What are these creatures in my tank?

[Sargis7276]

Hello, everyone. I'm a new in this so please don't be too hard on me.)

I got 29 G tank. 2 clownfish, 2 crabs, 5 snails, and some soft corals (don't know the names but here are the pictures). All added around 2 months ago.




So I have noticed there are lots of tiny bug-like creatures swimming on the bottom. Today I found what looks like a nest of relatively bigger ones. Uploaded the video to youtube.

Here is the link


Does anyone know what they are? Are they harmful?

Also, is that a tiny starfish born in there? It moves around all the time.

 

[domination2580]

The polyp looking one in the 3rd pic is aiptasia, get rid of by all means possible. The last one is a asteria starfish, good for the tank but can become invasive

 

[Sargis7276]

The polyp looking one in the 3rd pic is aiptasia, get rid of by all means possible.

Will do first thing in the morning, thank you. (Ignorant me was thinking it was a good thing)

 

[gashunk]

http://www.lionfishlair.com/hitchhiker.shtml Best place you'll ever find what your looking at

 

[gashunk]

Amphipods they are good for your tank they are scavengers

 

[Gayle Dace]

Yes, amphipods are the bigger ones and copepods are teeny tiny--count yourself lucky! Getting rid of the Aptasia is easy if you only have a few. Get some pickling lime at the grocery store (in the canning supplies), mix it with a little bit of water to make a paste, take a tiny pipette or dropper and squirt it right into the mouth of the Aptasia--gone!

Most of the little stars are fine, but I found one eating my zoas, so no more Asterina in my tanks--I hate killing them, but I don't want them killing my zoas either. There are good ones and bad ones, and yo ucan't tell the difference just by looking at them, so I just pick them out when I find one.

Good luck and welcome to the hobby!

 

[scott021467]

The little starfish are asterina stars. The darker of the species will eat zoas. I did have the lighter and noticed they eat coraline algae. When I had them I thought since they were not the ones that would go after my zoas I would let them go and soon I had hundreds in my tank and they were destroying the coraline on my rocks. I purchased a Harlequin shrimp and ended that problem.

 

[stevo01]

I kick any starfish to the curb, and as mentioned looks like a healthy population of Amphipods there too. A peppermint shrimp will eat that aptasia. Welcome to R2R and good luck!

 

[reeferfoxx]

I kick any starfish to the curb, and as mentioned looks like a healthy population of Amphipods there too. A peppermint shrimp will eat that aptasia. Welcome to R2R and good luck!

Little brittlestars too?

 

[stevo01]

Little brittlestars too?

I don't actualy have any brittles, but if I did they are welcome. I was referencing the asteria.

 

[Sargis7276]

I put a boiling water on the aiptasia with a syringe, it shrank, and I sucked it out with the syringe. Saw a video of someone doing it, fast and easy.