Gulf live rock hitchhiker help

[jkkgron2]

It does grow in the tank naturally higher light more phyto ... but it isn't really enough.

You can culture it, search for posts (possibly articles) here on R2R. You can buy it in a bottle. DT's used to be the brand back in the day. Or if you are lucky (like I am) your LFS carries it. It is basically green water.

Be warned it is a nutrient source and it can cause algae outbreaks. On my high light SPS tank, the tank will consume huge amounts of phyto and laugh. On my new tank that is currently essentially a FOWLR the low light and plenum help keep the algae outbreaks mild. I have a dusting of brown algae and the hungry limpets love the algae so it doesn't get very far. You can see my new tank on my build thread.

You do need to try to get some in to your tank but be judicial about it's use.

Does seachem phytoplankton seem like a good source? That’s the only one I could get today, but I could get OceanMagik phytoplankton in a few days. I want to get the OceanMagik, but I’m worried the bivalve will starve. It’s been without food for 3 days.

 

[jkkgron2]

Just found something on the glass. No idea what it is, but it’s sticking to the glass and is alive. Can anyone ID this?

 

[DungSl1nger]

Does seachem phytoplankton seem like a good source? That’s the only one I could get today, but I could get OceanMagik phytoplankton in a few days. I want to get the OceanMagik, but I’m worried the bivalve will starve. It’s been without food for 3 days.

I have used sea hem in a pinch and nothing bad happened so it may be your best bet.

 

[jkkgron2]

I have used sea hem in a pinch and nothing bad happened so it may be your best bet.

Alright, I’ll get some today or tomorrow. Any way to tell if I did get a bad batch?

 

[Tired]

Not sure what the glass thing is. Can you catch it, put it in a container, and take a few pictures of it? Put some water in there for it, it's probably harmless and would likely be more identifiable in water. I wouldn't expect it to be able to bite you while you try to catch it.

While you catch it, observe what it does. If its flesh retracts to expose a shell, that's probably either a cowrie, an elephant slug (limpet), or a stomatella. If it's fully squishy, I would say nudibranch or sea cucumber.

 

[jkkgron2]

Not sure what the glass thing is. Can you catch it, put it in a container, and take a few pictures of it? Put some water in there for it, it's probably harmless and would likely be more identifiable in water. I wouldn't expect it to be able to bite you while you try to catch it.

While you catch it, observe what it does. If its flesh retracts to expose a shell, that's probably either a cowrie, an elephant slug (limpet), or a stomatella. If it's fully squishy, I would say nudibranch or sea cucumber.

I can try, I’ll wear gloves though, in case it’s able to bite me. After a quick google search it doesn’t look like a cowrie to me, but it’s hard to tell what it is.

 

[HuduVudu]

In newer and/or smaller tanks, clams like that should be fed. Be aware it may starve regardless, and be ready to do a lot of water changes if it does. Bivalves rot fast and turn into the world's most disgusting soup inside the shell. If it dies, you may be able to pull it off the rock, as the foot will start to degrade. On the chance that happens, I would pull the whole thing out, dump out the grossness inside (OUTSIDE the tank, hold the shell shut until it's out), rinse it, and then put the shell back in, as there's lots of stuff living on it. Hopefully it lives, but it may already be in poor health depending on how long it's been without much food.

It looks like maybe a turkey wing clam. Too bad it doesn't look like anything photosynthetic, or it could get some energy that way.

I hope that he can keep them.

They are pretty hardy. They just need a lot of phyto. Mine are doing really well. I don't think that I can definitely say they are going to make it, and I wonder on some because it is hard to see them open.

IME when they die they close up and stay closed and then the foot lets loose and they gape. That is your cue to get them out. They are kind of like the tridacna that way.

 

[jkkgron2]

Alright I got a picture. Turns out It does have a shell! Only thing is I accidentally dropped it when I was taking it out. I hope it’ll be ok?

I hope that he can keep them.

They are pretty hardy. They just need a lot of phyto. Mine are doing really well. I don't think that I can definitely say they are going to make it, and I wonder on some because it is hard to see them open.

IME when they die they close up and stay closed and then the foot lets loose and they gape. That is your cue to get them out. They are kind of like the tridacna that way.

Yeah, I hope so to. How do I remove them if they’re embedded in the rock? I’ll get some seachem phytoplankton to feed them, until I can get some phyto from algae barn.

 

[HuduVudu]

Alright, I’ll get some today or tomorrow. Any way to tell if I did get a bad batch?

It is really dark green and it stinks.

Seachem should be good. Get the other too, if you think it is better.

Once again a warning on ammounts. Be careful how much you feed. It is a fine line to walk. Too much and you are going to get algae. Too little the bivalve suffers. This is the fun/hard part of reefing.

 

[jkkgron2]

Alright I got a picture. Turns out It does have a shell! Only thing is I accidentally dropped it when I was taking it out. I hope it’ll be ok?

Yeah, I hope so to. How do I remove them if they’re embedded in the rock? I’ll get some seachem phytoplankton to feed them, until I can get some phyto from algae barn.

Whatever this creature is it doesn’t seem to be very common? I haven’t seen it on any hitchhiker ID threads.

 

[HuduVudu]

Whatever this creature is it doesn’t seem to be very common? I haven’t seen it on any hitchhiker ID threads.

Agreed.

 

[DungSl1nger]

Alright, I’ll get some today or tomorrow. Any way to tell if I did get a bad batch?

It has already stated the smell. If you want to culture I would recommend this to start. But like pods there are many different photos you can culture.

 

[jkkgron2]

It has already stated the smell. If you want to culture I would recommend this to start. But like pods there are many different photos you can culture.

How do I culture phyto? I think I’ll start with the seachem phytoplankton, but I’ll have to look into starting a culture!

 

[Tired]

You can look up a phytoplankton culturing guide online, there are plenty out there.

That's an interesting animal. Does it have a clam-style bivalve shell, or does it just look like it does? When it moves, does it extend its soft parts over the shell completely?

 

[jkkgron2]

You can look up a phytoplankton culturing guide online, there are plenty out there.

That's an interesting animal. Does it have a clam-style bivalve shell, or does it just look like it does? When it moves, does it extend its soft parts over the shell completely?

I think it might be a bivalve, but its difficult to tell. The soft part does not fully cover it, when it’s not in motion. Not sure about when it is in motion. I got a couple more pics, but they’re horrible quality. It seems to have two frills(?) that come out when it’s trying to move. It might be upside down right now, so I’ll have to flip it over or get it to a better spot where it can grab the rock easier.

 

[CanuckReefer]

Just found something on the glass. No idea what it is, but it’s sticking to the glass and is alive. Can anyone ID this?

Interesting... some type of limpet?

 

[Tired]

Well, it's probably harmless. At worst it's a coral-gnawer, it won't eat your fish.

Definitely a mollusc. The question is, which kind?

 

[jkkgron2]

Well, it's probably harmless. At worst it's a coral-gnawer, it won't eat your fish.

Definitely a mollusc. The question is, which kind?

I have no idea. It seems to be nocturnal, but that’s about all I know, and it’s possible it’s not nocturnal and it just had to get used to it’s environment before coming out.

 

[Tired]

Update if it does anything, I guess. Maybe somebody will recognize it, or it'll do something identifiable.

 

[jkkgron2]

Update if it does anything, I guess. Maybe somebody will recognize it, or it'll do something identifiable.

Anything specific to look for? My only worry is it’ll be a coral or macro algae eater, since I want to grow both those things.