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

[Ctyler]

Hi all I'm pretty new to this. But in the 1st this thing has been living on my LR for a few weeks and it only comes out as night. And the next to pics are a coral frag I got. And idk if they are aiptasia or not. Please help

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[deputydawg88]

Originally Posted by deputydawg88

Found this in the refugium, it's about half an inch across (not including the legs), any idea what kind of crab it is? Sorry about the grainy picture, if it helps it looks somewhat translucent in its extremities.

Just bumping this onto the new page.

[Ron Reefman]

Originally Posted by deputydawg88

Just bumping this onto the new page.

Why don't you pull it out and take a better photo and post it. From the angle you took the one you posted, it's almost impossible to tell anything.

[Ron Reefman]

Originally Posted by badellbe

Saw this guy hiding in my rocks for a couple of days. He is getting brave enough to come out into the light now.

It looks like a ruby red mithrax, commonly called an emerald crab. They come in both the common green and the less common red colors. But a better pic would help. It eats algae and most (not all) consider it a good member of the clean up crew. I always have them in my tanks.

[deputydawg88]

Originally Posted by Ron Reefman

Why don't you pull it out and take a better photo and post it. From the angle you took the one you posted, it's almost impossible to tell anything.

Apologies, hopefully these pictures are a bit more enlightening:

[deputydawg88]

Having just looked through the glass from the bottom up, the tips of its claws are a darker grey colour as well.

[Ctyler]

Ok and someone help ID just fed my clowns and found it out and open. Hopefully this is a better pic. The pink thing with the little balls on it. Thank you

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[AlSimmons]

Originally Posted by Ctyler

Ok and someone help ID just fed my clowns and found it out and open. Hopefully this is a better pic. The pink thing with the little balls on it. Thank you

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Ball-Tipped Anemone.

[Hatonhed]

Originally Posted by Ctyler

Ok and someone help ID just fed my clowns and found it out and open. Hopefully this is a better pic. The pink thing with the little balls on it. Thank you

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That looks like a ball anemone to me


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[Sugar Magnolia]

Originally Posted by deputydawg88

Apologies, hopefully these pictures are a bit more enlightening:

Looks like some type of swimming crab. They are getting generally very destructive.

[Ron Reefman]

Originally Posted by Sugar Magnolia

Looks like some type of swimming crab. They are getting generally very destructive.

Really? I'm not sure at all about what kind of crab it is, but it doesn't look like any of the swimmer crabs I've collected. I'm not saying you're wrong, just that my experience doesn't see it as a swimmer crab.

[Ron Reefman]

Originally Posted by Sugar Magnolia

Looks like some type of swimming crab. They are getting generally very destructive.

Really? I'm not sure at all about what kind of crab it is, but it doesn't look like any of the swimmer crabs I've collected. I'm not saying you're wrong, just that my experience doesn't see it as a swimmer crab.

To the OP, your new pics are SO much better, thanks.

[Sugar Magnolia]

I dunno, the back two legs look kind of paddle - ish. I've been wrong many times before.

Upon a second and third look I'd say...no idea.

[deputydawg88]

Thanks guys. I have done a bit of googling and could it potentially be some kind of juvenile stone crab? Its claws, though the pictures don't really show it, seem comparatively large and as I said their tips are a darker grey.

[Ron Reefman]

I don't think it's a stone crab. My wife, who is good at this doing ID's said she thinks it's some kind of swimmer crab too. So maybe I'm the one who is all wet?

[badellbe]

Found another crab that crawled out from the rocks. Are they starting to come out because they are hungry or because the tank is almost cycled?

[Ron Reefman]

Originally Posted by badellbe

Found another crab that crawled out from the rocks. Are they starting to come out because they are hungry or because the tank is almost cycled?

That one is a mithrax (emerald crab) and is usually considered a good member of the CUC. They pick at algae, including bubble algae.

It could be hunger, but I doubt it. Try a small, 1", strip of nori and get it to the bottom of the tank somehow. I use an all plastic clip (no metal spring) and it sinks. I tie a length of fishing line to the clip and the other end to a magnet or suction cup that I can stick to the glass outside the tank.

The herbivore fish, like the tangs, will go after nori if they are hungry. Then some of the shrimp, but eventually they are all full and the crab will come and get some.

My guess is that it's just exploring the new surroundings and feeling safe in the new environment. They tend to come out more at night than during the day.

[elkhntr44]

Hi all, very new to this, first time post but have read a lot of threads on this site. Very informative. I have what appears to be a parasite on a snail. Tried getting the best picture I could, would like to know if its hazard to my tank. Looks like two large vents (horns) off the body. The body of the parasite is almost the size of the snail now.
Hope I attached it correctly.

[elkhntr44]

Here are the unedited photos so hope not as grainy.

[AlSimmons]

Originally Posted by elkhntr44

Hi all, very new to this, first time post but have read a lot of threads on this site. Very informative. I have what appears to be a parasite on a snail. Tried getting the best picture I could, would like to know if its hazard to my tank. Looks like two large vents (horns) off the body. The body of the parasite is almost the size of the snail now.
Hope I attached it correctly.

Sea Squirt/Tunicate.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-03/rs/index.php

[ladynavyvet]

Originally Posted by PetersFamily

Anyone know what this is? It just showed up in the sand bed right up tight to the glass dead center of the front of the tank. I think its some kind of anemone from the way it looks and acts but I've ever seen one so small. Its about the same size of the gravel. It appears to have white tentacle and the foot seems to be green with white stripes.

It almost looks like a tiny tube worm to me.

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[badellbe]

Saw this guy under my rock tonight. He was upside down and I rotated the picture. His little beady eyes are looking right at me.

[badellbe]

Guess the picture didn't work. How do I get the picture to show up instad of the thumbnail? Tried attaching image from my shutterfly but it didn't work. Anyway attaching thumbnail,

[Ron Reefman]

I think to get a good ID here you need to get a better picture. Maybe pull it out of the tank and put it in a bowl with some tank water and then take a few pics.

I can't tell what kind of crab it is from the photo, but the claws look pretty big compared to the size of the body I can see in the photo.

[badellbe]

Originally Posted by Ron Reefman

I think to get a good ID here you need to get a better picture. Maybe pull it out of the tank and put it in a bowl with some tank water and then take a few pics.

Pulled out the rock and found beady eyes and another crab.