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

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly and The Annoying!

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly and The Annoying!

The good the bad and the ugly often come on rocks and here's a couple of them... these are a couple decorator crabs that I have... they are having a field day with a couple of my zoa frags and xenia.. I am hoping that they will stop when their shells are completely covered... I'm hoping anyhow...

This guy had a field day with my yellow polyp frag... took everyone of them except for one... Grrrr!:angryfire:
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This is the same guy from above... he's a greedy sob... now he's pillaging my new zoa frag... *sigh*:debi:
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Another crab of sorts... not sure if he's a decorator, but he does glue rocks and stuff to himself... mainly stays in the substrate, but on occasion he does come out...
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An orange decorator... I think they are some type of sponge crab if I'm not mistaken... he's got some zoa's that came on a sponge that I had... those little yellow ones... he's also got a couple pieces of xenia that he's stolen off my frag...
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Well, hope you like the pics... I guess I could pull these guys, but they aren't really killing anything. They are wreaking havoc on my frags, but I'm assuming as soon as they've filled up their shells they should stop? It's annoying and wonderful at the same time... being able to observe their natural behavior for camouflage. I actually can't wait for the one that has the yellow polyps and zoas to open up... he should be spectacular when they adjust and open. :bounce3:
 
When they molt, they'll go back for more of your frags rather than pull what they have off their old molts. I've had ones exactly like both your first and your last pics.
 
Well I've watched the orange one... and every time he molts he sit's there picking off the old pieces and put's them on his new shell... not sure of the other guy...
 
Killgore said:
Well I've watched the orange one... and every time he molts he sit's there picking off the old pieces and put's them on his new shell... not sure of the other guy...
Click to expand...

Lucky you! My orange one never would. He'd always go back & get new zoas...orange to match himself of course! I'd bug the crud out of him by putting his molt in front of him over & over LOL. My maroon one preferred sponge & didn't have nearly as much personality as the orange one.

Sugar, at least the urchins take the whole frag instead of cutting their own!
 
One crab like these (like the white one but slightly more "hairy") came with a new piece of rock here, I just saw him the day when I added the rock and 2 days ago, almost 2 weeks after that. It is pretty hidden in some big rock I have I guess (I only see it there), and I have never seen him walking on the substrate or somewhere else but today I saw a zoa polyp floating in the tank all by itself... although it seems a zoa from a different kind of these I have, it might have been cut off by this little crab which is the only critter I (think) I have that could do it (my stenopus never touches the corals). As there seem to have some extra food for it, it is not attacking my corals (so far). I won't remove it unless I see/notice it eating something.
 
Macro algae?

Macro algae?

Looked through everything didn't see this before. I think it is some kink of macro algae.
Second picture I'm wondering about the red stuff growing between the zoas upper left side. I hope it's okay because it is popping up other places.
 

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It's all over my LR and glass

It's all over my LR and glass

Hi all, please help ID this brown thingy that seems to take over my tank. How do I get rid of it? Thanks in advance.
vgXKkl.jpg
 
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janetora said:
Looked through everything didn't see this before. I think it is some kink of macro algae.
Second picture I'm wondering about the red stuff growing between the zoas upper left side. I hope it's okay because it is popping up other places.
Click to expand...

Look up cyano bacteria.

*Sent from my little corner of the reef. Nano nano!*
 
Slug ID Please

Slug ID Please

Can someone please help me ID this slug-like creature? Not the best picture, but hoping it's good enough.

Many thanks, M
 

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janetora said:
Looked through everything didn't see this before. I think it is some kink of macro algae.
Second picture I'm wondering about the red stuff growing between the zoas upper left side. I hope it's okay because it is popping up other places.
Click to expand...

I've decided that I think the first picture is Gracilaria arcuata. I stumbled onto a picture when I was reading about macro algae for a sump. http://marinefiends.com/wordpress/2008/09/08/macro-algae-care/
Or not:uhoh3:
 
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