sea creatures coming in on live rock?

Question

are they good thing or bad? i have like one or two tiny little worm things and some other white things that i thought were shrimp but i dont think they are. they were on the side of my glass. i got 3 snails too yesterday and now theres what looks like lots of tiny snails. will they hurt? or will my crabs eat them.

also dead coral. my store was selling it as live rock. will this work? and most of the dead corals still have all there coral color

thanks

sorry if i ask a lot. i just want my fish to live well,

Answer 1

The critters you get can be a mix of good and bad - you almost need to look at each one individually to be sure, and there are things I've bought on live rock that I didn't see for up to 4 months! And whether they are good or bad can depend on what else you have in your tank.

As far as what you're describing, the worms might be bristleworms (not particularly harmful, unless you touch them - Ouch!). There are also worms called spaghetti worms (thin and white) that are harmless.

The other critters might be shrimp. There's one called gammarid shrimp that swims on its side and is shaped like a "C", so that might be what you're seeing. These will become food for fish in the tank. What your crabs will or won't eat will depend on the types of crabs that you have - some are mostly herbivores that will eat algae and small stuff on the live rock, others can eat fish.

The "live" in live rock only means bacteria. The bacteria are useful for breaking down ammonia and nitrite which are toxic to the fish and inverts and converts these into nitrate which isn't as harmful. You may get additional organisms, and if you're seeing color, you should be getting coralline algae at least. What all you might find will depend on where your rock is from, how long it was in the ocean (if aquacultured), and the lighting you have for your tank (under more intense lighting, more macroalgae and photosynthetic organisms will grow). I've found sea urchins, sea stars, corals, tunicates, sponges, bivalves, worms, shrimp, and lots of macrolage on pieces I've bought. Also some Aiptasia, which is a nuisance anemone that peppermint shrimp will eat.

Here are a few links to websites that may help you ifentify the worms and shrimp you found on your rock:
http://www.reefs.org/hhfaq/
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marind5_5.htm

Answer 2

Live Rock Creatures

Answer 3

well the tiny worms im thinking might be parasites or bloodwrorms
and the tiny white things might al well be parasites
well the snails will keep multiplying thus why i like geting algae eater do the same job just with reproducing as fast
id be worried about the dead coral since it is dead and might affect or tank very bad i say try getting i different kind of rock
or maybe live coral of you have a marine tank

Answer 4

If it's "live" rock, it's supposed to be LIVE things living in it.


"The use of live rock immediately introduces into the aquarium numerous algae, bacteria and small invertebrates all of which contribute to the overall quality of the aquarium water. Live rock has just as much, if not more, surface area for bacteria than a trickle filter. Since live rock in the aquarium contains various types of bacteria, algae and corals, waste products such as ammonia, nitrate and phosphate can have a number of fates. Ammonia, nitrate and phosphate are readily assimilated by algae and photosynthetic corals growing on and in the rock. Ammonia can also be quickly converted into nitrate by the bacteria on and in the rock. This nitrate can be either absorbed by the algae and corals, or it can be denitrified by bacteria in close proximity to the nitrate producing bacteria."

Answer 5

most likely nothing to worry about, all the critters are normal, you can try wetwebmedia.com for ID's on alot fo the animals but it can take a while, the majority of the thigs you find are relatively harmless and will become fiosh food and eat the uneaten waste. dead coral?? bleached or dead coral, if they still have soft tisse attached to a skeleton it is garbage, beyond garbage, its akin to trying to sell a turd to you. now if its dead dead i have used a few pieces of bleached coral as live rock and it look good in my opinion, i know i have brain and i think a few other pieces are acropora, but i wouldnt pay alot for it, few dollars a pound at the most, unless it had alot of coralline on it

Answer 6

nasty little snails that may explode in breeding and grow to be very pesty,to not point out bactiria,sicknesses and algae. becareful whilst including matters like adorns to an aquarium simply as you could take care in which you get fish from as you'll turn out to be in alot of problem!