Little hitch-hiker found by accident on new acros

[Glasswalker]

Hey, just bought some new acro small colonies, and did a Coral RX dip on them, inspected before buying, found now visible pests, did the dip, had powerhead in the dip, placed coral in the DT, then washed power head, and put it back in my saltwater mixing bucket, because I'm doing a water change (I know I should have a small powerhead just for coral dips, planning on grabbing one soon).

Anyway, when I went to add more salt to the mixing bucket (it was only at about 1.018) I noticed what looked like a tiny white crab kind of spazzing out on the bottom.

I siphoned some tank water into my acclimation chamber, and quickly saved him and put him in the acclimator. He was twitching, and didn't look so good, but he perked up in about 10 min, and is moving around, and behaving fairly normally.

I wasn't sure if he's a pest, or good. So I've got him quarantined in the acclimator for now.

Anyway, the only place he could have come from is the new acros, which means he went through a full bath for 10min in Coral RX, and then through my powerhead, and got washed, and hitch-hiked into the mixing chamber... NO IDEA how he pulled that all off and survived.

Anyway, would really love an ID on him ASAP so I can decide if I add him to the DT, or umm... find something else to do with him... lol...

Here are pics, he's tiny, probably 5mm in length, all white with legs that have slight pink hue. Legs appear to have "spines" or "fans" on them. Claws not too big, white, and he has a black "band" across his face. He's fairly flat in shape.

Pics were hard to get of him, so here is big ones (with him smaller) and then zoomed and enhanced to try and get some detail:


Any help greatly appreciated

Thanks!

 

[Lionfish Lair]

It's an acropora crab. IMO, they are fine. I would put him back in. Some say they can irritate your corals, however.

 

[Glasswalker]

It's an acropora crab. IMO, they are fine. I would put him back in. Some say they can irritate your corals, however.

Awesome Thanks! After quickly looking him up, looks like he's a "Bandit Acro Crab" which general view seems to be "he is helpful, and symbiotic with the coral" but yeah, saw a few posts about him "possibly irritating it". I think I'll throw him in

Thanks!

 

[Robink]

Wish I would get one of those as a hitchhiker...

 

[Glasswalker]

He is now happily back on one of the colonies we bought. He is pretty small so hopefully he doesn't get eaten lol. He seems to be happy and is staying put hiding between the branches though so hopefully he is safe.

 

[Sabellafella]

Hey, just bought some new acro small colonies, and did a Coral RX dip on them, inspected before buying, found now visible pests, did the dip, had powerhead in the dip, placed coral in the DT, then washed power head, and put it back in my saltwater mixing bucket, because I'm doing a water change (I know I should have a small powerhead just for coral dips, planning on grabbing one soon).

Anyway, when I went to add more salt to the mixing bucket (it was only at about 1.018) I noticed what looked like a tiny white crab kind of spazzing out on the bottom.

I siphoned some tank water into my acclimation chamber, and quickly saved him and put him in the acclimator. He was twitching, and didn't look so good, but he perked up in about 10 min, and is moving around, and behaving fairly normally.

I wasn't sure if he's a pest, or good. So I've got him quarantined in the acclimator for now.

Anyway, the only place he could have come from is the new acros, which means he went through a full bath for 10min in Coral RX, and then through my powerhead, and got washed, and hitch-hiked into the mixing chamber... NO IDEA how he pulled that all off and survived.

Anyway, would really love an ID on him ASAP so I can decide if I add him to the DT, or umm... find something else to do with him... lol...

Here are pics, he's tiny, probably 5mm in length, all white with legs that have slight pink hue. Legs appear to have "spines" or "fans" on them. Claws not too big, white, and he has a black "band" across his face. He's fairly flat in shape.

Pics were hard to get of him, so here is big ones (with him smaller) and then zoomed and enhanced to try and get some detail:


Any help greatly appreciated

Thanks!

Lol aw! Little fella! Im sure hell be fine, hell be hiding in the colony away from anything that could maybe pick on him