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FAQs about Live Rock Hitchhiker/Creature Identification 18
Related Articles: Live Rock, Reef
Systems, Refugiums,
Related FAQs:
Live Rock, Answering Some LR FAQs by James Fatherree,
LR Hitchhiker ID 1, LR Hitchhiker ID 2,
LR Hitchhiker ID 3, LR Hitchhiker
ID 4,
LR Hitchhiker ID 5,
LR ID 6, LR
ID 7, LR ID 8,
LR ID 9, LR ID 10,
LR ID 11, LR ID 12, LR
ID 13,
LR ID 14, LR ID 15,
LR ID 16, LR ID17,
LRID
19,
LRID 20, & Non-Vert IDs 1,
Tubeworm ID, Polychaete
Identification, Live Rock 1,
LR 2, LR 3, LR 4,
LR 5, Curing Live Rock,
Live Rock Selection,
Shipping/Moving, Placement,
Lighting, Water Quality,
Live Rock Studies in Fiji Collaboration &
Charts, Copper Use, Marine
Landscaping, Marine Biotope, Sumps,
Refugiums, Faux
Rock, |  |
Re: Florida Liverock and the unsuspecting Novice... Shades of
Doug Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide..." "Sir, HHs... Hmmmm"> 04/02/09
Bob (or other crew member)
<Ave Marci>
I checked out the PowerPoint on hitchhikers you mentioned on your last
response and found it interesting. It would have been nice to be there
to hear the discussion to fill in some gaps, but it was interesting
nonetheless.
<Mmm, I do so wish that technology... or my grasp of what is likely
already available/application-wise here... was a bit further on. I have
given a few presentations (.ppt) on this topic/subject, some of which
were videotaped, including said discussions... I would post these for
review if I knew how><<Oh, and I will post the "article version", after
it runs in the pulp press... as usual>>
I also decided to use some of my monthly 'tank budget' to buy your book,
Conscientious Marine Aquarist. That should have come with the tank. Its
very informative and really geared to someone with my level of
experience, more so than the other books adorning the bookcase.
<Is designed for beginner to intermediates... with enough (I hope) lead
ins to encourage folks going further>
Since I sent the last email, I've decided to go hunting in the tank for
some of these bad critters. In the last 2 weeks, I've used various
methods including water bottle traps, clear glass with food in the
bottom, commercial traps, and even using fishing line with some bait on
it to lure unsuspecting critters out of the rock so I could pick them
off with tongs; which is my favorite - instant gratification!.
<Heeee! Oft cited as a "western" trait, methinks this encompasses all
humans, perhaps I'll venture a bit further and say all Primates>
In addition to the multitudes of critters I've taken out over the last 9
months since getting the rock, I caught 13 xanthid crabs (I'm using the
term generically here for any crab that's hairy, black-clawed, and
downright ornery),
<Good desc.>
removed 10 more whelks - Gemophos tinctus, I believe, and one small
mantis shrimp. Last night, I saw my
lovely Eunicid worm attacking a serpent star once again and decided it
had to go.
<"Go go Godzilla">
It required moving half the live rock to the other side of the tank and
some digging in the sandbed, but I was successful. I had only seen about
6 inches of this worm at any one time before, but now that its out, it
measures over 2 feet!
<Now that's a worm! Leto III?>
So, the tank is more peaceful, but I still have crabs I don't want in
there - the ones I can see, at least, seem a bit smarter than the others
- and perhaps a bit smarter than me. I've also seen 2 more Eunicid worms
that may or may not be good, may or may not grow to 2'+ in length. The
tank still clicks and pops, I've got more mantis in there or pistol
shrimp - which I understand also may or may not be good. And given the
number of whelks I've found, and the small size of some, I'd say they
reproduced and many more are in there somewhere.
<A possibility for sure>
As I mentioned previously, I'm fairly patient, and I haven't purchased
any livestock for the tank in the way of corals or other sessile
inverts. I've only got the 3 anemones and gorgonian that came with the
rock in there. So, I'm in a position where I can break down the tank
fairly easily and can move good critters to my refugium or QT for a
while if necessary.
