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[amphipod]

That was too easy for you! How about this: mystery substance on a snail!

now you have a hard one, it is a red algae, but there are literally thousands of species of red algaes that look very similar to yours at a glance many people have been using the genus Gelidium as a catch all term for wiry red algaes. Sorry I don't have any further identification on this one, but to be honest there is so many species of red algae told apart be minute features at a microscopic level, like the presence of pit connections and pit plugs between cells, the size and shape of the pit connections and plugs, how their spores form, their holdfasts structure, microscopic structures on the surface, different chemicals produced etc. and really I don't think there's a soul on this site who has devoted their life to phycology, sorry

[HarryPotter]

now you have a hard one, it is a red algae, but there are literally thousands of species of red algaes that look very similar to yours at a glance many people have been using the genus Gelidium as a catch all term for wiry red algaes. Sorry I don't have any further identification on this one, but to be honest there is so many species of red algae told apart be minute features at a microscopic level, like the presence of pit connections and pit plugs between cells, the size and shape of the pit connections and plugs, how their spores form, their holdfasts structure, microscopic structures on the surface, different chemicals produced etc. and really I don't think there's a soul on this site who has devoted their life to phycology, sorry

 

Oh no need to apologize haha! I was just curious since this stuff ONLY grows on snails- none on rock.

 

Looking online, I see how asking for an ident on this is sort of impossible; Im looking at a list of over 60 types that (to me) look exactly the same!

[amphipod]

Oh no need to apologize haha! I was just curious since this stuff ONLY grows on snails- none on rock.

 

Looking online, I see how asking for an ident on this is sort of impossible; Im looking at a list of over 60 types that (to me) look exactly the same!

 

that is strange indeed, maybe this algae requires constantly changing currents, and since snails move all over in many different directions and strengths of current that is why it is only on snail shells?

 

I think it's kinda strange that all those different species can look so similar.

[ReefSafeSolutions]

So...I didn't want to start a whole new thread for this so I thought I'd just post here. This one is a bit more urgent, as I'm concerned I've stumbled upon baby aiptasia. I've discovered these hair-like, stringy things on the skeleton of my new hammer, which came from a tank with some aiptasia in it (I've found that both fish stores here have it in their tanks, I'm not sure if you can really avoid it?). Last night I noticed this:

 

 

Here's a picture without the red circles:

 

 

Baiscally, what I'ms seeing are a bunch of little nubs with a few hairlike things sticking out of them. They're very small and you'd only notice them if you were really looking hard at the skeleton. The question is, is this a normal growth for Euphyllia corals, or should I be worried that I've got a bunch of little aiptasia sprouting up on the skeleton??

 

If you can't really see the hairlike things let me know and I'll try to get a better shot.

[amphipod]

So...I didn't want to start a whole new thread for this so I thought I'd just post here. This one is a bit more urgent, as I'm concerned I've stumbled upon baby aiptasia. I've discovered these hair-like, stringy things on the skeleton of my new hammer, which came from a tank with some aiptasia in it (I've found that both fish stores here have it in their tanks, I'm not sure if you can really avoid it?). Last night I noticed this:

 

 

Here's a picture without the red circles:

 

 

Baiscally, what I'ms seeing are a bunch of little nubs with a few hairlike things sticking out of them. They're very small and you'd only notice them if you were really looking hard at the skeleton. The question is, is this a normal growth for Euphyllia corals, or should I be worried that I've got a bunch of little aiptasia sprouting up on the skeleton??

 

If you can't really see the hairlike things let me know and I'll try to get a better shot.

aiptasia really can't be described as hairlike, a better picture may be nice.

[ReefSafeSolutions]

Dang, it's really hard to get a good shot! I can only see it from one side of the tank and I can't find the better camera...here's a crappy, cropped iPhone picture with the blue light shining on the "bristles" so hopefully it will be a little easier to make out:

 

[amphipod]

Do the bristles look like little polyps? Or just bristles?

[ReefSafeSolutions]

The bristles do look like they are coming out of little tiny polyps...I need to locate a better camera and get a better shot, but I do believe there are little polyps. They almost look like they are new hammer polyp growths from the skeleton, but I've never seen something like the little bristles before. And since this came from a tank known to have aiptasia in it, I'm a little concerned. Can aiptasia grow on a coral that came from a tank with aiptasia, even if that coral doesn't have any growing on it? Or does there need to be aiptasia on the coral for it to spread to your tank?

 

I'll get a better shot of these things tomorrow and report back.

[amphipod]

Frag bases are good hat boring sites for Aiptasia, but nothing you have said even sounds like it's Aiptasia, it sounds a little bit like hydroid stage Leptomedusae ( thecate hydroids).

