NEW LIFE FORM IN MY TANK?

[Reef_Angel]

The one thing no one mentioned about a tube worm, is that these are just mini Feather Dusters that don't grow much bigger than an inch or so. The tube they comes out of is generally the size of a mini straw or swizzle stick like you'd get in a mixed drink....and it's generally white. The crown opens much like a big feather duster, but it is small.
My husband Dakar mentioned another option for you, and that's a little pineapple sponge with a little fluff of a V shaped fan coming out of it. I've taken a few pictures of the two different things that have been suggested to you. Unfortunately they are not the best photos as the tank is acrylic and there's some scratches in sides....of course, right where I needed the photo from.
The first 2 pictures are the pineapple sponges. Some have their little plume out, and the one doesn't have it extended at all, so you just see the hole where it comes out of. The other one has the V shaped plume sticking out.
The other 2 photos are of a mini feather duster with it's little duster sticking out. It will retract into the tube if you startle it, just like the big ones do. This one is sporting a white tube, but others can be light brown and also have a different color duster coming from the top. This is about all the bigger a mini feather duster can get when it grows on it's own in your tank. You can actually buy mini dusters in clumps from order catalogs, but I did once and wasn't happy with them. They just blew all over my tank, and I lost most of them for some reason. I'm happy with my little wild one's that grow on their own. They can appear in a range of colors in this wild version too! They were one of the first things to grow in our tanks when we first started them, and we found them quite exciting at the time! I still think they're cute. If these aren't what you have, I have a few more photos I can take for you of some other wild surprises.
Anyway, this is a sign of a pretty healthy tank! Most sponges are good things, and you'll start seeing more of all shapes, sizes & colors...especially underneath your rockscaping. You'll be amazed at what you can fine over time. I Hope I've helped you on this!

[graphixx]

Angel, the first 2 pics is what I was talking about. but I did not know they were feather duster types critters, I allways thought they were sponges. that is cool.

[Reef_Angel]

:ooops:Actually Greg, you are totally right. The first pictures are the pineapple sponge. Instead of calling the feathery part a "plume" on the sponge to distinquish it between the sponge and the feather duster's fan, I referred to both of them as plumes. Now if I confused my extremely intelligent Moderator-Graphixx with my error, then I might have got someone else to! Sorry for the mistake folks!
.....Angel :angel1:

[lReef lKeeper]

so we have both the pineapple sponge and a tube worm in the tank. GOOD SIGN !!

[Reef_Angel]

Actually Bobby, those are out of my tank. Elena will have to tell us if either of those are what she's talking about! :p If they're not, I got a couple other's I can photograph for her, and she'll have had more than the lesson she actually asked for! :D ....Angel :angel1:

[lReef lKeeper]

oh, my bad ... guess we will have to wait and see. lol

[Elena309]

Thank you so much for all of your imput. I couldt find any pictures that resembled these creatures. They are definately the pineapple sponge. Thanks for those pictures. I couldnt get a good one. Will these grow? Or will they simply die off?

[Elena309]

The second set of pictures though, I am confued. I had those in my tank, they were referred to as a type of anemone, on some pest page. I'll have to find the page again so I can show you. Couldnt find it, but I found the name.

Aiptasia Anemones

I cant get the picture in. I found all of my little critters this way....the bristle worms, mantis shrimp (they are loud sometimes), algae bubbles, ect. Everytime i find something new I try to find it. But this one really stumped me. Thanks for all the imput. But now my question is....are the other little things aiptasia anemones or tube worms?

[Elena309]

p.s. does any one know the scientific name for these qtip/pineapple sponges?

[lReef lKeeper]

in the pics .. the last ones are tube worms, a member of the feather duster family. they wont get very big but they do add a little life to the tank. and no the pineapple sponges will not just die off, i have had them for the past few years in my tanks.

as for aiptasia anemonies here is a pic so you know what they look like ...

Attachment 2562

pic credit goes to www.garf.org