What is this

[shellydp34]

When I 1st got my LR these were a pretty rust color w/lots of tiny tentacles coming out. Now they have all died. What were they and why did they die.

The reason I ask is if this is a coral of some kind and I am killing it (which is what I suspect) then I need to determine what I am doing wrong BEFORE I purchase corals needing similar care to these so I dont kill them too......

[NaH2O]

I had something very similar growing on my live rock when my tank was newly cycled. They have since disappeared, but I've spotted a couple in a crevice of my live rock. If it is what I had growing, it is a non-photosynthetic coral, and will feed off of food in the water column. I woldn't be too hard on yourself, as trying to keep it fed would be difficult, unless flow was such that food is brought to it. Don't let this stop you from purchasing photosynthetic corals, as a lot of their food requirements come from light. Here is some info I was given on my hitchhiker:

Balanophyllia if it is a Balan the cup will be hour-glass shaped, the other below will be almost round looking

These are world wide

http://www.marinesciencegroup.org/Pubblicazioni/2002%2009%20ISRScambridgeG.jpg

http://www.bolognascubateam.com/Eco/CALAFURIA16OTT99_016.JPG

Here is a pic of one of mine from early on.

[MikeS]

the coral in your photo appears to be a type of cup coral, a common hitchhiker on LR...I have many colonies of them in my tank

As Nikki states, it is non-photosynthetic, and very hardy...

Mike

[T]

i ahve some of the ones you were talking about shelly.....but it didnt have tentacles...its very hard

[shellydp34]

Ok, that makes me feel better. I was watching them die and kept wondering what I was or wasnt doing. I was hesitant to get any corals because of them...

[clemsonfrk11202]

those look like the coral i had come in on my live rock from flordia. it died within about two weeks, i dont know if it was from lighting, lack of food in the water colum or if they just didnt handle shipping well, but now that ive had my tank for about a year with propper lighting and filterfeeding food, they have decided to come back, it was kind of wierd... dead and looked like stone for 6 months, then they just blossemed... oh well im not complaining

[clemsonfrk11202]

those look like the coral i had come in on my live rock from flordia. it died within about two weeks, i dont know if it was from lighting, lack of food in the water colum or if they just didnt handle shipping well, but now that ive had my tank for about a year with propper lighting and filterfeeding food, they have decided to come back, it was kind of wierd... dead and looked like stone for 6 months, then they just blossemed... oh well im not complaining