[ReefSafeSolutions]

OK here are the best pics I can get...the angle makes it tough but I found the good camera and got a decent couple of pictures:

 

 

 

I did a bit of research on hydroid stage Leptomedusae and came away a bit confused. Are these more or less...baby jellyfish? And are they reef safe, or am I looking at a potential problem?

 

Thanks for all the help, this is very interesting. I'm hoping these things are non-invasive and non-threatening to my system.

[amphipod]

OK here are the best pics I can get...the angle makes it tough but I found the good camera and got a decent couple of pictures:

 

 

 

I did a bit of research on hydroid stage Leptomedusae and came away a bit confused. Are these more or less...baby jellyfish? And are they reef safe, or am I looking at a potential problem?

 

Thanks for all the help, this is very interesting. I'm hoping these things are non-invasive and non-threatening to my system.

not hydroid , and thanks for the better picture, it looks much like a Spionid worm, check them out, they are good guys living in their little wormy tubes scavenging with their pair of tentacles, a few species can bore straight into calcium carbonate based substances, so their tube is actually in the hammer corals skeleton, pretty cool huh?

[Murphs_Reef]

not hydroid , and thanks for the better picture, it looks much like a Spionid worm, check them out, they are good guys living in their little wormy tubes scavenging with their pair of tentacles, a few species can bore straight into calcium carbonate based substances, so their tube is actually in the hammer corals skeleton, pretty cool huh?

Im Sorry. It if some one does give you a senior title soon.. I'll be livid.. I love your input. Period!

 

Totally confident that anything I have a problem with, you'll tell me what it is / where to start looking for answers / give me a resolve.

 

#bestSourceOfInfoOnNanoreef

[ReefSafeSolutions]

not hydroid , and thanks for the better picture, it looks much like a Spionid worm, check them out, they are good guys living in their little wormy tubes scavenging with their pair of tentacles, a few species can bore straight into calcium carbonate based substances, so their tube is actually in the hammer corals skeleton, pretty cool huh?

 

That's awesome!! I looked up the Spionid worm, and they do look very similar. Tough to tell since they are so small, but I won't worry much about these guys. Very cool how the tube is actually in the hammer skeleton. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and expertise!

 

 

 

So, Aiptasia...if there were no little ones growing on the hammer when I got it and everything appeared to be Aip-free, what are the chances of little guys sprouting up? (Since I know it came from a tank with Aiptasia in it...perhaps that in and of itself was a rookie mistake?)

[amphipod]

Im Sorry. It if some one does give you a senior title soon.. I'll be livid.. I love your input. Period!

Totally confident that anything I have a problem with, you'll tell me what it is / where to start looking for answers / give me a resolve.

#bestSourceOfInfoOnNanoreef

what do you mean give me a senior title?

 

I'm not the best, and I can't identify quite a few organisms, simple things like corals and anemones can still stop me, and most bivalves I can't identify, algae give me immense issues, I'm not the best.

That's awesome!! I looked up the Spionid worm, and they do look very similar. Tough to tell since they are so small, but I won't worry much about these guys. Very cool how the tube is actually in the hammer skeleton. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and expertise!

 

 

 

So, Aiptasia...if there were no little ones growing on the hammer when I got it and everything appeared to be Aip-free, what are the chances of little guys sprouting up? (Since I know it came from a tank with Aiptasia in it...perhaps that in and of itself was a rookie mistake?)

I'm glad I could help you here.

 

That depends, how high is the Aiptasia level in the other tank?

[ReefSafeSolutions]

It wasn't AWFUL, but you could clearly see they had Aiptasia...the frag tank in the back was about 3x8 feet (maybe 1-1.5 feet deep), so a pretty substantial system. The rack the hammers were all sitting on was maybe 1x3 feet, and on that rack, there were maybe 3-5 aiptasia, and a few of the hammer frags had one or two growing on them. The rest of the tank was probably similar...maybe 5-7 for every 1x3 section of the tank, if that makes sense. Maybe less than that?

 

To be honest, I didn't really examine how many there were all that closely, I was mostly concerned about getting a piece without any on it.

[Murphs_Reef]

what do you mean give me a senior title?

I'm not the best, and I can't identify quite a few organisms, simple things like corals and anemones can still stop me, and most bivalves I can't identify, algae give me immense issues, I'm not the best. I'm glad I could help you here.

That depends, how high is the Aiptasia level in the other tank?

I mean you deserve recognition. Simply put, you have provided me more understanding of any organism inside this subject than anyone else period. I have been around for years but recently only become a member of the forum. Your input has always been very useful.. And some times hobby saving!

