new awsome liverock

[Atlantis Labyrinth]

Hi everyone. Today I bought a new piece of live rock and found some creatures after dark. Can you identify the little swimmers. My guess is coca pods but they are big. Also the pic of the starfish , is it one I need to get rid of I have a reef tank and even though I'm new and just have frags i don't want anything that will harm my corals. Please comment?

 

[Atlantis Labyrinth]

 

[Ian Eisenberg]

Can't tell about the pods. They look almost like cirolanid isopods which are bad. If they have black eyes they are bad, otherwise methinks they are OK.
The star is most likely an asterina. They come in the harmless (until they breed to pest proportions) that feed on coraline algae and are rock grazers and the not so harmless that can eat zoanthids.

 

[kgk]

I agree with Ian. Look like isopods to me, and almost certainly an Asterina.

 

[Atlantis Labyrinth]

Thanks for your comment I will research now

 

[Atlantis Labyrinth]

I got rid of the starfish but what is the best way to get rid of the isopods ?

 

[jsanchez]

Get a 6 line or similar wrasse. He'll take care of your pods.

 

[Atlantis Labyrinth]

Thanks I will do that.

 

[Atlantis Labyrinth]

 

[Atlantis Labyrinth]

I think what I have in my tank is the sphaeromatid isopod. Does anyone have experience with them?