ID this orange stuff?

[heckingeckos]

This orange stuff appeared in a new tank (1 month) overnight. It looks almost like something was dropped in the tank but it is pretty secure and we wouldn't have made a mistake like that without noticing. It is right under where the urchin has been sitting so maybe its related? The copepods seem to be going nuts over whatever it is. Any ideas? Thanks!

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

The only things that come to mind for me at the moment are either a shredded crustacean molt, or a red algae of some variety - I seriously doubt the molt thing, so probably a red algae, but it'd be odd for it to come up so fast.

Any chance you could get a pic of it from the top instead of the side?

 

[taricha]

I see claw bits. Crustacean molt or (less likely) somebody got eaten.

 

[heckingeckos]

The only things that come to mind for me at the moment are either a shredded crustacean molt, or a red algae of some variety - I seriously doubt the molt thing, so probably a red algae, but it'd be odd for it to come up so fast.

Any chance you could get a pic of it from the top instead of the side?

Yeah heres a top down pic. I would have guessed its a molt too, but the only inhabitant is a pencil urchin. Im thinking its an algae or something.

 

[Cell]

Bizarre to be in a pile of small almost uniform looking pieces though...serial killer stuff

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Yeah heres a top down pic. I would have guessed its a molt too, but the only inhabitant is a pencil urchin. Im thinking its an algae or something.

Yeah, if it keeps growing, I'd guess a red algae. If it doesn't keep growing, or if it feels hard/brittle instead of soft/flexible, then it may be a molt from a hitchhiker.