Quiz -What is shown in the picture
 

I have some stuff growing and crawling in the tank and have no idea what it is. So I took some pictures (finally got my camera back) and post it as a quiz for you.
Hope you can help!

(1) Fire Worm? Is that a good thing or bad thing? Attachment 553

(2) Bubble Algae? should I remove it? or only if it spreads more? how to remove it? Attachment 554

(3) some sort of coral? or what? Attachment 555

(4) feather duster? Attachment 556

(5) haha no idea at all ... Attachment 557

:mrgreen: Here is a full tank shot.
Attachment 558

1. Bristle worm - good for the tank, bad to touch (the bristles get stuck on your fingers and it can be painful).

2. Valonia (bubble algae) remove now or regret later. Some people don't mind it, others detest it. It can be a problem down the road so best to get on it early, IMO

3. Foraminiferans. I forget the specific name, they're harmless filter feeders and very pretty color :)

4. Serpulid polychates. Basically a type of worm with a fan for a mouth. harm and "neat" to watch.

5. your guess is as good as mine. i'm not sure what those are, they could be xenia or hydroids or a host of other things. keep an eye on them as they get bigger, they could be good or bad. Maybe someone else knows what they are?

For more hitchhiker info try here:

http://www.xtalworld.com/Aquarium/hitchfaq.htm

don't know why,but the pictures aren't showing up for me

Thanks Christie.

that's a great article.
Turns out I have some Amphipods (initially thought it might be a baby mantis shrimp) and some Spirorbid Worms as well.

:biggrin:

Quagmire - not sure why they don't show up for you, sorry.
Do you want me to send them to you in an email?

Last ones look like Xenia or GSP or something like that... which would be a GOOD thing...:lol:

the last one is definently some sort of xenia:biggrin:

Thanks for the offer,but its probably something I would have to fix on my end.Looks like Im the only one who can't see them

Quagmire: you're not the only one, I can't see the pics either.:question:

Another Hitchhiker
 

During my usual 1 hour/day tank watch :eek: I found another hitchhiker. Pretty sure it came in with some soft coral I bought the other day. I tried to take a decent pictures for 2 nights but this one seems to be rather shy. It definitely is a crab and I searched the reference section already but was not able to identify yet. It looks similar to the Xanthidae which as a read is bad news.
Here is a description

• 1 1/2 - 2 inches
• smal dark red pinchers, pincher arm seems to be same width then other legs
• striped legs
• flat body
• a bit hairy
• seems to be grazing off the rock
• nocturnal

Here is the best I could get:

Attachment 579

Lemme know if you can identify this one.

Thanks,
Ang

I cant see them either

do you mean the pictures from the hitchhiker crab?

I had to take off the pictures from the beginning of the thread as I ran out of space.

By the way I got another real good look!
This beast is really hairy! Almost looked like orange hair? Kinda cute.

I attached another picture - this time just as file. Hope this works better.

by the way - how does one get more space to save pictures. it seems I always run out after 2-4 pictures :neutral:

or me

Honestly, you'll have to post a better picture than what you've posted already, before anyone can even attempt to help you. I can't even be sure where the crab is, let alone trying to ID it.
(Reminds me of a contest the Vancouver Sun ran in the '70s called "Where's The Puck". A picture of game action of the Canucks would be run, with the puck removed. The object was to guess where the puck was).:smile:

Cheers,

Look for macro mode on your camera.. your trying to zoom in or something and getting a blurred picture. If you don't know how to use macro mode , check out your user guide for the camera.

I think that is a picture of Italy. :)

Get a photobucket account, it's free and posting pictures is easy, just copy and paste the img line

http://photobucket.com/

:lol: ahh you guys.

you a right my camera sucks. instead of spending all my money and more on the tank I should seriously upgrade my camera...

it has a macro mode and I know how to use is (thanks for asking though), but the problem is that at night with just the moon led light on I can't see on what I zoom in. have tried it a few times and found that some surrounding rocks are real clear but not the crab that I actually wanted to have on the picture. so I'm pretty blind and just shoot 100 pictures hoping that I can zoom in on the file but .... well.. that doesn't work as we can all see, (or not see for the people that don't even see the attachment)

I guess I will have to wait and see what happens. Even if it is a Xanthid (or whatever they are called) non of the articles I read really went into details "how" destructive they are. He seems pretty cute and was just eating some algae off the rock. could there really be a :twised: waiting to be released?

does the form of the pincher give away whether the crab is predatory or not?

how would one even catch a crab without taken all rocks out?

Try this, get an extra pair of hands (ask someone, it is easier than growing your own) find your crab and have the person spotlight it with a bigflashlight then flash the pics before he has the chance to run.