It is important to do a careful inspection of the bottom of the bag and towel, place all living starfish into your tank. Size: to 12 in. because they grow in little segments (check out the picture below). Another group of common hitchhikers on marine live rocks are starfishes. Further fueled by rampant phosphates and nitrates, these ugly hitchhikers can quickly turn your dream reef into a nightmare. Beneficial for aquariums, but recommend only one per tank, they eat nuisance algae but can also eat coralline algae faster than it can grow back. in length. Usually whitish to tan, occasionally rose colored. They were covered in living things of all sorts. Reef tank safe. Some of that texture and color come from a type of algae called coralline algae.Â. Size: crown 3/4 in. Now when you hear hatchet-wielding hitchhiker, perhaps one would assume the worst, i.e. For this section, I will use the phrase ‘problem algae’ to refer to the group of alga and non-alga species that can sometimes cause problems in our tanks. Is not a fireworm. Found from inter tidal zones down to 165 ft. Benificial for aquariums as they consume algae, but not recommended to have several at a time as they also consume coralline algae quicker than it can regrow. Circular crown of radioles nearly colorless to white with three very faint maroon bands; darker ring just above mouth. Marginally. As a result, Real Reef requires no curing or waiting for the dying, rotting and decaying biological material normally found on wild live rock. Escape will cancel and close the window. Some people will actually start the cycling of their tank by adding uncured live rock to their tanks, thereby adding a ‘natural’ source of ammonia (organisms on the rock dying and decaying) and the nitrifying bacteria to convert that ammonia to nitrate.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'saltwateraquariumblog_com-narrow-sky-2','ezslot_26',163,'0','0'])); Natural reef live rock is so interesting to look at because of all the different textures and colors. These bacteria, algae, and invertebrates colonize the rock naturally. Our artificial reef is located in deeper water, far fro their natural habitat, so while it is very rare for ARC Reef Live Rock to ever have any aiptasia on it, it is not impossible, so we have included it in our hitchhikers guide. Coralline algae is a ‘good’ form of algae. We have developed several species that come in amazing shades of pink and purple. Can bite or irritate corals. Sea Stars will regenerate lost limbs. Like your corals, these starfishes can reproduce asexually by breaking off legs and growing a new starfish. Note: Brittle Stars will often come out of the rocks during shipping. There are many removal techniques but we only recommend one method. Spines are not sharp and would be difficult to puncture skin. Not known to be terrifically helpful or harmful, these critters find their way into our tanks and hearts and add a little bit of texture and complexity to the ecosystems we have created. guys and gals, Hitchhikers starting our wordpress page today!! It is the ninth release in Young's ongoing archival release series and the first of the Special Release series. 7 points. Their growth and reproduction in your tank mean you’re doing something right. For me so far its been all good hitch hikers and nothing bad. Most of what I brought home didn’t make it, but one time, in particular, I did bring it home with some pink stuff on it, that eventually grew into this:eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'saltwateraquariumblog_com-sky-1','ezslot_31',155,'0','0'])); Those green zoanthids hitchhiked their way into my tank and flourished. stealing a free meal intended for your fish or corals and, growing to plague proportions in your tank. The goal of this guide is to share some of the good, the interesting and the bad hitchhikers that relatively commonly stow away on live rock and make the journey into our tanks. Their polyps can sting nearby corals (but so do many coral species). The presence of coralline algae on your rocks (and glass) is a sign of a healthy tank, in much the same way that green grass (without a lot of weeds) is a sign of a healthy lawn.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'saltwateraquariumblog_com-netboard-1','ezslot_27',126,'0','0'])); ‘Pods, as they’re so affectionately called, in our hobby, are some of the most sought after and desired of the live rock hitchhikers. Removal is very easy. I think there should be some interestings ones out there! A very gentle species. Bacteria and invertebrates live in, around and on the rocks, and corals and other sessile (non-mobile) invertebrates attach to the rock and carve out their own space on the reef.Â. Mandarin Goby, Synchiropus splendidus, in the Reef Aquarium, A list of the 20 most popular Saltwater Fish, Clownfish Eggs Development and Clownfish Breeding Journal, Yellow Tang: Caring for this saltwater fish in a reef tank, Ocellaris Clownfish Care: Size, lifespan, cost & compatibility. Often found in sand or seagrass areas down to 160 ft. Christmas tree worms are just one popular type of fan worm.Â, If you see a picture of these cool hitchhikers from the right angle, they can look a bit like a psychedelic miniature Christmas tree forest. All Rights Reserved. This guide may help identify hitchhikers from other types of Live Rock but it is meant to be specific to ARC Reef Live Rock and ARC Reef Premium Live Rock, both of which are 100% aquacultured and harvested from the Atlantic Ocean. The Small Rock Anemone is quite small, so it can readily be kept in a nano tank of just 1-gallon or more, however, the tank should be completely cycled. To me, they look like tiny little underwater cactuses (or is it cacti?) An amazing survival adaptation—but a pain if you’re trying to remove it from your tank. To date we have never witnessed one on our live rock and have not received a single report by anyone who has purchased our live rock. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes–correction–they all come in the shape of a star, but the size and shape of the arms will vary from species to species.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'saltwateraquariumblog_com-portrait-2','ezslot_30',128,'0','0'])); This little fellow, below, is an asterina starfish–note how one leg of the star is significantly longer than the other? Clam Holder for $2.00 at Marine Depot If you do not use one of the above methods your clam could attach itself to the bottom glass making it very difficult to remove them clam, especially when it becomes too big for your tank! Juveniles are most common and can be as small as a dime. This ambush predator loves to stow-away in the inner crevices of the live rock and dines on your favorite fish. You don’t have to have a live rock to seed your biological filter with nitrifying bacteria, but the live rock does serve as a natural substrate to help support their growth. Halimeda is a not-so-problematic algae hitchhiker. The typical reef environment is best for these anemones. But when cycled live rock (carrying sponges) is carefully transplanted to a tank, they can proliferate and thrive in typical reef tank water conditions. The introduction of Live Rock is the single best way to increase the biodiversity of your aquarium. Another problem group of live rock hitchhikers is the Caulerpa algae. The rock was incredible. Any specific types of live rock that may carry other stuff. Jun 28, 2018 - I've seen some cool hitchhikers before, but this has got to be one of the COOLEST!