Help identifying growth/creature on liverock?

supxsami · 10/16/2014, 08:16 PM

Hi there, so ill give you a little background on my tank. I received my tank from a friend a little over a year ago. Its a teeny 15 gallon. (In the process of building a bigger set up). Ive got a nano skimmer, regular sponge filter keeping it clean, and 20lbs of live rock. Now about 1/3rd of my live rock came with the tank, from petco. The rest I purchased from my LFS, it was labeled fiji premium live rock. I added this about 1 month ago, all is great! As for inhabitant I have two clowns, a gold banded coral shrimp, two Halloween hermit crabs, a pencil urchin and sebae anenome (got it 75% off at petco, learned what "bleached" was shortly after. Ive had him two months now and have been target feeding every other day. Its slowllly turning purple so I think hes out of the danger zone!!)

Anyways, Ive spent a bunch of time researching what sort of things came attached to it because it is quite a medley of things. Ive determined I've got lots of macro algae, some sponges, an unfortunate aipatasia anemone which ill be looking to get rid of, and some spaghetti worms!

However there are two things I cant identify. The one I am most interested in I have attached pictures of. It reacts and closed its tubes if touched, but is somewhat rigid. Any insight is welcome!

supxsami · 10/16/2014, 08:27 PM

Posted in the stickied thread for identifying hitchhikers. I cant figure out how to delete this one though.

cloak · 10/16/2014, 10:36 PM

Two different sponges & an aiptasia?

supxsami · 10/17/2014, 04:34 AM

Hey thanks for your feedback, I know there is aiptasia in the background. That one was easy to figure out haha. I'm curious about the purple/maroon thing right in the middle of the picture.

Its growing out of the side of the rock, and sort of splits in half near its top and has two points/tubular openings. These tube like things close if its touched. The whole thing doesnt jump up and walk away but its deffinately reacting to stimulus.

I dont know anything about sponges, do they move? It doesnt look like any of the sponges i have in the tan or that I've seen pictures of?

supxsami · 10/17/2014, 04:40 AM

I tried a picture with flash, and it immediately closed up on me.

Sugar Magnolia · 10/17/2014, 05:43 AM

Answered in Pix and ID...tunicate.

10/17/2014, 05:43 AM	#6
Sugar Magnolia Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Northern VA Posts: 17,691	Answered in Pix and ID...tunicate. __________________ Adrienne The only thing to fear is fear itself....and spiders.

10/16/2014, 08:27 PM	#2
supxsami Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Posts: 8	Posted in the stickied thread for identifying hitchhikers. I cant figure out how to delete this one though.

10/16/2014, 10:36 PM	#3
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	Two different sponges & an aiptasia?

10/17/2014, 04:34 AM	#4
supxsami Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Posts: 8	Hey thanks for your feedback, I know there is aiptasia in the background. That one was easy to figure out haha. I'm curious about the purple/maroon thing right in the middle of the picture. Its growing out of the side of the rock, and sort of splits in half near its top and has two points/tubular openings. These tube like things close if its touched. The whole thing doesnt jump up and walk away but its deffinately reacting to stimulus. I dont know anything about sponges, do they move? It doesnt look like any of the sponges i have in the tan or that I've seen pictures of?

10/17/2014, 04:40 AM	#5
supxsami Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Posts: 8	I tried a picture with flash, and it immediately closed up on me.