what is this stuff?

[treesprite]

This stuff is growing on my liverock - what the heck is it? Can't really tell from the pic that it's furry - hairs are densely packed, about 1/4th" long. There's some tiny white dots - maybe they are mouths? I'm wondering if this is some kind of gorgonian?

 

[L8 2 RISE]

Without a better pic, they look like shrooms possibly. What do they feel like?

[treesprite]

I tried to take a better picture - they are in a shadow at the bottom of the tank. Whatever it is, it doesn't need intense light, and apparently likes high flow.

 

Was looking again - there is a pattern on the rock in that area even where there is nothing growing, like something left an imprint. Maybe there was something "dormant" there waiting for a good time to start growing. It's definitely not a mushroom or some type of algae. The hair is like fur kind of hair, like if it was a little mammal it would be soft and cuddly (though I'm sure it's not cuddly).

Edited March 15, 2011 by treesprite

[gmubeach]

Cool is it starfish? Lots of little ones.... or Is it a form of hair mushroom.... or is it dun dun dun Something from the depths of your tank!!!1 jk I don't know what it is I think it might be a dormante macro root too.. anyway why don't you frag a piece so you can see it better.

[Jon Lazar]

Based on your description and the photo, I'd guess it's an encrusting stony coral like Pavona explanulata.

[gmubeach]

wow is it a filter feeder or does it require very low lights? I think its pretty.

[treesprite]

Based on your description and the photo, I'd guess it's an encrusting stony coral like Pavona explanulata.

 

That's it! Interestingly, I remembered just now that I had a very small piece of rock with zoas on it a couple years ago, had something on it with a similar pattern but no fuzzies, and someone had suggested the same thing. The zoas died and the rock ended up rubble in the fuge where the encrusted stuff died out. Maybe the rocks were touching before the stuff died out - who knows?

 

If the rock wasn't a key supporting component of my rockwork, I'd take it out for examination and possible fragging, but doing it isn't worth destroying my aquascaping.

 

But, if it's an sps that wants strong light, why is it growing like this in the shade of my hammer coral? Maybe the light is stronger than it looks to me. I DID, however, recently change my 10ks to 12k's - maybe that's why this stuff suddenly appeared.

[treesprite]

Found some more stuff to read. The first thing said low light, the last thing I read said shaded.

[gmubeach]

Cool:) Corals never stop amazing me when my mushroom engulfs a particle of food thats a good day!

[treesprite]

I can't move the rock, but I'm wondering what would happen if I could scrape some off the rock and put it on something else.

[gmubeach]

My guess is you need the mouth? I don't know how you would do it though maybe a pair of coral sheers maybe not .... maybe you can put a smaller rock near by and see if you can get it to creep.