New to Forum- basic help required

[steveadcuk]

I have just setup my first nano and after two days have started to see critters on my LR.

Any help ID'ing would be greatly appreciated and all advice welcome.

Are all snails good?

The white starfish are only 6mm across. There are 3 or 4, any idea how big they will get?

There is a crab in the rock who grazes the coral off the rocks around the hole, should I try to get him/her out?

Are the tentacles aiptasia? should I glue them into the rock?

 

The last picture is just a whole shot of my tank.

[GHill762]

first of all, to NR

 

snail in first pic looks like a stomatella to me, beneficial, good guy

 

most snails are good, there are a handful of bad ones but they aren't super common

 

the starfish will stay small and typically eat coralline algae, it's an asterina star, keep an eye on them though, some (usually the more colorful ones) are known to eat polyps

 

the tentacles does look like an aiptasia, if it were me I'd pull the rock out and trap that sucker in super glue gel

 

the white spots are okay, probably just dead coralline

 

do you have a picture of said crab? or can you describe what he looks like?

 

and finally, I really like that scape, good work!

[Genie382]

+1 ^

 

Stomatellas are great! I have a few in my tank and it's fun to watch em mowing down the glass

 

I've heard that a few spp of Asterina stars will eat some corals (however, the vast majority won't)

 

And yeah, it looks like aiptasia, I'd superglue that bugger before it spreads.

 

Good luck on the new tank and welcome

[steveadcuk]

This my first forum I have ever joined and I must say, it's great. Thank you guys for the help and advice.

The crab has not been out of the rock but might try trapping him with a sloping glass/shrimp trap overnight and get a picture.

He has very thin, light and dark brown stripy legs and dark pincers the bits of bare rock in the pictures are where he has stripped the coral with his pincers, he can only reach those bits while he is in the hole. If you look carefully in the hole you can see one of his legs.

I will try to get better pics.

I am determined to go slowly and look at this as a 2 year project, much my children's annoyance.

Thanks again.

[GHill762]

This my first forum I have ever joined and I must say, it's great.

 

first forum, huh?

 

don't worry, forums aren't addicting or anything