Matrfe Posted November 3, 2020 Share Posted November 3, 2020 Hello everyone! Great forum, so informative and so thankful to be part of it! Need assistance identifying 3 hitch hikers please. My tank is cycling (week 5). Since the beginning, I saw 5-6 sea stars that came in the live rock. In the pic you can see one of the larger ones. All 6 seem to be the same species... not sure if these will harm fish or not. I don’t have any fish yet. In the pic you can also see a mantis shrimp (eating a piece of raw shrimp) this guy came out of the rocks on week 4. He had been hiding since the beginning. Not sure if he is a spearer or puncher. I’m concerned he will eat/harm the fish that I will soon add and or the other inverts I want to add. Finally, when I first got the live rock it had white patches on it. You can see several in the pic. These look soft but they are hard. Anyhow, just a few days ago, they started disintegrating. Now they are like fruit pulp. I have no idea what they are/were or if I should leave alone or scrape off. Any information or tips regarding these three “surprise guests” is greatly appreciated!! Thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment
jambon Posted November 3, 2020 Share Posted November 3, 2020 Looks like sponges on the rock.. the mantis being a smasher or a spearer will still be a problem when it gets hungry... Quote Link to comment
Clown79 Posted November 3, 2020 Share Posted November 3, 2020 The white stuff looks like sponge, the other is a baby brittle star. Regardless if the mantis is a spearer or smasher it will go after fish and inverts. Not about if but when. Quote Link to comment
Leo_ian Posted November 4, 2020 Share Posted November 4, 2020 I have one mantis hitchhiker. Ate 5 fish alrdy. get a trap to remove it Quote Link to comment
Matrfe Posted November 6, 2020 Author Share Posted November 6, 2020 Thank you so much for your replies!! I greatly appreciate your time in helping me ID. I’ll fish the mantis out!! Quote Link to comment
Clown79 Posted November 6, 2020 Share Posted November 6, 2020 19 minutes ago, Matrfe said: Thank you so much for your replies!! I greatly appreciate your time in helping me ID. I’ll fish the mantis out!! you could make it a mantis dominant tank or start another one for the mantis. they are pretty awesome Quote Link to comment
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