the trouble with tribbles....

Bouncer420 · 12-24-2003, 06:38 PM

WOW finding this site is a God-send.... I was one of those people that rushed in and got started without doing much reasearch... almost everthing I have in my 20gal right now was the wrong choice. Now it's my "experiment" until I get a big 100gal later next year. Hopefully I can turn this one into a nano-reef by then. Anyways...
Question #1

Are all hermit crabs alike? (Blueleg,Red-tip,Scarlet?) I got a fuzzy brown one with zebra striped eyes, any idea with this one is? (Same size as the others, just different color)
Question #2

Are hermit crabs bad for sand beds? (I have LR/LS) I was reading in another post how they kill all the helpful sand critters.
Question #3

I have a fan worm in my tank and it's been spewing out this white mucas stuff?
Question #4

I bought some liverock and all the color drained from it when I took it home and put it in my take. Is this the "curing" process?
Question #5

Is the Blue Damsil fish the meanest fish on earth? I have him right now in my 10gal isolation tank, he's just a mean little bugger. Hopefully my LFS will take him back. If I buy some more would he be more peaceful, or is he a lost cause?

Any info on these questions would be awsome....

Curtswearing · 12-24-2003, 06:49 PM

WELCOME TO RS!!!

I have no idea what type of crab you are discussing with the striped eyes.

I don't really like the blue-legged hermits at all but some people don't mind them. I just find them to be too aggressive.

If you have too many hermits and there isn't enough food, they will go looking for food. For those who want hermits, I don't recommend stocking as heavy as a lot of the web sites promote for this reason.

For question number 3, it is either producing waste or sperm.

The color drained from your live rock. Well that means that it had coralline algae on it when you got it new and it has bleached. Not to worry though. All coralline algae requires is good tank chemistry and time. It will grow back.

Damsels are often fairly aggressive. Getting them into a tank is easy. Getting them back out is problematic once they have rockwork they can hide in. If he is in a quarantine tank without rock in it, trade him in now----getting him out of your reef would be quite a challenge.

Witfull · 12-24-2003, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Question #1

Are all hermit crabs alike? (Blueleg,Red-tip,Scarlet?) I got a fuzzy brown one with zebra striped eyes, any idea with this one is? (Same size as the others, just different color)

Yes, Crabs Are Evil!

Quote:

Question #2

Are hermit crabs bad for sand beds? (I have LR/LS) I was reading in another post how they kill all the helpful sand critters.

See answer to question one, crabs are opportunists, if they know they can eat it they will,and f they think they can eat it they will try.

Quote:

Question #3

I have a fan worm in my tank and it's been spewing out this white mucas stuff?

what size of a fan worm is it? does it grab bits of debris then pull it in? if so it may be a Spagetti worm.

Quote:

Question #4

I bought some liverock and all the color drained from it when I took it home and put it in my take. Is this the "curing" process?

when coraline is exposed to air it will turn white, it will recover in time.

Quote:

Question #5

Is the Blue Damsil fish the meanest fish on earth? I have him right now in my 10gal isolation tank, he's just a mean little bugger. Hopefully my LFS will take him back. If I buy some more would he be more peaceful, or is he a lost cause?

Damsels are more evil than crabs (is that possible?) because of the speed of their constant attacks. in a 20G tank, take him back when your tank cycles completely.

what else is in your tank, how long has it been set up and how is your water testing?

you found a good spot for info here, feel free to ask any questions.

Bouncer420 · 12-24-2003, 08:18 PM

Thanks for the quick responses!
I was really freaked out when I saw a slug in my tank (not a sea slug, but it looked like a land slug) I'm pretty sure it was a snail that was robbed of it's shell by my hermits. I think I'll keep them in their for now though.
I've had the tank for about 2 months now. I must admit I have quite a bit of fish in there already, but after the initial tank cycling, everything has been pretty stable. I usually wait only a week or so before introducing something new. My lighting is poor, so I'm going to stick with a Fish Only tank for now.

