10lbs of Gulf Live Rock to supplement live rock in tank

[corosato]

Today I received 10lbs of Gulf Live Rock to supplement my live rock in my MAX E 170, going to let is cure a bit in my old Fluval Evo, but got some interesting Hitchhikers even in this small shipment. Def go a small Mantis Shrimp, some sort of crab, snail I don't know if alive or not, some Rose coral and various macro algae

I Assume this is a Rose coral:

Not sure what kind of crab this is yet, or if it will live (so small it's hard to get a photo of it):

Anything standing out here?

 

[lapin]

Dont see anything too weird. Time will tell as it cures.

 

[Jekyl]

As you said hard to tell from photo but looks similar to a gorilla crab

 

[JoJosReef]

That baby crab is a baby porcelain crab. Reef safe, but they may or may not make it. You can tell by the claw shape and, especially, that it has 3 legs on either side instead of 4 (the 4th is a thinner appendage that folds away and is used mostly for cleaning).

 

[JoJosReef]

I'd keep an eye on that snail if it is alive. You want to make sure it isn't a whelk. If it starts moving about get a good photo of its "snout" and colors of its foot/snout.

 

[Cthulukelele]

Today I received 10lbs of Gulf Live Rock to supplement my live rock in my MAX E 170, going to let is cure a bit in my old Fluval Evo, but got some interesting Hitchhikers even in this small shipment. Def go a small Mantis Shrimp, some sort of crab, snail I don't know if alive or not, some Rose coral and various macro algae

I Assume this is a Rose coral:

Not sure what kind of crab this is yet, or if it will live (so small it's hard to get a photo of it):

Anything standing out here?

I hope that green brain coral makes it. Very pretty

 

[corosato]

I'd keep an eye on that snail if it is alive. You want to make sure it isn't a whelk. If it starts moving about get a good photo of its "snout" and colors of its foot/snout.

So I think it's actually a hermit crab

 

[corosato]

Had some bivalves open and some feather duster maybe? Also pic of hermit crab. Pondering moving the hermit over so it’s not mantis shrimp food.

 

[corosato]

Mantis shrimp peeking out from under rock

 

[Cthulukelele]

Mantis shrimp peeking out from under rock

The small Florida mantis shrimp aren't GREAT hitchhikers, but they aren't the giant murder machines their larger cousins are. They stay very small and tend to prey on snails and hermits only when very hungry from what I hear (no DIRECT experience with these)

 

[JoJosReef]

The small Florida mantis shrimp aren't GREAT hitchhikers, but they aren't the giant murder machines their larger cousins are. They stay very small and tend to prey on snails and hermits only when very hungry from what I hear (no DIRECT experience with these)

Still might want to check if the mantis is a smasher (likely) or spearer, the latter which I'd be more concerned about with nano fish. There can be some Pseudosquilla mantis shrimp in FL live rocks (see KP aquatics website).

 

[JoJosReef]

Had some bivalves open and some feather duster maybe? Also pic of hermit crab. Pondering moving the hermit over so it’s not mantis shrimp food.

Yup, positive ID on the hermit ;-)

 

[corosato]

Yup, positive ID on the hermit ;-)

yay I got one right! lol

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Just to add - it looks like you've got some red macroalgae (I can't tell what kind from the pics; sorry), some Halimeda algae, a red encrusting sponge, and possibly a red solitary tunicate but I can't tell for sure from the pic:

 

[corosato]

Just to add - it looks like you've got some red macroalgae (I can't tell what kind from the pics; sorry), some Halimeda algae, a red encrusting sponge, and possibly a red solitary tunicate but I can't tell for sure from the pic:

def some sort of tunicate or sea squirt, it has an in and out and moves very creepily. pretty sure that's a rental and won't make it

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

def some sort of tunicate or sea squirt, it has an in and out and moves very creepily. pretty sure that's a rental and won't make it

If you want to try and help keep it alive longer, I'd suggest putting it somewhere where you can put some phytoplankton into the flow and have the flow carry the phyto to the tunicate - no guarantees it would help, but at least some phytos (like Isochrysis galbana) in high enough quantities have been shown to help some tunicates grow/survive.

 

[corosato]

If you want to try and help keep it alive longer, I'd suggest putting it somewhere where you can put some phytoplankton into the flow and have the flow carry the phyto to the tunicate - no guarantees it would help, but at least some phytos (like Isochrysis galbana) in high enough quantities have been shown to help some tunicates grow/survive.

will def try!

 

[corosato]

Sadly the Mantis didn't make it, but the Rose Coral is in the DT and looks really happy: