I've recently set up a 72g reef tank. Only have my live rock in there currently that I bought at a LFS. They said it was cured, and that I just needed to drop it in, let the tank cycle (I'm two weeks into the cycle) and then start adding inhabitants.
The rock's pretty nice, with a bunch of fan worms, feather dusters, what looks like some coral pollops, etc. New stuff almost daily. But it's also crawling with a bunch of small life forms. At first I was thrilled... interesting to watch, good for the tank, etc. But having looked closer (and quicker), it looks like the majority of life is baby shrimp (mantis, I fear - since I want mostly soft corals, inverts and a few fish). I don't care to have them grow to eat my inverts / fish.
They crawl around, look like shrimp. Smaller ones (under 4 mm) are generally translucent with what looks like 4 antenna on their head - possibly just two though (they're small). The bigger ones are too quick and crawl in the holes, so they're tougher to see. But they appear to be bluish / grayish in color, same shape though. Very fast, always catching them out the corner of your eye.
And recently I found a molted shell about 6-8 mm in length that looked like the larger mantis in these threads. I don't want to harm the rest of the life on the rock, and I'm not sure dipping them in fresh water will resolve the problem since the crushed coral at the bottom is also now teaming with them, so I'm guessing they'd just move back into the rocks.
Anyone have any advice? I'm I just looking at something else that looks like mantis shrimp but isn't? I don't hear any clicking, but there's nothing in the tank for them to attack yet (plus they're very small, so doubtful I'd be able to hear anything yet anyway).
Any information would be greatly appreciated. Sorry for the long post... a bad habit...
(I'm buying a digital camera later today, so I'll try to post a picture if I can get a good one)
The rock's pretty nice, with a bunch of fan worms, feather dusters, what looks like some coral pollops, etc. New stuff almost daily. But it's also crawling with a bunch of small life forms. At first I was thrilled... interesting to watch, good for the tank, etc. But having looked closer (and quicker), it looks like the majority of life is baby shrimp (mantis, I fear - since I want mostly soft corals, inverts and a few fish). I don't care to have them grow to eat my inverts / fish.
They crawl around, look like shrimp. Smaller ones (under 4 mm) are generally translucent with what looks like 4 antenna on their head - possibly just two though (they're small). The bigger ones are too quick and crawl in the holes, so they're tougher to see. But they appear to be bluish / grayish in color, same shape though. Very fast, always catching them out the corner of your eye.
And recently I found a molted shell about 6-8 mm in length that looked like the larger mantis in these threads. I don't want to harm the rest of the life on the rock, and I'm not sure dipping them in fresh water will resolve the problem since the crushed coral at the bottom is also now teaming with them, so I'm guessing they'd just move back into the rocks.
Anyone have any advice? I'm I just looking at something else that looks like mantis shrimp but isn't? I don't hear any clicking, but there's nothing in the tank for them to attack yet (plus they're very small, so doubtful I'd be able to hear anything yet anyway).
Any information would be greatly appreciated. Sorry for the long post... a bad habit...
(I'm buying a digital camera later today, so I'll try to post a picture if I can get a good one)
