stange creature in tank

[pancho316]

Sorry guys I don't have a picture, no camera tonight. I left it at work. Okay some strange looking slug like creature came out of my rock and shot what looked like white smike into the water. I hae never seen this before. It was 5 quick spurts that looked like cigarette smoke. I turned on the white lights to get a better look and it went back into the rock. Any ideas? should I be worried?

[Ram_Puppy]

probably a nudibranch or a sea slug expelling sperm or ova into the water. How is the general health of your tank?

can you describe the critter any better? how big was it?

[pancho316]

Critter looked like a slug, and was about the size of a quarter. It really didn't look too different than one of my snails (minus the shell) but looked like it had a few long appendages or spikes. The tank has overall good health, although I am having a small battle with some red hair algae. All of my inhabitants seem to be thriving with the exception of a cleaner shrimp that is MIA. Water quality is constantly good with little or no detectable toxins (amonia, nitrate).

[Ram_Puppy]

sounds to me like you have a nudi in your tank. probably hitchiked in on a coral or something. if your not noticing any coral damage or anything then your probably fine. the appendages you describe are probably it's gills.

[pancho316]

Thanks I do some moore research on nudibranches to see if that is what I saw. I've got a pretty elaborate set up to be such a noob, but I'm learning. I bought Alex Wolf's house and the tank came with it. Its a 240 gal tank which I am slowing getting filld with various live rock and soft corals. I've always wanted to get into the hobby and now I finally have.

[Ram_Puppy]

I saw that tank when it was still being setup (and all the support systems as well.)

If I remember right it's got 4 x 500 watt HQI halides lighting it, and I remember he had a barracuda pump and was putting in a streamer when I last saw it, and the skimmer he made looked pretty monstorous, dual beckett if I remember right. you definately have a cadillac of a tank. I wouldn't mind seeing it again.

I wasn't actually aware that alex had moved until just now.

[pancho316]

He's in helottes now. He sold off the lighting before I bought the house, so I am using PCs for now. I will upgrade the lighting once I get a little more versed in care and maintenance. I'm actually in the processing of building a wetbar in the cabinets under the tank. It is the focal point and biggest conversational piece in my home, so I thought the next step was to add some class to my cadillac. i spend most of my free time watching my tank or reading up on care.

[pancho316]

Definetly a nudi. Thanks for the help in IDing this thing.

[Ram_Puppy]

it is awesome that you are reading and learning, if you haven't grabbed it yet, get anthony calfo and bob fenners Reef Invertebrates.

If I remember right, that tank is pretty deep, your going to need to put halides on it eventually if you want to keep corals lower in the tank.

[Ram_Puppy]

it is awesome that you are reading and learning, if you haven't grabbed it yet, get anthony calfo and bob fenners Reef Invertebrates.

If I remember right, that tank is pretty deep, your going to need to put halides on it eventually if you want to keep corals lower in the tank.


oh, and if you didn't know, all the cabinetry on that project I believe was done by pete, our former president.

[pancho316]

He did awesome work. I may need to enlist his services for some other projects. I will probably be upgrading the lighting within the next few months. Right now my focus is rock and cleaners.

[Instar]

Nudibranches don't spew sperm or ova into that water column. They lay egg ribbons on rocks or sponges and they don't poop up into the water column either. Slugs, with or without shells do spew larva into the water column. What you describe is exactly the way a Stomatella spawns except those are not quarter sized. What you described here is a sea slug so even if you did find a similar picture of a nudibranch to think it is a nudibranch could be a mistake as it should not be classified as one.

[GaryP]

The nudibranch king has spoken! :)

[Ram_Puppy]

I am glad your around Larry! Clear up my mistakes!!! good one!