What is this thing on my live rock???

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El Scorpio
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What is this thing on my live rock???

Post by El Scorpio »

One of the best things about having a marine aquarium is playing "WTF is growing in my tank," well, we get to do that again. I've seen this thing on my rock before near my mushroom but never really knew what it was. Couldn't get a good picture of it but now that the rock is covered in coralline it really stands out. It moves around every now and then, and last night I touched it with a brush and it zipped back inside a crevice in the rock. I can get more pictures if neccessary. Any ideas?
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Re: What is this thing on my live rock???

Post by Pufferpunk »

Aptasia & cyano.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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Re: What is this thing on my live rock???

Post by El Scorpio »

That thing is an aiptasia??? It looks so much different from the other ones. The other ones I had had long, sweeping tentacles. This thing is disc shaped with short tentacles.
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Re: What is this thing on my live rock???

Post by Pufferpunk »

They get to look all kinds of ways.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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Re: What is this thing on my live rock???

Post by El Scorpio »

Apparently so! This explains where all of these smaller aiptasia's are coming from, though. I will murder him. Also, the purple stuff blew right off the rocks when I shot it with my turkey baster, so, yep - cyano. It had me fooled - there is coralline under the red slime that is the same color. There's no fish in my tank at the moment so this battle should be easier. I've been planning to replace my biowheel filter with another powerhead - think I'll go ahead and do that.
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Re: What is this thing on my live rock???

Post by sgtmyers88 »

What happened to your GSP?
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Re: What is this thing on my live rock???

Post by El Scorpio »

Died. Not sure why.
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Re: What is this thing on my live rock???

Post by sgtmyers88 »

:(
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Re: What is this thing on my live rock???

Post by hadla »

What is cyano and how is it bad? There might be some in mine and I don't know it! Also sorry to hear about your gsp :( you should get another toby! You and Camille were what encouraged me to get Lila and I love her so thanks!
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Re: What is this thing on my live rock???

Post by RTR »

Cyanobacteria are an ancient group of microbes, and they are among the best biofilm producers known, As they are photosynthetic themselves and are willing to incorporate other bacterial forms into their films, they are masters at biofilm production and are difficult to eliminate once established. Paleobiologists consider them important by their contribution to the oxygen content of this planet's early atmosphere.
Where's the fish? - Neptune
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Re: What is this thing on my live rock???

Post by El Scorpio »

Cyanobacteria is ugly, nasty, invasive as all get out, sucks oxygen out of the water, and is a huge pain in the moneymaker.

They're also the reason that the sky is blue. In the ocean, they're a good thing. In our aquariums, not so much.

Hadla - I do miss Camille... probably why I never took her picture down from my avatar. I had thought about doing a Toby again, once I get this cyano outbreak under control. Or, I might even try another GSP. Dunno, haven't made up my mind yet. I want to move my aquarium to a new part of the house first though, so I have some time to think about it.
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Re: What is this thing on my live rock???

Post by RTR »

Cyanobacteria actually add O2 as they are photosynthetic, but that O2 is captured beneath the biofilm so long as it is undisturbed. But it does not "suck the O2 from the tank water".
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Re: What is this thing on my live rock???

Post by hadla »

lol thanks for the info, rtr, and thank you for putting it into words I understand, scorpio! is that the only tank you have? if so, you must be the only person on here with one tank!
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Re: What is this thing on my live rock???

Post by El Scorpio »

It is the only tank I have, yes. In a couple years I'll be looking to buy my own house; if that happens I'll be looking at a big tank so I can have the porcupine puffer I always wanted.
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Re: What is this thing on my live rock???

Post by Stratters »

You definitely are the only person, it took me all of 3 months to graduate from one 15l BioOrb to two 210l tanks :D

Addictive little buggers.
Never trust big puffers. The fingers you save may be your own. RTR
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