Can Someone Please Explain What's In My Tank?

[bvillalta]

Whats up everyone? Im new to this website and need some advice on whats growing in my tank. I just recently moved my saltwater tank to my new place and everything seemed to go smoothly. Today I peered and saw something that I just can't explain. There are a bunch of little white creatures crawling around my tank everywhere. They resemble starfish and are very white in color. They crawl on the glass and seem to congregate on my live rocks. I can tell you that recently I lost my condy anemone in the tank. Yea...I know, how do you lose an anemone. I just couldnt find him anymore about 2 months ago. I just figured it died under a rock or something. Maybe these are offspring?? I have no clue. Do these little creatures sound familiar to anyone? I guess I can wait for them to grow and find out that way, but Im just really curious and anxious to know.

Can someone please help??? Thanks a bunch!!

 

[Eelzor]

There are a bunch of little white creatures crawling around my tank everywhere. They resemble starfish and are very white in color.

From that description they sound like baby brittlestars. There's no way it could be anemone offspring though.

 

[hubbard_shark]

agreein with eelzor they could be brittle stars. but r they exactly shaped as a sea star? chances they could be tiny tubeworms they gather throughout ur tank. watever it is, again, it probably did not kill ur anemone. it could be multiple things such as the stress of the tank move for ex.

 

[bvillalta]

Okay, I figured it should be something like that. I mean they look like just like little starfish. You also just answered my question on what kind of starfish I was trying to think of all night...LOL!

I guess just always thought that I would have to have had starfish previously to have baby starfish in my tank. Do you know how these little guys come about? Do you think they were already in the rocks when I bought them?

agreein with eelzor they could be brittle stars. but r they exactly shaped as a sea star? chances they could be tiny tubeworms they gather throughout ur tank. watever it is, again, it probably did not kill ur anemone. it could be multiple things such as the stress of the tank move for ex.

Oh, I know. I just brought up the anemone to maybe see if that could have anything to do with these little guys. Im still pretty new to the saltwater tank hobby. I just wanted to bring up all the facts so that anyone here could help me out in any way. I think the anemone died a long time before I moved the tank. It probably was the water conditions that did it.

Back to the starfish, would these guys be harmful to my tank or are they beneficial?

 

[Siamese Fighter05]

Brittlestars are good hitchhikers and will stir up your substrate and scavenge on any leftovers you feed

type the name in images on google and comapre to what you have in your tank to be sure

 

[bvillalta]

Brittlestars are good hitchhikers and will stir up your substrate and scavenge on any leftovers you feed

type the name in images on google and comapre to what you have in your tank to be sure

Yup...they're definitely brittlestars!

I was just amazed at how many I saw in my tank last night. I had seen one before and never really thought anything of it. But last night I saw at least 6 of them. They're actually kind of neat looking! So basically they will eat up whatever food lands on the sand?

 

[SkiFletch]

Yup, they sift substrate and detritus areas very well. Great hitchikers

 

[Mr.September15]

Hmm when they grow up you can throw some my way

 

[bvillalta]

Hmm when they grow up you can throw some my way

LOL!! For sure man...from the help I've gotten here I will definitely be willing to hand some out. I found more last night when I came home from work. I have quite a few lurking around in there. When they grow I will take some pictures and offer some out.

 

[Eelzor]

When I originally got my live rock there were a few small and large brittlestars with them, however more recently I also noticed a big black one about 3 inches in diameter Brittlestars are nocturnal creatures as it certainly spends quite a bit of time hiding (good at it too) - Only see him about once a month.

 

[bvillalta]

When I originally got my live rock there were a few small and large brittlestars with them, however more recently I also noticed a big black one about 3 inches in diameter Brittlestars are nocturnal creatures as it certainly spends quite a bit of time hiding (good at it too) - Only see him about once a month.

Yup! Thats about the only time I see them is when I come home and all the lights are all off. Im assuming they can only hide for so long once they grow bigger, right?

Oh...one more thing to add. I found something else living in my rocks. It ran too fast for me to give an explanation. For what I was able to see, it had legs and kind of resembled a small insect of some sort. Are there other little creatures that hitch-hike in live rock that I should know about? If I see it again I'll try to get a better description, but as for now all I know is that it has legs, runs, and hides in little holes in the live rock. Any clues as to what this could possibly be??

 

[dixaisy930]

Oh, there's a ton of critters that could hitch-hike. Search "hitch hikers" on here, and you'd be surprised how many different critters have snuck into tanks. Bristleworms, peanut worms, hydroids, featherdusters...all sorts of things. As far as your new found hitchhiker, it could be several things. I would listen, and see if you can hear any popping coming from the tank. If you do, it could be a mantis shrimp, which probably won't be good.

 

[Redstratplayer1]

This is so coll check out the hichhicker this gut got Its an octo

 

[Eelzor]

Yeah, i saw that octo post - amazing!

Oh...one more thing to add. I found something else living in my rocks. It ran too fast for me to give an explanation. For what I was able to see, it had legs and kind of resembled a small insect of some sort. Are there other little creatures that hitch-hike in live rock that I should know about? If I see it again I'll try to get a better description, but as for now all I know is that it has legs, runs, and hides in little holes in the live rock. Any clues as to what this could possibly be??

I had something of similar description an I think it was a shrimp (kinda look like a glass shrimp [FW]), but I'm not entirely sure.

 

[Mr Miagi]

Amphipod/Copepod. Shrimp like, small, fast, and hitchhike. Good sign of LR, and a positive for your tank, nothing to worry about. A good diet for many fish! Google the name for an image, theres plenty around the net.