New rock, many questions

[don_chuwish]

Hello,

I picked up some new rock on a recent tour of shops. Absolutely fell in love with the one in these two pics and became even more impressed with it after getting it home. So much interesting stuff in one place!
The rock came home in a bucket of water but got pretty cold by the time we were home. So I slowly warmed it with a heater in the bucket before moving it to my tank. Seemed like a lot of gunk was swirling in the water when I removed it. Die back from just the cold? It wasn't out of water more than moments at the store.
I'm new to aquaria and don't know what all I'm seeing, please help!
Hitchhikers - counted 2 decent size Brittle Stars, a dozen or more Asterinas, about 2sqin sponge and only one small Aiptasia so far (now destroyed). Lots of life seemed to handle the cold snap and rude transition just fine.
1st pic:
- small brown bubble tipped anemone or coral, what's it called?
- the flecks of Coraline I know, but what is the darker purple stuff?
2nd pic:
- what kind of leather is that?
- is it healthy or hurting? or dead?

Thanks!

- D

 

[Tilo1121]

Ok so does the "brown anemone" react when you touch it. It could maybe be a rock flower. Maybe.

 

[Tilo1121]

Oh and as for the red. Can you peel it off at all?

 

[Rutrag]

I'm not entirely sure, but the coral in the second pic kind of looks like blue ridge coral to me. (I believe it's the skeleton that's blue.) Yo ucan see some of the blue in the tips where it's growing. If I'm right (and there's no guarantee - I'm new to SPS), it's considered a small polyp stony as opposed to a leather.

Oh, and I think that's all coraline in the first pic. It grows in just about every color from white to pink to red to purple. i'm not sure about the nems, but I wouldn't bet against them being aptasia. Can you get a closer picture?

 

[don_chuwish]

Thanks!
If I gently touch it with a stick it'll grab on, but with a little more agitation it'll shrink away. I noticed two of the three completely retracted for the night, only opening up with the lights back on this morning.
The red doesn't peel off easily but I didn't try too hard, just poked at it a bit.

- D

 

[don_chuwish]

Thanks Rutrag! "Blue Ridge" rings a bell, might be what the guy told me & I just forgot. Does it look OK? I'm worried about it after the cold.
I'm just about positive they're not Aiptasia, seen enough of that to kill on sight. The tentacles of this are too fleshy and, well, cute, to be Aiptasia.
I will try for a closer shot, it is nice having a little underwater camera for this!

- D

 

[Tilo1121]

I agree with the coralline as well

 

[joy13]

Check out the majanos anemone on this page Anemone Hitch Hikers

 

[don_chuwish]

Thanks again! Majano looks like a high probability. Having read about them I at least know what to look out for. They're not unattractive though.
Colorful Coraline, great!

Some more pics:
- any guess what the orange bit is? (Hint, it isn't organic!)

Also having read about Blue Ridge I'm convinced that's what it is. IF it proves healthy and viable then it'll be a heck of a good buy. I haven't weighed it but I think even at typical LR per pound pricing it would have been reasonable.

- D

 

[Badfishofbabylon]

Its a Majano anemone. Bad

 

[Tilo1121]

The orange is coralline as well. We have a crap load of rock covered in orange

 

[Tilo1121]

Of not could be a sponge. Just a guess

 

[don_chuwish]

It was a bit of a trick question. The photo doesn't fully show it but it's a piece of plastic encased in the "rock" which must be the older Blue Ridge skeleton. It'd be fascinating to know how long ago it happened!

- D