animals from beach

[gesswhosbak]

ok this may have been a stupid idea, which i make often, but I went to Orange Beach, AL this past weekend and I rounded up some of those little shells with the foot on one end and 2 tubes on the other that dig into the sand when the surf brings them up. I guess they are some kind of molusk(dont really know what they called). Anyway I sorta acclimated them and put them into my sand bed thinking they would stir it up. Can or would these cause any harm to my water or tank in general?

 

[moopiespoo]

Could be bad for three reasons:
1. You don't know exactly what it is, so you can't be certain of it's care requirements. Can you post a picture?
2. You may have brought home some thing that could disease or polute your tank.
3. This thing could end up eating all your tank inhabitants or killing them w/ stingers, poison, anything.
Good luck and keep an eye onn it.

 

[killafins]

I don't know the name but I know what u refer too... they should not be kept in aquariums...

 

[gesswhosbak]

thanks guys, i shoulda asked beore i did, ill try to get them out. again i learn something else of importance from this board!but a little too late

 

[gesswhosbak]

Why exactly cant they be kept, i realize it can be many things and I will take it out, but I am just wondering what the potential effects could have been. I noticed 2 snails have died since they have been in.

 

[moopiespoo]

Test your water parms and see what they are and I would suggest a water change.

 

[gesswhosbak]

Water is fine as far as my test kit goes. Is it possible they could leak in other things into my water. All my kit tests is PH, AM, NitrItes, and NitrAtes.

 

[killafins]

They need the current and tides to survive. They also can be carnivores if they can get there hands on something... IMO you can't survive. But again, I may be thinking of something else.

 

[fishy88]

are they the Sand Sifting Crabs on the u-build it?

 

[gesswhosbak]

No they are not the sand sifting crabs. They are almost like clams but tiny, like the size of you thumbnail. They have a foot that digs on one end and on the other they have two tube-like tentacles that just sway in the water.

 

[coralwolf]

Can you post a picture?

 

[killafins]

Can you describe the shell better?

 

[gesswhosbak]

Thanks thats alot of informative info. I am pretty sure we are talking about the same think black. My hermit did eat them, but snails are still falling and dieing. Water is still fine according to my test kit. I may just bring a sample into the LFS and see if they can tell me anything. Thanks again.

 

[gesswhosbak]

thanks i will take that into consideration as well, i did recently add my et/dry and with all the new water i think it did bring down the SG some. I would say that i am between 1.022 and 1.023. Does 1.025 have any effects on anything else in the tank?

 

[gregvabch]

i added sand sifting crabs to my tank, right out of the ocean. might go down and get some more! saw one last night before he burrowed back down into the sand.

 

[gesswhosbak]

Cool, I wish i could have found some of them. I am thinking about ordering some from here but i dont know if the three they sell together will be too many for my 29 gallon. Any suggestions on that?

 

[ophiura]

Originally posted by blackclam
they feed on phyto and nitrates. one warning is that they can quickly multiply. i would suggest moving them to a fuge if you want to keep them.
Feed on nitrates????

I also doubt they will quickly mutliply in any tank. It is more likely that they will die off.
Here is a bit of info Coquina

 

[gregvabch]

i would say that it depends on how deep your sand bed is. 3 IMO is a far ways off from too many in a tank that size. i would say you'd be good with a dozen, maybe a little less.

 

[gesswhosbak]

Thanks Ophiura, I am glad to know I didnt screw up my tank. Good, informative article also. Thanks again. And I do want to get some SS crabs now. One question I have is if they have a extra benefits or drawbacks from say nassarius or cerith snails?