PugsAndKitties

I got a new piece of live rock at my LFS, and I really like it. I got some amphipods with it and some strange tentacles. They are about 1/2 an inch long and extremely thin. They have black & white stripes and i think they look cool! I only know theyre alive because when i tried to poke them, they curled back into the rock. If i see them again ill post some pics. 1 was alone, and then i saw 2 next to each other. So i come to my questions.
1. How long will it take to get a resonable population of amphipods if i started out with about 5?
2. Does anyone know what the tentacles are?
3. Are they good or bad for the tank?

cerianthus

Difficult to tell w/o nice pics! As far as pods will take a while to have populaion explosions provided few survives. Dont worry, you'll have more than wished for in time

PugsAndKitties

i tried to get a pic but theyre really small and all you can see is a white line. Should i still post it? Its not very good, fuzzy and all that. I saw them in a crack, it seems like they could find a better place to be, the tentacles are mush smaller than the crack. Unless the body is bigger and all i can see is the arms of a larger creature.

PugsAndKitties

It almost looks like a brittle sea star, but alot smaller. How small are they when they hatch? I would love to have one! But my tank is only a week old i dont want it to die.

cerianthus

I used to find one too many brittle stars in varuos sizes in the basement, 300 G sump, growing in homemade filter media. It maybe but it maybe something else (fun part of reefing, staying up all night trying to id hitchhikers. Atl ease onecan go to sites nowdays for comparison but 10-20 yrs ago, we have to depend on pics in book, lots of books, lol!). I think there are few links where you might able to id yours!
Can someone assist to that link?

soldieroffortune1974

I can give you a few links here ya go:

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

The Hitchhiker's FAQ, complete with some photos:
http://www.reefs.org/hhfaq/

A little bit on bristleworms:
http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/...99/polych.html
http://www.reef.edu.au/asp_pages/secb.asp?FormNo=34
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-03/rs/index.htm
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-04/rs/index.htm

Copepods:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-10/rs/index.htm

Isopods:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-05/rs/index.htm

Other common worms:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-06/rs/index.htm

Brittlestars:
http://home.att.net/~ophiuroid/home.html

PugsAndKitties

im noticing more and more that points to brittle star, it has small bristles and ive seen that each arm is over an inch long. because i want it to live if it is a brittle star, what can i feed a creature this small? what can i do to improve its chances of survival? I wanted one anyway, so if this is what it is, im really lucky, and excited!

PugsAndKitties

AHA!!!!!!!!!!!!! will a micro brittle star come out if i put a little piece of a silverside fish in the tank? If it does, i can see its whole body and id it!!!!!!!!!!

PugsAndKitties

one finally came out, it was a micro star, im really happy! Tnx!!!

soldieroffortune1974

It's always nice to have a cool surprise and it be just what you want.Keep watching (you're addicted now and can't help it) let us know what else pops up.

PugsAndKitties

yep! I have made a list of hitch hikers, Ill add more if I see any
micro brittle stars
bristleworms(YUCK)
amphipods

PugsAndKitties

now ive got an aipista

freernnur5

get a real peppermint shrimp and it will take eat the aiptasia hopefully.

Gratz on the brittle star btw!

PugsAndKitties

i need to get a peppermint shrimp...should that be the next thing i get? well, after i replace my dead bangaii. ill have 3 fish, hermits, snails, and some crabs. is a shrimp next?

kloseo

could add lemon juice to the apstasi just get a long syringe and drop the juice on the pest, with a few treatments it will be gone
puggs and kittiens i love the pug quote as i have pugs as well and being a fellow texan does hurt as well
good luck