random worms

sh4n

sh4n

Member
I bought some live rock last weekend for my new tank, ive put it in a seperate tank for now. the box it came in had 5+ crabs, 1 x banded seaserpent, 6+ x random worms and 2 x shrimps. i thought i got a pretty good deal. now today 3 days after ive brought it the bottom of the tank is SURROUNDED by worms and starfish, i dont know if its even safe for me to put them in my dt any more. sorry the picture is a bit hard to see. the tank was clean when the rocks were added. any clue if they are safe in a reef tank? the situation looks a lot worse in person, theres over 50 worms that i can visibly see, and at least 5 starfish
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/534/img7570ct.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/685/img7578i.jpg/
edit: also wanting to know what the green worm is
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/851/img7569l.jpg/
'
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
The crab is the only real concern, the rest are fine. If you see one that looks like a centipede remove it as well... but don't touch it, they sting.
The little two toned bristle worms, regular worms (not centipede) and brittle star fish are good guys.
You got some good live rock with all that life on it.
 
sh4n

sh4n

Member
thanks flower! heres a picture of the crab. i dont want to put all these worms in my DT is there an easy way to get them out? and not the starfish
 
bigarn

bigarn

Active Member
you can take a piece of women's stocking and put some meaty food in it. Lower it into the tank and let it sit overnight .. the worms bristles should get stuck on it and you can pull it out. I wouldn't get rid of all the bristleworms though. Many of them are good to have.
 
1guydude

1guydude

Well-Known Member
id get some lgr tweezers and pull em out...! DONT touch the worms with ur fingers!
+1 try and keep some of the smaller bristle worms!
those crabs look like red mirthax crabs and not the hairy gorillias...have u seen em eat? Are they scraping the rocks? Are their pinchers pointy or more round?
 
sh4n

sh4n

Member
i havent seen them eat its only a qt tank he just came out looked around and went back inside,
i wanted to keep the starfish the stocking wont get them right?
 
teresaq

teresaq

Active Member
is any of that alive. I see quite a few things that look belly up. Take out anything thats dead, you will have a lrg ammonia spike.
T
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
OMG...even the worms look scary.....turkey baster.....hose like BIG says
I would not start my tank with all that "stuff"
 
S

saxman

Guest
Take all of those micro brittles out of the bucket and add them back to the tank.
 
sh4n

sh4n

Member
they were all moving around, the next day the water was muddy brown, everything was dead and my house stunk soo bad!, what caused this? is this the "new live rock spike" that people say?
 
bigarn

bigarn

Active Member
I'm guessing this was uncured LR? Get as much of the dead critters out that you can and check the ammonia level just to see where it's at. I'd do partial water changes until the rock is cured and ammonia levels are good. Hopefully, some of the critters in the rock will survive.
 
S

saxman

Guest
Let your nose tell you...when you buy LR, pick it up and give it a sniff. Cured LR smells like the ocean, uncured LR smells pretty bad.
Once someone saw me in the LFS, picking up LR and sniffing it, and they asked what I was doing. I told them I was looking for the smelliest pieces to cycle a tank with, and boy, did I find some DOOZIES...
 
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