Something INSIDE of my liverock? *[updated w/ pics]*

[Devilishturtles]

I bought a new piece of LR from the LFS today. I've had great luck with this beautiful rock in the past, always containing lots of inverts, life, etc.

When I took it out of it's bag when I got it home, I was looking at it in depth, turning it around, etc. before plopping it into my QT tank. When I touched this one piece of rock (almost sort of...attached to the liverock, not flush) it was very loose, like it was going to come detached. I wiggled it a bit, just to feel it, when it let out this kinda low in volume, but high pitched sound, and sorta retracted into the rock a bit. When I went to move it again, it was solid as a brick wall, not moving an inch, almost like it had planted itself a little more securley back into a hole or something.

This particular piece looks like it had been there for a while, it has hard corals on the outside of it, some coraline algae, but I'm curious what it is, if it is anything. Does live rock do this? Any ideas at all? I was kinda scared, lol.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

 

[xxmoorishmanxx]

first off i wouldnt put LR in a QT especially if theres copper in there it will kill all your inverts.=!!!!!!!!!

otherwise my guess is that it was some kind of invert that was living in the rock that was on the process of moving and ran back into its home when you scared it. Plenty of inverts make noises. Without seeing it it would be hard to identify, maybe if you describe the peice better we could help

 

[Devilishturtles]

It is not really a QT tank, persay. It's more of my temporary holding spot, and a place for new fish, etc. There is nothing in that tank that isn't in my established tank.

I'll try and get a good picture of the piece I am talking about. Would the invert be large enough to move a chunk of rock out of it's way though? This is kind of exciting for me.

Thanks for the reply. I'll try and get a good pic.

 

[quarryshark]

I have on one of my rock, a whole group of closely pack bivalves of some kind. The rock kind of acts the same way where these bivalves reside.
If I touch the spot its like a piece of the rock retracts. Kinda funny.
I wouldn't be concerned, just another part of your little world in there.

 

[xxmoorishmanxx]

what sizes are we dealing with ie= the rocks

 

[Devilishturtles]

The rock is 8 pounds, and it's about 7 inches long, and around 3-4 inches thick.

quarryshark, this is what I was thinking kinda..something like a bivalve, but the sound it made, and etc. just cause me to wander a bit. I have a very small set of bivalves already in my tank, but they do nothing like this. Very interesting, none the less. I'm off to get as good of a pic as I can. Thank you for the posts, so far.

 

[xxmoorishmanxx]

Coooooooooooooolllllllllllllllll

 

[Devilishturtles]

Okey dokey, I outlined the piece that moves in white there. Sorry for the bad pic, but it's the best I can do. Upon closer inspection, there seems to be a hole or tunnel that leads to under this particular piece of rock. And to make sure I wasn't hearing things, I tried it out again, and it did the same thing. Was wobbly, then made a noise, retracted, and got stiff as a board.

Still thinking bivalves? Any other ideas? Thank you for the replies!

 

[quarryshark]

Thats what I think, hard to tell for sure though. Wow, nice rock!!

 

[darb2]

Lots of stuff on that rock. put it in the qt and wait till it opens. You should be able to get a better pic then

 

[indy]

NIce. Best guess is some kind of clam or similar that has been there so long it's grown over with coraline.

 

[Fluff]

From the shape of what you have circled, I'd say it was a turkey wing clam. I have several of these and they do make noise and hate being bothered. Watch it and see if the narrow end opens up. I have several of these and they all have stuff growing on them. One even has a smaller bi-valve growing on it. When a snail or hermit gets on them they get irritated and will open and close repeatedly and make sharp moves up and down. I could be wrong but mine act exactly like you are saying. Especially when moved or aggravated they hunker down tight against the rock. HTH

 

[Devilishturtles]

And these clams never move from their spot on the rock? I'm gonna do some work on the QT tank today and get it more to ideal tank conditions(it doesn't have a heater, right now), and see what happens. I noticed late last night also, that another piece on my rock did the exact same thing. This was MUCH larger though, but on the very end, I did see this brown flat stuff opening out of the tip. Thanks so much for the replies so far. I'm gonna try and get another pic of the larger piece, and do some research on clams.

Any more input is welcomed! Thank you guys! 8)

 

[SaltwaterTeen]

Nice piece of liverock, are those tube polyps covered all over the rock???

 

[Fluff]

My clams have never moved. Although the rock has been moved alot, they don't seem to care. I've had them for over two years. They are tough/hardy and made it through the tank cycling. I really don't know much about them and never was able to find much on them. I don't do anything special for them and they seem to be doing fine. Good luck.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Nice piece of liverock, are those tube polyps covered all over the rock???

I think so, yes. lol. Whatever they are, they are plentiful.

My clams have never moved. Although the rock has been moved alot, they don't seem to care. I've had them for over two years. They are tough/hardy and made it through the tank cycling. I really don't know much about them and never was able to find much on them. I don't do anything special for them and they seem to be doing fine. Good luck.

Thanks, Fluff. These clams (yes, I found another) move quite a bit. Never move spaces, but just up and down, or side to side. Very interesting. The mouth, or whatever it is that it lets out, is brown. Very cool creature. Anyone know what kind this might be?

Thanks for the posts, guys and gals. !

 

[Fluff]

By never moving, I meant they never leave their spot. They do move, almost like a hop up and down when aggravated and when calm, they sit open with brown almost feathery stuff sticking out. I'm sorry I never found the real name for them. They are neat.

 

[Devilishturtles]

I'm sorry I never found the real name for them. They are neat.

Speak not of it, lol. It's just good to know what I have so I can look into it a bit more. Seems as if we have the same clam, with the brown sticking out. Thanks again Fluff, and everyone else. Been a huge help. 8)

 

[Sparky]

You got yourself a real piece of "live" rock.....heck it moves and makes sounds....mine just lay there like a rock in the sand....LOL

Seriously, that is pretty cool. If you find out what it is, be sure to post. This has tipped my interest a bit.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Something INSIDE of my Live Rock? [Updated w/ Pics]

Finally got this mother of a rock into my main tank. Here are a few pics