Unknown hitch hiker found. Please help! Is he dangerous?

[Jbrock183]

I've researched and can't find anything that matches this guy. He hasn't moved much at all for the past 2 days. I'm concerned he may be harmful. It looks like a snail but has more of a turtle like shape with a pointed shell. What is it?

[Mariaface]

Keyhole limpet. Can you tell what it's eating during the day? Most of them are beneficial herbivores, but a few are predators. I'd say keep it unless there's evidence it's doing bad.

[markalot]

Looks like a limpet. Most are reef safe though some will munch on hard corals.

[Jbrock183]

So far I've seen it on nothing but live rock

[Mariaface]

It's probably munching on algae. Do you have corals in the tank yet, or anything else?

[Jbrock183]

I have a zoanthid, star polyp, colt coral, and snowflake polyps. A damsel and clownfish, and a crew of snails.

 

And I've had a nice batch of diatoms, green algae, and a bit of cyano. I've stopped feeding the coral and only run the actinic lights - which seems to be helping with the algae.

 

Oh - and a new peppermint shrimp.

[Mariaface]

I have a zoanthid, star polyp, colt coral, and snowflake polyps. A damsel and clownfish, and a crew of snails.

 

And I've had a nice batch of diatoms, green algae, and a bit of cyano. I've stopped feeding the coral and only run the actinic lights - which seems to be helping with the algae.

 

Oh - and a new peppermint shrimp.

 

Instead of turning down lights that the corals need, you may want to bring up your chemical filtration (carbon/purigen, phosguard/GFO, etc) and your overall circulation in the tank.

 

Since you don't have something a predatory limpet would want to eat, keep the tank SPS free and see if the limpet makes it or starves. Unless, of course, you witness it eating algae and can be absolutely sure it's an herbivore. :]

 

Good luck!

[Jbrock183]

good info. Thanks!

[Saverio]

definitely a limpet.

[cuber14]

+++limpet

[clownfitch]

When in doubt throw it out.... if it's just a hitchhiker and could possibly decide it wants to much your coral I would chunk it. Just my $.02 though.

[Mpy]

Not a keyhole limpet, but some various limpet species. Keyhole limpets have the foot come up and wrap over the lip of the shell, and have a hole in the top that the snail covers the edges of as well.

 

I have one in my wild caught tank that actually does a pretty good job of cleaning off the back glass.

[k4ndyk1ng]

I have these and they just cruise and keep my rock algae free, they survived 3ppm ammonia during my cycle too, idk how they are hard as nails