Weird things happening in my tank

[Crazyjake14]

Ok well my husband and I just started this tank, and we have been noticing a couple weird things. In one of the pictures there is bits of live sand on the rock where it looks like something is building a tunnel or a nest like thing. Second I don't think it is fish poo but the one rock looks like pellets and the pile keeps getting better, not only that it looks like something was digging at that rock or eating it. Could these events in our tank maybe be a tiny crab? All these things happen while we are asleep.

 

[neilanh]

The pictures are small so I can't really distinguish anything per se.

It is,however, quite common to get what is called "hitchhikers" when you buy live rock and place it in your tank. Hitchhikers commonly are any number of things from corals, snails, shrimp, crabs, etc.

Without actually seeing what it is it'll be really tough to identify. Perhaps one night if you're up late, long after the lights have gone out, shine a flashlight with a red lens into the tank and see what you can find. You might be quite amazed actually and what all is there.

Here's a link to a site that lists what many common hitchhikers are.
Xtalreef

 

[Crazyjake14]

The first picture has a small sand tunnel like some thing took one piece at a time to build it. Every morning when I wake up it gets longer and longer. And sorry I don't know how small the pictures are on your end but they are fine on the IPad. But it looks like pellets I don't know if it is fish poo or something pushing dirt out of the rocks because that rock looks like something is pecking at it.

 

[XxVooDooxX]

Do you have any feather dusters in the tank?

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[Crazyjake14]

Do you have any feather dusters in the tank?

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Yes I do. Could they be the culprit? Also last night I looked at the rock that has the sand or shells building a tiny tunnel, and I saw a clear whitish like tentacle moving but it wasn't a spaghetti worm. Were you able to see the picture better or do I need to try taking it again?

 

[XxVooDooxX]

Well, I have two large dusters, one is a red Xmas duster and the other is a brown and white Hawaiian. The red DID move and create another tube but with dusters the tubes are soft, not made of hard rock. My hawiian on the other hand is very messy and it ejects those little tube castings all the time! Little piles all over the place. I've actually watched it eject those exact things

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[Crazyjake14]

Well, I have two large dusters, one is a red Xmas duster and the other is a brown and white Hawaiian. The red DID move and create another tube but with dusters the tubes are soft, not made of hard rock. My hawiian on the other hand is very messy and it ejects those little tube castings all the time! Little piles all over the place. I've actually watched it eject those exact things

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Any clue to anything that builds a tunnel with the live sand on the live rock?

 

[Crazyjake14]

Well, I have two large dusters, one is a red Xmas duster and the other is a brown and white Hawaiian. The red DID move and create another tube but with dusters the tubes are soft, not made of hard rock. My hawiian on the other hand is very messy and it ejects those little tube castings all the time! Little piles all over the place. I've actually watched it eject those exact things

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I found out what the weird thing is living inside under the sand it's a 2 armed worm it also lives in a tube. I finally saw it when some mysis landed next to it and it's two clear whiteish arms grabbed it and too it to eat it. I took pics and video.

 

[XxVooDooxX]

Post the pics! I wanna see!!

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[Crazyjake14]

Post the pics! I wanna see!!

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They are the same size as the ones I posted earlier was the size ok? I took them on my phone.

 

[hackteck]

yea i wanna see that too lol

 

[XxVooDooxX]

Yeah size was fine

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[Crazyjake14]

Yeah size was fine

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You can't exactly see it's arms since it is the same color as the mysis but not as white. But I have video's so I will try to upload that as well since you will be able to see it move.

 

[Crazyjake14]

You can't exactly see it's arms since it is the same color as the mysis but not as white. But I have video's so I will try to upload that as well since you will be able to see it move.

Apparently from what I read they take sand and cement it together on their tube pretty cool. Also good for the tank. On the link the first person wrote is where I find it if you want to see what it looks like out of the tube.

 

[neilanh]

looks like spionid worms. Check that link I gave you earlier and see if you agree.

 

[Crazyjake14]

looks like spionid worms. Check that link I gave you earlier and see if you agree.

Yeah that's how I figured it out from looking at your link. Watching it eat something was neat. Thanks for the link btw. Do you know anything about harlequin shrimp identifying the sex I did a post, there are questions I need answered.