New chunk of live rock, what are these things?

kendrid · 03/13/2013, 08:36 PM

I checked the hitchhiker guides but I can't identify these.

First up is this red stuff. It is hard and scrapes off (it is not soft/jelly like). Should I scrape all of it off?

Number two, the white/red thing appears to be a featherduster. What about the polyp looking thing?

Number three - a jellyish looking mass in the rock. Eggs of some sort?

Number four, I assume it's a yellow mushroom.

Number five - orangish things on the bottom of the rock:

Thanks!

Zimmer · 03/13/2013, 09:52 PM

i'm not an expert by any means but i think possibly i can help you out with some of these!

1-red coralline algae -only if not soft and "dusty" or "gooey" - this is good stuff!!
2-yes on feather worm, and to me that looks like a majano anemone? hard to tell with blurriness... if so, those are pest anemones and best killed or removed
3-again, hard to tell, but looks like a sponge - also good!
4-to me, kinda looks like a leaf of a macroalgae called halimeda... this is tough one for me someone more experienced might help more
5-no clue? possibly coral polyps? or little anemones? maybe try another pic closer up so we can get detail on those little things...

looks like you got some lively live rock

keep watching, stuff creeps out of there constantly!! sneak attack your tank with a flashlight at night, that's when the really cool stuff is out and about

SushiGirl · 03/13/2013, 09:53 PM

1. A type of coralline. I have the same kind.
2. Feather duster, and looks like a majano in that pic or a ball anemone. Majanos are bad, you'll want that gone.
3. Looks like a ball anemone (pseudocorynactis). I have trouble with these being a pest, but no one else seems to.
4. Can't tell from that pic.
5. Sponge.
The rest are foraminiferans, they're harmless.

I numbered by the actual pics, not your numbering. Sorry.

kendrid · 03/13/2013, 10:08 PM

Thanks for the replies. I took the rock out and with a hammer and screwdriver chopped off the Majano in photo 2.

Zimmer: try this URL:
http://i.imgur.com/QC6P10M.jpg
That is the photo full sized. Just a few minutes ago I saw a clear shrimp like thing swimming in my tank. I can see myself spending many nights just looking at the crazy life in my tank.

SushiGirl - when you say 'the rest are foraminiferans' do you mean pics 6-8? I am/was worried those are also Majanos.
Edit: I found this page: http://www2.fiu.edu/~goldberg/coralreefs/FORAM.html
That pretty much looks exactly like my big pic above in this post. Thanks!

Zimmer · 03/13/2013, 11:09 PM

Little clear shrimps are some type of copepod/amphipod/some type of 'pod, there are lots of different types some so tiny you can barely see or are microscopic... they are good to have, natural food source for many fish and inverts

SushiGirl · 03/14/2013, 12:30 PM

If they look like shrimp, they're amphipods.

03/13/2013, 08:36 PM	#1
kendrid Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Lake in the hills, IL Posts: 806	New chunk of live rock, what are these things? I checked the hitchhiker guides but I can't identify these. First up is this red stuff. It is hard and scrapes off (it is not soft/jelly like). Should I scrape all of it off? Number two, the white/red thing appears to be a featherduster. What about the polyp looking thing? Number three - a jellyish looking mass in the rock. Eggs of some sort? Number four, I assume it's a yellow mushroom. Number five - orangish things on the bottom of the rock: Thanks! Last edited by kendrid; 03/13/2013 at 09:18 PM.

03/13/2013, 09:52 PM	#2
Zimmer Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Chehalis, WA Posts: 263	i'm not an expert by any means but i think possibly i can help you out with some of these! 1-red coralline algae -only if not soft and "dusty" or "gooey" - this is good stuff!! 2-yes on feather worm, and to me that looks like a majano anemone? hard to tell with blurriness... if so, those are pest anemones and best killed or removed 3-again, hard to tell, but looks like a sponge - also good! 4-to me, kinda looks like a leaf of a macroalgae called halimeda... this is tough one for me someone more experienced might help more 5-no clue? possibly coral polyps? or little anemones? maybe try another pic closer up so we can get detail on those little things... looks like you got some lively live rock keep watching, stuff creeps out of there constantly!! sneak attack your tank with a flashlight at night, that's when the really cool stuff is out and about __________________ Newb for life. Current Tank Info: 90g mixed reef w/ two 16" Reefbreeders LED fixtures - wp25 & 1500gph ATB return pump - ATB 840 v2.0 skimmer

03/13/2013, 09:53 PM	#3
SushiGirl Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Fort Worth, TX USA Posts: 8,267	1. A type of coralline. I have the same kind. 2. Feather duster, and looks like a majano in that pic or a ball anemone. Majanos are bad, you'll want that gone. 3. Looks like a ball anemone (pseudocorynactis). I have trouble with these being a pest, but no one else seems to. 4. Can't tell from that pic. 5. Sponge. The rest are foraminiferans, they're harmless. I numbered by the actual pics, not your numbering. Sorry. __________________ Visit my Homepage or "My Albums" (via Profile) for hitchhiker pics. Current Tank Info: 55g softy/LPS tank & 20L reef tank

03/13/2013, 10:08 PM	#4
kendrid Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Lake in the hills, IL Posts: 806	Thanks for the replies. I took the rock out and with a hammer and screwdriver chopped off the Majano in photo 2. Zimmer: try this URL: http://i.imgur.com/QC6P10M.jpg That is the photo full sized. Just a few minutes ago I saw a clear shrimp like thing swimming in my tank. I can see myself spending many nights just looking at the crazy life in my tank. SushiGirl - when you say 'the rest are foraminiferans' do you mean pics 6-8? I am/was worried those are also Majanos. Edit: I found this page: http://www2.fiu.edu/~goldberg/coralreefs/FORAM.html That pretty much looks exactly like my big pic above in this post. Thanks! Last edited by kendrid; 03/13/2013 at 10:36 PM.

03/13/2013, 11:09 PM	#5
Zimmer Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Chehalis, WA Posts: 263	Little clear shrimps are some type of copepod/amphipod/some type of 'pod, there are lots of different types some so tiny you can barely see or are microscopic... they are good to have, natural food source for many fish and inverts __________________ Newb for life. Current Tank Info: 90g mixed reef w/ two 16" Reefbreeders LED fixtures - wp25 & 1500gph ATB return pump - ATB 840 v2.0 skimmer

03/14/2013, 12:30 PM	#6
SushiGirl Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Fort Worth, TX USA Posts: 8,267	If they look like shrimp, they're amphipods. __________________ Visit my Homepage or "My Albums" (via Profile) for hitchhiker pics. Current Tank Info: 55g softy/LPS tank & 20L reef tank