I am seeing creatures of the saltwater....

[Olive]

Tonight, I was eyeballing my live rock like a mother eyeballs a child molester at the park..................and I am seeing some really cool life in there!

I am seeing very tiny teensy weensy clear worm like creatures all over the rock. Are these what mandarin gobies eat? I also saw some other creature, but it scurried away as soon as it saw me looking at it.........some kind of bug I guess.

Then, I have been seeing these little white curly-Q things and knew they were gonna be cool............but only tonight did I realize that they are feather dusters! Man they are EVERYWHERE! The one that I could for sure ID as a feather duster was actually stuck to the glass right in the middle of the tank! Tonight is the first time I saw its little feathers sticking out, and then back in if I got too close to it.

I am also seeing some strange tunnel like shells of something, attached to various areas of the rock......although they seem empty, I bet there is something in them. There is a big yellow-ish one at the bottom of my live rock, and then a few others that are various colors, like brown, tan, and even some clear ones in many numbers closer to the top of the tank. Are some kind of worms living in these things? This is soooo neat!

I am also seeing some other things on the live rock, looks like little smokestacks, although a lot shorter and in greater numbers all over. What are these?

This is soooooooooooooooo cool!

 

[jams.alaskan]

I couldn't be happier for you. This is so kind of you to share your saltwater adventures with us. Wish I could pop over for a peek.

ALASKA

 

[Olive]

I couldn't be happier for you. This is so kind of you to share your saltwater adventures with us. Wish I could pop over for a peek.

ALASKA

You are so sweet. I wish I could get pictures, but these things are still very tiny, and my camera is crap.

I am hoping to find out what those other worm like shells are....................I am thinking some kind of worm........but I dunno?

thanks for writing! I am so pumped!

 

[crimsontsavo]

Awesome Olive!

I'm so happy for you!
Keep us updated.

 

[Olive]

Awesome Olive!

I'm so happy for you!
Keep us updated.

Okey dokey!

 

[Adrinal]

 

[EddieW]

Hi Olive,

The white curly-q tubes are probably Spirorbidae or Serpulid tube worms. If you are really luckly they are Christmas Tree Worms which have a really spectacular crown - unfortunately these have a commensal relationship with Porites coral which can be hard to keep. If they are Spirorbidae they will reproduce asexually and are a sign of a healthy tank.

The tunnel like shell could be a Vermetid gastropod - a harmless, sessile snail that captures detritus and plankton with a mucus trap. They form calcareous tubes that project them out into the water column.

The littel smokestacks are probably small sponges Leucilla, Leucandra, Scypha or Clathrina - very good to have as they filter vast amounts of water through themselves.

Sounds like the tank is coming along really well.

Eddie

Oops - forgot - a good hitchhiker FAQ can be found here.

 

[Great Lakes]

Olive, you are experiencing the thrill of rock staring I see!!

With care on what you stock, these critters will sustain their population and be very beneficial.

This is what I truly love about saltwater over fresh, the diversity.

GL

 

[Olive]

OK the child molester thing...

right, lets pretend its not there. Olive the ever colorful.

I have just as much fun as you do.. you would never know that I took back my fish months ago now. I spend just as much time staring into the tank. and at night even more!

THe little shrimpy looking fellas are nic-named pods. Them, and the clear worms are indeed what mandarins eat. I don't have many of them, but I have seen a few. I do have bristolworms (the red and black variety). Tons of feather dusters of course

so you have no fish now? I can see how I could still be entertained without them now.........but man. I have to look so close and intently to really see them......

oh, and the other thing.......sorry........ you know me.........."colorful" is a nice word to describe me!!!

 

[Olive]

Hi Olive,

The white curly-q tubes are probably Spirorbidae or Serpulid tube worms. If you are really luckly they are Christmas Tree Worms which have a really spectacular crown - unfortunately these have a commensal relationship with Porites coral which can be hard to keep. If they are Spirorbidae they will reproduce asexually and are a sign of a healthy tank.

The tunnel like shell could be a Vermetid gastropod - a harmless, sessile snail that captures detritus and plankton with a mucus trap. They form calcareous tubes that project them out into the water column.

The littel smokestacks are probably small sponges Leucilla, Leucandra, Scypha or Clathrina - very good to have as they filter vast amounts of water through themselves.

Sounds like the tank is coming along really well.

Eddie

Oops - forgot - a good hitchhiker FAQ can be found here.

Very neat site, indeed!
Wow Eddie, thanks. You know alot about this stuff! I am so thankful to know that this stuff is all good! I figured so, but wanted to be sure.

Olive, you are experiencing the thrill of rock staring I see!!

Man, don't you know it! I need to enjoy it now, 'cause I know when I am older there is no way I will be able to see those little creatures! They are sooooo tiny!

This is what I truly love about saltwater over fresh, the diversity

me too GL! While I hold a special place in my heart for my FW (gotta love how easy they are!) I cannot imagine not having a SW now. Even though I am poor now from setting the dang thing up!

 

[Adrinal]

 

[Olive]

Nope no fish... I go slow baby!

The dragon wrasse was no more suitable for a reef tank than say... YOUR TRIGGER FISH oops did I say that?


OK real Q here.
Since we are on the topic of fun non fish coral stuff in the tank.
I have these things that are skinny, mottled, more grey than the sand, tubes around the tank. 1/2" - 1" I do have a 2-3 scarlet hermits... but it couldn't be their poo could it? I would think it was some kind of worm, but they are compleety strait and I have never seen them move.
I have never seen reference to them, I am confused

dragon wrasse?? i am confused?!?!?!

and about the trigger..............I was assured that they are reef safe. are you saying that they are not?

 

[Landlocked]

Nope no fish... I go slow baby!

The dragon wrasse was no more suitable for a reef tank than say... YOUR TRIGGER FISH oops did I say that?


OK real Q here.
Since we are on the topic of fun non fish coral stuff in the tank.
I have these things that are skinny, mottled, more grey than the sand, tubes around the tank. 1/2" - 1" I do have a 2-3 scarlet hermits... but it couldn't be their poo could it? I would think it was some kind of worm, but they are compleety strait and I have never seen them move.
I have never seen reference to them, I am confused

dragon wrasse?? i am confused?!?!?!

and about the trigger..............I was assured that they are reef safe. are you saying that they are not?

Triggers are NOT reef safe! At very young ages they may be okay with strong, hardy corals, but after that they are very destructive, and they will eat any invertebrate they will catch!

Even feather dusters aren't safe. Triggers will persistantly chew and nibble at them, forcing them to stay retracted until they wither away.

 

[Erika_4404]

I am also seeing some other things on the live rock, looks like little smokestacks, although a lot shorter and in greater numbers all over. What are these?

These could be tiny feather dusters i have a ton of them and thats what mine truned in to

 

[ostrow]

Agree with all of Eddie's answers... Olive the pods in particular should explode in numbers. As you have a sandbed I believe I hope you up the snail/crab population soon. But the pods and featherdusters are a great sign. I have those spirals all over the glass and have to use my magnet to clean them off!!!

Best viewing time IMO is 2hrs after lights out, with a large mag flashlight. Pods go scurrying for cover!!!

Adrinal, I think those are tubeworm casings (someone told me that I have them too). I guess they shed them from time to time?