Live Sand Hitchhiking Fish ID

[earwicker7]

Hey, all.

I just got my shipment of live sand from Tampa Bay Saltwater... they weren't kidding when they called it live, because in addition to the stuff I expected, like hermit crabs and snails, a fish was hiding out in it.

I have no idea what type of fish it is... I looked around at some websites dedicated to fish from that area, but couldn't find it.

It's not the best picture... my daughter is the one with the photography gene, and she's not around right now, so I had to use my cell phone.

Any guesses?

I'm also going to post in the TBS forum.

 

[liverock]

Belted sand basslet.......they love my live sand!

 

[earwicker7]

Dude, I love your live sand! Can't wait to get the rocks.

 

[earwicker7]

Any tips on caring for it while I wait for the live rock? Is it reef safe?

 

[liverock]

Dude, I love your live sand! Can't wait to get the rocks.

Welcome to real live sand from the bottom of the gulf...and the critters that inhabit it. You will find that real live sand plays an amazing roll on keeping you tank happy. In a couple of days you will start seeing many tunnels and critters through the glass....and they are all doing what they are supposed to, keeping the sand and tank clean.

Real live sand does not come from a bag...it comes from mother nature!

Sea ya
Richard TBS
www.tbsaltwater.com :rollface:

 

[liverock]

Any tips on caring for it while I wait for the live rock? Is it reef safe?

They are a pretty innocuous fish.....happy to be darting around in the sand.

Reef safe is a pretty broad term....as everything eats everything else in the ocean. Our job is to keep what we have happy, and enjoy it is as we are all just temporary stewards of whatever we keep in our tanks, and do the best we can to keep them happy as long as possible.

They are running all around my system as they come in on the rock and sand when I harvest it. I have kept them with all sorts of tank mates, from mantis shrimp...peppermint shrimp....porcelain crabs...never seen an issue....just be studious and observant......

Richard TBS
www.tbsaltwater.com :lolspin:

 

[ThRoewer]

Serranus subligarius - definitely "reef safe" in the meaning that it won't eat or harass corals and sessile inverts. Small shrimp (like small sexy shrimp) and tiny fish may be on it's menu. Crabs and larger shrimp and fish should be safe.
I had a Mediterranean Serranus scriba - a close relative that looks almost the same - and it was behaving comparatively well given that it's basically a grouper.

Welcome to real live sand from the bottom of the gulf...and the critters that inhabit it. You will find that real live sand plays an amazing roll on keeping you tank happy. In a couple of days you will start seeing many tunnels and critters through the glass....and they are all doing what they are supposed to, keeping the sand and tank clean.

Real live sand does not come from a bag...it comes from mother nature!

Sea ya
Richard TBS
www.tbsaltwater.com :rollface:

How risky is this sand in terms of diseases? How would you quarantine it?
I may be interested to get some, but don't want take unnecessary risks.

 

[earwicker7]

How risky is this sand in terms of diseases? How would you quarantine it?
I may be interested to get some, but don't want take unnecessary risks.

My opinion is that there are two ways of running a reef... the zoo or the laboratory. Both are equally valid, and I have spent time with both.

This is the zoo treatment times infinity lol.