USCG CWO Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 (scary) What the heck is this thing, and is it good or bad? Had the tank up for two and a half months , first time I have seen it. Thanks Shane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael7979 Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 Just a guess but I'd say some form of whelk. But I'm not really good at this game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DChemist Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 That's a tough one... How big is it? Does it move like a snail? Is the shell pointed or flat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USCG CWO Posted October 10, 2008 Author Share Posted October 10, 2008 Yes it moves like a snail. It's shell if you can call it that it is round and covered in algae and fine like hairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stylaster Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 i would second the welk, most are predatory. You will have to watch them and see what they are eating. If its munching on algae your pretty safe, but from what i have read most welks like to eat other snails and inverts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 Shimek on Whelks: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-11/rs/index.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USCG CWO Posted October 10, 2008 Author Share Posted October 10, 2008 DOH! Great!!! Now I have to find him again to get him out. (threaten) The guy has got great camoflauge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USCG CWO Posted October 11, 2008 Author Share Posted October 11, 2008 Better pics up close. Do you still think it's a whelk?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsoz Posted October 11, 2008 Share Posted October 11, 2008 If I had something like that, something that people could not readily identify, I would rather be safe than sorry. I would freeze it to kill it, then throw it in the garbage (right before garbage day so it does not stink too bad). There are many good hitch-hikers, and just as many bad ones. It may be that that thing is innocent in your tank now, but as soon as you get something that it really likes to eat, it will be all over it like flies in honey. Then you are out an expensive coral. I bought a tiger cowry because they were supposed to be reef safe. I had it almost a year, and it was just fine, and I could not detect anything that it ate except algae. Then I was given another one, and my new acans started to loose polyps. What was going on??? I would only look in the tank after the lights went on and that is when I saw the damage (cowries hide when it is light). Then one day I looked in my tank before the lights went on to see the second cowry munching on my last acan!!!! Needless to say, both cowries went into a QT tank that I had set up for other reasons, then they got traded to the LFS the next weekend. The only good thing about this story is that the acans that were eaten are not totally dead. There was some flesh in between the ribs that was still living, and it is starting to grow back, just not as colorful yet. dsoz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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