Pix & ID: Critters that come in your rocks: the good and the bad.

[Ptyochromis]

Originally Posted by Tom39

is this an Asterina star and pyramid snail? Should I be trying to remove them?
Thanks for Looking,
TOM G

Pyramid snails wont survive without a Tridacna host. I'm not sure about the star but I thibk they only eat zoanths.

6-line wrasses will eat both of them; they are very reef safe but it's hard for me to recommend one. 4-lined, 8-lined, and canary wrasses will also eat them.

[Griznock]

thx for the pics..i have been trying to figure out a small critter that crawls on my glass for weeks..3rd pic up..flatworm for sure

[Fishypapa]

Originally Posted by worm5406

@Jackg962 -- Those are little brittle stars. Beneficial leave them to do their work.

+1

I've "rescued" 2 of these little guys while doing Bayer dips on some coral. Luckily I saw them when they climbed out and got them out of the insecticide quick enough. Good to have them.

[scags101]

can anyone ID this



is it harmful or what is it?

[Sugar Magnolia]

Looks like some type of cowrie. Harmless grazer. If you touch the top of it the mantle should retract, revealing the shell.

[Ptyochromis]

Originally Posted by Sugar Magnolia

Looks like some type of cowrie. Harmless grazer. If you touch the top of it the mantle should retract, revealing the shell.

Only a handful of cowries are reef safe, the vast majority will eat sessile inverts.

[lutz123]

Originally Posted by lutz123

I've skimmed this thread and searched countless hitchhiker websites and just can't ID this one. Newly cycled Picotope (6 weeks or so). It's dark brown or black, about the size of a grain of rice but round and fat - very similar to a fly pupa. You can see whatever appendages it uses for feeding, no visible legs but I haven't pulled it out. Tank is bare bottom. I saw it for the first time slowing moving last night, still in the same general area this morning when I turned the lights on.

Thanks!

I never updated with mystery resolved. This WAS a fly pupa. Apparently, it's not toally unheard of that those flies that hang around at the beach will hover around newly harvested live rock (this was good fiji rock), lay eggs, and develop in the water. Then they can come out of the live rock, not sure if that's from wiggling or a worm pushing it out from the rock. This one was eaten the following day. There is definitely always something new to learn!

[JiveWalker]

Was told its a sea spider?

[Sugar Magnolia]

Originally Posted by JiveWalker

Was told its a sea spider?

That would be a yes. You'll want to remove it.

[JiveWalker]

Originally Posted by Sugar Magnolia

That would be a yes. You'll want to remove it.

Yeah, seems like they get alot of negative press. I have no coral and evidently thats what it eats along with hydroids. Might have to go back to the ocean unless i can get it to eat something else.

[Crna]

Big thanks to this ID thread! I now know that a worm we've been watching in our BC29 is a Eunicid worm. And it looks like we may have another. The second is hard to see, but he's building up a little shell burrow around his hole like the one we can see. And to make matters worse, he's in a piece of base rock at the very bottom of our scape. Going to have to break most of it down to get him out. Just glad we ID'd him now, our tank is young and I'm guessing sooner is better than later! Thanks again guys! Now, let the fun begin....

[pagojoe]

Originally Posted by Ptyochromis

Only a handful of cowries are reef safe, the vast majority will eat sessile inverts.

The latter part of that statement is technically true, since all cowries will graze up diatoms and encrusting sponges with their algae grazing, but I'd say the vast majority of cowries are reef safe. The larger species are more likely to taste of things like zoanthids if they are starving, but you never find them, or the smaller species, associated with zoanthids in the wild.

All that said, Scag's snail isn't a cowry, it's an ovulid, and will certainly feed on some soft coral or gorgonian. If it came in as a hitchhiker, chances are pretty good that the host species is one that's in Scag's tank.

Cheers,



Don

[ViktorVaughn]

Any idea what type of worm this is? Is it a reef safe hitch-hiker or should I try and remove them? This is only a picture of one of them, I have seen 4 different ones so I am sure there are more. If removal is necessary what is the best way?

[Sugar Magnolia]

Bristleworm. They are beneficial detrivores.

[seahorselvr]

Good or bad?

Found it in some macroalgae I just got.

[Sugar Magnolia]

Originally Posted by seahorselvr

Good or bad?

Found it in some macroalgae I just got.

Looks like an Elysia sp. sea slug. They graze on algae.

[pagojoe]

Yes, Elysia papillosa I believe.

http://www.seaslugforum.net/showall/elyspapi

Cheers,



Don

[gregburb]

I posted this about a month ago with no replies. Can anyone id this please?
Greg

[Sugar Magnolia]

That's very unusual. Can you get a few more angles of it. Describe the texture, is it mobile?

[gregburb]

Here is another angle of ID? It has been in same spot for about 2mos.

[worm5406]

Looks like algae. I give it to my tang to eat and it goes crazy over it.

I thought it was flame algae at first then I see it is tubular.

[Ptyochromis]

I concur, it looks like caulerpa.

[gregburb]

Should I just leave it be?

[mrpergo]

my tank just cycled and I thought I would get a couple more pieces of LR.
These are on the one piece.
Noob don't know what it is , should I remove or leave ?

[Danienov]

Originally Posted by mrpergo

my tank just cycled and I thought I would get a couple more pieces of LR.
These are on the one piece.
Noob don't know what it is , should I remove or leave ?

That's aiptasia - kill it till it dies