[amphipod]

It wasn't AWFUL, but you could clearly see they had Aiptasia...the frag tank in the back was about 3x8 feet (maybe 1-1.5 feet deep), so a pretty substantial system. The rack the hammers were all sitting on was maybe 1x3 feet, and on that rack, there were maybe 3-5 aiptasia, and a few of the hammer frags had one or two growing on them. The rest of the tank was probably similar...maybe 5-7 for every 1x3 section of the tank, if that makes sense. Maybe less than that?

 

To be honest, I didn't really examine how many there were all that closely, I was mostly concerned about getting a piece without any on it.

just be watchful, but not paranoid, even if there is one or 2 little ones, it's not the end of the world, and realistically were all bound to encounter Aiptasia one way or another, little Aiptasia are transparent about 1.5-2 millimeters in height and tend to be where the light hits.

[amphipod]

I mean you deserve recognition. Simply put, you have provided me more understanding of any organism inside this subject than anyone else period. I have been around for years but recently only become a member of the forum. Your input has always been very useful.. And some times hobby saving!

thanks, it means a lot to me i want people to have knowledge, because that gives power.

[ReefSafeSolutions]

Many thanks again for the great information. I'll keep an eye out for any little Aiptasia that may spring up. You are the man!!

[amphipod]

Many thanks again for the great information. I'll keep an eye out for any little Aiptasia that may spring up. You are the man!!

keep me posted

[ReefSafeSolutions]

Will do...hopefully the little buggers don't stop popping up though! Thanks again!

[pmemmer]

OK, a few days ago, I posted about this guy:

 

alien closer with coral by Phil Memmer, on Flickr

 

Two days ago, I added sand to the tank... then, today, Mr. Sea Monster was visible and out in the open for the first time since I posted. I was unable to get a picture, since he was in a shady spot between two rocks. But what surprised me was his mouth. In the picture above, there are no tentacles etc. But today, the mouth (or "opening" I guess I should say now... who knows) had a ring of tentacles or similar protuberances, similar in a way to a feather duster, but small compared to the size of the worm... the worm is about 2-3 inches long, and the tentacles/feelers/whatever were about 1/2" long, about the size and basic appearance of the small feather dusters that pop out of live rock.

 

So now I'm really puzzled. Any ideas for a critter that looks like an eel, moves like a worm, and has feather-duster-like things sticking out of its face?

[amphipod]

OK, a few days ago, I posted about this guy:

 

alien closer with coral by Phil Memmer, on Flickr

 

Two days ago, I added sand to the tank... then, today, Mr. Sea Monster was visible and out in the open for the first time since I posted. I was unable to get a picture, since he was in a shady spot between two rocks. But what surprised me was his mouth. In the picture above, there are no tentacles etc. But today, the mouth (or "opening" I guess I should say now... who knows) had a ring of tentacles or similar protuberances, similar in a way to a feather duster, but small compared to the size of the worm... the worm is about 2-3 inches long, and the tentacles/feelers/whatever were about 1/2" long, about the size and basic appearance of the small feather dusters that pop out of live rock.

 

So now I'm really puzzled. Any ideas for a critter that looks like an eel, moves like a worm, and has feather-duster-like things sticking out of its face?

i got an idea, Sipuncula also commonly known as the peanut worm. Check if that is the beast. If so you are in great shape because they are good scavengers.

[pmemmer]

Pretty sure it isn't a peanut worm (it doesn't have that characteristic peanut worm shape). That said, I can't imagine a mouth like this on anything particularly carnivorous... though of course I'm hardly an expert.

 

Here's a pic... not great, but best I've been able to get since he's in a shadowy area. You can't see the feelers in detail, but at least you can get an idea of the size/shape:

 

worm with feelers by Phil Memmer, on Flickr

[amphipod]

Pretty sure it isn't a peanut worm (it doesn't have that characteristic peanut worm shape). That said, I can't imagine a mouth like this on anything particularly carnivorous... though of course I'm hardly an expert.

 

Here's a pic... not great, but best I've been able to get since he's in a shadowy area. You can't see the feelers in detail, but at least you can get an idea of the size/shape:

 

worm with feelers by Phil Memmer, on Flickr

really the peanut lumpy shape is mostly their defensive posture, touch the worm and see how he curls. Also the sort of retractable hair looking mouthpiece is a pretty big defining feature of the Sipuncula and Priapulida, it probably isn't Priapulida though because they usually are mud dwellers who make U shaped burrows, the mouthpiece of yours also looks more like a Sipuncula.