TBS IDs

[swiss1939]

@LiverockRocks

Got a few things I've been trying to figure out. Looking for help.

Some kind of coral or anemones. They are purple bodied with small clear Star like heads. Look similar to the shape of pineapple sponges, but are purple and translucent fleshy instead of spongy. UV flashlight at night they glow under.

Closeups of same

Also the yellow circle is some sort of tissue matter that is translucent foggy purple with no tentacles that seems to be nested in a hole. I'm thinking it's a sponge of some sort. It also glows under UV flashlight.

Then this coral colony which I assume is hidden cup corals, but figured someone could confirm.

 

[|Frank|]

the anemones could be Mojanos? The yellow circle looks like a sponge. could be wrong.

 

[swiss1939]

The red circles don't really have long tentacles. The have short stubby heads that don't even really look like tentacles. More like flower pedals at the top of a cactus. I think that's a better analogy, they look like reef tank short and stubby cacti that are purple.

 

[|Frank|]

The colors around the mouth is why I said mojanos. Hopefully I'm wrong. I did a quick image search. Here's a post https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/majano-anemones.319832/ do they look like this?

 

[swiss1939]

I don't think so, but it's hard to tell right now cause they are so small. I've never seen them extend tentacles like that. I'll keep an eye on them and if they start looking more and more like the ones you suggest, I'll deal with them. This is a Fowler tank whose purpose is really just to mature a bunch of rock. So they aren't going to bother any corals. But if they are bad, I don't want to start adding more rock and contaminating the new rock.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

The red circles don't really have long tentacles. The have short stubby heads that don't even really look like tentacles. More like flower pedals at the top of a cactus. I think that's a better analogy, they look like reef tank short and stubby cacti that are purple.

Tunicates

@ISpeakForTheSeas

 

[swiss1939]

They look more like this instead of a typical anemone with long tentacles.

 

[|Frank|]

Gotchaa, yeah hopefully I'm wrong and someone else can chime in. on em.

 

[X-37B]

The last pic is Oculina Robusta and is a common coral found on live rock in the gulf.

 

[swiss1939]

The last pic is Oculina Robusta and is a common coral found on live rock in the gulf.

Well that's cool! It's a very small colony of about 6-10 heads. They seem to be very happy cause the feeders are always out and extended nice. SPS, right? I had no lights for a few weeks and have started ramping up the lights with mostly blue for last two weeks. Now increasing the whites and UV lights.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Well that's cool! It's a very small colony of about 6-10 heads. They seem to be very happy cause the feeders are always out and extended nice. SPS, right? I had no lights for a few weeks and have started ramping up the lights with mostly blue for last two weeks. Now increasing the whites and UV lights.

You spent good $$ on live rock - turn on the lights so the good stuff doesn't die

 

[swiss1939]

I didn't have the fixture for the first two weeks. I've had them on high blues since I got them. But I've been switching to mostly whites and UVs now that the algae stabilized from adding the lights.

I only got 8 lbs of TBS base rock to start seeding the new tank. That's all that's in this 20gal. Was gonna order another 8 gal of premium rock soon, now that I see the tank is doing ok. Once my man made rock is no longer spiking ph in buckets, I'll start adding the man made stuff to this tank. By that time I think all the TBS stuff will be thriving.

 

[swiss1939]

Tunicates

@ISpeakForTheSeas

Think you are right. Looks like the same as from this thread:

Tunicates

So I have these tunicates in both of my 150s and I’m pretty sure I’ve narrowed down the source, but I’m wondering if anyone else has experience with this kind of tunicate. Will they eventually die off? It doesn’t seem like they sting corals to me, but has anyone experienced that? They are...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Gone Reefin’]

Tunicates, sponge, and hidden cup, nice looking rocks.

 

[swiss1939]

Here's another one that I've seen for a week or so lately.

Tiny little bright pink snail. I think it might be a horse conch.

I also just started seeing another bigger crab that is more menacing looking. Haven't seen him fully visible yet, but he looks like a not reef safe crab. He's going to enjoy relative safety and freedom for a while.

 

[LiverockRocks]

Glad you are enjoying the Treasure Chest of nano base rock!
Tunicates, sponge, nice feather dusters, possible horse conch juvenile, oculina should color up and cute limpet there. Best wishes with your tank!
Glass glass trap instructions for crabs HERE

 

[swiss1939]

So you are saying that these little feather duster webs on the rocks are in fact baby feather dusters?

top right and bottom left of the red circle?

https://www.reef2reef.com/attachments/1000014084-jpg.4231570/

to the right and below the right red circle?

https://www.reef2reef.com/attachments/1000014077-jpg.4229750/

I've got probably 6-8 of them popping out of holes in the rocks. None of those small ones have a feather duster tube, instead they are all popping straight out of holes in the rocks. I thought maybe they were something similar to feather dusters but weren't due to the lack of tubes. But that is awesome if they are just baby feather dusters that rooted in holes in the rocks. I got 1 medium and 2 small to medium ones in tubes on one of the rocks, but a few other rocks have a bunch of these tiny ones without tubes! So I should have a nice feather duster garden over time. As long as I can get those gorilla crabs out!

 

[Gone Reefin’]

Yep, those are feather dusters, I have some on my TBS rock, sometimes I’ll see a new one with a sharp color, bright red, etc.

 

[LiverockRocks]

Tiny TBS feather duster worm. Credit Roxanne B.

 

[swiss1939]

Here is a better video of the largest of the now 4 crabs I have in my tank from this rock. Gorilla crab or some other nrs crab? It seems to want to hunt snails, already ate one trochus. Not sure if it specifically hunted it and killed, or if the snail just fell off the rock and landed upside down right next to this guy's hiding spot.