Weird black worm, funny little hairy guys

[anememonemone]

ok i read the other post about the little white dots, i was gonna ask about them. will my sandsifter starfish eat those things, i think he does. he sure doesnt sift anymore, he used to hide under the sand all the time, but now he never goes under anymore. is that a bad thing? should i do something or is it healthy that he wont go under anymore.

secondly i have a weird black worm that hides under the liverock, he will poke his nose out every now and then, i think looking for food. is he bad, should i pick up the liverock and yank him out?

last i have these little light green things growing off the liverock. i will take a picture to show them better but i drew one in paint that looks like a second grader did it, but it will give a better idea. these things have a short little "trunk" that has a bunch of little hairs on the top that the water moves around.

 

[Fluff]

Well, your sifter star may have already depleted the pod population in the sand and that is why he is searching for food above the sand.
The weird black worm could possibly be a peanut worm. Can't say for sure without a pic but 98% of the worms you'll get on lr are harmless. I wouldn't worry much. The green things sound like pest anemones. Majano perhaps but again, can't give you a positive without a pic. HTH

 

[anememonemone]

ok so pest sounds bad should i be worried.

 

[Fluff]

Without a pic for me to give you a definite ID, I can only speculate that is what it may be. But, if it is.....
If you are planning a reef tank, they will become a problem. But, even in a fish only system, they can become a nuisance. They reproduce rather quickly. Here is a link to some pictures of aiptasia. See what you think.

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/aiptasidfaq2.htm

 

[anememonemone]

here are some pictures of our 16 gallon tank. hopefully someone can identify the little green guys next to the white arrow.

 

[Brad]

Sorry, I can't id your mystery critter....but I thought I might mention that your yellow tang isn't likely to be very happy in a 16 gal....

 

[anememonemone]

i was told the tang was a miniature and would be fine in a smaller tank. the tank has been up and running for about 3 months now, and with the exception of a couple evil hermit crabs, all has been going relatively well. i would love to have a larger tank, but space and money make it bad timing right now. everyone seems to tell me that a small saltwater tank is a horrible idea, but i check all my levels on a regular basis and keep the fish on a good diet, and so far everything seems good. the tang, which was appropriately named Tango, is one of the funniest additions to our family. i could sit and watch her for hours searching the tank for food and sneaking up on our blood red fire shrimp. hopefully someone will be able to id the little green guy growing so i can quickly take care of it if it is harmful. also, with the mention of my tang, do miniature tangs even exist or was i just lured into purchasing a beautiful fish i might not be able to keep? thanks for all your help. everyone here has been awesome!

 

[Fluff]

I've never heard of miniature tangs. :? I don't want to say you were lied to but, that is a possibility. You may have to trade her in for something more size appropriate. Have you done any research on mini tangs? Hmmm. Anyway......

As for your hitchhiker, would it be possible to get a brighter pic? From what I can see, i'm thinking feather dusters or hydroids but, I really can't see enough to tell. Sorry.

 

[austinsdad]

I've never heard of mini tangs either. You probably weren't really lied to, in that a younger, small tang is a mini, at that time. But he will need to grow, and as he does, his waste may cause problems.

 

[anememonemone]

i brightened the picture...hope this helps

 

[steve-s]

Looks like a type of polyped hydroid....

Cheers
Steve