New to Saltwater

OK I AM REALLY EXCITED!!!:^: I was staring at my tank today, (I know, I know get a life:11:) and noticed on my original live rock I bought , there were about 4-5 small white stems.... I had seen them before but never thought much about them, they are about as long as a pencil lead.... Well I got my mug up to the glass and took a look...I swear on my life those 4 lil bastards were moving....and small little pulsing threads on the tips....I was sure I was high, but then one of my Damsels swam by and one of them shrunk back about 1/2 its original size....Please tell me these are some animals growing, and if there is I will :pooh: my pants I will be so happy!!!!!!:mrgreen: I tried pics but through the water and glass the close ups just wont come out clear

On a more funny note, I was moving some rock around the other day, my wife and buddy and his girlfriend were on the couch watching...Well one of my Damsels decided to show me who was boss andthe little bastard hit my hand..... Well my arm came out of the tank at about 100mph, the momnetum sent me backwards, tripping over myself and as a result I landed on my back....My buddy laughed so hard beer came out of his nose....so did the ladies...:grumble: o well wish I'd have gotten it on camera...lol
 
Wait, mini brittle stars?! The white stems are far apart, not all together and they also seems to be attached to the rock, or is this how they start growing?
 
Aren't they inside the holes with their little arms sticking out? "small pulsing heads" doesn't sound like starfish after all.
I guess a picture would be better. Can't tell for sure what you're describing now.
 
Well not holes, they look like very mini featherduster tubes or something.....could living animals take this long to show up? And when you say in holes with their arms hanging out........I don't understand could you explain what exactly they would look like a little better
 
If their pulsing,its probably some type of barnacles.But a cool find reguardless:D
And it only gets better as you go.
 
i have a lot of those white tubes. once they get a little bigger you will be able to see the feather head come out the top. They are cool to have in your tank. :D
 
Ok, so I have all kinds of live rock growing know, some rocks are almost completely covered...the little tube creatures are growing slowly and are showing up on other rocks. The red and light green on the rocks is spreading soooo fast now I can't contain my excitement.:^: I found 2 new guys though, they look similar to the little white fuzzys on dandilions. If you were to take one little fluff, place it on a stem and add long string like arms....they are white, I have no idea what they are and they are to small to get on picture. I have draw a picture of the tubes I see and the little fluffy deals....any ideas? Is it good that my stuff is growing so well? I have bought a test kit so I can test from home instead of trips to my LFS....
 

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Hmmmm not sure, but looking at the pics and searching the other suggestions, I'm afraid that it seems to be aiptasia....:frustrat: CRAP! they are small and hard to tell, but if it is Aiptasia, I have like 6 right now, how did I get them?! :grumble: If you look at the link dcantucson posted, the top row of pics starting from the left side, the third one in looks like larger versions.:grumble: Sigh, My tank is doing so well with live rock coraline growth and I was all excited....On a positive note, I has a TON of those tube deals, wonder what they will be, feathers I hope. I need to get some lights so I can get some mushrooms and what later. Would like to have some anenomes later down the road and would like to buy lights ONE time lol....Someone suggested some, any other suggestions for a 35 hex?:question:
 
Aiptasia aint that bad of battle:D
Next time your at the LFS,just pick up some Joe's Juice,Aiptasia-X or Aiptasia Control.Either one of those will melt em right outta the tank.Or you can go the natural route and drop 4 or 5 pepperment shrimp in there and they'll eat the smaller aiptasias.
I think folks make a bigger deal out of em than they actually are.
For a light,I'd look at a metal halide pendant to hang over a hex tank.A 150 watt HQI with a 14K Pheonix bulb would look good.
 
yote you've never had them bad then. I spent 2 1/2 hours non-stop feeding these things Aiptasia-X. I took no breaks and used an entire bottle of the killer. I am not BSing either. I bet there were well over a thousand, everywhere. This is the third time in 2 months I've done this too. I am now buying Apitasia-X in the large refill bottles!
 
I hope you have stacked your rock very carefully and grounded it on the bottom well. Avalanches have smashed glass and caused a disaster.
About adding rock and cycles: adding LR will only cause a cycle if there is something dead on the rock. If the rock is fully cured and you bring it right home, still wet and put it in your tank before anything starts dying on the rock then it should NOT cause a cycle.
 
Well I am well passed restacking rock, and my tank has been cycling for over a month now with 3 Damsels.... I got my test kit and ran my own tests, results:

Ammonia 0 ppm
Ph 8.1
Nitrite 0 ppm
Nitrate 160 ppm

I am really confused...as my Ammonia was a yellow as it can get, which means 0ppm and my Nitrite was as light blue as it could get which is 0ppm per the cards.... Why the is my Nitrate so :censored:high?!! I may have read it wrong or done it wrong, but geeze.... My fish are VERY healthy, Live rock is spreading like a weed, and of course the aptasia :grumble: and unknow tube animals are growing as well... why would my Nitrate be so high, I am going to retest as I may have inadvertantly put to many drops or something. Still trying to find the right lights as I dont want to suspend them or hang them, I wish there was a better LFS here...:frustrat: I tired to google 150 watt HQI like yote mentioned and I donno I can't seem to make light(no pun intended) of it all....could I maybe get some direct links to a few good options, would like something ready to go maybe minus bulbs....thanks!
 
What's the width of your tank at it's widest point? 160ppm for Nitrates is pretty way the :shock: out there :? Definitely re-do the test, even have the LFS check it out as you may have a defective/expired test kit (even though you may have recently bought the thing, it could happen). However, just because your ammonia and nitrites are 0, doesn't mean nitrates are being produce elsewhere (i.e. the :pooh: from those 3 damsels)
 
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