My fanworm's "fans" don't really move for food at all, they just sway back and forth. It's been spitting out small brown globs (about the size of a pin head) every once in a while. I'm really intrested/worried about the worm. He's pretty big (6in long, 4in feather span)

As for the damsel... good thing I got him out when I did. I had to move my LR all around chasing that guy. He was fairly clever... but my 2 nets and "home field" advantage payed off.

Bouncer420 · 12-24-2003, 08:32 PM

Here's what my fanworm looks like. (This isn't him, but it's the same type.)

sharks · 12-24-2003, 09:36 PM

LOL WELCOME home

Yes you met our claw hater Wit

All hermits are questionable IMO ( and evil in his)
The damsel needs to go. If it were a 75-90 I would say one is OK but your tank is to small for any damsel IMO.
The slug is probably a Stomatella. Here is a nice pic from Gumhead a member here.

Dave where is that close up from the other site?

The small brown globs are probably just worm poop

HIH
S

^EDIT^
If it has no shell and is totally soft it’s probably a nudibranch(SP?) of some type and there are many out there. Most are not safe to a reef IMO
S

Bouncer420 · 12-24-2003, 10:00 PM

That picture looks exactly like my slug, except it's back is fleashy and looks scraped. If a hermit crab did "steal" a snails shell, could it (the snail) still survive?

mredman · 12-24-2003, 10:19 PM

Chances are the hermit ate its way into the new shell. I know of no snails that are able to adapt to another shell.

Mike

Witfull · 12-24-2003, 10:20 PM

heres another color phase of stomella.

sharks · 12-24-2003, 10:23 PM

Snails grow the shell and the crabs steal them. IME If a crab steals the shell the snail ALWAYS dies and that is why I think you have a Stomatella or a nudi.
S

gumhead · 12-25-2003, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sharks
Dave where is that close up from the other site?

Ummm... I'll have to look for it.

Heres a cool shot of a stoma stretching...

gumhead · 12-25-2003, 08:19 PM

Duh forgot to attach the file...

12-24-2003, 06:38 PM	#1 (permalink)
Bouncer420 Tunicate Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Seattle area. Posts: 9 View Gallery Karma Komment	the trouble with tribbles.... WOW finding this site is a God-send.... I was one of those people that rushed in and got started without doing much reasearch... almost everthing I have in my 20gal right now was the wrong choice. Now it's my "experiment" until I get a big 100gal later next year. Hopefully I can turn this one into a nano-reef by then. Anyways... Question #1 Are all hermit crabs alike? (Blueleg,Red-tip,Scarlet?) I got a fuzzy brown one with zebra striped eyes, any idea with this one is? (Same size as the others, just different color) Question #2 Are hermit crabs bad for sand beds? (I have LR/LS) I was reading in another post how they kill all the helpful sand critters. Question #3 I have a fan worm in my tank and it's been spewing out this white mucas stuff? Question #4 I bought some liverock and all the color drained from it when I took it home and put it in my take. Is this the "curing" process? Question #5 Is the Blue Damsil fish the meanest fish on earth? I have him right now in my 10gal isolation tank, he's just a mean little bugger. Hopefully my LFS will take him back. If I buy some more would he be more peaceful, or is he a lost cause? Any info on these questions would be awsome.... __________________ Life is hard, it's harder when your stupid. ~ITC Horton

12-24-2003, 06:49 PM	#2 (permalink)
Curtswearing Golden Moray Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: St. Louis, MO Posts: 2,596 View Gallery Karma Komment	WELCOME TO RS!!! I have no idea what type of crab you are discussing with the striped eyes. I don't really like the blue-legged hermits at all but some people don't mind them. I just find them to be too aggressive. If you have too many hermits and there isn't enough food, they will go looking for food. For those who want hermits, I don't recommend stocking as heavy as a lot of the web sites promote for this reason. For question number 3, it is either producing waste or sperm. The color drained from your live rock. Well that means that it had coralline algae on it when you got it new and it has bleached. Not to worry though. All coralline algae requires is good tank chemistry and time. It will grow back. Damsels are often fairly aggressive. Getting them into a tank is easy. Getting them back out is problematic once they have rockwork they can hide in. If he is in a quarantine tank without rock in it, trade him in now----getting him out of your reef would be quite a challenge. __________________ In memory of Fluffy, please pause before hitting enter---being nice is free. Click for ReefKeeping FAQ'S Click for Product Reviews Click for Photo ID Gallery http://curtcpapfs.com/downloads/1Curt.jpg

