Ugly Looking Shrimp/worm Looking Thing, Just Crawled Off Live Rock &#3

[MrBrown]

Hi guys Im knew to the whole marine thing ...

I added 50KG of live rock to my tank two days ago and this morning noticed the ugliest/weirdest looking slug/shrimp looking thing crawling around my rock ....

I did try to capture a pic of it but it crawled off behind some rock !!!

Its white/clear in colour and is about 10cm long oh and it looks vile

Question is what do I do with it :

Try to catch it, flush it ?
Leave it alone ?

Suggestions please
Will try to get a picture of it ...

Many Thanks in advance

 

[rabbut]

Can you try to describe it in as best detail as you can if you cannot get a picture? This is a case of a Picture speaks a thousand words. Nothing springs to mind fitting the description so far.

All the best
Rabbut

 

[Alex Brown]

Did it look like this.

 

[rabbut]

^^ if so, unless its massive or seen to be going for polyps, it's harmless. Those are bristleworms, a meaty food scavenger and detrieter. Most are hamless and good things to have, though a few rarely seen larger species can eat soft and hard coral. On a side note, if that is what you have, they have a venomous sting, that realy hurts if you touch them, hence I would not recomned touching it, and gloves suddenly become advisable during maintanance work

All the best
Rabbut

 

[MrBrown]

^^ if so, unless its massive or seen to be going for polyps, it's harmless. Those are bristleworms, a meaty food scavenger and detrieter. Most are hamless and good things to have, though a few rarely seen larger species can eat soft and hard coral. On a side note, if that is what you have, they have a venomous sting, that realy hurts if you touch them, hence I would not recomned touching it, and gloves suddenly become advisable during maintanance work

All the best
Rabbut

Nope it doesnt look like that at all
It is much fatter than that, probably the size, maybe a little smaller than your index finger !!
At the moment its holding up in a neat little hole in some live rock, I will try get a picture of it later when the lights are off ...
I have quite a few polyps too, so hopefully it wont start munching on those, Im quite looking forward to them opening up

 

[rabbut]

They can be fatter than in Alex Brown's pic. I still think you need to get a photo, so good luck tonight getting one...

 

[MrBrown]

*Update*
I think it may be a Peacock Mantis Shrimp ...
I have a invertebrate book and it looks pretty similar to one in there
Question is, how do i get rid of the thing, it says they can break fingers

 

[rabbut]

Find out which rock he's hiding in. After that, remove it to either a sump tank, or poor boiling water over the rock to kill him (and everything else on the rock)... There are a few traps you can use to get him, but most will get any other critters before him...

All the best
Rabbut

 

[omega59]

this sounds interesting, any pics yet??

 

[IIITYIII]

Find out which rock he's hiding in. After that, remove it to either a sump tank, or poor boiling water over the rock to kill him (and everything else on the rock)... There are a few traps you can use to get him, but most will get any other critters before him...

All the best
Rabbut

hmmm boiling water sounds kind of harsh...id flush him down the toilet he may have fun going round and round.

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Dont kill it, espeically if its a peacock mantis!! If it is and your in the UK I would love to have it and I'm sure you could find someone who would take it and find it a good home.

Never flush anything thats still alive> If you HAVE to kill something do it quickly rather then flushing it and letting it die a slow horrible death in a bunch of human wastes.

Photos would be good.

 

[MrBrown]

Dont kill it, espeically if its a peacock mantis!! If it is and your in the UK I would love to have it and I'm sure you could find someone who would take it and find it a good home.

Never flush anything thats still alive> If you HAVE to kill something do it quickly rather then flushing it and letting it die a slow horrible death in a bunch of human wastes.

Photos would be good.

 

[MrBrown]

Dont kill it, espeically if its a peacock mantis!! If it is and your in the UK I would love to have it and I'm sure you could find someone who would take it and find it a good home.

Never flush anything thats still alive> If you HAVE to kill something do it quickly rather then flushing it and letting it die a slow horrible death in a bunch of human wastes.

Photos would be good.

Heres a pic I cornered it in some rock and have it in a bucket of water now !
Your more then welcome to it

Dont kill it, espeically if its a peacock mantis!! If it is and your in the UK I would love to have it and I'm sure you could find someone who would take it and find it a good home.

Never flush anything thats still alive> If you HAVE to kill something do it quickly rather then flushing it and letting it die a slow horrible death in a bunch of human wastes.

Photos would be good.

Heres a pic I cornered it in some rock and have it in a bucket of water now !
Your more then welcome to it

another pic, its about 10 to 15cm long

 

[bae1994]

this is the reason why i worry about putting my hand in my marine tanks incase one of these guys have been living in there waiting to attack

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Definetly a mantis (wow not often you get someone suspecting a mantis in there tank and it actually turns out to be one). I dont think it is a peacock though (colour is wrong), looks a bit more like a Gonodactylus Chiragra (size would be about right for that as well).