Help with a few ID
 

Wondering if I can get some opinions on some of the following.

Thought this was a sponge when I bought the piece of rock but it looks more like it has polyps. Sorry for the poor exposure, it is in a shaded part of the tank right now:

http://hotimg23.fotki.com/a/70_70/254_23/Sponge43.jpg

Looks a bit like an egg sack. I assume from some snails as there were several of these on the glass. I have cerith snails but these are not cerith eggs (I have seen those many times) as well as 3 kinds of nassarius snails, some trochus snails, astrea snails, a couple of margarita snails and 3 bumble bee snails. Any ideas what may have laid them?

http://hotimg23.fotki.com/a/70_70/254_23/eggs.jpg

Also these which are larger:

http://hotimg23.fotki.com/a/70_70/254_23/eggs2.jpg

And finally this snail. it seems to graze on the glass and occasionally rocks. Haven't seen it bothering any corals.

http://hotimg23.fotki.com/a/70_70/254_23/snail.jpg

Thanks in advance.

The first one is an Alveopora or Daisy coral, the others i am not sure about Sorry.

Colby

The egg sacs are snail egg sacs, nassarius I think and the last "snail" looks like it is a type of whelk, marie had a thread on them I believe? I have one as well, (from her! lol) eats alagae, doesn't bother anyone. (There are some dangerous ones but watch it - if it eats algae and isn't seen stalking your other snails you're probably ok)

I vote yellow porites for the first one. Starts off encrusting but eventually branches out. In comparison to the zoanthids next to it, its polyps are pretty small to be an alveopora.

Second one is a whelk. Keep an eye on it, some are good, some are not.

:biggrin:

I think the coral is porites of an encrusting type but could definitely branch out as Christyf5 stated above. Daisy coral usually has longer polyps. However, daisy coral (alveopora) and porites are in the same family Poritidae.

If the snail is the same as I have, then they're not whelks they're columbellid snails (aka strombus grazers) and the egg sacks look to be the same as mine as well (they breed like rabbits)

http://www.xtalworld.com/Aquarium/hitchfaq.htm

Ah! That's it - I kept saying "collonista" in my head and going "nope. close, but that's different" lol

Thanks everyone. I think you're right on the porites and the columbellid snail. I guess I'll just have to wait on the eggs and see what sort of snails show up if some survive.

Any updated pictures on the first coral? It looks like an alveopora that just got acclimated.

It's a yellow porites. The polyps are tiny compared to an alveopora (compare the size to the zoas in the picture). It has been doing well and showing some growth.