Pls help ID

[Milch_Tan]

Hi bros/sis,

Pls hlp ID the following attached. I found many of the first pic roaming around my live rocks should I soak the LR in distilled water to kill them? they seemed to be very hardy, despite 1 full day in a bowl of seawater w/o any airstone its still very much alive.

Thanks

[limsc]

Hi bros/sis,

Pls hlp ID the following attached. I found many of the first pic roaming around my live rocks should I soak the LR in distilled water to kill them? they seemed to be very hardy, despite 1 full day in a bowl of seawater w/o any airstone its still very much alive.

Thanks

1st one: should be some kind of pods.. Will be food for fishes

2nd one: try to remove. forgot what it is. But remember its harmful to some corals.

[Milch_Tan]

Thanks bro limsc, with your help on pod, I googled, and it seems kinda like an Amphipod, would it be right?

read that it can be a food source

[TFMANIAC]

hitchstars

it's an Asterina.

[jackywongto]

from zoaid:

Not all Asterina Starfish are Zoanthid predators. In fact, as a whole, Asterinas are generally considered Reef Safe. However, the Asterina family is HUGE and there **are** types that **do** eat/kill Zoanthids!

better be safe then sorry.

[yikai]

Hello bro. 1st one is an amphipod. good to have in your tank.

2nd one is an asterina starfish. diverse family that eats detrisus, coraline, some corals etc. depends on species.

they reproduce very quickly by dropping arms and thus you often find them with odd number of arms and of different sizes.

[Milch_Tan]

hitchstars

it's an Asterina.

Thank TFMANIAC, that link is super informative, learnt alot from it

from zoaid:

Not all Asterina Starfish are Zoanthid predators. In fact, as a whole, Asterinas are generally considered Reef Safe. However, the Asterina family is HUGE and there **are** types that **do** eat/kill Zoanthids!

better be safe then sorry.

Hi bro jacky, yeah i've turn it into organic plant fertilizer

Hello bro. 1st one is an amphipod. good to have in your tank.

2nd one is an asterina starfish. diverse family that eats detrisus, coraline, some corals etc. depends on species.

they reproduce very quickly by dropping arms and thus you often find them with odd number of arms and of different sizes.

hi lemonlemon, no wonder they are always odd-shaped. thanks!

many thanks for all the fast replies and help !!

[yellowtang]

The Stars, search and destroy them. Confirmed blastos eaters. At the same time, you see one crab, you kill one crab! They are thugs. They will eat zoas, and corals.

Good Luck

[Milch_Tan]

hey there bro yellow tang, u mean all crabs? hmm i've found 1 that looks like the typical sri lakan crab we eat, except it's bout 2 inch in size, stuck in the LR tried endlessly to remove it but to no avail. I'm having 2 x sally light foot crab (bout 3" across) and 1 x strawberry crab, think should be ok right? hmm jus read that sally will hunt for smaller inverts and fishes when it's bout this size, any seniors have any such encounters?

Also i have a black mithrax crab bout slightly more than 2" which is impossible to catch.. hiding in the bigger LR (which has alot of passage ways). Read mix reviews about this crab,

[yikai]

hey there bro yellow tang, u mean all crabs? hmm i've found 1 that looks like the typical sri lakan crab we eat, except it's bout 2 inch in size, stuck in the LR tried endlessly to remove it but to no avail. I'm having 2 x sally light foot crab (bout 3" across) and 1 x strawberry crab, think should be ok right? hmm jus read that sally will hunt for smaller inverts and fishes when it's bout this size, any seniors have any such encounters?

Also i have a black mithrax crab bout slightly more than 2" which is impossible to catch.. hiding in the bigger LR (which has alot of passage ways). Read mix reviews about this crab,

black mithrax? never heard of it.

anyways, all crabs are opportunist. if in doubt, just remove..

[Milch_Tan]

Thanks again lemonlemon,

Anyway, perhaps I got the name wrong, but below pix is about how the said crab I discovered in the LR look like.

[CFOh]

hey there bro yellow tang, u mean all crabs? hmm i've found 1 that looks like the typical sri lakan crab we eat, except it's bout 2 inch in size, stuck in the LR tried endlessly to remove it but to no avail. I'm having 2 x sally light foot crab (bout 3" across) and 1 x strawberry crab, think should be ok right? hmm jus read that sally will hunt for smaller inverts and fishes when it's bout this size, any seniors have any such encounters?

Also i have a black mithrax crab bout slightly more than 2" which is impossible to catch.. hiding in the bigger LR (which has alot of passage ways). Read mix reviews about this crab,

I have one black mithrax crab similar size as your one >2" body only... this fella really trouble maker and pretty smart.. like to move rock and scrubbing coralline, super active during night time... And it is fast grower.. Mine also hide in big replica...

About Sally crab, eye witness once at AM Jalan Kayu.. this fella keep attack one blue eye anthias... I believe that fish could be in nausea mode... But this telling us the Crab nature.. But I know some reefer keeping them without issue, I believe the tank size and space does matter...in fact, it is good hair algae eater...

Cheers

[LaW]

when in doubt, remove it.

but the pods you showed are good guys.

