Can you help a newbie identify?

coco62

coco62

Member
Can anyone help me identify what is in my tank. It is a week old with live rock and I am curious as to what I have. There is a snail or clam or something in the middle picture and I am wondering what it is. The bottom picture in the center there is some kind of critter with long leggy looking things. Also a suggestion of a good book so I can learn about marine animals and not call them "leggy things".
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Jesus, I wanna know what live rock supplier you ordered that from?!?! That's amazing if you got it from a dealer... looks more like you got it out of an old used tank... ?!
The first pic looks like an NPS coral... like a sun coral...
The second pic looks like either a keyhole limpet or a cone snail - without a better pic I can't really tell.
The third pic looks like you took almost a macro shot, so without a better pic I'm going to have to go with an aiptasia anemone. Better pics please!
You have some pretty cool halimeda algae growing in that third pic. In that first pic on the left, it looks like there is some turf algae growing... I doubt that quality of live rock came directly from a supplier... but if it did... PM ME PLEASE!
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
Photo 1:
Sun coral or strawberry anemone (Corynactis sp.)
Photo 2:
Limpet
Photo 3:
Aiptasia, looks like it's got it's food good and planted in that rock
Awesome rock!
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
#1 looks like Astrangia sp. to me but it certainly could be a Phyllangia sp.
I agree on Limpet and Aiptasia for the other two.
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
Astrangia sp. picture.

Phyllangia sp. Picture

also agree with the limpet and aiptasia ID's
 
coco62

coco62

Member
OK so I am going to get a couple peppermint shrimp to try to kill off the aiptasia. I think it is a limpet as well. The first picture looks like a sun coral and a astrangia. Do I need to feed it or what? And what requirements does it need?
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
The species of Aiptasia you have there is unlikely to be eaten by a Peppermint Shrimp. Luckily, it's also unlikely to reproduce out of control like other species. If it were me, I would use a turkey baster and repeatedly squirt boiling water on it.
The coral should be fed. It will not be picky. It does need a good current and good water but it does not need light.
 
coco62

coco62

Member
Thank you so much. I appreciate all the help on this site. It seems I have lots to learn. But this is definately an addiction. I don't have any fish yet but still I look at my tank for hours at a time, looking at the creatures that came in on my live rock. I got my rock from my LFS and it is full of creatures. My water is still a little off. Ammonia .25, nitrite, .25, nitrate 20, and I have good current. Hopefully I can keep it alive. I take it the halimeda is a good thing in my tank?
 
coco62

coco62

Member
So I got a picture of a shrimp that I'm not sure what is. any ideas? Just to the left of the limpet
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
Stomatopod sp.
have a look through here.
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/crustacea/malacostraca/eumalacostraca/royslist/
 
coco62

coco62

Member
definitely one of these but which one and do I need to get rid of It? I don't want it to kill other stuff.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Yeah, unfortunately they are not easy to catch. It needs to be removed but they can be fun to keep in a species tank. If you know which rock it lives in I would remove the entire rock if youo can and keep it in a seperate tank until it leaves the rock.
 
coco62

coco62

Member
Darn it all. I really hate to disturb everything, but I do want it gone. I just purchased a small 5.5 gal that I am going to use as a qt tank. can I put him in there? That is if I ever catch him.
 
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