07:02 PM	#4
Frick-n-Frags Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: north central OH Posts: 10,740	that is not algae. look closely at the part attached to the glass __________________ Only Dead fish swim with the current. Current Tank Info: 2 50 gal tanks, sump, still BB

06/28/2007, 08:00 AM	#9
Frick-n-Frags Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: north central OH Posts: 10,740	caulerpa "vines" are made of large single cells. they are completely round in cross-section. any disruption causes a hemorraging and yellow gook leaks out. whatever that is on the glass has more of a solid tube with a hollow center. tubeworm tubes on the glass look like that, like look real close at those spirorbitids even. they look like that at first glance, those branches to the right look like typical caulerpa shoots for sure also, holdfasts can't cement to glass, they only hold fast, so that's why in my first post, I ran with the sum total of all the weird "grows in the dark" things and it seems like an animal. that's why, I just can't go with it being caulerpa if it is algae, I would say it is a piece of dead red macro, something with a more solid structure BUT if he says they are growing everywhere like that, back to the animal argument. __________________ Only Dead fish swim with the current. Current Tank Info: 2 50 gal tanks, sump, still BB

06/28/2007, 06:18 AM	#6
Colin Registered Member Join Date: May 2000 Location: Oklahoma City Posts: 848	Don't flame scallops normally die? IIRC, they're hard to keep. As for the picture, I don't see anything deadly there. The big branchy white thing looks like a caulerpa holdfast. Then there's the bristle worm and the chiton. --Colin

06/28/2007, 06:38 AM	#7
franv Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: ireland Posts: 182	im pretty sure its the big branchy white thing he's worried about...whats caulpera holdfast? a frag so to speak?

06/28/2007, 06:39 AM	#8
Colin Registered Member Join Date: May 2000 Location: Oklahoma City Posts: 848	Caulerpa holdfast = "root". --Colin

06/28/2007, 08:20 AM	#10
Colin Registered Member Join Date: May 2000 Location: Oklahoma City Posts: 848	OK, my second guess would be some sort of sponge or tunicate. Whatever it is, I doubt it killed the scallop. --Colin

06/28/2007, 08:26 AM	#11
Travis L. Stevens Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Perry, OK Posts: 13,946	It looks like it might be a sponge or a formaniferan. __________________ Travis Stevens Current Tank Info: Restarting 28g Bowfront

06/28/2007, 09:25 AM	#12
Travis L. Stevens Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Perry, OK Posts: 13,946	I just re-read the thread. Can I change my guess to Caulerpa roots? __________________ Travis Stevens Current Tank Info: Restarting 28g Bowfront

06/28/2007, 11:02 AM	#13
reefing102 Who Am I Here? Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Central Ohio Posts: 1,155	i used to have it but then they just went away. never figured out what it was so i just left it as is. never harmed anything __________________ Shane Life's a climb... but the view is great. ______________________________ Current Tank Info: 2.5 Gallon Nano