3 mystery items on my live rock.

[Travis]

Hi all,
I have these three mystery items that have me in a huff...any help is greatly appreciated as I am fairly new to the hobby. Ive outlined the items in question in the pics...thanks
travis

 

[reefrunner69]

First pic looks like the beginnings of some macro algae.

second pic looks like some zooanthids or button polyps

third pic is some coral skeletons, most likely Favites or Porites spp.

 

[BillyZ]

don't give up on those skeletons! I had a batch somewhat similar to those on a small piece of LR. a few weeks after adding some PC lights to my tank... they came to life Short grey fleshy tenticles with white spots have come out. Those skeletons may yet be alive!

Kevin, given your best guess on what they are, what kind of light would they need?

 

[Travis]

Thanks for the replies...My only concern with pic three is that the two items just appeared two days ago. It is very difficult to see them clearly in the pic but they look like long thorns and look to be very sharp. Secondly I just took another peek and they seem to be growing longer fairly quickly....the bigger of the two is now about 1/2 an inch long.
This is a newly cycled tank and I was a little dissappointed with the live rock for the first few weeks....however its seems that after the water cycled things are beginning to get pretty interesting on these rocks.
Any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[toddwess]

I know this is trivial . . . but . . .

. . . we have the same heater!!

Todd

 

[Travis]

lol....I wish I could use it!!! Im doing all I can to keep my tank in the high 70's!!!

 

[reefrunner69]

I keep mine at 82*...it's been a hot summer and 83* is just as common as 82*, never had a problem

 

[Travis]

Thats good to know...I have been worried that my temp was too high...Id like to stay in the high 70's as that's where the inhabitiants seem to be the most active. We'll see...the next two weeks are the most important for me...I have worked hard and spent what seems to be endless money to create a system that operates properly. My time and energy seems to be well spent as everything is going as planned...thanks to several good authors...The plan is a pair of false percs followed by a yellow tang, a few cleaner shrimp, a brittle star, feather dusters (not sure if they are compatible with the tang, will research), and if I can find anyone who has been successful with a mandarin I'd love to hear from them. I have to do some research and find out if the tang competes for the same resources as the mandarin...at any rate...that is my goal for the next 8 months or so...If I could keep those in my system I would be a happy aquarist!
Travis

 

[reefrunner69]

If you want to continue on track...I would strongly urge you to >>quarantine<< new arrivals.

If your go to the top of the page, there is a link for a search function, click it and type in the word mandarin for your search terms...there have been many discussions of Madarin gobies here. I was gonna post the link to the specific search, but the link would have taken you nowhere...

 

[Travis]

Kevin,
Thanks for the link, I'll look into that for sure...as far as quarantine goes I am in the midst of planning an hopefully economical QT system...I realize it will end up saving me alot of $$$ in the long run.
travis