<Good>
Since the tank seems to be overrun with nasties, and I don't feel its
fair to introduce more livestock into an environment where they could
potentially be food, what options do I have?
<Keeping up the predator (that's you) pressure>
I've read about freshwater dips for live rock to chase out bad guys.
What happens to the rock when I do this?
<Some other "stuff"/life gets stressed... hopefully not too much>
Am I going to kill the good bacteria and coralline growing on it?
<Mmm, decidedly not... these are very tough, resilient... and if only
"some" is left somewhere in the system and conditions are propitious,
"they'll be baaaack">
I've also heard of just filling the tank with freshwater for a few days,
and pretty much starting over.
<Mmm, nah. Don't do this>
I'm OK with that if its my only option. I understand that there's always
the chance to introduce something in the future, miss something no
matter what level of effort I employ, and that sometimes variety is just
plain fun... But, I'd rather get my tank to a known state, instead of
adding new critters only to find out I need to break down the live rock
again to remove a 2' long predatory worm, or watch my invert population
slowly and inexplicably dwindle.
Thank you again for all of the help!
<And you for communicating so well... T'were it me, mine, I'd go ahead
with whatever slow, steady stocking plan you're devising... And not be
overly concerned with the "nasties" as you call them here... The
universe is not as didactic as it is oft-presented... in this case,
there are always some undesireables coming, going... best to be aware,
vigilant, but otherwise take all in stride, enjoy while, what you can...
ignore as much as you can't otherwise remove easily. Entiendes? BobF>
Live Rock Book? 3/16/09
hi my name is Liz ...
<Hello Liz, I see your "shift key" isn't working on your PC.>
i was wondering if there is a book that shows the different types of
live rock and that really goes into depth on the microscopic organisms
that grow on them....??
<None that I am aware of that deal specifically on what you're looking
for.
Bob and other crew members may know of one.>
thanks....
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
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Emailing: marine life 049, marine
life 047, SW alg ID 3/15/09
Hi everyone, I'm a new at this - and totally intrigued by all that grows on
live rock! Can anyone identify this growth on my live rock. Its growing in
my Aquapod 24 gal with metal halide light, which was set up for
4 months ago, and it appeared about two months ago - and growing. Is it safe
to leave in tank? Thanks. EG
Your message is ready to be sent with the following file or link
attachments:
marine life 049
marine life 047
<Hello. This is a marine alga from the genus Padina, know colloquially as
"scroll algae". It is safe? Much like any other alga, in small quantities
it's attractive and interesting, but if conditions favour the algae compared
with other encrusting organisms, it will take up the available "ecological
space" and can become a pest.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/brnalgae.htm
Cheers, Neale.>
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Re: Emailing: marine life 049,
marine life 047 3/16/09
Thanks Neal.
<Most welcome.>
I'll leave the 'scroll' algae in for now and keep watching it for signs of
'invasion'. There are two groups of three, about 3/4 of an inch high at
present, and growing on a piece of live rock that is detached from the main
body of live rock in the tank; would be easy to remove if the need arises.
Also, the day after I took these photos, I found a Turbo snail eating part
of one of the scrolls (good to know).
<Indeed! Sea urchins will also eat them.>
Again, thanks for the info! I'm a frequent visitor to Wet Web Media , and
I'm always impressed with your vast knowledge base! EG
<Ah, in this case the benefit of having been a marine biologist some time
ago. Mostly a freshwater fishkeeper nowadays! Cheers, Neale.> |
Miracle Mud And C-Balance Not Balanced 2/16/09
ID Of Critters On
Live Rock
Hey guys,
<Hello Steven>
I have a few
questions for you and I would also like you to ID something in my
tank. Let me give you a tiny bit of background before I get started.
