ID please... brown, branching, rooting algae

[DensityMan]

Picture first, then some tidbits not readily seen in the pic:

The plant roots to the rock and branches out on dark-brown/black, thin, straight roots. Where the root-branch pops up a branch for a pom-pom the root either continues on singly or splits and continues on in two directions. The pom-poms come one to a stalk.

Upon touching the plant the pom-poms will retract, much like a xenia.

 

[New Reefer]

Hi Scott - I have some of them in my "Rockpool" tank as well. Mine extend on "stalks" about 50mm - 100mm long, and are all concentrated in two "bunches". To be honest, I'm not even sure if they are plants - given the fact that they retract on touching, they could possibly be some type of hydroid

If anyone can shed more light, I too would be interested...

Hennie

 

[jmbono]

I've got them same damn things. I think they are hydroids. Get them out FAST because they will multiply like rabbits. I was forced to pull all of my rock out and clean them. They are starting to come back again. This is the best picture I've seen of them. I'm curious if there is a cure for these things. Nothing seems to eat it.

 

[jmbono]

bump

 

[DensityMan]

Damn... was hoping someone had had good luck with these.

Not certain I want to toss them out just yet (besides there is an absolutely gorgeous calcerous feather-worm on that rock)... They are all connected via the 'root' and though they did spread over the last 3 months of watching them at the LFS they did not spread rapidly or to the detriment of anything else in the tank. There is another LFS that I just found out has had these on a piece of coral for months now without any harm or spreading (they have been trying to cultivate them while the other LFS was trying to destroy them... sheesh... all the confusion).

These have never gotten taller than about 10mm in all of the time I've been watching them (3mos). Might be from the same family different species... or more likely just different growing conditions...

I'll try to get some clearer shots tonight from different views and perhaps a 'closed' shot of them as well. I hadn't thought much of the retraction/closing on contact as an eliminator for these being an algae as I enjoy venus fly-traps and sensitive plants (both of which are touch-sensitive plants). I'll try to remember my camera the next time I head over to the LFS's and take some shots in their tanks as well.

Definately want to learn more about them myself...

 

[jmbono]

I'm trying to figure out what they thrive on. Do they feed on nutrients in the water or are they photosynthetic? If you have a small patch, try using concentrated kalk on them. Make a paste with RO/DI water and use a syringe to apply it to them. It works great, but useless when you have quite a few colonies.

 

[DensityMan]

I put these in on purpose... I do not want to kill them yet, but I will add that to the list of 'ways to kill this as-yet-to-be-classified-or-named creature/plant."

 

[jmbono]

Keep a close eye on them. From my experience, they reproduce quickly. Very quickly.

 

[New Reefer]

Not certain I want to toss them out just yet

My feelings, exactly.

I've been keeping mine for about 4 months now, and they are still isolated in their original areas - not spreading. I also have a few other hydroid colonies, which I'm happy to keep. I do have a black nudibranch which could be predating on them, as it has grown from about 5mm in size (about 3 months ago when I first "discovered" it, to it's current size of about 30mm, so it must be eating something If they can co-exist I would be quite happy

Hennie

 

[jmbono]

Why then are mine spreading? What type of water movement do you guys have? What do you dose your tank with? What type of lighting are you using? I wouldn't mind having them if only they would stop spreading?

 

[DensityMan]

seems I may not have to worry about these spreading... something in my tank likes to eats them (unless they 'spread' by casting off their heads?)...

Only have 4 or five from the original dozen or so left with the pom-pom/crown/head intact... the rest have been clipped to a very short stalk.

Not sure whether it was the yellow wrasse or the brazilian royal gramma, or even something else in the tank. But not I'm looking for a place in the aquascape to shelter the remaining few...


(whatever/whoever is eating these is leaving the feather dusters alone...)

 

[StinkyNappy]

not aptasia??

 

[New Reefer]

No, it's not Aiptasia

 

[horge]

What is this thread doing in a macroalgae/marine plants forum?

 

[DensityMan]

I was originally told it was a type of plant; hence why I asked about it here.

It has since been cleared up that these are, in fact, a type of branching hydroid (as per jmbono and Dr. Ron).

 

[horge]

Ah, I see
Don't worry, I was just making a poke at bill..

BTW, thanks for the Penicillus pic!
Can you shoot me a PM as to what name you wish me to watermark onto it?