Ever had something new turn up in an 8 year old tank?

[Sk8r]

Could be a chiton, a super-limpet, no knowing unless I catch it in the act, (sometimes a flashlight can surprise midnight raiders in a tank) ---but it is cleaning rocks down to white limestone where it's been, and I've had nothing capable of that show itself in years. Still, there's plenty of rockwork back there it could have been noshing on.

It's a gift, whatever it is. Urchins can do that sort of thing, but I haven't had rocks cast asunder as urchins will.

Tis a puzzlement.

 

[Timfish]

Just one of the things I love about keeping reefs. Haven't had anything that long but I did move a system once where we found a ~4" Majestic Angle the owner hadn't seen in over 3 years. He had bought it as a juvinile and also had roughly 2 lbs of live rock per gallon. I suspect he never really sat and wathced his tank but the Majestic had tons of space to swim around without being seen.

 

[billdogg]

Sounds like an urchin to me. I know in my tank it's easier to follow the sparkly white trail where it's been than it is to just find it hiding in the rocks someplace. Mine came in at least 20 years ago as a tiny speck of a thing and has now grown to the size of a large baseball/small softball.

And FWIW - one of the things that has always fascinated me about my systems is the sudden appearance of whatever, knowing full well that it is something I've never put in there knowingly. Although sometimes bad, the vast majority of the time it turns out to be a wonderful new creature.

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Yep, in my case it was a crab.

 

[Anemone]

Sounds like an urchin to me. I know in my tank it's easier to follow the sparkly white trail where it's been than it is to just find it hiding in the rocks someplace. Mine came in at least 20 years ago as a tiny speck of a thing and has now grown to the size of a large baseball/small softball.

That was my first thought as well. A rock-boring urchin that finally got big enough to come out to play.

Kevin

 

[Sk8r]

Hmmmmm......

 

[Oldreeferman]

I had a Chiton appear 3 yrs after setup, had to be from the live rock in the DT. Now i have tube worms under the rocks so cool. I agree the things that occasionally pop up do keep things interesting for sure.

 

[Timfish]

After 8 years my vote is also a chiton or limpet. Both have species that can reproduce in aquaria, which would be cool if that's why they're starting to show up now.

 

[Sk8r]

I had a bloom of little limpets. But nothing bigger than a pencil eraser. Maybe there's a survivor.