ID help

[fatoldsun]

I’m hoping this is some sort of coralline but it’s popping up in several places. I first saw it on this snail shell. It’s now showing up on rock and various places in the tank but as far as I can find, it’s only in the display (nothing in the sump/fuge). It also started showing up around the same time that my coral starting doing poorly. So far I’m guessing that is due to poor lighting (age of my bulbs – 11 months) which will hopefully be swapped out soon with the LED I’m putting together. Anyway, my guess is bulbs because it seems to be affecting LPS as well as SPS - what I’ve read about STN is that it affects SPS mostly (I’ve dealt with RTN before and this is WAY slower) I always knew my light was not great for high demand coral - hence the LED build but a poor light with old bulbs and well, I sort of saw this coming.

The “stuff” I’m asking about are these small circles. They appear to be a very light lavender color. They seem to like snail shells but I have seen plenty on rock too. One spot where they are on some water-weld putty I used that is itself still white, the spots looks more gray then purple, but maybe that’s just contrast. The pics aren’t great but hopefully they’ll help the description make sense.

 

[adesimone1]

maybe snail eggs

 

[Jcurry@wesketch]

Hard to tell by the pics but it could be the start of a feather duster tube or other type of tube worm.

 

[ecam]

Are you dosing two parts do you have nerith snails. I read it could be snails eggs or calcium deposit. Ifs snails eggs not sure what to do. For the calcium, does in a more turbulent area like the overflow area of thd sump

I have the same thing happening

 

[fatoldsun]

maybe snail eggs

I've had what I thought were snail eggs in the past but it was sort of a "trail" on the glass. These are spread all around and no trail. (side note, I bought a fish from Dan in Mulica Hill last night and he mentioned that you guys helped him set up his system - he was very complementary)

Hard to tell by the pics but it could be the start of a feather duster tube or other type of tube worm.

well I have TONS of vermitid snails unfortunately so that would go with the "snail egg theme" - they seem to multiply like crazy. I wish the "good" snails would do the same. anyway, they are mild pests but not as nice as feather dusters. I have a lot and they have never started looking like these. The tubes are more of a golden/brown. kind of an amber color.

Are you dosing two parts do you have nerith snails. I read it could be snails eggs or calcium deposit. Ifs snails eggs not sure what to do. For the calcium, does in a more turbulent area like the overflow area of the sump

I have the same thing happening

I have a couple nerite snails and a a lot of dwarf ceriths (just got a fresh CUC from reefcleaners about 5-6 weeks ago). I have a mini-cal reactor but no other dosing. that deposits in my return section - all of these "spots" have shown up in the display.

 

[ecam]

If you are dosing the Calc then must be snail eggs... I use the 2 part dosing and Im getting the same thing.... So i guess you solved my mystery. It has to be the nerith snail eggs.... That was a big mistake buy... I dont really like the spots around my display either.... I thought they were flat worms at first

 

[adesimone1]

Danny is a good kid. You should of stopped by we are trying to shut down our tank in the basement we are getting rid of the corals that are in it cheap.

 

[fatoldsun]

Danny is a good kid. You should of stopped by we are trying to shut down our tank in the basement we are getting rid of the corals that are in it cheap.

Thanks, but I didn't know where I was going nor did I know that you guys were/would be close (I wasn't able to make it to the meeting so I didn't know who might be in that area). until I get my lights done, taking any coral would be sort of wasteful. I'm motivated to get them done soon so if you still have anything by te time I do, I may take you up on the offer.

 

[fatoldsun]

If you are dosing the Calc then must be snail eggs... I use the 2 part dosing and Im getting the same thing.... So i guess you solved my mystery. It has to be the nerith snail eggs.... That was a big mistake buy... I dont really like the spots around my display either.... I thought they were flat worms at first

I’m still not convinced – I googled images of snail eggs and nothing looks even close to these. I’m leaning towards calcium deposits - I’ll have to try and scrape something off tonight – maybe even an excuse to break out the microscope if I can manage to stay up late enough – I have to do that after my wife goes to bed or she makes fun of me. I guess I’m not secure in my geek-dom

 

[jgraz]

Im gonna second the nerite snail eggs. that is if you have them. I get the same thing on the rocks, glass, overflows, and yes other snails too.

