View Full Version : A few questions
rscuddvr
12-20-2007, 9:29 PM
Question....I have two small colonies of green star polyps...started off as one rock, but it was cracked in half so I split it and put one on either end of the tank. I occasionally see something like a spider web filament coming out of the polyps from somewhere in there. Also, I have some gray looking stuff(for lack of a better word) in various spots on my sand, and some has ended up on one of my colonies. My conchs have climbed up on the colony that has the gray stuff all over it a few times. Is that stuff basically conch-poop? I also have a large deposit of it beneath the edge of the other colony, almost like something dumped it out of a hole.I have found two tube worms(and I suspect I have more popping up) on that colony. Also, I've noticed an almost clear bulbous thing, shaped like an old fashioned hurricane lamp, and a small area of white stuff that looked like suds at first, but now it looks a bit harder, in the middle of the colony, between a few of the polyps. I did pick up one other hitchhiker with that rock, a small (1/4-1/2") chocolate chip starfish. Anyway, does it sound like I have issues, or is this normal?
rscuddvr
12-20-2007, 9:44 PM
Whoops.....guess I should descibe the tank...52gal, about 80lbs ls, 12lbs lr, 2 false percula clowns, 1 six-line wrasse, 1 hippo tang, 1 emerald crab, 1 queen conch, 1 fighting conch, 1 mexican turbo, 1 other snail (hitch-hiked in on lr) 1 chocolate chip starfish(1/2"), 2 colonies of green star polyps, about 3" square each, 1 small colony of red-sea xenia, 2 (so far) tube worms. Had some ghost shrimp, but the wrasse sniffed 'em out and had lunch. Lighting is sufficient, nothing fancy yet, but enough for the soft corals I have right now. That will get upgraded in a few months. The tank, in its present form, is only 3 months old. Prior to going marine, it was a fresh water tank for several years. Filtration is a Marineland C300 canister, all the goodies inside(carbon, ceramic doo-dads, bio-balls, and a rear-mounted venturi operated protein skimmer.
rscuddvr
12-21-2007, 2:59 PM
New arrivals...just discovered three more feather duster/tube worms on one of my green star colonies!!!! They're all still small but really cool looking. I'm curious though, do these guys have thin tentacles that they poke out when they're not spreading? If not, I've got another mystery to figure out....
Question....I have two small colonies of green star polyps...started off as one rock, but it was cracked in half so I split it and put one on either end of the tank. I occasionally see something like a spider web filament coming out of the polyps from somewhere in there.
Might be a vermitid snail.
Also, I have some gray looking stuff(for lack of a better word) in various spots on my sand, and some has ended up on one of my colonies. My conchs have climbed up on the colony that has the gray stuff all over it a few times. Is that stuff basically conch-poop? I also have a large deposit of it beneath the edge of the other colony, almost like something dumped it out of a hole
Need a photo
I have found two tube worms(and I suspect I have more popping up) on that colony. Also, I've noticed an almost clear bulbous thing, shaped like an old fashioned hurricane lamp,
Might be tunicate? Again, a photo would help.
and a small area of white stuff that looked like suds at first, but now it looks a bit harder, in the middle of the colony, between a few of the polyps.
Hard to say, could be a sponge, worm, bleached coraline...
I did pick up one other hitchhiker with that rock, a small (1/4-1/2") chocolate chip starfish. Anyway, does it sound like I have issues, or is this normal?
That is awfully small, are you sure it is a chocolate chip and not an asternia? On this blog post I have a section for hitchiker IDs, if you can't take a photo of what you are seeing you might be able to ID them from the links there:
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=179
Whoops.....guess I should descibe the tank...52gal, about 80lbs ls, 12lbs lr, 2 false percula clowns, 1 six-line wrasse, 1 hippo tang, 1 emerald crab, 1 queen conch, 1 fighting conch, 1 mexican turbo, 1 other snail (hitch-hiked in on lr) 1 chocolate chip starfish(1/2"), 2 colonies of green star polyps, about 3" square each, 1 small colony of red-sea xenia, 2 (so far) tube worms. Had some ghost shrimp, but the wrasse sniffed 'em out and had lunch. Lighting is sufficient, nothing fancy yet, but enough for the soft corals I have right now. That will get upgraded in a few months. The tank, in its present form, is only 3 months old. Prior to going marine, it was a fresh water tank for several years. Filtration is a Marineland C300 canister, all the goodies inside(carbon, ceramic doo-dads, bio-balls, and a rear-mounted venturi operated protein skimmer.
Not sure how big the tang is now but a hippo generally needs more swimming room than a 52 can provide. Fast swimmers aren't they?
I have a florida fighting conch and LOVE it, but I passed on the queen as I thought it would get too big for my 55.
I had the MarinelandC-220 on my system but unhooked it when I had enough live rock. I now only use it when I need to force carbon through the system.
New arrivals...just discovered three more feather duster/tube worms on one of my green star colonies!!!! They're all still small but really cool looking. I'm curious though, do these guys have thin tentacles that they poke out when they're not spreading? If not, I've got another mystery to figure out....
Probably spinoid worms.
rscuddvr
12-21-2007, 10:22 PM
Grins, I talked to the guys at my LFS(What is that, Local Fish Store?) and they said that they would take her when she got too big. Right now, she's only two inches. Great fish, LOADS of personality!! Thanks for the links and info....it looks like I've got all three, spinoids, A vermitid, and a spirorbid worm. As long as they're harmless, I'm not too worried. I'm pretty sure about that being a chocolate chip, he's sandy colored, with a couple of dark spots towards the center of his body. As he gets bigger I'll be able to tell better. As for the conchs, I'm suspicious that I may have ended up with two queens...they're pretty close to each other in appearance.
rscuddvr
12-21-2007, 10:26 PM
Hippo note....the tank is 48" long, like a standard 55, with the front two corners angled in. Right now she has plenty of room to swim in, I don't really have any huge rock structure build-up..everything is pretty low. I'll post pics when I get some good ones.
rscuddvr
01-06-2008, 9:28 PM
Okay...back with new questions... My two colonies of star polyps have developed a bit of an algae problem. How do you get algae/mold(?) off these guys without doing damage? Is it okay to go in and brush them gently with a soft brush? The tube worms on the one colony are growing, and doing excellent. They look SO cool!! Unfortunately, right now it's like having a great flower bloom in the middle of a dead/dying garden, so I'd really appreciate any advice on cleaning these guys up.
Hand pull it and try to determine the source of the algae in the meantime.
rscuddvr
01-07-2008, 5:54 PM
Grins, do I pull 'em out of the tank to work on it, or pull on it right in the tank? I did do a bit of light tugging on it yesterday, and actually picked it up and swished it as well as waving my hand at it to force water over it...some of it is a rather wispy looking algea, but some of it actually looks like green moss or lichen...
depends how bad it is. The hair algae type I'd pull off if I could, if there was a ton I'd remove it and softly scrub in old tank water with a toothbrush. the mossy matt I'd probably leave s i don't know what it is.