I have a 55 gallon reef right now and I would like to upgrade to a
200 gallon
reef when I move out :) . I am making some changes in
my 55 gallon reef to test out some new things before I implement
them on a larger scale. Right now I use the Berlin method of
filtration with an AquaC Remora Pro for
skimming, RowaPhos to
remove the extra phosphates, and C-Balance to keep the calcium and
alkalinity in check. In my new tank I would like to try to keep the
maintenance cost down so I figured why not try out for Miracle Mud…
I figured I could save some money on C-balance and maybe not even
use a calcium reactor. Here is the problem: I put the Miracle Mud in
the Aquafuge with some Chaeto and reduced the amount of C-balance
that I added by around half. The calcium level is going up but the
alkalinity is going down. My calcium is around 470 and the
alkalinity is around 2.8 mEq/L. I called Ecosystem and they said
that the mud won't boost the alkalinity as much as the calcium. I
called Two Little Fishes and asked them if I could use more of part
B to balance things out and they told me never to do that.
They
told me to always add equal amounts of part A and B. I have been
using some reef buffer by Seachem to keep the alkalinity raised
instead. Is this a viable long term solution? Will I end up problems
down the line using the
combination of C-balance, Miracle Mud,
and Reef Buffer?
<This is one of the reasons I do not like using
Part A/B products. I'm for dosing a la carte, supplement
individually when required. Your 2.8meq/L reading is just fine.>
Next Question... I am using the Aquafuge medium with a 404 mini pump
(for additional flow) and the 24 watt light that it comes with. Even
with the extra flow from the 404 mini I am still having problems
with algae covering the mud and Chaeto. It is getting so annoying
that I am thinking of selling the fuge and going back to using
C-balance exclusively.
<The mud isn't what is causing the algae
problem, it is excessive nutrients in the water.
I've used the
Ecosystem Fuge and I did not have any algae problems due to the
Miracle Mud.>
I sent you a picture of the Aquafuge so you can get
an idea of my setup. Did I put too much Chaeto in the Aquafuge?
<I think so, half of that would be good. You may want to read the
FAQ's here on Miracle Mud filtration.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/mudfiltrfaqs.htm>
Should I add another
mini pump to get some more flow? I am not really happy with this
setup-up compared to the old
method of just adding C-balance. Can
you let me know where I went wrong? I don't want to have problems
like this in my new setup.
<You never mentioned nitrate levels,
stocking levels...what are they?>
Now I have one more question. I
found a website that sells a 3 part Calcium-Alkalinity dosing
product that is really really cheap. I could use it in the 200
gallon aquarium without worries that it will get excessively
expensive. Can you let me know if it is a reputable brand? I can get
10 gallons of each part for 90 bucks.
http://www.tbaquatics.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=100
<I've never heard of it. Try posting this on one of the reef forums.
On another note, I'm not a big fan of adding calcium and buffer
simultaneously. Is better to dose on separate days.>
If this is
the same as C-balance then it's a great deal.
<Can't help you
much here, best to post. I prefer to use products like Seachem,
Tropic Marin, etc, and buy in the larger sizes which makes it more
economical to use.>
Last thing I promise. There are two things in
my tank I was hoping you could ID for me. I have some sponge looking
things that are growing in low light areas of the tank and also
little white circles that are appearing my rocks. I have included
pictures.
<Pictures are too blurry, but I’m thinking they are a
sponge of some type.>
Thanks!
<You’re welcome. James (Salty
Dog)
Steve |   |
Gray stuff 02/09/09
Hi Guys,
<Michael>
It's been a
while since I wrote to you guys, I guess no news is good news, right?
<Possibly... or a dearth of novelty, excitement, challenge...>
Well,
I do have a problem now, I have this gray fuzzy stuff growing on my
rocks, my powerheads and on the walls of my tank. I have searched high
and low on the site and the only thing I can find that resembles mine is
on this page: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/lridfaq11.htm written on
6/28/06.
It's a 150G tank with sump wet/dry, Aqua-C 180 skimmer.
History of my tank is that it was running perfectly healthy for 3 years,
housing a volitans, porcupine puffer and California round spotted
stingray. I had a pipe leak in my kitchen that flooded my house.
