Please help, thing on LR...

[Mez]

Hey guys...
Not very experienced in SW yet, got a 3ft 35g tank with a small 7" Snowflake Moray in it...
The tank has been cycled, with normal rock, not live. I just got 3lbs of LR (will be adding 2/3lb per week) 7 days ago...
Nothing had really showed until yesterday, when i turned the LR over, and saw all these white "things" in the nooks and crannies. i have no digi cam, sooooo...i have drawn what it looks like in MS paint..here goes..

Its white, about 0.5" long, and on my LR. there are lots of little smaller ones, too...
Dosnt look like an urchin, as its pointer things are not spikey...
Thanks for any replies,
James

 

[Anonymous]

It's most likely harmless. You will find many more harmless things that spread from your rock to the rest of the system. Overall they are good things.

Every time you add live rock to your system you will find that your tank needs some time to reach a new equilibrium with the organisms that live there. That will mean temporary diatom blooms, algae blooms, and the appearance of small creatures that usually only appear in newly set up tanks. Ideally you add your live rock first; before any fish or other large animals. I'm not too familiar with the hardiness of the Moray Eel you have, but the chemistry will fluctuate while you add the rock. If you add it slow, you probably won't have a problem, but sensitive fish might not be able to handle it.

Another reason for adding live rock first is in the unlikely event that you introduce something harmful to your fish. (A parasitic isopod for instance) Chances are, after a couple of months with no fish (and therefore no food source for the parasites), most of the organisms that could be harmful to your fish have starved.

 

[danmhippo]

Off topic, but I really think that pic resembles the "rim"!

 

[Mez]

Thanks for the replies.
The eel is very hardy.
I only added 3lb (thats all i could afford!) and am going to add another 3lb this weekend...
I know *most* things that come in on LR is a good thing....but just checking if anyone knew what this was....
Thanks anyway! :wink:

 

[Anonymous]

I was looking for a link for a picture I have seen before with those tiny jellyfish that multiply and stick to your glass on new tanks. If someone knows the link, perhaps they can post it and Mez can tell us if they look the same.

 

[Mez]

Hey,
No, they are definatly not jellyfish type things! They dont move from the rock..
Im starting to think its some kind of white urchin..though, i dont think they would multiply, would they?