Another strange thing in tank????

[Blown76mav]

Ok so last night I was showing the wife how the carnation was starting to show signs of improvement when I notice my GSP is all retracted ( it hardly ever does that) so I look a little closer and low and behold I see a gorilla crab in a cave behind the GSP munching on something, well luckly it was on a rock that could be removed.  So I removed the rock and sprayed it with freshwater, well not only did I get that big sucker but I got a little crab and a bristleworm ( casuality of war).  Well now I'm relived because tomorrow I'm getting a whole bunch of new corals and I don't want anything to happen to them. 

Fast forward to today (corals are all in place, everything looks great in the dark)

I'm admiring a coral with a flashlight and what do I see?  Another &*%#ing crab claw.  Well I know what to do, remove rock spray with water.  So I do, I get it and a babie, hey this is getting pretty easy.  Then I notice something fuzzy on the rock.  I poke at it with a skewer and it pops off and curles up like a potato bug.  Well I didn't kill it but it is in the refugium in a container until I can identify it.

Kinda looks like a fuzzy slug.  Any ideas?

[Secondgen]

That is a chiton in the last pick. They are desirable scavengers. As for the first pic the smaller of the two crabs looks like a shame face crab. The worm, and the other crab I have no idea about.

[Lost Floridian]

We had a couple of Chitons (not sure what the plural of chiton is) in our tank and they looked similar but not exactly the same. The two in our tank were not "fuzzy" they had hard plated shells.
From Nikki's website: http://www.reefdup.info/Cid.html#Snails

But yes Chitons are great additions to a tank, they only come out at night and can make a nice dent in any algae.

[Blown76mav]

thanks guys.  Makes me feel safe now.

[larrynews]

worm is a bristle worm

[micki]

worm is a bristle worm

  Yep don't touch it!  I have don't ask... 

[Bigmoo]

Man Lonnie, you seem to have a bad case of crabs. As for the worm, I think everyone should have to touch one at least once (preferably between the fingers like myself). Maybe at the next meeting we can do a "touch" tank

[micki]

Man Lonnie, you seem to have a bad case of crabs. As for the worm, I think everyone should have to touch one at least once (preferably between the fingers like myself). Maybe at the next meeting we can do a "touch" tank

I did my time with the "touch the worm test"! 

[Velvet64]

Ok.. You've got me interested... "This might sound stupid but here goes"

What happens if you touch the worm...

[Blown76mav]

I knew the worm was a bristle worm and I knew not to touch it.  Too many people have bad stories about touching them and then itching like crazy for a few days. 

I've taken over 30 bad crabs out of my rocks so far....

[Bigmoo]

That is a lot. Are they all gorillas? Just wondering did you buy all your rock at same time or did they reproduce to those numbers?

[Blown76mav]

I bought all my rock the same day, same place.  I will never do that again.  I paid good money for 100% live rock, I didn't have much of a cycle but the dang crabs are another story.......   Not all Gorilla, but all have had black claws and pick at the corline alage.

[Bigmoo]

That stinks, sorry for the bad luck. They usually come out at night correct?

[Blown76mav]

Yep usually only see them at night, once in a while you'll see a claw under the rock sticking out but not oftern.

[Bigmoo]

Hey maybe Joel will take them for store credit lol.

[Amstar]

Maybe someone might want them 4 their sump or pet mantis

[Blown76mav]

Oh they're ALL dead.  I had them in the sump along with my kids damsels ( I know, I know) and the crabs would wait till feeding time and grab at the fish.  After a few weeks we were down to one fish, then no fishi.  The kids and I took great pleasure to grab the metal meat skewers and stab them all.   No crab makes it out of my tank alive   I'm sure they have a use other than my entertainment or fustration relief but I can't think of any right now.

[Reefd Up]

Lonnie, I know I said I'd get your other pictures up on my website (and I will...just've been busy), but I'd love to throw those on there as well if you don't mind.  (Of course, your picture will have your name listed with it.)

Looks like everyone took care of you!

[Blown76mav]

Nikki,

Your more than welcome to use them.  Glad to help.

Lonnie

[Blown76mav]

Caught me another %&*#ing crab tonight.  Bout ready to start all over.

[UDflyer00]

Well at least you can't say they didn't sell you "live rock"...

[Blown76mav]

When I went to get it the guy told me "go ahead and stick your hands in there and pick out the pieces you want, nothing's gonna bite you."  ya right.

[micki]

That is umbelieveable!  How much rock did you buy???

[Blown76mav]

I bought 100lbs.  I figured if I was going to do this I wanted to do it right.  Ohhh if I could go back and relearn what I thought I knew   I would have started with a few choice pieces and a bunch of dry rock.  Oh well hindsight is 20/20 they say.