ID help please

[jdthomas24]

im sorry but i have a canon rebel but i can seem to take a close up of this thing without it being blurry. let me explain what it is and maybe you will know without the picture.
It is in my sump and it looks almost like a small white slug crawling on the walls, there are several of them and they are very small and move slow. almost like snails but they are very flat. They are oval shaped on the front and the back it like a halfmoon shape. Another critter in my sump is like a small rolli polli without the shell with a bunch of legs, have several of them also.

found the second one- its Amphipods

the first one may be flatworms but im not sure , they are new and maybe they look that way when they are just starting out.



Anyone have any ideas on how to use the canon rebel up close to get a good shot?

[cloak]

Stomatella snail on the first maybe.

[returnofsid]

Does the first critter appear to have a "finger nail" shaped shell on top of it? If so, it's probably a Stomatella Snail, as Cloak said.

[jdthomas24]

doesnt appear to have a shell on it at all, it honestly is shapped like a pacman ghost.

but its flat

[thebkramer]

Does it look like one of these??
http://i43.*******.com/2vk00er.jpg
http://i42.*******.com/10zu6wj.jpg

If so, those are flatworms. Some are good, some are bad.

[jdthomas24]

Does it look like one of these??
http://i43.*******.com/2vk00er.jpg
http://i42.*******.com/10zu6wj.jpg

If so, those are flatworms. Some are good, some are bad.

BTW..did you see my post to you about your snails? (with pic)

yes it looks like the first picture. how do you know if they are good or bad?

[TwistedEnvy]

Most of them are bad

[Sugar Magnolia]

The clear/whitish flatworms are harmless.

[jdthomas24]

The clear/whitish flatworms are harmless.

thats what i have, they are clear. should i dose with flat worm exit to be safe?

[thebkramer]

flatworms are ugly annoyances (sp?)
the clear ones are good, rust brown are ok, are red planaria are BAD!!

http://www.melevsreef.com/flatworms.html
http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=362

If they are clear, I would not dose with Xit

[jdthomas24]

maybe we can get the mods to sticky my next post. i found it to be very helpful

[jdthomas24]

HARMFUL

Mantis Shrimp


http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r129/jdthomas24/mantis1.jpg




Mantis shrimp are often identified in reef tanks when you hear a clicking or popping noise coming from the tank. They are generally harmless to corals but will quickly eat any member of your CUC such as hermits, snails, shrimp, or anything else it takes a liking to. Extreme care should be taken when you suspect you have a mantis and are trying to remove it. They have an extremely powerful hit from the second pair of limbs, which are modified or enlarged the same way as the praying mantis insect. They have been known to split open the fingers of un-suspecting aquarists. Some people actually like mantis shrimp and keep them in an aquarium specially devoted to them.

Pistol Shrimp



http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r129/jdthomas24/pistolshrimp1.jpg



I put pistol shrimp under harmful because the the ones that hitchhike into your tanks with live rock are usually not known about and someone has noticed fish missing or hearing strange noises from the tank. Pistol shrimp are sometimes kept in reef aquariums as welcome additions, usually along with certain species of goby. This relationship is quite unique and cool to see in aquariums. The two will actually care for eachother. Care should be taken when trying to identify whether or not you have a pistol shrimp or mantis shrimp. One of the two shrimp claws is greatly enlarged and when the shrimp triggers the claw, it can be loud enough to stun fish and other invertebrates so the shrimp can get a meal.

Rock Crabs


http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r129/jdthomas24/rockcrab1.jpg


Rock crabs can be hard to spot due to their nocturnal nature. They will eat anything they can catch. If one cant be spotted at night, sometimes you will find the shed of these crabs.

Gorilla Crabs

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r129/jdthomas24/gorillacrab.jpg

These guys are predatory like rock crabs. Most people find them to be "cute" but are harmful to reef tanks.

Rusty/Orange Flatworms


http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r129/jdthomas24/redflatworm1.jpg




These guys commonly hitchhike in on LR. They multiply fast and can be very hard to get rid of. A google search of acoel flatworms can return some results. Care should be taken when getting rid of them by chemical means such as Flatworm exit or FWE (be sure to read and follow instructions that come with the product) as these flatwroms do release toxins when they die.

Zoanthid spiders

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r129/jdthomas24/zoaspider1.jpg

These have to be the creepiest things I have ever seen and I like spiders!!! If you have zoa colonies that look unhealthy or not opening, inspect them (these guys are tiny and hard to see) to see if this is a cause. Manually remove any you see and quarantine the colony. Some people may have different methods for removing them so its advised to seek the advice of experts.

Fire worms

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r129/jdthomas24/fireworm1.jpg





These will feed on your corals and inflict a very painful sting if accidently touched. Sometimes fire worms can be hard to distinguish from common bristle worms but by comparing the pics you can make the distinction between the two. Several commercial and DIY traps are very successful in removing them.

[Joshnlaura]

I also have a Cannon Camera and I found that had to have it on the micro setting and I set my tripod up about 8 ft away from the tank and zoomed in. I was having the same problems you were with getting blurry pics. You can take a look at some of my shots on shippaquarium.blogspot.com
Im new to this and have NO CLUE what your critters are but maybe I can help with the camera stuff.....hope that works for you!