 

[downbeach]

Nerite Snail eggs look like white sesame seeds, so if that's what it looks like that's probably what it is.

 

[fatoldsun]

Im gonna second the nerite snail eggs. that is if you have them. I get the same thing on the rocks, glass, overflows, and yes other snails too.

I asked over on RC and got a +1 there as well. I'm guessing I can't expect any bonus CUC from these eggs, huh? Nothing seems to be as prolific as the vermetids. Also, if you google nerite snail eggs there are pics of spirorbid worms. As was pointed out on RC - they are mislabeled. I have those too - I guess I will say "any bio-diversity is good"

Nerite Snail eggs look like white sesame seeds, so if that's what it looks like that's probably what it is.

Jim - these are clearly spherical and not "teardrop" shaped like a sesame seed. Does that change your degree of confidence? They really don't look like an egg or egg-cluster. They've been there a while too. I wonder how long the incubation period is before these little guys become fish food?

 

[ecam]

I’m still not convinced – I googled images of snail eggs and nothing looks even close to these. I’m leaning towards calcium deposits - I’ll have to try and scrape something off tonight – maybe even an excuse to break out the microscope if I can manage to stay up late enough – I have to do that after my wife goes to bed or she makes fun of me. I guess I’m not secure in my geek-dom

Hey take pride in that man... my wife saw me putting Baking power\soda in the oven while testing with syringes and questioned me extensively about my ultimate goal.... LOL

Any way... I've been staring at the same "eggs' for months... SO those things will never hatch... I heard they will only do so in brackish water

 

[fatoldsun]

Hey take pride in that man... my wife saw me putting Baking power\soda in the oven while testing with syringes and questioned me extensively about my ultimate goal.... LOL

Any way... I've been staring at the same "eggs' for months... SO those things will never hatch... I heard they will only do so in brackish water

I'm not expecting them to hatch. May have to scrape them off the rock. I read (today) that they'll only hatch in 1.026 so who knows but I'm not expecting any minus cuc. Nothing's quite like when my troch's were spewing eggs or whatever all over the tank. Now that was a sight...

 

[jgraz]

Here is what they will look like if they hatch. I get lots of these, if I find them on the front or sides I just scrape them off. Anywhere else I leave them. Sometimes i get some that seem to hatch but i have yet to see any babies.

 

[Coolaid]

If you notice any on the glass shine a flashlight on them and look closely you will see little dots in them. I thought they weren't hatching for me, and then I did a sand bed mix with the squirter and we have what had to be hundreds of them on the glass that night.

 

[TanksNStuff]

I occasionally see small baby snails in my tank and they look like they are just round dots. I've picked one off a rock and looked underneath and noticed the "suction cup" type body underneath.

Maybe you should try picking one off to see if there's any life under it or if it's just a calcium deposit of some sort?

 

[fatoldsun]

Thanks George. I may play with a couple to see if I can learn anything but those that I've noticed are stationary. Some have been there long enough that coralline appears to be growing over them.

 

[NikkiT]

I have had snails lay eggs on glass and rock, and mostly saw no larve developing- our wrasse enjoyed the food. However, our trochus snails spawned in 2010, in our apartment. They clouded up the whole tank, and we did a massive water change, but I still ended up with what i think are tiny, tiny trochus. They have visible striping on their minuscule shells. I am assuming they are all from the same spawn as I have not seen this happen a second time, they are about the size of a large pin head now. It is possible to end up with clean up crew as a result of spawning in your tank.

 

[fatoldsun]

I have had snails lay eggs on glass and rock, and mostly saw no larve developing- our wrasse enjoyed the food. However, our trochus snails spawned in 2010, in our apartment. They clouded up the whole tank, and we did a massive water change, but I still ended up with what i think are tiny, tiny trochus. They have visible striping on their minuscule shells. I am assuming they are all from the same spawn as I have not seen this happen a second time, they are about the size of a large pin head now. It is possible to end up with clean up crew as a result of spawning in your tank.

bonus CUC would be fantastic but a large pin head in 2-3 years... Guess I better not cancel my reefcleaners order

I had similar "events" and actually posted a video on here and mnat mentioned your event and the WC. I actually thought what few frags I had really rather enjoyed the "event". I did a WC but several hours later and the next day everything looked great. I didn't bother with the WC the next time I was home to catch it happening. (No NSW made up) Everything did fine then too.