Pls tell me they are friendly...they didn't look friendly!

[marinenewbie]

Again, sorry no pics. I am peeking again at night, and spied a new little creature (actually MANY of them...) I have never noticed before.

They look like tiny cocktail shrimp. They have antennae, and their bodies towards their 'tails' are curled under, so they are sort of half-moon shaped. The legs seem to stick out the sides at awkward angles, and don't seem to be very useful. They might be about 1/16" and are brownish in colour.

Please tell me they are friendly creatures!?!?!?

I also noticed 3 tiny new snails. Very, very small, with roundish shells (not the shape of astreas, but more rounded-crescent shaped...with a brown pattern with every swirl towards their centres...)

If these guys are bad, I'm gonna quit peeking at night!!!!

Any ideas??

[marinenewbie]

Forgot to mention...they REALLY didn't like the flashlight. Scooted off right away...

[graveyardworm]

I believe amphipods to be your coctail shrimp. Read here (http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rs/index.php)

[xian]

Amphipods and Isopods friendly denizens of your liverock and sandbed:)

[marinenewbie]

That's about what they looked like! I haven't read the entire article yet, but am wondering how big do they get?? The article hinted that they will molt as do other crustaceans, but they won't grow to like an inch or anything, will they??

Oh, and BIG sigh of relief that they are friendly denizens!!!

[xian]

There are deep sea isopods that grow to nearly a foot long. But these will remain small and contribute to a healthy ecosystem. They are distant relatives to the sow bugs you can find under a dead log in your back yard.

I wouldn't worry about them for long if that yellow coris is still healthy though.

[marinenewbie]

Ok, now I am showing my "newbieness!"

"Yellow coris??"

And...what of the little snails??

[pnosko]

Originally posted by marinenewbie
If these guys are bad, I'm gonna quit peeking at night!!!!There's no better time for obervation than during the hours of darkness, IMHO.

[Island Hopper]

Get a flashlght with a red lense for night viewing. You will be amazed at what u see at night.

[Randall_James]

Yellow Coris is a type of wrasse, you called yours a "Yellow Wrasse" but there are a number of "Yellow Wrasses" that it could be. The "Yellow Corris" (Halichoeres chrysus) is typically a smaller bright yellow with a black dot and reef safe.
The "Other" yellow wrasses are not very good reef fish as they predate on your inverts......

The pods you are seeing could be Mysis sp Or Gammarus sp. shrimps that stay under 1/2 inch and do molt. Great guys to see alive in the tank :D

[xian]

Originally posted by Randall_James
Yellow Coris is a type of wrasse, you called yours a "Yellow Wrasse" but there are a number of "Yellow Wrasses" that it could be. The "Yellow Corris" (Halichoeres chrysus) is typically a smaller bright yellow with a black dot and reef safe.
The "Other" yellow wrasses are not very good reef fish as they predate on your inverts......

The pods you are seeing could be Mysis sp Or Gammarus sp. shrimps that stay under 1/2 inch and do molt. Great guys to see alive in the tank :D

sorry about the confusion but any of these wrasses are pretty good at cleaning out the pod population.

[Randall_James]

Pods are fair game for almost all fish. The Wrasses are normally pretty good at it, maybe even too good. The pods are beneficial to your tank as they eat scrap food, algae, detritus and keep the sand stirred up.

[graveyardworm]

I've been looking around for some pics or articles to post regarding the snails, but there are so many that it would be almost impossible. Your best bet is to get some good pics and post them in Dr Rons forum. There are some good articles from past issues of RK Mag worth reading, but I dont think they'll help with id.