what is this pink thing?

[crage34]

i went to the lfs yesterday and they had a huge sea apple but next to it in the next devider they had this hot pink thing that was about 1.5-2" long and it really looked like a slug or snail without a shell and it was stuck to the glass...i would try to look it up but i have no clue where to even start...anyone have a clue what this is...it was very pretty(i think it had a lil orange blended with the pink)

 

[snapcrackler]

I am guessing a nudibranch? A lot of those things are very amazing looking and beautiful. Did it have rippled edges where it was crawling, like a frilly slug?

That sounds like a great name for a club or band. The frilly slug.

 

[crage34]

yeah it looked like a frilly slug and wa very bright pink....have any pics of one and i can tell ya...and what do they require to survive

 

[fireman26m]

Crage.....where are you in Kentucky....I'm guessing Elizabethtown....yes...it was a Nudibranch. I live in Rineyville by the way.

 

[crage34]

yes i live in e-town! how did u guess that? i just bought all of my equipment today and ordered my base rock off ebay so i will be up and cycling within a week! wooohhoooo! the pink thing is the thing that is on the cover of a fastest test kit....fireman where do u go to get your supplies...i went to feeders in louisville they have a great selection of fish....im not sure a bout etown pet center yet...they seem a lil iffy to me

 

[crage34]

also can anyone tell me what is required to keep a Nudibranch...lighting, feeding, experience, ect...

 

[steve-s]

also can anyone tell me what is required to keep a Nudibranch...lighting, feeding, experience, ect...

Very few can actually be kept successfully in a captive setting. Most have very specific diets that consist of only one primary animal or invertebrate and nothing else will subtitute for it. They can also run into countless calamities within the tank itself. Overflows, skimmers, powerheads and the like. I would suggest deciding if this is a challenge worth taking up and then heavily research the animal that would best suit your environment.

Best suggestion is start with Elysia diomedea, the >>lettuce nudibranch<<. Much easier to keep long term and feed.

Cheers
Steve

 

[MantisFreak]

I agree completely with Steve-S,

There are lots of attractive nudibranchs but they typically only eat one thing and tend to starve in our tanks. Here's a couple of links

http://divegallery.com/
http://www.slugsite.tierranet.com/
http://www.seaslugforum.net/welcome.htm

 

[BlueDolphin]

I don't think you saw a nudibranch. I think what you may have seen was another sea cucumber (like the sea apple). They also come in pretty colors, like bright yellow or pink. Did it have branch-like structures on it's body? These are filter feeding tentacles. I have seen them in a tank at one of my LFS, but like most Holothuroideans they may release toxins if they are stressed or die. Here is a picture of one that I found. Hope this helps!

 

[crage34]

that kind of looks like it but what i saw was definetly a nudibranch...it looks exactly like the picture on the fastest test kits except it was a little more of a bright pink