bad hitchikers?

[j_rizzo]

These guys came with my LR from TBS- just the one urchin but there are an awful lot of the snails- I believe they are bad for my reef?
ALso had 3 gorilla crabs one of which died today, using a salifert test for ammonia and havent ever had a color other than white. cant get to the other two as they are tiny and hiding in the LR, although I know I need to get those out.

heres the urchin:
http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb409/jro27punk/IMG_0170.jpg

And one of the larger snails ( have around 10 of these )
http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb409/jro27punk/IMG_0171.jpg

[Tschupe]

Nassarious snail. Good snails. They sift through the sand

[AaronM]

Looks like a little long spine urchin. The the problems are 1) they have a big appetite for grinding the surface of your rocks, 2) they have an amazing ability to squeeze into gaps and then force things out of their way, e.g. any slightly loose rocks or coral, 3) they have a nasty sting!

I'd prob keep it until 1 and 2 become a problem, as they are interesting, and avoid touching it coz of 3!

[Sizzle]

Snails in photo are good.

Urchine i agree with other poster they will move anything if it is not secured.

Crabs you want to get as many of them out as possible.

Listen for loud clicking sound, maybe a mantis or pistol shrimp, I had gotten seven mantis shrimp from my TBS rock.

[Raggamuffin]

Snails are fine, Urchin is no biggie untill it gets a couple inches then it turns into a bulldozer (I still love mine but moved them to a new home), the crabs are really easy to catch the only crabs I kept were the porciline crabs which are harmless. Pistol shrimp that come on his rock are also harmless. My 2 mantis that came are about as freindly as can be and only ever hurt 1 fish and that was because I startled the fish and it shot into the big mantis' hole, other than that they are plenty tame.

[j_rizzo]

Thanks for the info! I was thinking the snails were whelks possibly because they dont seem to dig around the sand much, they hang out on the LR mostly. I really like the urchin, hes fun to watch! Someone told me they eat coraline pretty fast and he was sitting on top of one of my sponges the other day. May have to remove him.

There is definitely a clicking sound- havent seen him yet though.

Thanks again for the help!

[thebkramer]

the snail stays on the rock??
is his body more black?? maybe another pic would help... but I may have to agree with you and go with Whelk :(

[KSzegi]

Having started my tank with TBS rock also, I can almost guarantee you those snails are in fact whelks and I would get them out of there!! I was picking them off for several months once I realized they were no good!

[Raggamuffin]

hmmm they have never bothered a thing in my tank, still have 20 or so in my tank. They don't move until food hits the water and they come out of the rocks and sand.

[Lynnmw1208]

I agree if the snails never burrow and spend all their time on the rocks, they're probably whelks. my nassarius rarely ever go on the rocks unless food lands there. right after they're done they burrow right back in the sand.