Good morning! New reefer with a question!

Lazy8s · Sep 3, 2019

I converted from 75gal fresh to 75gal salt and things are good so far. My tank has cycled according to the LFS so I added a cleanup crew, a sea urchin, and my wife wanted “two Nemos” for our toddlers. It’s a blast watching them interact with the fish and help feed them.

I had a question about what the heck is growing on my live rock. One rock seems to be waaay more alive than the rest. I’ve been watching it grow and then it hit me, I’ve no idea if this is good or bad. After a few hours on google I’m stumped. Any help?

Edit: To be clear I don’t know what those barnacle / coralline looking things are. They are growing little fingers inside and outside of them. I googled barnacles for a while because that’s what children’s cartoons have taught me they look like lol. Is it a coral?

Iván Olalla · Sep 3, 2019

It looks like some algae, pineapple sponges and vermetids snails (the tubes) nothing nasty and mostly filter feeders. The vermetid snails overtime can irritate corals since they´re very prolific and they extend long white tentacles to catch suspended particles, a bumblebee snail is a good predator for this kind of worms, but i would´t worry too much. Enjoy those little life explosions in your tank!

Redfoxtang · Sep 3, 2019

Everything looks go to me so far and again with above!! Welcome to R2R as well!!!

homer1475 · Sep 3, 2019

Totally agree with the above, but would add, the vermetid snails will only explode if you overfeed the tank. Their spire shells will remain even if they die, and can be unsightly if they get to that kind of proportion.

Overall nothing bad though.