aarrgggghhhh!!! More hitch hikers

Poof · #1 03/05/2006, 03:49 PM

I found a few new things.... Good, bad, ugly??............

These are about the size of a pencil lead.
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Unknown Star is as big as a thumb tack
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He is about the size of a dime.
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Name these critters GAME!!!!!!!!!
TIA!!!

mcox33 · #2 03/05/2006, 03:52 PM

white cerith snail. Asterina star. Mitrax or maybe gorilla crab. Can't tell whether or not he is fuzzy if so he is probably bad.

Hope this helps

Poof · #3 03/05/2006, 04:03 PM

Thanks for the quick response. I think that is just his molt so I am not sure if he is fuzzy. I haven't seen him, just his molts. I will keep an eye out for him. Thanks again.

Letmegrow · #4 03/05/2006, 04:15 PM

Cerith, Good.
Astrina, undecided, I personally leave them alone.
Mithrax Crab - get'em out and throw'em in a sump.

dela · #5 03/05/2006, 04:35 PM

I think hitchhikers are an interesting part of the hobby.

StupidsReef · #6 03/05/2006, 06:50 PM

I agree with dela to a point. If it's something that will harm what I already have then it's to the sump for it.

That crab looks like it could be Teadybear crab, But I'm no expert just going off of the teadybear crab that I got when I bought my first batch of LR. Both the gorrilla & teadybear look alot a like. Either way find him and sump him as letmegrow stated.

dela · #7 03/05/2006, 07:04 PM

I just meant it's OK to keep individual questionable critters if you keep an eye on them. If they become a problem, then fix the problem.

This is coming from someone who's nuked his tanks repeatedly!

Poof · #8 03/05/2006, 08:59 PM

So how sure are we that the snail and the star are what they say are? The star is kinda blue and he doesn't look like he is going to get to big.

dela · #9 03/06/2006, 09:55 AM

FYI, there are thousands of species of most of the things we find in our tanks. You need to be a biologist with a microscope to be able to tell half of them appart. Especially when it comes to the little critters. I have similar (not identical) stars. They have not bothered my corals except then they climb on them, and even then they don't really bother them.

Lost His Marbles Name · #10 03/06/2006, 07:19 PM

Have crab cakes with the crab. Keep the snails. Watch the star.

Poof · #11 03/06/2006, 10:03 PM

Well everyone thanks for all of the info. To my surprise the star has 6 legs! I thought I read something from Calfo about them being bad. I am looking on here to see if I can find more info on it.
Lost Marbles...... Thanks for your kind input. :-)

racrumrine · #12 03/06/2006, 10:09 PM

The starfish is reef safe. Don't worry.

Best of luck,

Roy

Poof · #13 03/06/2006, 10:28 PM

Well now that I know that it is reef safe I won't go looking to hard. Thanks again everyone.

dela · #14 03/07/2006, 09:52 AM

How do you know this particular kind is reef safe?

DrBDC · #15 03/07/2006, 11:39 AM

I had nothing but problems with them. Others have never had a problem with them but they tore up some sps (monti cap and yellow porites(sp?) on me and were trying to go for zo's.

Letmegrow · #16 03/07/2006, 01:18 PM

I've never in 6 years have had the stars bother anything.
This is coming from a guy who never nuked his tanks.

Why ask for a dinfinitive answer if you are just going to ask, well how do you know ? Seems counter productive.
If you don't get the answer you want, try and research.

rottielover · #17 03/07/2006, 01:32 PM

Why is everyone saying to put the Mithrax Crab in the sump?

I have both green and pink Mithrax, and I don't have any problems with them, but I keep them well fed with a diet of hair algae...

The Green Mithrax AKA green emerald is reported to eat bubble algae, maybe they do or don't but I have never seen another hit of bubble algea since I added the green ones...

My wife loves the pink ones, and I HAD to buy her one

lol

So far so good, I usually look for him and drop some Formula pellets near him to make sure he's well fed... I have read reports that they will catch and eat small fish if hungry, so you should watch out if you have any slow moving small fish (firefish, etc) Otherwise if that crab truely is a Mithrax Crab I personally wouldn't go tearing all your rock apart looking for it... Can you get a better picture of it?

I noticed in your pic's you seem to have HA like I do, and I've noticed that my crabs will eat it, about like kids with a plate full of brussle sprots will eat them.... They pick at it, eat some, but don't mow it down like they would mac n cheese

Letmegrow · #18 03/07/2006, 01:38 PM

The "emrald" crabs are the acception to the rule of Mithrax being reef safe. They are totally unique in their species.

Page 262, Pocket Expert Guide for Marine Invertebrates, Ronald L. Shimek, Ph.D.

All of the LFS should be stocking it.

Slide_Ice · #19 03/07/2006, 01:53 PM

I would trash the star.... They will take over the tank they multiply very fast. I have seen tanks that have hundreds on the front glass.
I pull them out as soon as I see then, I get about 2 per week in my 2 year old reef.

IMHO
Todd

dela · #20 03/07/2006, 07:15 PM

Why don't I come by and take these guys off your hand? I'll put them in my tank and if there are any problems I'll let you know.

Just kidding.. although I would take them if you wanted to get rid of them. So I gues I'm not kidding!

Wait.. you are in rolla. That's too far to drive...

Poof · #21 03/07/2006, 11:00 PM

I think I am just going to keep all of them in the tanks. No problems yet and if problems occur then I will look for them first. Now if Zo's come up missing I know to find the star, he usually stays on the same rock, well he has been for the last couple of days. The tank is only a 7 gal so not to much rock to tear down.

racrumrine · #22 03/08/2006, 02:31 AM

The asterina won't touch the zoos. They eat algae.

If you're lucky enough to have them breed in your tank, you can usually share them with fellow reefers as they are usually quite desirable.

Best of luck,

Roy

capncapo · #23 03/08/2006, 02:40 AM

Something to consider when removing these stars is that they are feeding on something.

If they are feeding on your corals, which I have read has happened but have no personal experience with, then taking them out will save your corals.

If they are feeding on something else (which is most likely diatoms ), what will eat the food that they are now consuming? Removing them from your tank can possibly upset the balance of your tank.

Unless you are absolutely positive that they are harming something in your tank I would let them be.

XeniaMania · #24 03/08/2006, 03:21 AM

Crabs in the sump, everything else in the refugium. Only way to main tank, is via return pump..muhahaha.