couple more newby questions - with pictures

[johnnjen]

Hi Everyone.

I have a few questions that maybe some of you can help me out with.

1) Tonight we noticed that the sand is moving. not all of it but everyonce in awhile. it reminds me of the movie tremors. looks like there is snake under the sand. Any thought on what that might be?

2) Also tonight we noticed that there are tubes coming up from the sand. are these worms like feather dusters? are they good or should I take them out.

3) In one of our rocks we appear to have a little crab growing in it. we haven't purchased any little crabs and from what I can see of it, it has the legs of like out emerald crab. but alot smaller. could this be a hitchhiker as well?


Thanks agian for all your help

JNJ

 

[btodd43]

Sounds like Nassarius snails -( the tubes are for smelling for food) they are good. Put in some food and they will come out of the sand. The other could be a bad crab , try to get a better description. We had one and it tore up alot of our corals.
_________________
Ferrari 195 S

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Everyone.

I have a few questions that maybe some of you can help me out with.


2) Also tonight we noticed that there are tubes coming up from the sand. are these worms like feather dusters? are they good or should I take them out.

I can't think of anything harmful to a tank that makes tubes in the sand like that, it is probably just featherdusters, so enjoy them! Most tanks end up with small feather duster populations.

 

[Anonymous]

That crab looks like an emerald crab.

I have 3, and i love them. They are reef safe, but are opportunistic feeders. They will leave anything alone unless it is dying or stressed out. Others will have varying opinions based on thier experiences. I would keep them. No problems in over a year, and one of mine is HUGE.


The sand moving? not sure. But those look like feather dusters, which are wanted and good filter feeders

 

[SnowManSnow]

id say that thing in ur sand is a Nar. snail, like posted up there. Good guy. I have a few myself. Pretty neat snails that wont damage anything and keeps your sandbed from getting too hard.

B

 

[johnnjen]

Thanks for all of your help!


Are emerald crabs hitchhikers? can they last thru shipping and curing of liverock?

Thanks
JNJ

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all of your help!


Are emerald crabs hitchhikers? can they last thru shipping and curing of liverock?

Thanks
JNJ

Yes, they can be hitchhikers. They could last during shipping if there is any water trapped inside (or if it is shipped wet or in water)

Anything can live during curing, just like humans, there are ones that are weak within a species, and there are ironmen.

 

[Anonymous]

Hmm. From the resolution of that pic, it's hard to see whether you have an emerald crab or something less beneficial.

Keep an eye on it and what it eats (if necessary by having a look with a torch after lights out - if you cover the torch with red film, the critters won't know you're there as easily and you'll be able to watch unobserved). If it eats algae, ok, but if it's feeding on your coral, be prepared to either catch it in a crab trap or fish out the rock it's hiding in and pull it out with some tweezers.