Do these guys need feeding?

[DrC]

Hi - I'm a complete newbie so wondered if someone could help? My new
29G is still cycling. It has 10kg of living rock, 1" - 2" of pre-seeded
aragonite sand and a huge skimmer. Ammonia is low but not zero,
nitrites are quite high but coming down and I have just started getting
brown algae.

Over the last day or so my living rock has gone through a
transformation, loads of little creatures have started appearing, a
small leathery tube with a disc on top (we call it "mouth on a stick"),
hairs with pink tips and worm type things that extend fans to filter
the water. There are also microscopic translucent things free floating
in the water, but not many.

I worry that the filter feeders will have nothing to eat as I am adding
nothing to the tank and the water is perfectly clear with nothing
obvious floating in it. But if I add food I worry that I'll overload
the tank and the cycling will never end or completely crash. Will the
little guys be alright?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

[Billy]

"DrC" > wrote in message
ups.com...
>
> Over the last day or so my living rock has gone through a
> transformation, loads of little creatures have started appearing, a
> small leathery tube with a disc on top (we call it "mouth on a
> stick"),
> hairs with pink tips and worm type things that extend fans to
> filter
> the water. There are also microscopic translucent things free
> floating
> in the water, but not many.
>
> I worry that the filter feeders will have nothing to eat as I am
> adding
> nothing to the tank and the water is perfectly clear with nothing
> obvious floating in it. But if I add food I worry that I'll
> overload
> the tank and the cycling will never end or completely crash. Will
> the
> little guys be alright?
>
> Thanks for any help you can provide.
>

First, the hitch-hikers should be fine while the tank is cycling. You
should consider yourself blessed that critters are already popping up
so early. Mine took a while in both of my current tanks. Second, the
first of the two critters you mentioned sounds disturbingly like
Aiptasia. Take a look at
www.melevsreef.com\id
Section one, bottom of the page. Click the pic and allow the popup.

billy

[Marc Levenson]

Actually, that would be Page 2 on that link, Billy.

DrC, there is no need to feed your new tank at this time, as
there is plenty of food emanating from the LR into the water.

Marc


Billy wrote:

> "DrC" > wrote in message
> ups.com...
>
>>Over the last day or so my living rock has gone through a
>>transformation, loads of little creatures have started appearing, a
>>small leathery tube with a disc on top (we call it "mouth on a
>>stick"),
>>hairs with pink tips and worm type things that extend fans to
>>filter
>>the water. There are also microscopic translucent things free
>>floating
>>in the water, but not many.
>>
>>I worry that the filter feeders will have nothing to eat as I am
>>adding
>>nothing to the tank and the water is perfectly clear with nothing
>>obvious floating in it. But if I add food I worry that I'll
>>overload
>>the tank and the cycling will never end or completely crash. Will
>>the
>>little guys be alright?
>>
>>Thanks for any help you can provide.
>>
>
>
> First, the hitch-hikers should be fine while the tank is cycling. You
> should consider yourself blessed that critters are already popping up
> so early. Mine took a while in both of my current tanks. Second, the
> first of the two critters you mentioned sounds disturbingly like
> Aiptasia. Take a look at
> www.melevsreef.com\id
> Section one, bottom of the page. Click the pic and allow the popup.
>
> billy
>
>

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