Help with ID Please

[ReefArtist]

I have some strange critters starting to show up in my tank that is about three weeks old now. Please help with ID- I can easily take them out now - haven't added anything but live rocks and sand.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/562/132223SpongeMaybeSM.jpg
Is this possibly a sponge?


http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/562/132223StrangeBeing2.jpg
This one is a bit scary - translucent body

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/562/132223OrangeWorm.jpg
Sorry this isn't clearer, but it seems to be a orange worm that lives in a curved shell of sorts.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/562/132223WhiteBarrelsm.jpg
The first arrow is pointing to a barrel shaped white being and the top is flat. The second arrow is pointing to a orange coral looking being that has grown about half an inch in the last two weeks.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/562/1322233_Red-stuff.jpg
This was IDed last week as a possible sponge. It has now grown some long hair and has grown some. It is very interesting.

Thank you for any information.

[desjardiniidj]

Sponge grows in very weird ways. The 1st pic may be sponge. The 2nd pic, well, I've never seen one of those before. Is it on the glass? It might be a mojano(glass) anemone. If its on the glass, can you get me a side view? If its a mojano, You can scrape it off the glass. Be careful not to tear it or it may spread. Joe's Juice takes care of them well, too. J.J. can kill coral though, so turn off pumps and be careful when treating. Pic#3 is a tube worm. The worst they can do is look ugly. They "spit out" a web that collects uneaten food. Pic#4, arrow#1 does look like sponge. Arrow#2 is hard to tell. Can you get a closer or clearer pic? It could be a couple things(I'm thinking). Poss. fire coral, gorgonian, or sponge. Maybe even a soft coral? Pic#5 is probably some type of sponge. Hopefully I helped a little. Anything else or any closer pics, let me know. D.J.

[boxfishpooalot]

the second pic looks like a jellyfish.

Seriously, I dont know, but ill give you a bump! :D

[Blown 346]

1st pic also looks like a sponge.

2nd pic is a jelly fish

3rd pic is a tube wormwhich are filter feeders

4th pic also looks like a type of sponge.

[ReefArtist]

Thanks for all the information- this is great. Here are some better photos and some new critters I'm not sure about.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/562/132223GlassThingSplittingSM.jpg
This is a new photo of the possible jelly fish - I think it's having babies and I need to get it out quickly!


http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/562/132223PossibleFireCoralsm.jpg
This is a new photo of the possible Fire Coral - it doesn't seem to be spreading just growing very slowly.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/562/132223RedAlgaesm.jpg
This is a new photo and I think it might be Red Algae - the bad stuff.



http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/562/132223RedAlgaeMaybeSM.jpg
This was identified as a birds nest coral a few weeks ago, but I'm still not sure. This is a better picture of it - what do you think?


http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/562/132223TubeWormsm.jpg
Here's a better picture of the Tube Worm - I've been watching this for a few weeks and I actually like it - as long as it not a bad worm!

Thanks for all the information. The thing on the glass has me worried - I think it has to go!

[ReefArtist]

OOPs - not sure why the other photos didn't show but the links do work - thanks for your time.

[Paintbug]

from the first set of pics.
1. could be a sponge, could be a cup coral, could be other things.
2. it looks like a jelly fish. looks like its multiplying as well from the other pic. not to worry to much, they dont last long in aquariums, unless specialized just for them.
3. pretty sure thats a vermetid snail, they are harmless filter feeders. ever see it spit out a web? ever see anything sticking out of the tube?
4. the white object looks like a type of sponge, not sure on the other. both of these probably will need to grow some before they can be IDed.

i dont think thats a birds nest coral. it appears to be an algae. possiblly Galaxaura sp.

[ReefArtist]

Thanks Paintbug - I would love for the first one to be a cup coral. I might just keep the "jelly fish" looking thing. As long as I can keep track of it I don't think I have anything to worry about. The id on the snail is great, now I have somewhere to start looking. I have seen it spit out a web. Not knowing what it was I was concerned it was multiplying but then I caught on what was happening. That’s what I was thinking about the birds nest coral and that’s the reason I posted it again. I kept looking at photos of the Galaxaura on the net and they did appear to be very similar. Thanks for all your information.

[Paintbug]

no problem! heres some info on vermetid snails. http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rs/index.php

it could be some type of tube worm as well. but honestly if you havent seen anything coming from the tube, its probably dead, and just the tube. what ever it is/was, its harmless.