What is this white fuzzy ball in my tank & growing on ro

[Nymgmt]

I have a question. Can anyone please take a look at these pictures and let me know what they could be? I guess its two questions:

(1) I have these white things growing off the underside of my live rock.

(2) Is this white fuzzy thing that is on the sand next to a clam. It looks like the crab was eating it last night when I took the picture.

I do feed live phytoplankton two times a week, could that have anything to do w/ it?

Thank you for any help.

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[RazerCorals]

ONe pick is a sponge

[Pineapple House]

They look like a species of Sponge to me. I cannot clearly tell what they are from the pictures provided, though.

Also,
Welcome to reeflounge Nymgmt! :-D

Graham

[phistio]

while i'm not sure what the "fuzzy ball" is, (the one that looks like the crab is feeding on...i can identify the other sponge...

the picture of the sponge in the overhang is a Sycon, or commonly an "Urn Sponge." they are comon in aquariums with live rock. they are reef safe, and are suspension filter feeders. they feed on disolved organic matter and bacteria...they do not require supplemental feeding.

in my experience, they like areas of low light, and high flow...i have a few hundred in my overflow.

[Nymgmt]

Before posting the pictures on Reef Lounge, I sent an email to the customerservice@liveaquaria.com with the picture of the white fuzzy ball on the sand and asked them if they could identify it. The sent me two replys (I guess from two different individuals). This is what I got:

Reply (1) "Thank you for your inquiry. This is a very interesting growth you are experiencing in your tank. At first glance we would say this is a type of algae, or possibly a fungus though it appears to not be harmful in anyway as your hermit crab is eating it. Removing it wouldn't be a bad thing but more than likely isn't necessary. We will however look further into this... For now, it shouldn't harm your tank and it may end up turning green showing that it really is algae."

Reply (2) The pictures that you provided us are a bit difficult to make out. This almost looks like an Aiptasia Anemone in the tank. These anemones are also known as the glass anemone, and they can cause some problems in your tank. If you see a lot of these growing in your tank then it probably is the Aiptasia in your tank. Getting some Peppermint Shrimp in your tank would really help with these anemones in the tank. Other than this we are not totally sure what these would be in your tank. The key with finding something new in your tank is to keep an eye on it, and keep an eye on the remainder of the specimens in your tank. Therefore, if you see these anemones spread in the tank, then getting the Peppermint Shrimp should help you. Other than this if the fish or the corals do not appear stressed this may simply be a sponge, or another anemone that is growing from the Live Rock in your tank. Definitely keeping an eye on it would be the best thing that you can do.

So, What is it? Aiptasia Anemone? Sponge? Algae? or a fungus? Is it that my pictures are not clear? In the past month, I lost 2 feather dusters, an old clown fish and a bloodred shrimp. All the levels in my tank are fine.

[phistio]

definitely not an aiptasia anemone...i'm actually quite suprised that it was even mistaken for an aiptasia...

aiptasia are destinctively brown/red in color...

[Pineapple House]

It's not an Aiptasia. Here's a picture of one:
http://www.saltreef.com/images/aiptisia2.jpg

If anyone can tell me how that looks like the 'thing' discribed in the picture, i'll be suprized :)

Graham

[Nymgmt]

I took another pic of it if it helps. The green color you see is not the white fuzzy thing but the algae on the glass.

[Nymgmt]

Okay, I finnally pulled that darn fuzzy thing out from under my clam. Here is a picture of it. I can't believe no one knows what this thing could be. My clam doesn't look like its doing well and I'm afraid that it could be because of this? Should I just throw it out? :?

[Pineapple House]

FWIW,
It doesn't look like any type of Clam Parasite. Since I have no clue what it is, I will stay away from giving any advice about how to deal with it. It's up to you if you wish to remove it. Most likely it won't make any difference to the way your setup is currently running.

Graham

[frizzbee30]

Hi Don't know if u'll read this but this does (from your last pic) look like a type of anenome.So called "dead mans fingers"are more or less identical to this, perhaps a similar species. I've seen thes hundreds of times in the wild. Astalk can clearly be seen in the photo.These thins are 'fluufy' beyond belief, not anemone like at all!!!

[steve1s]

Could be a dead man's finger, but I think the polyps seem to densely packed to be a Alcyonium digitatum (http://www.habitas.org.uk/marinelife/cnidaria/alcdig.htm). Click the link and have a look. There are two related species as well, Alcyonium glomeratum and Alcyonium hibernicum. I think it resembles the last one a bit more.

Cheers
Steve

[AWestphal]

How old is this piece of lr? One of my LFS has all of her lr with this stuff on it...some in small colonies others in larger ones. I purchased a piece with a large type colony on it and all of "stuff" died within 2 weeks. She still has it on some of her older pieces but she nor I know what it is but it looks just like what I had on that piece of lr.

Good Luck!!!

[frizzbee30]

Hi..none of the pic's look anything like the Alcyonium spp. I've encounterd in my time, I would best describe them as cotton candy on a stick only white (very loose approximation :wink: ) I know that those I have encounterd are from British shores but surely there is a tropical analogue (its a few years since I graduated so I forget :) )