Excited about my live rock!

[HeyRobi]

I will boil em off as Reef suggested.

 

[reeffreak]

Those little legs are most likely small brittle stars.They tend to hide in a hole in the rock and stick there legs out to crab food....reef safe.

You should let the tank cycle first,add a fish or two then start adding a clean up crew.Snails will starve to death at this early stage if the ammonia don't get to them first.

 

[HeyRobi]

I told the guy at Aquatic Critter ezactly what I had and how far along I was. He suggested them for whatever reason. Hopefully they were well fed before I got them! The amonia is actually not that high right now (.5) I put 2 teaspoons of amonia lock in the tank as soon as I noticed it.

 

[yote]

I dont know that I'd be adding ammo-lock right now.That stuff could prolong the cycle.

 

[reeffreak]

I'm a little surprise someone at Aquatic Critter would recommend hermits this early.

Personally,if you plan on keeping snails to keep the glass and rocks clean then return the hermits.Crabs like to kill snails for there shells as they grow,especially the larger hermits such as yours.

 

[simpleman]

I know how you're feeling right now, gung ho to get a system fired up so you can enjoy all the cool things everyone here is talking about. But trust me you want to take this slow. You don't want to end up killing a bunch of poor creatures and spending tons of money. We've all done it! Ask lots of ?'s We're here to help, also there are some great articles in the "Helpful Articles" section on this site. I didn't see if you mentioned what type of tank you're going for, fish only with live rock "fowlr" or a reef type setup. Oh and welcome to the site! I've learned tons and I know you will too!!

 

[HeyRobi]

Thanks for the advice and tips. I was not really looking to add anything but live rock today and I asked him if there was anything at this point I could add to the tank like a little crab or shrimp and he grabbed a bag and thru snails and hermits in it. I just assumed it was good for the live rock. I was just excited to get something in the tank I would of never picked these two types of critters on my own!

 

[HeyRobi]

I'm a little surprise someone at Aquatic Critter would recommend hermits this early.

Personally,if you plan on keeping snails to keep the glass and rocks clean then return the hermits.Crabs like to kill snails for there shells as they grow,especially the larger hermits such as yours.

The hermits are larger than the snails although the hermits are about the size of 1/2 your thumb.

I think I will take both back back I really did not want these paticular sea critters I was wanting like a little crab not hermit crab I will wait for the tank ammonia to go down though before I add anything else. The guy that helped me was tall blonde hair and not very personable! (in case you go there much)

 

[Bifferwine]

So far, good advice. Kill that aiptasia, before it kills everything else in your tank. It's a really bad bad thing to have. Sorry, I know you were excited about it.

Take the halimeda out. It's that whitish-green plant thingy all over the rocks. Halimeda is no good for a reef tank.

Take the snails and crabs out. They will not survive ammonia at any levels.

Do not get fish until your tank is done cycling. Meaning, ammonia and nitrite are both at zero.

Don't be in such a hurry to add animals. In the beginning, while a tank is cycling, any animals you add will likely die.

 

[HeyRobi]

Hey Biff, I was wondering when you were going to stop in!
The aiptasia will be removed in the morning. Crabs and snails are going back to the fish store. No more stuf till all 0's and I will remove all green leafy stuff. Freak had told me to do that too!

I really wasnt trying to rush. But the guy at the petstore seemed to think they would be ok.

Instead of boiling water could I just burn them off with a lighter?

 

[Bifferwine]

Instead of boiling water could I just burn them off with a lighter?

Hmmm I don't see why not! Are you going to put some lighter fluid on it first? It might be hard for it to catch fire while it's wet. Let us know how that goes!

 

[Bifferwine]

If you want to keep the crabs and snails, and see how they do, if they die and you let their bodies rot in the tank, that will help your cycle along (weird advice coming from the resident liberal hippie vegetarian of the site).

Oh, and don't use ammolock right now. That's stunting your cycle and will only drag it out and make it last longer. Let the cycle run its course. Don't do water changes while it's cycling either, for the same reason.

 

[HeyRobi]

No lighter fluid just straight flame! I plan on making the water on it boil with a lighter.

Now I would assume anything that looks like the brown aiptasia would be the same thing because there is a clear one with little white dots on the end of its tenticles.

 

[Bifferwine]

Aiptasia can be different colors... But if it's got white dots on the end of its tentacles, that could be majano. Another pest anemone. Can you post a pic of it?

 

[HeyRobi]

I can barely see it with my naked eye so with a camera its even harder, especially with a point and shoot I will try with my SLR in the morning.

I read that hermit crabs eat Aiptasia so would it hurt anything to see what hapens over the next few days while waiting on the amonia to come down?

Oh and by the way I added the ammonia lock earlier today so its already in the system.

 

[Bifferwine]

Hermits don't eat aiptasia. The only animals that eat aiptasia are peppermint shrimp and copperband butterfly fish.

 

[HeyRobi]

This is where I read it: Aiptasia it mentions these too peppermint shrimp and copperband butterfly fish.

 

[Bifferwine]

Hmmm I have never heard of hermits eating aiptasia. I have never seen it either. My hermits have never touched aiptasia in my tank. It doesn't hurt to leave them in and see what happens.

 

[yote]

My hermits have never touched aiptasia that I know of,But my copperband and pepperments love them.
Let us know if your hermits take a liking to the things.

 

[HeyRobi]

Well Reeffreak you saw it coming. One of the crabs had escargo for dinner tonight! I am really suprised that the petstore sold me these two items together! Intresting enough he had them in the same tank at the petstore.

Also Reeffreak I was in yuor neck of the woods tonight. I cooked a dinner for a family in Clarksville.