What is this?

[ReefingIsBelieving]

Hi all,

 

I am new to the forum and the Reefing game. I recently graduated myself from Freshwater as I was beginning to get bored basically.

 

I have recently set up a Pico Tank which will be my first Reef Tank and I am struggling to i.d something on the LR. I'll tell you a bit about how I got here first though as I and the tank are new.

 

Being the cautious person I am I decided to go small to begin with and began planning a 'Nano Reef' or what I have now come to learn may be described as a 'Micro Reef' using the Aqua One Aquanano 40, 55l. I chose this tank as I had been looking at this range anyway recently because I wanted a rimless, braceless tank and the clean lines of this range really appeal to me. And with its rear filtration chambers it would be perfect to set up a decent filtration system with the ability to change to a mini fuge in the future should it become necessary. Tbh I wish I'd just set up the fuge to begin with as it seems a much better system after further research but, we live and learn. I am currently running the fish less cycle on this tank now.

 

Anyway, during the planning and purchasing of this set up I stumbled across the TMC Microhabitat 15 and was interested straight away. Another nice clean looking little tank but, specifically designed for Marine habitats with all the kit for a mere £100? "I'm having it", I told myself. I thought it would be a great way to dip my toe shall we say. Boom! Ordered on Prime, arrived next day.

 

I set it up this little Pico with 1.5kg of Live Rock from what is my new LFS and about the same weight in Live Sand for the bed. Ran a fish less cycle with Ammonia and dosed up to 4.0ppm as I always do and allowed the tank to stabilise for 2 weeks post cycle, whilst continuing to feed Ammonia for the bacteria and testing profusely to monitor all parameters. It was stable and Ammonia and Nitrite stayed at 0.0 while Nitrate never broke 5.0ppm for the few days post cycle. Since then Ammonia and Nitrite remained at 0.0ppm and Nitrate has never risen above 1ppm. I test to monitor parameters with a new tank every 12 hours. 

Current Params:

26.2 °C, S.G 1.026, Ammonia 0.0 Nitrite 0.0 Nitrate 0.0, PH 8.08, Alk 10.5dkh, Ca 420, Mg 1260, P04 0.1.

 

Critters/Hitchhikers popped up all over the place and while they're not all welcome I still really enjoyed discovering what they were, what they did, good or bad etc... and watching them go about their business. However, there are a couple of things I can't seem to i.d which is the purpose of this post but, as I'm new I feel it's only right I share the background of the tank in question. So, we'll get to that soon...

 

Time for a CUC! I thought as there were bits of green algae showing on the LR and the glass. Not much but, enough. So a Nassarius, a Spiney Astrea Star, an Astrea Cone, a small Turbo and a small Elephant Snail were added along with 2 Brown Legged Hermits and a Halloween Hermit Crab.

 

I know a few of these will have to move into the larger setup, such as the Turbo, the Elephant and the Halloween Hermit which is fine and I could have very possibly chosen better but my options were limited on the day and I yet again allowed myself to be succumbed by the wonderful but terrible condition of 'new tank fever'. Never learn on that front really, LOL. Anyway, I've never lost anything to the new tank fever before. Although I have probably stressed a few little folks out with it (sorry) I have always remedied any issues before deaths occurred.

 

All good with the CUC so far too. 2 weeks in there now with no real issues. The Astrea Cone did not respond well after acclimation and never moved for a few days, easy pickings for the aptly named 'Hooded Claw', the Halloween Hermit. An acceptable loss though I think as it may have been bought not doing too well and it didn't go to waste.

 

Now for why were are here reading this. There is now something I cannot I.D and Im hoping the good people of nano-reef can help.

 

I have attached some pictures and a video of the 2 organisms in question. Scratch that, cant upload a video. Too big. So just this organism for now and Ill try to get pics of the other one later

 

There are a few of them only on the top piece of LR. No more than a few mm each atm but they are growing as I first noticed them 5 days ago and they are a bit more prominent now. There is an Aiptasia nearby which I am going to acquire Peppermint Shrimp for so my first thought was that this maybe spores left behind as it travelled to its current position but, zoomed in it looks very different with a blue-ish hue to it and frankly almost like something the evil Spiderman might produce.

 

Any ideas please? 

 

Thanks everyone.

 

[Clown79]

The second pic, the white blob is a sponge.

 

The blue one could be a sponge as well, not 100%.

For your aiptasia, I'd recommend aiptasia x before a peppermint shrimp

[ReefingIsBelieving]

Thanks for the reply.

 

I am aware of the Sponge. Its those blueish things Im struggling with. I also suspected Sponges but I can't find anything like them, picture wise, with research.

 

I have heard of AiptasiaX but I try to refrain from using chemical remedies. Maybe Ill do the Lemon juice if the Peppermint is not advised.

 

Out of curiosity, why would you not use the Peppermint?

 

Thanks.

 

[FISHnChix]

Peppermints dont always eat it and when they run out of apsista they have been known to eat fleshy corals. Mine did a good job with that ha. Also apsistax is great . The problem with lemon juice is it hard to spear the apstaita, were as apsistax when used the pest anemone readily excepts it like food. Also I am not a chemist by any means but in a pico there isn't much water volume I would be curious as to how the lemon juice could effect ph..

[Clown79]

6 hours ago, ReefingIsBelieving said:

Thanks for the reply.

 

I am aware of the Sponge. Its those blueish things Im struggling with. I also suspected Sponges but I can't find anything like them, picture wise, with research.

 

I have heard of AiptasiaX but I try to refrain from using chemical remedies. Maybe Ill do the Lemon juice if the Peppermint is not advised.

 

Out of curiosity, why would you not use the Peppermint?