12-24-2003, 08:18 PM	#4 (permalink)
Bouncer420 Tunicate Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Seattle area. Posts: 9 View Gallery Karma Komment	Thanks for the quick responses! I was really freaked out when I saw a slug in my tank (not a sea slug, but it looked like a land slug) I'm pretty sure it was a snail that was robbed of it's shell by my hermits. I think I'll keep them in their for now though. I've had the tank for about 2 months now. I must admit I have quite a bit of fish in there already, but after the initial tank cycling, everything has been pretty stable. I usually wait only a week or so before introducing something new. My lighting is poor, so I'm going to stick with a Fish Only tank for now. My fanworm's "fans" don't really move for food at all, they just sway back and forth. It's been spitting out small brown globs (about the size of a pin head) every once in a while. I'm really intrested/worried about the worm. He's pretty big (6in long, 4in feather span) As for the damsel... good thing I got him out when I did. I had to move my LR all around chasing that guy. He was fairly clever... but my 2 nets and "home field" advantage payed off. __________________ Life is hard, it's harder when your stupid. ~ITC Horton

12-24-2003, 08:32 PM	#5 (permalink)
Bouncer420 Tunicate Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Seattle area. Posts: 9 View Gallery Karma Komment	Here's what my fanworm looks like. (This isn't him, but it's the same type.) __________________ Life is hard, it's harder when your stupid. ~ITC Horton

12-24-2003, 09:36 PM	#6 (permalink)
sharks Contributing Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: NJ Posts: 843 View Gallery Karma Komment	LOL WELCOME home Yes you met our claw hater Wit All hermits are questionable IMO ( and evil in his) The damsel needs to go. If it were a 75-90 I would say one is OK but your tank is to small for any damsel IMO. The slug is probably a Stomatella. Here is a nice pic from Gumhead a member here. Dave where is that close up from the other site? The small brown globs are probably just worm poop HIH S ^EDIT^ If it has no shell and is totally soft it’s probably a nudibranch(SP?) of some type and there are many out there. Most are not safe to a reef IMO S __________________ The sea monkey has my money 220G fish only tank ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 120G Reef 2 250W 65K MH’s. 2 VHO Actinics LifeReef filter/skimmer/20G REF 200LB Kaelini Rock . 2-3” DSB. Various, LPS, SPS, clams, leathers, and others Numerous fish ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º> View my Photo Gallery><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º> Last edited by sharks : 12-24-2003 at 09:40 PM.

12-24-2003, 10:00 PM	#7 (permalink)
Bouncer420 Tunicate Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Seattle area. Posts: 9 View Gallery Karma Komment	That picture looks exactly like my slug, except it's back is fleashy and looks scraped. If a hermit crab did "steal" a snails shell, could it (the snail) still survive? __________________ Life is hard, it's harder when your stupid. ~ITC Horton

12-24-2003, 10:19 PM	#8 (permalink)
mredman Limpet Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Houston Posts: 149 View Gallery Karma Komment	Chances are the hermit ate its way into the new shell. I know of no snails that are able to adapt to another shell. Mike

12-24-2003, 10:23 PM	#10 (permalink)
sharks Contributing Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: NJ Posts: 843 View Gallery Karma Komment	Snails grow the shell and the crabs steal them. IME If a crab steals the shell the snail ALWAYS dies and that is why I think you have a Stomatella or a nudi. S __________________ The sea monkey has my money 220G fish only tank ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 120G Reef 2 250W 65K MH’s. 2 VHO Actinics LifeReef filter/skimmer/20G REF 200LB Kaelini Rock . 2-3” DSB. Various, LPS, SPS, clams, leathers, and others Numerous fish ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º> View my Photo Gallery><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º>

12-25-2003, 08:19 PM	#12 (permalink)
gumhead Limpet Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Burbs of Boston Posts: 144 View Gallery Karma Komment	Duh forgot to attach the file... __________________ Dave Come visit my web site LittleReef.com http://www.littlereef.com/MACNA_XVI.jpg

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