[jdthomas24]

HARMLESS


Amphipods

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r129/jdthomas24/amphipod1.jpg



Most reef tanks have these in the LR or running around on the sand. Size is from a few millimeters to 1/4 of an inch generally. I see them most often at night. In the absence of predators they will be bold enough to come out during the day. If you search your tank at night with a flashlight, the eyes even reflect light much the same way cats eyes do.

Copepods

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r129/jdthomas24/copepod1.jpg



Again very common reef "bugs". They are usually less than 1mm in size and people often say they look like little white dots on the glass or LR.

Spirorbis

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r129/jdthomas24/spirorbis1.jpg



Feather duster type worms in the Annelid family. They usually grow in darker areas but I have found them on the back wall of my tank. They are a good sign that your reef tank is well established and in balance if they start to appear. They are filter feeders.

Feather dusters

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r129/jdthomas24/featherduster1.jpg



There are many types of these found commonly in or on live rock. Some live in the rock themselves or some make tubes. The colors vary greatly. On my LR I have a few different kinds, some having red feeding tentacles, some having white. Another beneficial filter feeder.

Asterinid stars

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r129/jdthomas24/asternia1.jpg





Commonly called asternia stars. Usually the size of a dime or smaller. I have included them in the harmless section due to the fact that mine have never bothered my corals. I have many of them in my tank. I have found them to be grazers, mostly feeding on algae on the side of my tanks. There is a harmful species of this star that looks very similar to these that will eat corals. The ones commonly found on LR are USUALLY the harmless ones. They usually have an abnormal number of arms and reproduce fast by splitting. I do have a few that look like normal starfish with five arms, but I have found that to be uncommon. Keep an eye on them if you see them in your reef tank just to make sure they behave and dont bother any corals.

Limpets



http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r129/jdthomas24/limpet1.jpg

Algae grazers. Sometimes found on live rock in many sizes. Many different species most oval in shape with the shell coming to a point on top.

Spaghetti worm and Hair worms

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r129/jdthomas24/Spaghettiworm1.jpg

Usually considered harmless. Sizes can vary. You usually spot these at night when they extend their feeding tentacles to scavange for food. Upon occasion they can bother some corals when hunting for food. Hair worms are similar in appearance but only have 2 feeding arms that extend to search for food.

Peanut worms

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r129/jdthomas24/peanutworm1.jpg



Nocturnal worms that feed on detritus and left over tidbits of food. Rarely seen during the day, they are a beneficial member of CUC (clean up crews) Normally quite ugly lil guys, some have been seen with banded patters.

Bristle worms (not fireworms, those are listed under harmful creatures)

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r129/jdthomas24/bristleworm1.jpg



Bristle worms are found in almost every reef tank. Most people consider them pests but I find them to be beneficial members of the CUC. They eat leftover food, and scavenge for other meaty meals. Caution should be used as the actual bristles of this worm can cause severe irritation, pain, redness and swelling if touched with bare hands.

[jdthomas24]

Mysis shrimp

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r129/jdthomas24/mysis1.jpg



These little guys are VERY fast lol. You will almost always see them in your fuge, sump or in the live rock at night. At night with a flashlight their eyes will reflect light as well. They also make great treats for your fish so as they reproduce net em and feed em!

Stomatellas

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r129/jdthomas24/stomatella1.jpg





These guys are harmless grazers. They look like a snail with half a shell. They are mainly nocturnal but I do see them from time to time during the day. They spawn often in reef tanks. The male will stand up almost vertical and release his sperm at which time the females will rise up and release eggs. My clownfish loves the eggs as a tasty treat. Usually if you use a flashlight at night, you will see many of them.

Vermetid snails

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r129/jdthomas24/Vermetid1.jpg





Vermetid snails are often mistaken for feather duster tubes or tube worms. These reef critters are actually snails that secrete a feeding mucus (pic 3) to catch passing particles in the water column. I have seen ones in my tank catch and reel in adult brine shrimp. Usually harmless but the feeding mucus can bother or smother some sensitive corals.

Hydroids

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r129/jdthomas24/hydroid1.jpg

Hydroids are very small and hard to spot. Most people say they look like tiny clear or white jellyfish attached to the glass.

Micro Serpent Stars


http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r129/jdthomas24/microserpent1.jpg




Small detrivore often found in live rock or in the sand bed. I have some red and white ones that live in the live rock. They can often be seen with only the arms waving out of the LR trying to catch food drifing in the current. (pic 3) When I see them doing this I usually try to feed them a brine shrimp or something similar on occasion. Most aquarists will usually encounter them during water changes after siponing the sandbed. The ones found in the sandbed are white/grey in color. I always just scoop them out and put them back in the display as they are beneficial.

Clear Flatworms

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r129/jdthomas24/clearflatworm2.jpg



These are the harmless kind and have been known to be nocturnal algae grazers.

[jdthomas24]

I also have a Cannon Camera and I found that had to have it on the micro setting and I set my tripod up about 8 ft away from the tank and zoomed in. I was having the same problems you were with getting blurry pics. You can take a look at some of my shots on shippaquarium.blogspot.com
Im new to this and have NO CLUE what your critters are but maybe I can help with the camera stuff.....hope that works for you!


thank you, i just posted a great post i found on any of them. took me forever to load the pics into photobucket and the copy the image in place but m finally done