Scared. Fast moving I think shrimp on new live rock.

[litebrite]

At first I thought it was just my eyes. Then I definitely saw it. It's FAST.

This thing is about the size of an ant and moves like, well actually I have never seen anything move so fast I can't even get a good look at it. It came on a new live rock which was attacthed to a live coral.

I think I removed the coral with the creature still in it. What should I do?

Detach the coral and bleach the rock?
Put the coral back in the tank because the critter is harmless?

This is all that I can identify. I hear stories of stuff getting in tanks like this. I hope it didn't jump to another rock. My first coral can you tell. The store said it was either a copepod or a manta shrimp from this decription. I have no idea since I could not see it. The thing is faster than my eye and about 2mm in size.

What do you think it is?

[melosu58]

We will really need to know what it is first. I would not bleach the rock.

[litebrite]

There are many on this corals rock. Flat translucent brownish yellow, worm like creatures. It looks like it floats over the rock like a flat carpet.

About 3mm long and here is the big identifier..
A RED DOT ON ITS BUTT as it slugs or crawls along. Too small to photo.

Maybe this was something else that I found. It looks like some kind of shrimp. It could be young copepods possibly. Worried it is a baby manta shrimp or some poison slugs. How can I tell the difference. I really don't have a clue or experience. I'll try to take a photo.

Does that help? It moves slow when it wants to.

[Fluff]

The first critter sounds like a flat worm. You'll want to do a general search for flatworm removal to help in ridding your tank of these.
The second thing sounds like an amphipod. If this is the case, it's a harmless janitor. The link melosu posted should have pics of both of these critters to help you ID them.

[Fluff]

Very sorry. Just realized it was another thread melosu posted the link in. Here is the link....

Xtalreef

[Kurt_Nelson]

Yup... flat translucent brownish yellow with red dot - definitely a flat worm. They can easily be sucked out during your water change. I'd get them that way before resorting to other methods. You can get an awful lot out with a siphon - they're really dumb and slow.

The other one does sound like an amphipod - they look like a shrimp and can scurry around pretty darn quick. If it was a mantis, I doubt you'd see it out and about during the day.

[melosu58]

Melevsreef.com - Flatworms | How to eliminate them!

[litebrite]

This was not what jetted around the rock. These are something else on the same rock. Their more like slugs with legs. A worm would be an accurate description.

These worm things. Should I pull them off.


The fast mover is not possible to get a photo since I have yet to see it directly.

[Fluff]

Yes, pull the yellowish worms out, as many as you can find. Syphoning them out as mentioned works well. A piece of airline tubing would do the trick and not remove a ton of water at the same time.

[litebrite]

The worms were all over it. It was easier to remove the coral than remove the worms. I just hope all is safe. I will be more careful buying corals next time. Thanks for the identifications. I have the rock separate so if the fast mover is still there I will post a pic.

[litebrite]

Hey Thank you all for your help!!!!!

[litebrite]

I just found a molting from the fast mover. It looks mosly like a giant common house flea shape. I think it is a Amphipod. It had 6 legs and 2 long front antenna then it's body was long with many sections. Skinny and long. Boy this thing is fast. Still can't find it but I found it's molt. I would like to buy these things for my tank, they are soooo cool. They look like the mice from the AOL high speed commercial warping around the tank. I can't get all the worms off the live rock, so it's soon going to be dry rock. I removed the coral and the coral is doing fine on another rock.

[litebrite]

It's an Amphipod. I had the lights turned off and it was out of the rock sleeping on the bottom. It's a scary looking bug. Just looks like some bad mean brown worm with legs ready to bite and looking to get in trouble. It is definitely FAST!!!!! When I woke it up ZOOOOMMM. Gone from sight.

Should I catch it and put it in my 150 gallon tank. I know the hole on the LR it hides in now... It can't bite me right? It looks really creepy.

Looks like this.

SOURCE:
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/20...s/image006.jpg