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

[Hydrologist]

Any ideas on what is in my picture above?

 

[SushiGirl]

I can't tell from your pics, Hydrologist & danderso.
Snorkel, sounds (and looks) like it could be a Spionid worm.

 

[Aaarrrggg]

Snapped this the other day and thought it might be handy for people ID their critters:

Spaghetti worms:

It's very, very small... that's a dwarf cerith next to it and those "rocks" it's buried in are actually grains of sand.

 

[FidgetBridget]

Ok, I have looked through each post unless I missed it I didn't see these:
They actually look more purple in person
<a href="http://s199.photobucket.com/albums/aa259/FidgetBridget/?action=view&current=IMG_20120123_191828.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa259/FidgetBridget/IMG_20120123_191828.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s199.photobucket.com/albums/aa259/FidgetBridget/?action=view&current=IMG_20120123_192031.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa259/FidgetBridget/IMG_20120123_192031.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Another strange occurrence that I do not have a photo of is: at random times during the day 3 pieces of my live rock will shoot out "dust" out of a tiny hole...I have not seen any critter that could be the culprit...any ideas?

Thanks ; )

 

[SushiGirl]

Nice pic, Aaarrrggg!

FidgetBridget, pics are kinda small, but maybe tunicates.
As for the "smoke" it may be something spawning or something kicking detritus out of the hole.

 

[FidgetBridget]

SushiGirl...just fixed the pics...thanks for the quick reply...any ideas?

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

SushiGirl...just fixed the pics...thanks for the quick reply...any ideas?

Tunicates. Harmless.

 

[FidgetBridget]

Thanks Sugar!

 

[SushiGirl]

That's a really cool color for them! Great pics, too.

 

[Jason.Wright]

Are these Vermetid Snails?

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonewright/6763498651/" title="Untitled by Jason E. Wright, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7005/6763498651_e20007b92e_b.jpg" width="1024" height="765" alt=""></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonewright/6763498235/" title="Untitled by Jason E. Wright, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6763498235_224ce5cd0a_b.jpg" width="1024" height="765" alt=""></a>

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Yes, vermetids. You can take the coral out and dab a drop of super glue gel on the openings to kill them.

 

[john miller]

How about these guys?
top view

bottom

I'm hoping good guys because I have a lot of them.

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Limpets. Harmless grazers.

 

[john miller]

Thanks.

 

[tangs_tank]

What is this starfish. Good or bad?

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Asterena starfish. Some say they aren't harmful, others insist they are coral munchers. The ones I've had have only ever eaten coraline algae. I'm stil on the good guys side.

 

[tangs_tank]

Asterena starfish. Some say they aren't harmful, others insist they are coral munchers. The ones I've had have only ever eaten coraline algae. I'm stil on the good guys side.

Will they get any bigger? Thanks

 

[T-dub]

I have a ton in my tank and they rarely get to the size of a dime before the drop arms and split. If you have one, you will soon have many. They are not on my good side as I have had them eat my zoas. Seems to be the only coral they bothered in my tank so I don't keep zoas anymore and let the starfish be. They do eat coraline too. Harmless for the most part.

 

[Kitsune_Gem]

What the heck is this? I found it on some live rock that I was putting in my friends tank, it was in a tube made of sand and rock. Is it safe to add back to the tank?

 

[SushiGirl]

Some kind of polychaete tubeworm, should be perfectly fine.