Reefs.org Forums

[poochieparker]

Hello, Help, this is my first posting.
Put my first polyp zoa in yesterday and have about 4 kg live rock. Last night on the glass at water line seen for the first time looks like a spiky caterpiller, although does not move like one, it has 2 antennae like a woodlice, a bit like a bug, its about 1 cm in length, moved a bit like a snail would on glass,will try for photo, if it appears again, but can you help?

Thank You

[wings]

Sure! It sound like you have some sort of hitchhiker. Grab a picture, and post it here- dedicated to stuff like this.

[poochieparker]

I have now seen three of these things coming out of my polyp, I have called my LFS where I purchased the said Polyp from and they say its a sea slug and I should remove them. He said the brown ones were not to bad its the white ones you worry about. Still trying for photo but I don't have evry good camera but still trying. Any Thoughts?

[mr_X]

i think it is a stomatella snail
http://www.reefland.com/rho/0305/medprod3.php

i have some that have somewhat "spikey" looking shells.

these are good critters. they won't hurt anything.

[mr_X]

btgw..what do you mean coming out of your polyp? you mean they actually crawl out of the mouth of a coral polyp?

[poochieparker]

They look like this a bit?

Good or Bad?

[mr_X]

that's not a stomatella varia. that might be a zooanthid eating nudibranch. i don't know for sure.

[Charlesr1958]

You might find this article of use:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-05/rs/index.php


A Hitch Hikers Guide to the Reefs


Chuck

[poochieparker]

Hi

Thank You for your posts.

I have read through this article, and it looks like I have purchased myself some zoanthid eating nudibranch.

OK, from what I have read these are bad, how do I get rid quickly (only been in a day), will they come back once I remove the ones I can see?

[mr_X]

just grab them as you see them. as long as they didn't lay eggs anywhere you should be ok.
it's a good practice to dip your corals before you put them in your tank..at the very least, a freshwater dip will remove some critters.

[poochieparker]

Thank You again, for all your advice, I have got 2 so far, am having to knock them off my zoa then catch them in a net as they float about, I'm a bit squeamish about catching them in anything that might squash them, just hopefully 1 more to go

It's a shame my Clown or my Blennie are not interested.

Do hermits not kill these?