<Yikes!>
Long story short is that my house needed to be restored due
to the flood water damage. The contractors that restored my home did not
cover the tank tops and got paint in the tank. It took a little over a
week before the contaminants wiped out the 3 in my tank. I had a gray
fuzz infestation that followed. I left the tank uninhabited for 3 years.
Last year I decided I wanted to get that tank back up and running and
cleaned the tank out and got everything going again. To this day, I have
not added any fish, because this gray fuzzy stuff has come back and I
don't want it to cause any more deaths in the tank. Since it is fuzzy,
my first guess is that it is fungal and not an algae.
<Likely a
mix... broad... of various small life... including algae, other
protists...>
I recently ran copper treatment in the tank, and that
wiped out the 8 snails I added in the tank as a clean up crew, which I
suspected might happen. Do you have any idea what this is or what I can
do to eliminate it?
<Mmm, I'd either add more, some new live rock on
top of it directly... Or bleach what is there presently and add some new
LR...>
I'm about ready to just nuke the entire tank and system with
bleach water and start all over again.
<Oh! This is what I would do
as well>
I'd really hate to do that and waste all that salt water and
RO/DI water,
<Mmm, don't have to if you want... but I would toss it,
rinse a few times with tap...>
but if I have to, then that is what
will have to happen. Thanks again and keep up the great work on the
site!
Michael
P.S. If the attached picture isn't too clear, I can
try to take another one.
<Is clear enough... Your system has issues
with solubility of the "old" hard materials present, a lack of
biodiversity... The best, shortest repair approach... bleach, rinse,
rinse, refill, some new gravel and rock. Bob Fenner> |
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Unknown Polka Dot Blob?, 8/18/08
Hi all you wonderful people!
<Hello>
I have been scouring images until my eyes feel like they are
going to fall out & wonder if you can point me into the right
direction... I honestly try to find it on my own, so as not to bother
you, until I give up! Was thinking it could be a poriferan, then
ascidian, tunicate, egg sac, etc. I see a couple pieces of bubble algae
real close. Can the bubble algae turn into a polka dotted blob? Just
kind of wondering if I should scrub it off?
<Is most likely a species
of Botryocladia, fairly common. Like the more common green bubble algae,
it can overgrow a tank if allowed to.>
Thanks in advance for being so
darn smart - you will most likely know what it is right off the bat!
<Hardly, just happen to get a related query a few days ago.>
Judy
<Chris> | 
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strange clam-like object on live rock -08/05/08
I have a piece of
Fiji live rock that has a strange clam-looking thing attached to the
inside of a hole in the rock. It is usually partially open, but when you
slightly bump it with something it clamps tight against the rock. I have
attached four pictures...3 of it open and 1 of it closed.
<Hmm, it's
hard to tell from the photos, but they look like hitch-hiker
oysters/bivalves or possibly tunicates. Please browse the following
links (and their associated ID/FAQs pages):
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bividfaqs.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/invertidfaqs.htm>
I have circled it with
an orange circle. I was curious if you know what it is and if it is
harmful to my other tank inhabitants.
<Seems highly improbable that
they're harmful... likely just harmless common hitchhikers.>
I have a
Clarkii clownfish and a Sebae anemone in with it.
<Best,
Sara M.> | 
Is a bivalve. RMF
|
Unidentified Intruder: Sponge – 7/29/08
Hey guys,
<Hi
Angie, Lynn here this morning.>
I have a 125 gallon saltwater
tank, have had it for two years.
<Nice size.>
In December, I
moved an hour away and to move it, we tore it completely down and
restarted it (our only choice).
<Bet that was fun!>
I set it
back up as soon as we moved in, and have not put any livestock or
plants or corals back in it since. It only contains a few tiny
snails and a random hermit crab here and there. They are thriving on
the small amount of algae that has grown, so we aren't putting any
food at all in the tank, nor are any of the lights in the tank on at
all.
