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

[scags101]

Need a correct ID on these. From what I can get from research there a flat worm type. What type and what species of Fish will eat them. Are they bad or will some species eath them?


My Aviary-Edited Photo by Erick Sundeen, on Flickr

 

[SushiGirl]

Look like the harmless type, but hard to tell.

 

[scags101]

So I picked up this rock from LFS yesterday for $40.. been curing my tank for a week now and wanted to add some diversity. it's been in there for a day so far and a few things have shown up. need help with ID since I'm a noob.


also should note, this little neon green spiny button looking thing has been moving around, and why does this starfish only have 3 legs? also the small little leather in the middle of the group fluoresces green under actinic.

also a great way i got rid of the pests is i got 2 peppermint shrimps. they ate up all the mojanos and aptasia in my tank but im still stuck this those little flat worms i posted... still trying to figure out what will eat them if anything

 

[scags101]

Look like the harmless type, but hard to tell.

any ideas to get rid of them if need be cause there reproducing like mad.

 

[alexander_ktn]

Need a correct ID on these. From what I can get from research there a flat worm type. What type and what species of Fish will eat them. Are they bad or will some species eath them?


My Aviary-Edited Photo by Erick Sundeen, on Flickr

Are they moving at all? Because they look like nerite eggs to me...

 

[scags101]

i havent' noticed them move yet and I do have nerite snails also in my tank and there also on the shells of some of my hermit craps funny enough. I guess only time will tell.

 

[alexander_ktn]

I would say chances are very high that they are nerite eggs then. You should have noticed some flatworm movement or change of location over night etc. if those were flatworms.

 

[SushiGirl]

Good eye, Alexander. I couldn't zoom in on the pic & just assumed he already knew they were flatworms.

 

[alexander_ktn]

Over time I've come to the conclusion that 80% of unidentified hitchhiker queries are Stomatella snails, chitons, pineapple sponges (Sycon) and nerite eggs
So I went for the obvious, lol.

 

[SushiGirl]

So very true!
Don't forget 75% of worms are harmless bristleworms, especially the ones with bristles! :lol:

 

[Ryphen]

Ok, this thing came with our live rock and has been living in the tank for 2 years. It's probably the oldest mobile thing in there I can recognize. It hardly ever comes off the rocks, so I can't get a picture of the underside, but it has a mouth and a foot like a snail.

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[Sugar Magnolia]

Fleshy limpet. Harmless. Nice hitchhiker!

 

[Ryphen]

Thanks. There's a regular limpet roaming around too. Didn't know they came in a variety with a "skirt." :lmao:

 

[SushiGirl]

Male & female :lol:

 

[Ryphen]

Learn something new every day! Now I'm going to have to go and google limpet life cycles...

 

[bloodypeasant]

Hey guys, need help with proper id, only a week in and try to do my research so bear with me.
Is this an asternia starfish? Hard to see in the pics, I can try to get some better ones. Short, thick legs. Really blends in with the rock.

No clue what this thing is. Just popped up a day ago, maybe needs time to mature for proper id?

Thanks!

 

[SushiGirl]

Yes, asterina.
Second one maybe a mushroom?

 

[bloodypeasant]

Nice! Thanks sushigirl! On my way to properly identifying living creatures. Asternias are the good guys right?
I also have little brown polyp guys about 1/4 of an inch long. Look kind of like hydroids but when touched they retreat into whatever tube they are popping out of. Too small for my camera to capture, but do hydra react to stimuli like this? I thought they didnt.

 

[SushiGirl]

Ryphen, I was kidding about male & female, couldn't resist since it had a skirt! LOL

bloodypeasant, Asterinas are typically harmless. There are tons of different hydroids. I have some in tubes. Do they look like this?

 

[bloodypeasant]

Yea that pretty much looks like them. I am familiar with some hydroids, like the little white ones which plauged my fw tank. But that photo pretty much looks like what I have. Should i try to remove them?