Help with identifying

[moose11]

Hello all! I am new to this forum and a brand new saltwater tank owner (I have experience with freshwater though.)

I have read a bunch online, and decided to try a 30 gallon and see if I can keep a clown/anemone alive before investing in a larger tank/sump set up. I added 30 lbs live “oolite” sand, and around 28 pounds of wet, live, “cultured” rock from my local LFS, wherein my question lies. It’s got a ton of growth spread all over and I’m looking at getting help identifying some of the things I am seeing growing in/on the rocks.

Attached are photos of the growth I am trying to identify. The first is almost like little orange spouts in a forest of what I *believe to be hair algae? The second is what was referred to by LFS as “a filter feeder.”

Thanks everyone in advance!

 

[T-J]

First pic looks like closed up zooanthids. Second pic looks like spirorbid worms (filter feeders).
Welcome to the hobby, and good luck!

 

[moose11]

First pic looks like closed up zooanthids. Second pic looks like spirorbid worms (filter feeders).
Welcome to the hobby, and good luck!

Thank you! I would like to keep them alive, if possible and not die a horrible death, in a new tank is this possible? I have been told to not add corals for a while due to parameter fluctuations and such, just curious if there’s anything I can do to prevent that? Or are they pretty hardy?

 

[T-J]

Thank you! I would like to keep them alive, if possible and not die a horrible death, in a new tank is this possible? I have been told to not add corals for a while due to parameter fluctuations and such, just curious if there’s anything I can do to prevent that? Or are they pretty hardy?

Zoas are pretty hardy. Since you're using "live rock", hopefully you don't have too much of a cycle. It's the ammonia spike that you have to watch out for.
Since your LR came from a LFS, you really shouldn't have any die-off, so your cycle should go pretty smooth.
Make sure you have good flow and appropriate lighting. Normally we suggest lights out during cycling, but I don't think it's going to hurt your situation.

 

[moose11]

Awesome, I appreciate the input. I’m at day 8 with no spikes yet, that particular rock has been in there since day 1 and they don’t seem to be wilting or changing, which is a good sign at least. I’ve got corallife LED lighting so I’m hoping that will be good enough. It’s a smaller tank but I’ve got a power head that appears to be creating a pretty good amount of flow throughout the entirety of the tank, all the hair algae around the zoas seems to be moving a good amount (although I’m not sure exactly how much is good or not)

That rock was teaming with life, and transported well so I’m hoping the cycle goes this smoothly the whole time.