<Okay>
This week I have decided it's finally time to get
some fish for it, so I was doing a final cleaning and check over,
and found this in the tank. I do not remember it being there even
recently, so it had to have grown literally in the last few days. It
is white/translucent in color, is about 2-3 inches tall, and seems
to be stiff, it does not wave in the water. It has smaller
"tentacle" like protrusions at the base, as well as the one main
tentacle. I am curious to see if it is something that possibly
survived the move, and the 6 months with no food and no light.
<Yep, it’s a neat/harmless little sponge/Poriferan that survived and
eventually took off when conditions became favorable. They’re tough
little guys that don’t need light - just some current, nutrients in
the water, lack of predation, and they’re happy campers!>
Previous to the move, we had a few smaller damsels, two serpent
stars, shrimp, crabs, snails, and a few Condy and flower anemones.
The Condy is what it looks like the most to me, but I am no expert!
Any idea what it could be and do you think it will be detrimental to
any fish or corals I put in it?
<No worries, it's just a neat
little addition to the biodiversity within your system. For more
information, please see these links:
Second Query down, titled
“Help with Sponge ID 8/31/06”:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/spongeidfaq4.htm
Query: “Help to
Identify – Sponge 4/19/08”: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/spgidf7.htm
Here’s the main WWM page (see links at the top of the page as well)
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/sponges.htm
Thanks, Angie
<You’re
very welcome. Take care, -Lynn> | 
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Green Substance, the Jimmies, now don't you hear me? ID guessing
07/07/08
Hi! We're preparing to move our tank and have been
watching a "growth" that's dark green and frankly looks like the ice
cream "jimmies" or "sprinkles". It started on the top spot of one of the
rocks and recently another patch showed up on another rock. I checked
the Marine Atlas but can't determine if this is algae, or what and above
all else is it something to get rid of? Thanks in advance for your help!
Bill
<Perhaps a pic? Too much of a guessing game with the little
info. provided... You have read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/marinvind1.htm
at the top.
Bob Fenner>
What is this on my live rock? 07/07/08
Ok I was moving around
my larger live rock getting ready to move it to my new 120 reef
aquarium and found 7 of these things on the back part of a rock. It
came from a always dark area, and I just wanted to make sure they
are ok, and not bad. I thought it might be some kind of mollusk, but
was told to ask you.
Thanks,
Clint & Ashley
<Hello Clint &
Ashley! Looks like some species of Spondylus (or "thorny oyster") to
me. These are cemented (i.e., non-motile) scallops. Spondylus have a
scallop-like build, but one valve is cemented to the rock and both
valves bear spoon-like projections that trap algae and sponges and
help to camouflage the animal. Could possibly be Chama spp. though;
a similar organism known as the "jewel box oyster" though if I
recall correctly it is not a member of the oyster/scallop order
Pterioida but some sort of Veneroida. Chama spp. can be recognised
by the very deep valve cemented to the rock with a small moveable
lid-like valve on top (hence "jewel box"). I remember seeing one of
these in a reef tank my father had at home during the 1980s. Seemed
to be very hardy and lasted for years without any specific care,
though I don't offer that as expert advice on maintenance! Cheers,
Neale.> |
Good guess/resp. RMF |
Black growth on coralline algae... no pix 6/22/08
Hello,
<Hi there>
I have a 1.5 year old predominately SPS tank
with great coralline algae growth. Recently, some black growth has
increasingly begun to appear on some of my live rock overtaking the
coralline algae. I believe I may have imported this unwelcomed growth on
a frag plug a couple of months ago. It appears as if the coralline algae
is decaying into this black growth. The entire back wall of the aquarium
which is covered with healthy coralline algae seems unaffected by this
black growth however I feel it's a matter of time before it succumbs to
the same fate. My corals do not seem affected at this time continue to
thrive. Any suggestions on what this is and how I can eradicate it?
Thanks
Darrell
<Photos would be of great help here... Likely this
is mainly a blue-green algae growth... Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/marine/maintenance/index.htm
Scroll down to
Algae, BGA... Bob Fenner>
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