Identify Liverock hitchhiker's

[Quartapound]

Hello everyone at RC,

I recently inherited a 10 gallon saltwater tank with an ocellaris clownfish, and a blue damsel.

It's my first SW setup, and I've been reading a LOT over the past few weeks. I'm interested in getting my fish more comfortable, so I've setup a 29 gallon tank, It's had saltwater in it for a few weeks now and I picked up 30 lbs of Fiji liverock from my LFS, showed up on a Friday as he was closing and a shipment had just been dropped off(straight from the airport), and I got first pick! The rocks still smelled like a fresh ocean.

I have picked up a Coralife SS 65 protein skimmer a few days ago, and it's working beautifully.


I'm keeping an eye on ammonia, PH, nitrates, salinity, haven't seen any major fluctuations.

I have my water at 81 to aide curing the rock...

I'm keeping my fish in the 10 gallon until I get the 29 all set-up, when the live rock is done doing it's thing.


although I'm already starting to see critters!

What I believe to be a Spionid worm, and I'm really not sure about the other, maybe an anemone?

can you guys help out!?

looks like a little red ball with hairs growing out of it,

http://i.imgur.com/hmDHGh.jpg


and this one sucks back into the rock when you shine light at it

http://i.imgur.com/RlJTAh.jpg



Thanks in advance guys,

excited to see what I'll find next.

[Lynnmw1208]

no idea about the first one.

the second one is a peanut worm. harmless scavenger :) they don't like light.

[papagimp]

Welcome to RC :) and congrats on your new tank ^^

I've never dealt with peanut worms so didn't know that, but cool find, as for that first pic, no freakin' idea whatsoever lol, but it's interesting. It certaintly does look like a little ball with hair doesn't it :P Think you could get a better lit picture of it?

[teishokue]

im more worried for that clownfish with that damsel later on

[StephLionfish]

Does the first thing move? I have some things that look like that attached to my live rock, only mine are a real deep pink. They hold the "spines" out for a couple of days, and crud gets hung, then they pull the "spines" in to feed. Harmless filter feeders. Not sure if it's what you have, but that's the first thing I thought when I saw your pic...

[Ron Reefman]

im more worried for that clownfish with that damsel later on

Lets not scare the guy with worries that may never happen. He's brand new to saltwater. And not every damsel is 'too' agressive. I have a big black velvet damsel in my reef and it isn't agressive at all. It gets along fine with 2 clowns, a rabbit fish, pj cardnial, purple tang, coral beauty, royal gramma, blenny and more.

Quartapound, the concern is that damsels are, in general, quite agressive. In time it may start to 'harass' the clown. It may not happen, but it good that teishokue brought up the point and now you are aware and can watch for issues.

BTW, I have no idea what the first one is. I love strange critters and look forward to seeing if anybody else does.

Good luck and welcome to RC

[Quartapound]

I'll try and see if I can get a picture with better light, my digital camera sucks... (Fuji XP15.. although it's waterproof, I was tempted to just put it in the tank to take a picture before I thought twice.)

The Damsel I have is pretty docile. When I got the tank it had a striped damsel as well, which was incredibly aggressive, and got rid of him immediately. the clownfish had actually become aggressive to defend himself. I brought him to a LFS and they gave me two small hermit crabs and a turbo snail for him. the chemistry in the tank between fish is much better now, nobody chasing or nipping at eachother, the clownfish has become more docile again. (the blue damsel was actually the most timid of the 3)

Stephlionfish,

What your describing is very similar to what I've seen, the little ball is a much brighter pink than what the picture shows.... thinking that's what it is also.

thanks!

[Quartapound]

okay guys, it's been 3 weeks now, starting to see a lot more signs of life on the rock!

I just spotted two mysid shrimp scurrying around my tank at lightspeed, (couldn't get them to hold still for the camera though)

I've also found a feather duster

there's a few more that I'm curious about however.


is this coralline algae, or something else?

http://i.imgur.com/TIZ39.jpg
another
http://i.imgur.com/RMIUk.jpg

in this picture, theres a little white "tree" growing downwards and pointing to the left, in the middle of the frame. I have a lot of them and they don't move.
http://i.imgur.com/Lnlbb.jpg


not sure about this one either

http://i.imgur.com/cyZJr.jpg

thanks again guys...

[StephLionfish]

1 and 2 are either tube worms...or the things I talked about in my tank. Not coralline.
3 is what I was talking about ;) Completely harmless. They pull those nets in to eat what they catch.
4 looks like a sponge...

Watch those things in 1 & 2, to see if they have a net like #3 does. It may take them a while.

[Quartapound]

thanks!