YAAIR (Yet another algae(?) ID Request)

[brentj]

Greetings. I have a one year old otherwise stable tank that is starting to grow forests of tiny red "truffula tree"-looking things that wave in the current. They're so small I'm having trouble getting a sharp pic with my phone but will post a pic to follow this posting (I couldn't start the thread on my phone for some reason) Maybe it's not even algae?

Thanks for any help/advice!

 

[brentj]

 

[rick12]

Look like yellow polyps

 

[brentj]

any other thoughts? I don't think they're like what I find when googling "yellow polyps" but thanks for the thought.

These are reddish and tiny. maybe 4mm max diameter of the "tuft" of the tiny "trees"

 

[saltwater sam]

Maybe a better quality picture would help with id.

 

[MillerR.]

hydroids, maybe?

 

[brentj]

 

[brentj]

I noticed for the first time that they all seem to be coming off of a single "root" as you can barely see in this picture to the right. I just can't get a sharper focus, lacking a macro lens unfortunately

 

[saltwater sam]

Ya those are some type of cnidarian, possibly hydroids.

 

[brentj]

I finally got a closer picture not with a real microscope just a cheap USB one unfortunately. These things definitely retract when touched like some sort of polyp. Wish I knew something that eats them because they have taken over the whole tank

If anyone has any other identification following this picture would be grateful for any potential leads thanks

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[gallegos]

I vote hydroids

 

[BlueCat1949]

I vote hydroids

Yep