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What is this thing?


will25u
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We saw this thing crawling around right before getting into bed. We had the lights out and turned them on then we saw it. What is it? We haven't put anything in except rock.


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Invertebrates

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It also crawls up to the skimmer thing over the filter and gets onto the filter sponge. Plus we don't have a heater. Will get one tomorrow, I suppose.

 

ETA - Well it just went into the filter sponge thing, perhaps it committed suicide? Maybe it'll be back, who knows. Would be nice to know what it is though.

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If it went on the other side of the filter and into the sponges will it survive and be back? We have no fish, but I don't want it to eat the fish since I've read that's what they do.

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In my honest opinion you'd never have to worry about those guys when they are that small. I would take it as a good sign if you've got hitch-hikers like that in your tank. He'll likely end up getting eaten by a fish or crab or something anyways. It would have to be full grown to be of any threat (I did have a full grown serpent starfish eat a fish). Just let him be, maybe give him a little nudge back into the front of your tank so he doesn't just die in the filter.

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Well, he went down into the sponge filter things and now we can't find it. It crawled in there, so I hope it gets back out.

 

Wait, I just looked again. We have a Nano Cube so over on the left side there's the filter and then the skimmer thing that goes on to it. I just looked for it and there's like a larger that's bigger (like 5x) than the one in the picture, then three or four twice the size of the on in the pic. Are they like making the filter sponge area home? It's kinda freaky. They multiplied super quick. Damn, where'd they all come from.

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They came out of your live rock. They are micro brittle stars. They will reproduce in your tank over time, but not that fast. They are a wonderful addition to a cleanup crew, they tend to work behind the scenes.

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sounds like you got some rock that was just loaded with them, pretty cool, eh? Be sure and get a heater in there as soon as you can!!!!!!

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So these things won't harm any fish later on even though theres one that's like pretty big (2"-3")? Are they supposed to have six arms?

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Well I talked to the LFS about them living in the filter, and they said that was fine. Is this good advice?

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