Sand flea?
 

Well got a shipment of critters while i was out of the office, friend put them in my tank

This tank is cycling for a tiny mantis 1.5" peacock

They all got in fine, however one of them is a sand flea...


The flea is about 1.5", flys around when I first turn the lights on and then quickly burrows into the sand bed, likes to stick his feelers out from time to time

Is he any danger to my new peacock or a reef tank?

Looks almost identical to this...
[IMG]http://jettyfishing.com/faq/images/mole_crab2.jpg[/IMG]

I know these as "sand crabs" -- they are common in San Diego (temperate) but I would suppose there are tropical species as well. The ones we have here have a nasty bite but no real "claws" so to speak. I would not think it would pose a threat to the mantis.

Dan

I agree I think it would be fine as well.

Someplace online sells these things, couple guys in my local forum have bought them to stir their sandbeds.

Pretty non eventful and rarely seen in their tanks.

here is an article, says the lack the means to bite

[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerita_%28genus%29[/url]

Your shrimp will probably kill it.. I had a sand dollar in my tank and my peacock dug him up after 2 weeks and now it is a skeleton door to his lair haha

they are harmless. I use to catch them on the beach all the time. Your mantis will kill it as soon as he find its. They are filter feeders but that a good idea for a sand sifter!