Pix & ID: Critters that come in your rocks: the good and the bad.

[NS Mike D]

Originally Posted by Ron Reefman

I'm pretty sure it's a sponge, and it's OK to keep. Odds are it won't want to grow out into the light too much.

That's what I thought, Thank you.

[cjmdh]

This little guy popped up and the zoas by it no longer open. Sponge? Or something else?



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[alcimedes]

I'm at page 152 right now of this thread, and through Sushigirl's ID pages, but at the rate I'm going, it was going to be another 2 or three days until I made it to the end. I wanted to verify which of these items on my rock I might want to remove.

I feel like after 150 pages, I can recognize aiptasia, bristle worms, fan feeders, pineapple sponges and majano anemones pretty well. The rest is still a learning experience.

However, after 30 years of freshwater tanks, I had a chance to pick up a nice saltwater tank and I've decided to take the plunge.

I picked up about 120# of live rock from a local hobbyist who was breaking their tank down, and had another order of 40# of live rock from an Amazon seller.

As I started reading through this thread, I recognized one or two items from my second order or rock. I'd like to verify that's what it is before I start cleaning it up though.

There were also a few misc. hitchhikers on the local live rock as well, and the person I got the rock from wasn't sure what they were.

I'm guessing since this is my first post it will get moderated.

1st photo, some kind of tube like plant/creature (1), along with stems that have a feathered, orange florescent top (2) Second photo is the same structures, from a different angle.





3rd photo

Elsewhere I did find bubble algae, but this looked different than that, but similar enough to double check. If the out of water photo doesn't cut it, I can find the same spot now that it's in the water.



Photo 4 Out of water photo of a similar structure as to what was in the first photo. This one is green, the other was more pink/green.



5. I *think* this is the remnants of the base of Caulerpa algae. Keep or clear out?



6 and 7. The following two anemone made the trip on the local live rock. Any positive ID?





Thanks for the amazing info in this thread. I was able to ID another 20 or so items based off of previous posts.

[alcimedes]

OK, posted some items to ID, but guessing since I'm a new user, the post will have to be approved. I wanted to edit one of my items, but since the post is awaiting approval I'm guessing I can't.

My other question was, is the general consensus that I'd want to be rid of any and all bubble algae in the tank, period?

[Ron Reefman]

Originally Posted by alcimedes

My other question was, is the general consensus that I'd want to be rid of any and all bubble algae in the tank, period?

You want to be rid of all bubble algae... absolutely! It's nothing but a PITA!

[alcimedes]

Originally Posted by alcimedes

I'm at page 152 right now of this thread, and through Sushigirl's ID pages, but at the rate I'm going, it was going to be another 2 or three days until I made it to the end. I wanted to verify which of these items on my rock I might want to remove.

I feel like after 150 pages, I can recognize aiptasia, bristle worms, fan feeders, pineapple sponges and majano anemones pretty well. The rest is still a learning experience.

However, after 30 years of freshwater tanks, I had a chance to pick up a nice saltwater tank and I've decided to take the plunge.

I picked up about 120# of live rock from a local hobbyist who was breaking their tank down, and had another order of 40# of live rock from an Amazon seller.

As I started reading through this thread, I recognized one or two items from my second order or rock. I'd like to verify that's what it is before I start cleaning it up though.

There were also a few misc. hitchhikers on the local live rock as well, and the person I got the rock from wasn't sure what they were.

I'm guessing since this is my first post it will get moderated.

1st photo, some kind of tube like plant/creature (1), along with stems that have a feathered, orange florescent top (2) Second photo is the same structures, from a different angle.





3rd photo

Elsewhere I did find bubble algae, but this looked different than that, but similar enough to double check. If the out of water photo doesn't cut it, I can find the same spot now that it's in the water.



Photo 4 Out of water photo of a similar structure as to what was in the first photo. This one is green, the other was more pink/green.



5. I *think* this is the remnants of the base of Caulerpa algae. Keep or clear out?



6 and 7. The following two anemone made the trip on the local live rock. Any positive ID?





Thanks for the amazing info in this thread. I was able to ID another 20 or so items based off of previous posts.

