Weird white fan like things growing on my live rock?

Tentacles are too long to be aiptasia, I'm saying 100% colonial hydroids, they will go away if you cut back on feeding, or you can just eradicate them.

 

? Did you just say 'changing ALL the water, and washing your LR in FW?

OH, no you DIDN'T just do that!

 

They randomly appeared. I've never had them before. No new additions after cleaning. I had a bristle worm infestation months ago and killed them off with freshwater. They're no where else in the tank. Only on this rock. There's no coral or anemone but I had an anemone and it randomly died after 3 years when all the water conditions were perfect. The only fish I have are 2 ocellaris clowns, a blue tang, and two fire fish. I don't want it to be dangerous. I just cleaned the tank completely a week ago.

 

I also believe those look a type of hydroids.

In my opinion it's probably not a good idea to rinse the rock work in FW, I imagine you are making a serious dent in the biological filter by doing so.

A better option might be to figure out why you have an algae issue.

If you have an over abundance of bristle worms and algae issues I would look at reducing the amount of food you introduce to the tank. Bristle worms numbers are dictated by available food source. Feed significantly less and you will have less bristle worms and algae issues. Bristle worms are not exclusive to the rock work either so I would double check that ID.

A serious cleaning of an established system can sometimes do more harm than good. A well balanced tank with good water quality and filtration, avoidance of over feeding and water changes should not need such an invasive cleaning.

Welcome to 3reef.

 

I had algae because I left the coral life light on wayyyy too much. And it grew green, brown and red algae. Brown went away on its own after I neutralized the nitrate. The green and red grew quite a bit but now my tank light is on a timer to avoid this after the major cleaning. My fish are more lively after the cleaning as well because my tank had a lot of nitrate in it. The bristle worms I had awhile back are gone. I changed the sand and everything to get rid of them. Haven't seem any for about 6 months now. Glad those pests are gona, but these white things are exclusive to this rock, and no new additions have been made. The sand was changed in May during my bristle worm extermination. This rock is not new. I've had it since I started the tank. And being that I just cleaned the tank a week ago, how could these appear so quickly? They do respond to touch. I have no other invertebrates in the tank but I've considered getting a few peppermint shrimp and snails to help keep up the tank. These white things are exclusive to the rock. I just don't want them to be harmful. They literally spawned out of nothing because its been 3 years and no addition of live rock have been added. This rock specifically is a red Fiji live rock if that makes a difference.

 

I do a complete water change ever 6 months due to nitrate build up. I have good filtration, so the build up I don't know where it comes from. I do not over feed my fish.

 

When you say you have good filtration, what type of filtration do you have?


A water change every 6 months is one route to go but it's not surprising how your nitrate level got so high. Smaller monthly water changes might be a good idea.

Bristle worms are part of a healthy system not really considered a pest, when all is said and done there will most likely be a couple bristle worms in your system. Available food source dictates population growth, if there was not sufficient food available to the bristle worms their population would have been under control, too much, too many bristle worms.

Please review the link below for your ID, it could also be Jelly Fish.

Indo Pacific Hitch Hikers

 

I used a double filter, double bio wheel system. I don't use a sump because I tried, and ended up making a horrifying mess of saltwater.

 

Try doing a 20% water change monthly and see how your nitrates are.It would probably be easier for you and definitely better for your tank and fish,less stressful for everybody! Also,if you feel you need to clean some of your rock it would be best to do your scrubbing in a bucket of the used tank water so you don't kill the good bacteria.