Surprise, free soft corals

[Paul B]

As I was looking at my algae trough tonight I noticed a bunch of hair algae in there which is what I want, but I also noticed about 2 dozen polyps.
They are soft, I thought they would be hard because they look like little 3/8" buttons but I touched them and they are soft. They are at the beginning of the trough where they get the most turbulence but the lease amount of light.
I don't yet know what they are but when I get time I will have to turn off the skimmer to stop the water flow so I can see them better and take some pictures. I have never seen these before but it seems that I get this a lot, things popping up from no where.
I can't tell if they are tropical or something from local NY waters.

 

[Paul B]

Here are some of the little suckers in my algae trough

 

[Paul B]

Here are some more "corals" that I found growing in my algae trough. Now I find them scattered in my reef. I like them.

 

[user 26995]

Very cool. Its always fun to find new stuff. As long as its good stuff.
Any idea what type it is?
Are they a soft coral or LPS of some kind?

 

[user 26995]

Oh, I see you said they were soft. The first picture almost looks like blue or pompom xenia. The second pic, not sure. They are the same thing as the first Pic? They look tiny in the second pic.

 

[Paul B]

They are the same in both pictures. They are about 1/4" and I have no idea what they are. I am not sure if they are local NY stuff or tropical

 

[SaltwaterNoobs]

They almost look like purple clove polyps to me in the second picture. Do they look anything like this:

 

[user 26995]

They almost look like purple clove polyps to me in the second picture. Do they look anything like this: View attachment 42204

I was thinking the same thing from the first pic, if that how small they are.

 

[Paul B]

No, no purple clove polyps, these things have no tentacles, they are round

 

[SaltwaterNoobs]

No, no purple clove polyps, these things have no tentacles, they are round

Hmmm...I'm quite stumped then! Ohhh! Maybe you have a new breed of polyps! You can name them something spiffy, like PB's Polyps ^_^

 

[Paul B]

Or watermelon polyps

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Sure the round ones aren't a type of bubble algae?

 

[user 26995]

I'm willing to bet its a type of macro algae
Possibly this? AKA red bubble algae
A photo of Botryocladia skottsbergii algae - A photo of Botryocladia skottsbergii algae

 

[Paul B]

There is a chance it is one of those species but not the one you mentioned. It seems that some types are very invasive and will cover everything in the tank. Thats probably the one I have.
Anyway, I can't find a picture of anything like it on the sites of bubble algae.
Bob Goemans talks about it here.
Bob is a friend of mine and he has come to my house to see my tank. I may call him to discuss it.
View Botryocladia skottsbergii

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Many colors and shapes, especially in the shade and with coraline

Nano-Reef.com Forums > Bubble Algae!

Red Bubble Algae..kind of - Nano-Reef.com Forums

 

[Paul B]

Herefishyfishy I have seen the form of bubble coral on the site you posted many times in the sea. The locals think that if you squash them, you get stung but that does not happen. But I liked to throw them at the locals anyway and watch them run.
I am not sure what type these are but I will find out eventually.
Thanks for the link

 

[user 26995]

The locals think that if you squash them, you get stung but that does not happen. But I liked to throw them at the locals anyway and watch them run.

Thats funny Paul!