[stevenkoh08]

ya the pods i use to have bout hundreds of them in my 4ft tank sump super good for fish even when i run out of fish foos in the auto feeder,

all the fish still look fat and healthy for a week

[Milch_Tan]

hi bro CFOh, Law & Stevenkoh08! Thanks for the help and advise! i'm now happy to c those pods crawling around the LR, as with the mithrax crab, will try my best to remove, thank u guys big big again!

[CFOh]

Thanks again lemonlemon,

Anyway, perhaps I got the name wrong, but below pix is about how the said crab I discovered in the LR look like.

Below is my big crab always disturb my LPS.. pushing rock and coral.. topple coral as well.... My Aussie Acan being crawl by this fella pincers until certain parts bleached.. try several trapping methods including bottle..this fella show not interested at all... Any suggestion without moving rock??

pics shows his pincers... Cheers...

[CFOh]

Some reference on book "What inverterbrates? A Buyer's Guide for Marine Aquariums" Page 196 about Asterina Starfish.

Cheers..

[CFOh]

Some reference on book "What inverterbrates? A Buyer's Guide for Marine Aquariums" Page 204 about Sea fleas/pods

Cheers..

[Milch_Tan]

hey bro CFOh! kudos to you man! really thanks for the effort in scanning the pages! most informative; did u order the book from amazon.com? btw as to trapping that darn crab w/o moving the rocks i'm quite clueless as well, as I've tried putting prawn to lure it but to no effect. haha. hmm btw the pic with the crab on the hand? it's a pic taken from google image search!

anyhow, great thanks bro! (:

[yikai]

hey bro CFOh! kudos to you man! really thanks for the effort in scanning the pages! most informative; did u order the book from amazon.com? btw as to trapping that darn crab w/o moving the rocks i'm quite clueless as well, as I've tried putting prawn to lure it but to no effect. haha. hmm btw the pic with the crab on the hand? it's a pic taken from google image search!

anyhow, great thanks bro! (:

get a little cup or chicken essense bottle and put some food inside. i like to use a small piece of prawn. put it near the crab's hole and let it crawl in to eat the food. make sure the bottle is big enough for the crab to go in but not come out. good luck!

[CFOh]

hey bro CFOh! kudos to you man! really thanks for the effort in scanning the pages! most informative; did u order the book from amazon.com? btw as to trapping that darn crab w/o moving the rocks i'm quite clueless as well, as I've tried putting prawn to lure it but to no effect. haha. hmm btw the pic with the crab on the hand? it's a pic taken from google image search!

anyhow, great thanks bro! (:

Thanks, Milch, I like to collect books, web info and magazine.... especially statistic, physic & hobby... haven't try Amazon yet.....

most of the books get from book shops, relative from oversea (I found US, taiwan books much cheapers compare here....) and also some of them get from reefers bro here.... most of my fish magazine are from Esso petrol station @ woodlands ave 2 and IMM magazine shop... And for old magazine, I found our Library is the best place to browse...

For statistic and physic.. I strongly recommend Clementi Book Shop... it is cheapest in town....

Ya, I might try again others method to trap this guys....

Haha, sure seen that pics on webs so many times.... My crab could be slightly bigger than this fella... as you can see my pics judge from the pincer.....

Cheers and Happy reefing....

[CFOh]

get a little cup or chicken essense bottle and put some food inside. i like to use a small piece of prawn. put it near the crab's hole and let it crawl in to eat the food. make sure the bottle is big enough for the crab to go in but not come out. good luck!

"chicken essense bottle" is the best for crap trap... but so bad.. This fella is bigger than the bottle... I even tried Nescafe bottle for a weeks, but this guys shows no interested.. I withdraw due to it obstruct tank appearance... I may put longer...very alert fellas... I should try again.... Thanks..

[yellowtang]

I can lend my crabtrap to anyone interested. Dont wait for the crab to get you! They will eat anything when they are hungry. Aussie acan, red chilli monti, mille polyps and sleeping fishes. If you see wounds on yr fishes on both sides of the body, its the crab claws marks!

Just a sms away...@8201 0133

**The only crab i tolerate are sps crabs ))

rgds,

[Milch_Tan]

thanks again lemonlemon, CFOh,

hmm yeah have to agree our book pricing is not the cheapest around, personally find some titles cheaper on amazon compared to local bookshops.

bro yellowtang : sent u an sms

erm.. kinda noob asking this question, but I can't seem to find much info about the "root-like" thing that is growing on my LR, can't seem to find much info when i typed "root growth on live rock". (Mods not too sure if I need to open another thread just for this question if so, I'll open 1, thanks.) any seniors can enlighten me please?

[yikai]

thanks again lemonlemon, CFOh,

hmm yeah have to agree our book pricing is not the cheapest around, personally find some titles cheaper on amazon compared to local bookshops.

bro yellowtang : sent u an sms

erm.. kinda noob asking this question, but I can't seem to find much info about the "root-like" thing that is growing on my LR, can't seem to find much info when i typed "root growth on live rock". (Mods not too sure if I need to open another thread just for this question if so, I'll open 1, thanks.) any seniors can enlighten me please?

these are some kind of foraminiferans. colonial aminals so to speak?

anyway they are harmless.