what the heck is this thing?

[Kengaroo131]

i'v had this LR is here for about 2 months and a pice is growing this thing out of it and it has like 3 arms and a trunk and its white and i cannot figure out what it is. can some one help me out? thanks a bunch!

 

[reefshadow]

hard to tell. If it's soft could be a type of sponge, a nub of macro algae or even a gorgonian. If it's hard probably a foraminiferan.

regardless I would leave it alone and see what develops.

 

[Paintbug]

looks like a piece of Anthelia that i had, that was struggling to make it but didnt. does it draw up at night? if not it could be a tree sponge. hard to say while its young.

 

[Sk8r]

I have a lot of that, if it's what I think it is: grows like veins across the rocks. It's not a sponge, but another phylum, and it's a filter feeder: feed DT's and it should grow. Just one of the neat little surprises from Mother Ocean that make every tank different.

 

[Kengaroo131]

i'll take that advice i also just noticed about 3-4 more of them sprouting out of the same rock. the rock is already filled with life such as feather dusters and a large colony of copodes and such there this like porkipine thing that is on there i was told heck theres even a small clam on there that i never new about. but yes it is soft.

 

[Kengaroo131]

h/o i'll try to get a clearer pic of this thing im so courious to know what it is.ha

 

[Kengaroo131]

this one isnt much better.

 

[Paintbug]

its not so much the clarity of the pic, as is the fact what ever it is is to young to ID. does it have any kind of polyps, or shrink up when its touched?

 

[Kengaroo131]

it dosent shrink when its touched and i dont think it has any polyps. yet.

 

[Kengaroo131]

it almost looks like a kenya tree. do they grow out of rock???

 

[Paintbug]

if it doesnt shrink when touched i doubt its a kenya tree, doesnt really look like one either. more than likely its a sponge if it doesnt shrink. best advise i can give is to let it grow, as it doesnt look like anything harmful for sure.

 

[Kengaroo131]

how big do you think it will get? are they possible to frag out when older?

 

[reefnetworth]

Fiji tree sponge. very common, and the best thing is they thrive on detritus and nitrates.
JDM...:smokin:......

 

[Paintbug]

it depends on the species, some can get large. most species are kind of hard to keep alive in our systems. so let it grow for a few weeks/months and see what you have. then you can go from there.

 

[Kengaroo131]

even at there park of growth are they possible to frag? sounds like it should be interasting its been growing strong for 4 days now.

 

[Kengaroo131]

dose anyone know if these can be fraged?would it even be worth it?maby to fill in small spaces in the tank.

 

[Paintbug]

i would say if it makes it long enough to get big enough to ID, then it could be fragged. but i dont know if it would be worth it without know exactly what it is .

 

[Kengaroo131]

i think i just have to wait till it grows but here one more look at is again from today.