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es355lucille
01-30-2009, 06:07 AM
Guys & Gals, This is a new tank setup and we are in the curing stage. Well its exciting as we have seen two small crabs moving in and out of the rocks. The other thing we noticed in the LR was this peanut looking thing. The hole in the rock is ~ 3/8" and the inhabitant is just under that size. He has never been fully out, and at first I thought it was just wood or something.......so like all kids do, I poked it (gently and lightly) with a stick.... its definately alive. We have just never seen it come out of the rock.

Anyone have any ideas of what this thing is? And if so is it going to be harmful to fish or soft corals?

Thanks
Brad

Pan
01-30-2009, 06:19 AM
Guys & Gals, This is a new tank setup and we are in the curing stage. Well its exciting as we have seen two small crabs moving in and out of the rocks. The other thing we noticed in the LR was this peanut looking thing. The hole in the rock is ~ 3/8" and the inhabitant is just under that size. He has never been fully out, and at first I thought it was just wood or something.......so like all kids do, I poked it (gently and lightly) with a stick.... its definately alive. We have just never seen it come out of the rock.

Anyone have any ideas of what this thing is? And if so is it going to be harmful to fish or soft corals?

Thanks
Brad
looks like a peanut worm to me.
http://images.google.com/images?q=peanut%20worm&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

justinl
01-30-2009, 06:32 AM
could you use paint or something to circle what we're looking at?

es355lucille
01-30-2009, 06:45 AM
Take a look at the outlines. This could very well be a peanut worm from everything I have read (Thanks Pan) The outter portion that we see and from the pictures feels harder like a shell.

could you use paint or something to circle what we're looking at?

justinl
01-30-2009, 06:50 AM
peanut worms are... well, worms; they are soft and not stiff at all. and they would retract completely into the hole if you poked it. if it let you poke it at all (unlikely). is this thing freely moving or is it stuck onto the rock? im thinking a tunicate. anyways, chances are, it is harmless. probably more than 99% of hitchhikers are.

Pan
01-30-2009, 07:49 AM
A few taxa possess a calcified plate called the anal shield.?

Jack
01-30-2009, 08:20 AM
Looks like the ass end of a chiton to me but it's hard to tell.

es355lucille
01-30-2009, 05:32 PM
Pan, I read this as well. I believe you are correct. Maybe he will come out some day and I can get a picture for positive identification. Until then, the mystery is interesting. I did'nt realize how many live creatures come along with the LR. :biggrin: Thanks!


A few taxa possess a calcified plate called the anal shield.?

BCOrchidGuy
01-30-2009, 06:41 PM
I had a peanut worm and it only extended at night, late at night. When the light would hit it, the worm would retract with amazing speed so it took a while to figure it out. If you can set up a small (not bright) light so you can see into the area where it is and check on it a couple times after lights out you may see what it is. My peanut worm would extend out almost a foot and feed like an elephant trunk but like I say, when it retracted, it was almost instant.

Douglas

albert_dao
01-30-2009, 07:09 PM
It's a burrowing mussel. Harmless.

chandigz
01-30-2009, 07:24 PM
It's a burrowing mussel. Harmless.

That was my first thought some sort of bivalve (clam or mussel) Its a little tough to tell from the picture but it looks like you can see the hinge?

es355lucille
01-31-2009, 06:05 AM
Thanks to everyone with the great ideas on what this thing could be. I really not much help here..... I will do what BCOrchidGuy is suggesting and stake it out one of these nights and see if I can catch him coming out. I have never seen it out any farther than you all see it there. If I scare him he goes deep into the rock and it takes it a full day to come back out to this position again.

That was my first thought some sort of bivalve (clam or mussel) Its a little tough to tell from the picture but it looks like you can see the hinge?

new but handy
01-31-2009, 04:59 PM
I would be a little more concerned about the crabs. They tend to eat everything. If you put red celophane over a little flashlight it shouldn't scare the little creatures in the tank. You would be amazed at what you can see after the lights go out.

0sprey
01-31-2009, 05:08 PM
I'd try to catch and ID the crabs. A lot of them can be nasty... I spent months trying to catch one that was eating my hammer corals.

es355lucille
02-01-2009, 06:20 PM
These little crabs we have are lightning fast and are very skiddish. They are light grey in color......does anyone know? Do these small guys turn out to be quite large, or do they stay small. I can't even get a picture of one to post. I will have to keep an eye on them......as if they are coral eaters ---punt--- out they go. I am safe for a while as we are still cycling the tank.



I'd try to catch and ID the crabs. A lot of them can be nasty... I spent months trying to catch one that was eating my hammer corals.

new but handy
02-01-2009, 06:25 PM
It is easier if you watch them go into a rock then pull out the rock.
That's what I did this morning. Tweezers and a turkey baster had it out in 10 min. Check it out in: why is there a spider in my tank