phosfluorescence mystery

[Snookster]

I have a tank 5 weeks old, when my blue leds come on at night, I can see a couple of things phosfluorescencing on 1 particular rock. When the lights are off, nothing, only under the blue leds does it do this. When lit, they're tiny, about 3-4 mm long and reddish-brown, nothing out of the ordinary looking. Kinda tiny to tell what it really is.

I've tried to take a pic, and with the low light (I shot this at 3200) it's grainy, but I've circled the areas in question.

Anyone have any ideas what it might be?

 

[neilanh]

The UV in the LEDs is what's causing it, that's why you can't see them otherwise. What they are, however, I have no idea.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

A picture of the same area with the normal daylight lights on would help. Many things glow under the actinic and LED lights. Some of my colonial hydroids glow like your picture, and without a daylight picture that would be my guess. But it's purely a guess.

 

[Snookster]

here's a daytime pic

 

[roka64]

They look lie feather dusters to me.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Hmm. The two that you can see from the side kind of look like vermetid snails, kinda. But that lower left one... the one that's looking like a "front on" shot... that sure looks like a colonial hydroid.

You'll know if you've got hydroids if after a couple months you have a cluster of them in that area instead of just one. They're not a real desirable hitchiker, but they're not terrible either. They can just get out of hand in the right conditions.

 

[melosu58]

Xtalreef