Unknown Something In Aquarium Please Help Identify?
Hello everyone, after listening to the night viewing Podcast I decided that I would spend some time looking at my Aquarium after getting out of work in the early hours of the morning. Everything seemed normal. My Hawiian Zebra Hermits were scurring around and my Tonga Sebra Turbo Snails were cruising on the glass and then I noticed something coming out of two different rocks. At first I thought it was a secretion from the corals. But it appeared to be a see through tentacle sweeping around for food. I took the best shot I could but everytime the flash went off it would hide back in the rock. Please help identify this mystery creature as I'm worried that my aquarium may have a problem on its hands. Thank you
The things that concerns me is that those tentecles are coming out of the rock and not the actul polyps. Also their was another one on the other side of the tank where their are no visible Zoos. Should I still not be worried?
Here is the other photograph, their are no Zoos on this rock.
Another Photograph that I managed to clean up.
Last edited by JayBeDriften; 10-08-2006 at 11:00 PM.
Not to worry Jay, This is the feeding arm of a little known thingie that is hard to ID because that's all you see. I've got dozens. Just one of the hundreds of beneficial micro fauna that surprises us and keeps us in wonder of the Almighty Maker. That is, if you are a believer.
__________________ Amphibious
Reaching my 70th BD, I realize that I cannot help but grow old. However, I refuse to grow up!!! My wife would tell you, "He may be 70 but, He's going on 17". Life is wonderful with a woman like that.
Micro, meaning small. Fauna, meaning animal. Your/our reef tanks are populated heavily with them. More especially, with LR and LS as the tank matures. Very often Micro Fauna cannot be seen clearly with the naked eye and is best seen using a low power microscope. The best example I have to show you is this picture.....
It's of my Blackcap Basslet but what you see on the aquarium front pane is copepods, an example of Micro Fauna.
__________________ Amphibious
Reaching my 70th BD, I realize that I cannot help but grow old. However, I refuse to grow up!!! My wife would tell you, "He may be 70 but, He's going on 17". Life is wonderful with a woman like that.
The things that concerns me is that those tentecles are coming out of the rock and not the actul polyps. Also their was another one on the other side of the tank where their are no visible Zoos. Should I still not be worried?
Melev says "reef safe-ish", as does Adam Blundell on one of the wetwebmedia.com pages. I've seen them touch soft corals and amphipods in our tank with no effect, they don't seem to "sting" like some other types of hydroids.
Guys thanks for the heads up. I was beginnig to think I had a serious problem on my hands. But if everyone says their okay I can stop sleeping near my aquarium and move back to my room. LOL
Guys thanks for the heads up. I was beginnig to think I had a serious problem on my hands. But if everyone says their okay I can stop sleeping near my aquarium and move back to my room. LOL
I have several of these in my tank and they don't seem to harm anything. Several are near corals and probably touch them, but I see no damage to the corals.
BTW...where did you get your "Tonga Sebra Turbo" snails? Is that one in your second picture?
Eeek... I hate them... They are hydroids and can wipe out an entire tank of my seahorse fry in no time. I've had them in my reeftanks...no harm no foul..but they do sting..and are not good in any fry tanks.
BTW...where did you get your "Tonga Sebra Turbo" snails? Is that one in your second picture?
Hello BrianPlankis, your are correct. That is one of my Tonga Zebra Hermits. Their voracious eaters and huge at that, measuring on average of 1.5 inches in width. I have a local livestock dealer that specializing in only marine livestock and he is addicted to getting only exotic marine life, especially marine life from Tonga. I think he is a bit obsessed with Tonga but his obsession is our gain. He also gives me pretty good deal on livestock since I give him paychecks. LOL. Here a better photograph for you. If anyone was interested I could see how many he could get at a time and we could probably do a group buy minus to shipping to everyone location. Besides I'm looking to get about 250 of these guys for my new 180 gallon setup that I should be messing with in a couple of months.
Photograph taken October 10, 2006. Tonga Zebra Turbo Snail.
Those hermits are gi-normous!!! I had one or two in my system. They literally ambushed some of my turbo snails and consumed them. They then moved into the shells. When they did, they had a huge growth spurt. They got far too large and ornery for my liking..I brought them to the LFS for credit. Anything with a claw that large and an attitude to match has no room in my system
Hello BrianPlankis, your are correct. That is one of my Tonga Zebra Hermits. Their voracious eaters and huge at that, measuring on average of 1.5 inches in width. I have a local livestock dealer that specializing in only marine livestock and he is addicted to getting only exotic marine life, especially marine life from Tonga. I think he is a bit obsessed with Tonga but his obsession is our gain. He also gives me pretty good deal on livestock since I give him paychecks. LOL. Here a better photograph for you. If anyone was interested I could see how many he could get at a time and we could probably do a group buy minus to shipping to everyone location. Besides I'm looking to get about 250 of these guys for my new 180 gallon setup that I should be messing with in a couple of months.
Jay,
Just to be clear we are talking about the Tonga Zebra SNAIL right, I don't see hermits in those pictures Anyway, would it be possible to get a picture of the snail out of the water and fully closed up so you could see the shell opening. Similar to these pictures:
The reason I ask is that snail may not be from Tonga, it looks much closer to a Zebra Turbo much more commonly available in the hobby that is from Belize.
The only reason I'm commenting is that many retail and distributers are starting to claim that cold water snails are from warm water locations (Tonga, Fiji, etc). Now the Belize Zebra Turbo snail could come from reasonably warm water (72-78F) so it should survive longer than colder water snails.
Why would you need 250 1.5" snails in a 180 gallon tank? That seems to be a bit much.
BrianPlankis, your actually correct. One dealer that I go to actually labeled them as Beliza Zebra Turbo Snails. But I got a whole bunch from my Tonga guy. Looks like I will be more cautious as to their naming convention. As for the 250, that also includes a 180 gallon
Unknown Something In Aquarium Please Help Identify? 
