What's in my tank?

[azfishgal]

There is a mystery critter in my tank and the only evidence I have is this pile of sand. I have another one on the other side of my tank. Something is burrowing because every now and then I'll see sand being pushed up, the way ants do when building a new home. Any idea? Should I be worried?

 

[fish freak2012]

Do You have a star fish?

 

[azfishgal]

Yes, he's a brittle star and usually stays in one spot, under a rock. I've had him for about 5 months and never seen these piles of sand before.

 

[kevin34]

Do you still have that sand sifting goby?

 

[rcoultas]

Maybe worth taking a scoop and finding out exactly what it is. Possibly a conch? Unusual that it is only mounding though.

 

[fish freak2012]

O i see my cc star always makes mounds like that in my sand bed.

 

[bronco300]

Originally Posted by azfishgal
There is a mystery critter in my tank and the only evidence I have is this pile of sand. I have another one on the other side of my tank. Something is burrowing because every now and then I'll see sand being pushed up, the way ants do when building a new home. Any idea? Should I be worried?

is there a hole by it or just a pile of sand put somewhere? have you tried looking in there if so...

 

[azfishgal]

Well, it's been about 3 weeks since I've seen my Goby and the last time I saw him he was very skinny and not swimming very well. I'm pretty sure he's dead. I don't have a CC star, at least not one I bought. There is no hole to speak of next to the pile. I guess I will just have to scoop up the pile to see what is in there.........stay tuned.

(I'll wait until the lights come on so I can see better.)

 

[perfectdark]

Maybe a pistol shrimp hitchiker...you didnt know you had.

 

[azfishgal]

Originally Posted by PerfectDark
Maybe a pistol shrimp hitchiker...you didnt know you had.
Are those bad?

 

[perfectdark]

Nope.. they are really cool IMO. I have one, they sell them here, if you have a shrimp goby they often pair up and protect each other. Listen for snapping when your lights are off. You have a large tank so it may not be easy to hear, but mine is very noticable. They are small and burrow under your LR making piles like you have.

 

[lexluethar]

I've had fish do that - my damsels and clowns have burrowed holes everywhere in my tank - I look at my tnak one day and no holes, the next i have a hold in my sandbed almost down to the glass (only about an inch). I thought it was my crabs, but then one day i saw my damsel picking up pieces of aragonie and throwing it.

 

[azfishgal]

Well, something is pushing the sand up, to make the mound, so I don't think it's a fish. And I noticed earlier today that one of the mounds is now sunken in. I have yet to stick a net in to see what it is. I'll let you know though when I do.

 

[azfishgal]

Originally Posted by PerfectDark
Nope.. they are really cool IMO. I have one, they sell them here, if you have a shrimp goby they often pair up and protect each other. Listen for snapping when your lights are off. You have a large tank so it may not be easy to hear, but mine is very noticable. They are small and burrow under your LR making piles like you have.
Actually, I do hear snapping every once in a while in my tank, but I've never been able to find out what was making the sound. I've wondered if I have a Mantis Shrimp

, but have never seen any destructive evidence to support that. So I'm not sure.......

 

[j.p]

ya there kewl i got 3 hitchicker pistol shrimp! but my jawfish killed 1 and my anenome ate the other

but i still have one thay is getting really bold but he is kewl

 

[perfectdark]

If it was a mantis I think you would see a lot of damage to your fish especially at night. Even if it was a small mantis it would still inflict damage. A pistol shrimp however would not, they are not nearly as aggressive, and stay pretty small. They mainly protect their habitat and surroundings. At least mine does. The snap you hear is the trigger like claw they have, they lock it back and then snap it shut, the concusion it makes in the water stuns any nearby prey allowing the shrimp to grab its meal. But like I said they are really small only about 1-1/2" long so hurting large fish or other inverts larger than it IMO is unlikely. Thats why they are ok for reef tanks. If you see any of the mounds look around the LR and see if you see any antenna. Thats how I know where mine is, all I see are its antenna sticking out from under the LR.

 

[mcbdz]

I don't think it is a pistol though. Mine makes tunnels and the mound is what they push out. Azfishgal said there was just a mound pushed up from the sand and no whole. I'd scoop and see what's there just out of curiosity.

 

[snakeblitz33]

have you checked to see if a powehead or something was pushed the wrong way and is blowing the sand up?

 

[perfectdark]

Originally Posted by mcbdz
I don't think it is a pistol though. Mine makes tunnels and the mound is what they push out. Azfishgal said there was just a mound pushed up from the sand and no whole. I'd scoop and see what's there just out of curiosity.

Its possible that its not, mine doesnt make holes it mounds the sand up outside the piece of LR that its living under so it looks like what I saw in the pic. A power head delfection making a small current in a specific spot? That IMO could also be a possibility, unless the mounds of sand are in different locations.

 

[azfishgal]

Well, I tried to dig up whatever it was that was in there and I got nothing.

I did notice some tube like things. Almost like there was a sticky string with sand all over it, if that makes any sense. Do you think maybe my snails could be doing this?