Trying to put names to these...

[amahler]

I'm constantly spotting things in the tank on my LR that I can't name.

Mind giving these a whirl?

First off, there are a bunch of these on the LR. They are so encrusted that they look to be part of the rock itself. They are clam-like and they only open a fraction of an inch. If they are startled, they snap shut.



This looks like some kind of coral maybe? (ignore the cat hair... grrrr)



I think these are a recent development on this piece of rock:



Sorry if this is blurry, but this sucker is TINY and a goodly number of inches from the acrylic. It's taking all of my 8.2 megapixels just to eek out something recognizable under these conditions:



This thing is actually outside of the tank (not by choice, either) and is seen just about everywhere including under the tank with its head in the sump whenever the doors are opened on the cabinet, in the back bathroom near the QT's when the doors are opened and often in my bed at 4 AM being a noisy jackass (when the doors are opened). At the moment it's incapacitated on a rather hairy chair to my right:



Thanks!
- Aaron

[Phyl]

The things in the first pic are clams. I got a bunch of those on my LR also. Very cool and still alive after 6+ months. The things in the second pic were (and I stress were) a coral. It seems that yours, similar to mine, have lost their flesh. Third thing looks a bit like a feather duster. Not sure.

Enjoy!

[amahler]

So they are clams. Wow. I'd never have thought they'd survive in my system with the nitrates so high (though they are decreasing). I always put clams in the "touchy" category based on what I've read.

Are they a particular type of clam? I'm curious...

The "former coral" came to me that way, I think. I do know that earlier on it always had a dot in the center of each of those protrusions that glowed orange under the actinics. I'll have to look again and see if that's still apparent. I started to become more white and less brown, so I assumed it was dying... but lately I almost think the amount of brown (like the majority you see there) has been increasing again. Is that possible?

If the thing truly is dead, any links to pictures of what it SHOULD look like alive?

The thing that looks like a feather duster seems almost clam-like to me. It opens and closes (not rapidly or pulsing... just saying it's capable) if I'm not mistaken. I can't stress enough how freakin' tiny that thing appears to be. Look at it and imagine a bivalve structure that opens and closes like a clam... I think that's what I'm seeing.

Thanks!
- Aaron

[Fluff]

I'm gonna agree with Phyl. The top are some type of bi-valve. They are pretty hearty. I still have them on my rock after 2+ years. The coral may or may not recover. It is a Cladocora sp. (tube coral). The third one maybe some type of encrusting coral starting. Not sure though. The next one I have no idea. My first thought was a duster as well but you say it closes like a clam. Very cool. The last one looks like a catamorph felineaus. A potential threat to all inhabitants and should be monitored closely. Your best defence is to remove it if it becomes a nuicense.

[Gatorfreak]

I had the same coral as in your 2nd pic. Mine actually looked healthy for a month but then they all eventually died off. Like Phyl and Fluff said, the first pic is some kind of bivalve. If you keep an eye on them, you'll see them open slightly every now and then.

[scott764]

I got some clams on a pice of LR today too. Do they need any feeding? Should I add one of those liquid nutrient type things to the tank that you add for coral?
thanks,
Scott

[ellisz]

I think the clams are called Jewel boxes. Not the species name but that is what they are referred to, I think. They are common on FL rock. Most of mine died off with the barnacles. I do have a turkey wing clam left though. Similar to those but bigger.

I actually have some of that coral left alive. Never seen them have a flesh per say but they have a tentacle like a cup coral. Never had much growth from them either.

[gilraen]

This thing is actually outside of the tank (not by choice, either) and is seen just about everywhere including under the tank with its head in the sump whenever the doors are opened on the cabinet, in the back bathroom near the QT's when the doors are opened and often in my bed at 4 AM being a noisy jackass (when the doors are opened). At the moment it's incapacitated on a rather hairy chair to my right:


I have one too!!

[MYTY1705]

I would agree with fluff on the tube coral. except that it may not recover. If the polyps are still extending there is a chance to survive. If they are like sun polyps you will want to spot feed tham and try to make sure each polyp gets fed. They do not share food from polyp to polyp like others do. Each polyp is an individual animal just colonies of them together. They look great when extending to eat but other than that they are kinda blahhh.

Good luck on removing the felineaus, espcailly if femalius is attached to said animal.