 

Thanks.

 

Peppermints can go after fleshy corals. Many of us have had them destroy coral.

 

 

Aiptasia x is just an adhesive product. No different than using glue in your tank.

[ReefingIsBelieving]

I agree with you Weikel on the Lemon juice. Hence why I havn't tried yet. And Ill definately stay away from the Peppermint if they are partial to Coral as this is intended to be a Pico Reef, and look a bit more at the Aiptasia x.

 

Thanks for the advice on that one guys!

 

Still no one to help i.d these little blue webbish things? They appear to have a completely different structure close up to Aiptasia or Sponges so I don't think they are any more of those.

[WV Reefer]

1 minute ago, ReefingIsBelieving said:

I agree with you Weikel on the Lemon juice. Hence why I havn't tried yet. And Ill definately stay away from the Peppermint if they are partial to Coral as this is intended to be a Pico Reef, and look a bit more at the Aiptasia x.

 

Thanks for the advice on that one guys!

 

Still no one to help i.d these little blue webbish things? They appear to have a completely different structure close up to Aiptasia or Sponges so I don't think they are any more of those.

Try to get a better pic of them close up. Sponges can come in all textures and colors.  

[ReefingIsBelieving]

The first image is at full zoom with my Galaxy S8, best camera I have Im afraid but I think anybody would be hard pushed to capture much more detail than the first photo.  

 

The specimen in that photo is no more that 2-3mm across and looks nothing like that with the naked eye. 

 

I will take some more photos when the kids are in bed and see if I can't do any better with my phone. I was pretty impressed with that first one though when I took it. Completely surprised me what I was looking at as like I said, looks nothing like that with the naked eye.

 

Cheers.

[ReefingIsBelieving]

3 hours ago, WV Reefer said:

Try to get a better pic of them close up. Sponges can come in all textures and colors.  

Here are some more pics. Hope these help a bit more.

[WV Reefer]

3 minutes ago, ReefingIsBelieving said:

Here are some more pics. Hope these help a bit more.

I would say all sponges.  The white ones for sure.

 

Some of them can have different textures. Here is a pic of a yellow Sponge in my tank: 

 

 

I also have multiple types of white sponges that are very “smooth” looking.  

 

 

[ReefingIsBelieving]

Oh wow. Thats an interesting one you have. I think I'll go with Sponges then and watch them develop.

 

See, this is why I ditched FW for SW. So much more interesting and captivating. So much more scientific and precise. I love it!

 

Thanks for the help with this.

37 minutes ago, WV Reefer said:

I would say all sponges.  The white ones for sure.

 

Some of them can have different textures. Here is a pic of a yellow Sponge in my tank: 

 

 

I also have multiple types of white sponges that are very “smooth” looking.  

 

 

 

[WV Reefer]

18 minutes ago, ReefingIsBelieving said:

Oh wow. Thats an interesting one you have. I think I'll go with Sponges then and watch them develop.

 

See, this is why I ditched FW for SW. So much more interesting and captivating. So much more scientific and precise. I love it!

 

Thanks for the help with this.

 

Finding all the weird stuff is the best part! 😀

[ReefingIsBelieving]

12 minutes ago, WV Reefer said:

Finding all the weird stuff is the best part! 😀

I'll agree there. Non of my FW tanks held my attention like this and this is just a Pico to begin with. The Nano is Cycling as we speak... Can't wait!

[ReefingIsBelieving]

My evil spiteful Mrs has killed my Pico tank! 😢 She poured glass cleaner in there over an argument.

 

How does someone do that? Poisoning innocent animals over a F***ing row?

 

I may have saved most of them but only time will tell now. Ive had to put them into a 15gal that is still cycling. Couldn't think of anything else at the time as its the only other running tank right now. Threw them in clean SW, left for a few mins as it wasn't heated but didn't want to put them straight into the 15gal without at least some sort of rinsing and risk killing that off before its even properly going.

 

But, the time, effort and money, I will never see again.

 

Im so gutted. I hope they and the other tank survive.

[WV Reefer]

3 hours ago, ReefingIsBelieving said:

My evil spiteful Mrs has killed my Pico tank! 😢 She poured glass cleaner in there over an argument.

 

How does someone do that? Poisoning innocent animals over a F***ing row?

 

I may have saved most of them but only time will tell now. Ive had to put them into a 15gal that is still cycling. Couldn't think of anything else at the time as its the only other running tank right now. Threw them in clean SW, left for a few mins as it wasn't heated but didn't want to put them straight into the 15gal without at least some sort of rinsing and risk killing that off before its even properly going.

 

But, the time, effort and money, I will never see again.

 

Im so gutted. I hope they and the other tank survive.

I’m sorry.  That’s terrible. 😞

 

 

........someone that that would kill living creatures for spite is sociopathic. 

[ReefingIsBelieving]

53 minutes ago, WV Reefer said:

I’m sorry.  That’s terrible. 😞

 

 

........someone that that would kill living creatures for spite is sociopathic. 

Completely agree. I told her it says a lot about what she is capable of.

 

It isnt the first time either. She once turned all the pumps off one of my FW tanks over night. Again, over a silly argument. Luckily everything survived but I have 2 babies with this woman so Im pretty much stuck with her. And I wont be one of those dads who abandons his kids because things got tough. Also she's the sort that would make seeing them very, very difficult.

 

We'll never know what these organisms I posted were to be now. Interestingly though, and I was going to update this today, they receded when the light was off and were barely visible. Smaller ones became invisible to the naked eye.

 

Anyway, a slightly off topic update but I had to tell someone and I'm not one of those facebook/twitter warriors. Don't have time for that nonsense.

 

Thanks WV.