[alcimedes]

Anyone able to chime in on the photos?

[Sk8r]

They're puzzles, some of them, partly because they're in fragmentary form. Love the little disk with tentacles: coral, maybe, rather than nem. The whitish tucked in one could be a nem. I'd leave these to see what they become. Some of yours I have in my tank (brown fluffy growth) and have no idea what it is but have no problem with it. The pink is puzzling: could be green star polyp that grew without light (it's normally bright green and pink. And the green stuff is some sort of macro algae I'd drop hydrogen peroxide on after toothbrushing, so as not to have that spreading. It looks like a variety of caulerpa.

[H2Octopus]

What is the shell looking thing?

Thanks!

[H2Octopus]

Not sure if it uploaded correctly:

[H2Octopus]

It's not letting me edit/delete the mess ups lol. Hopefully this worked?

[neiltus]

This rock had some algae on it, the snails made quick work of most of it...now there are these little greenish things, some have holes in them...any ideas? The color does not look like the same green as the hair algae...

[Ron Reefman]

Hard to say as they are so small. My guess is sponges given they look to have holes like many sponges do for expelling water. Probably pineapple sponges which are common in newer tanks.

[joejenn06]

What kind of eggs?

[joshbrookkate]

Originally Posted by joejenn06

What kind of eggs?

I'm no expert but they can't be good!

[GXPKY]

Not sure about these crabs, there were 2 of them in my rock, put em in the sump anyways. Broke down my 29 at the barbershop and brought the livestock home, all I have ever added was an emerald crab and have never seen one a dark purple or blue before and both looked identical.



-Dennis

[anthonys51]

Originally Posted by Emmasmum

Attachment 353604

Can anyone tell me what this pink stuff is that is starting to appear on my live rock? Is it good or bad to have?

If your tank is a week old that's not coralline algae. Most like cryno. Not really good but normal to get in s new tank


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[FoxOne]

got three of those on one of my live rocks, wonder what they are. I'm hoping not Aiptaisia...

Grtz

[FoxOne]

[mullerjd]

Originally Posted by FoxOne

Looks like Aiptasia to me. Can you get a clearer picture?

[Horvath586]

New to RC. New to hobby. I love it so far. The information about little critters is awesome. I just started noticing more and more critters roaming around my tank and so far they all seem to be the good ones! Thanks for the info everyone!

[Ron Reefman]

Originally Posted by Horvath586

New to RC. New to hobby. I love it so far. The information about little critters is awesome. I just started noticing more and more critters roaming around my tank and so far they all seem to be the good ones! Thanks for the info everyone!

Welcome to the addiction and when you have a question, please don't be shy. Ask and you will be rewarded with a variety of answers! A friend in the hobby always says, "Ask a question about a marine aquarium and a dozen different people will give you 20 different answers!" That's not because they don't know, it's because there are so many ways to get things done in a marine aquarium.

Good luck.

[Hatonhed]

I just got live rock for my new tank today, I'm wondering what this tree looking thing is?

Thanks!

[Ron Reefman]

It looks like the start of a Kenya Tree coral. If you want an easy, fast growing soft coral; you've got one now. Many new reefers get one of these because they do grow fast and are easy to keep. I had it in my first tank. On the other hand, most reefers end up considering Kenya Tree coral to be the crab grass of the coral community because is is fast growing and can spread like a weed in the tank. If I saw it in my current tank I'd treat it like aiptasia and remove it.

Your choice as to whether you keep it or remove it. But it's certainly not harmful.

[Horvath586]

Originally Posted by Ron Reefman

Welcome to the addiction and when you have a question, please don't be shy. Ask and you will be rewarded with a variety of answers! A friend in the hobby always says, "Ask a question about a marine aquarium and a dozen different people will give you 20 different answers!" That's not because they don't know, it's because there are so many ways to get things done in a marine aquarium.

Good luck.

Thanks Ron! Yes I've noticed multiple different answers on any given topic. It's a little overwhelming but interesting at the same time. I used to have quite a few freshwater tanks and had a saltwater tank for a couple months years ago. I'm definitely new to reefing