Can Someone Tell What This Is? (Got HD Pictures) Worm And Growth on Rock

afiorella11

afiorella11

New Member
This is not live but i put it in with some live rock that still need to be cured in my 20 gallon tank which is cycling at the moment for about a week. I used mircobe-Lift Special Blend to start the cycle process. I noticed this growing on this rock only about 3 days ago. The pictures are self explanatory but it seems to be some solid clear film, it has grown in patches all over the rock expect the underside. I have no idea what this is. If anyone can shed some light i would much appreciate it; in advance i would like to thank everyone for taking their time to help. I'll be glad to answer any question to further help diagnose what it is.
Further Information:
There is presence of Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate
I keep the ph of the tank at 8.1
The temperature is at 76.3
Salinity is 31 PPT / The specific gravity is 1.023
P.S. I also found a tiny worm about 1 cm in length and 0.2 mm in width very small worm squirming in the tank. I have seen it 4 times
the first time i saw it it was sucked up by the filter. when i checked for it in the filter I did not find it. The second time I saw it bury itself in the sand. And the 3rd time I saw it bury it self in the sand again. And the fourth time i saw it get stuck on a rock and then i lost sight of it. I do not know if it was the same worm in all four occurrences or i saw multiple worms since i never saw more than one at a single time. I would like to know if it is a good or is it trouble because i would rather get rid of it now than it become a problem in the future when my tank is all occupied. I also do not know where it came from.
Okay here are the pictures:






Thanks Again For Your Time.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
I'm gonna say sponge....no worries...as far as the worm....w/o more IDK...BUT google bristle worms....
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Looks like sponges. You should probably turn that rock right side up to protect em' from your light. But, that's just my opinion. Harmless.
Your worm description is not very detailed. There are a few worms that are "bad" like fireworms, but in general, bristleworms are good detrivores.
 
O

otherunderbrink

Member
Just a guess... Some type of sponge? Nice looking rock though. I would worry about the worms, you can't catch them all and they have a job to do in your tank. You are going to see all kinds of weird critters in your tank....
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
I can't tell if it's a collection of bacterial colonies feeding on organic material from the rock or a sponge. It could also be a combination of both. Are there any visible holes in each patch of it in the film or is it solid?
 
afiorella11

afiorella11

New Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by meowzer http:///t/388876/can-someone-tell-what-this-is-got-hd-pictures-worm-and-growth-on-rock#post_3432477
I'm gonna say sponge....no worries...as far as the worm....w/o more IDK...BUT google bristle worms....
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/388876/can-someone-tell-what-this-is-got-hd-pictures-worm-and-growth-on-rock#post_3432478
Looks like sponges. You should probably turn that rock right side up to protect em' from your light. But, that's just my opinion. Harmless.
Your worm description is not very detailed. There are a few worms that are "bad" like fireworms, but in general, bristleworms are good detrivores.
I have googled bristle worms but the picture i saw they were huge compared to what what was in my tank. As to sponges how big are they going to grow and are they beneficial or a nuisance. I actually didn't have my lights on for the start of my tank since the bulb was a damaged one i recently started keeping it on as in yesterday. And how long should they be protected from the light until they mature or for their entire existence in the tank?
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
sponge are filter feeders....quite harmless....they will come and go with available nutrients in the system
remember....all worms start off small....LOL....anyway you can get a pic of your worm?
 
afiorella11

afiorella11

New Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by OtherUnderbrink http:///t/388876/can-someone-tell-what-this-is-got-hd-pictures-worm-and-growth-on-rock#post_3432479
Just a guess... Some type of sponge? Nice looking rock though. I would worry about the worms, you can't catch them all and they have a job to do in your tank. You are going to see all kinds of weird critters in your tank....
oh yes i totally agree with you i would love to have some crostations in my tank but not if they will become a problem like fireworms that snake mentioned. Its just the fact that i have no idea where it came from that is bugging me.
 
afiorella11

afiorella11

New Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bang Guy http:///t/388876/can-someone-tell-what-this-is-got-hd-pictures-worm-and-growth-on-rock#post_3432481
I can't tell if it's a collection of bacterial colonies feeding on organic material from the rock or a sponge. It could also be a combination of both. Are there any visible holes in each patch of it in the film or is it solid?
Its a solid film. The rock was dry for sometime before i put it in the tank so i doubt it is bacterial colonies. I'm pretty sure now that they are sponges. but not pretty ones
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Hmm, if it's solid without any holes, then I, too, am thinking it might be bacterial colonies. Still harmless, for the most part. Your tank is cycling and some things will come and go.
Bristle worms are pretty cool. They can be anywhere from very tiny to huge!
Right now I have a ton of spaghetti worms in my tank. lol. Look em' up, they are pretty neat too...
 
afiorella11

afiorella11

New Member
afiorella11

afiorella11

New Member
How would one go about acquiring more critters for a tank. Since i have a DSB of 3" thick and i just want some critters to create movement down there. I tried looking for live sand that had crostations in it but no so such luck and now its too late to add live sand. I'm going to buy fully cured live rock when my tank stops cycling from my LFS they sell it for $13.99lb wet. Is that a good price? I'm going to ask them to compensate for the price wince they will be weighing wet so some of the weight will be water and at $13/lb i don't want to be paying for water.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
IMO that is expensive.....$5/lb is a decent price
after cycling get some nassarius snails....they burrow in sand
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
It's never too late to add some live sand. There are quite a few places that are allowed to sell freshly collected live sand. Avoid the prepackaged "live" sand that LFSs store on shelves. If there's a reef club near you then try to set up a group buy. You should only need a couple pounds of it.
 
gemmy

gemmy

Active Member
You can get 12 lbs of live rock from this site for 7.50/lb. They also sell true live sand.
 
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