# Marine Aquariums > Reef Aquariums >  The Marine World Of Hitchhikers

## Gary R

*The Marine World Of Hitchhikers* 

*AIPTASIA* Aiptasia are pest anemones that often are found when people purchase cured live rock. Aiptasia is a medium-dark colored anemone with thin arms. These guys should be destroyed immediately, they can sting corals and damage them, and aipstasia can spread at an alarming rate. To remove them, you have a few options. the most common is to use a commercial product, like aiptasia-x and joe's juice. you just squirt the liquid on the aiptasia and they get killed. this is a simple and effective way. you can also use a blow-torch to burn off the anemone, this is also effective. Do not try to manually pick off aiptasia or use a cotton swab though, this will just break up the aiptasia and help it spread. You can also try aiptasia eating livestock to get rid of them, such as peppermint shrimp.


**  *BARNACLES* 
Barnacles are crustaceans that have jointed legs and shells of connected overlapping plates. Instead of crawling after food, they glue themselves to rocks, this is how we get them as hitchhikers. Barnacles reach out with little feathery barbed legs to strain out plankton and absorb oxygen. 

**  *BRISTLE CAGE WORM (FLABELLIGERIDAE)* Family Flabelligeridae polychaetes
Flabelligerids or bristle-cage worms are cylindrical tapering worms with a papillose body surface, which is encrusted with debris or covered with jelly-like mucus, and with rather disordered, long, hair-like chaetae.

The family Flabelligerids is also known as the Chlorhaemidae, and also includes the former Helmetophoridae. The head structures of simple gills and palps are important in identification to genus, but are often difficult to observe without dissection because they are usually retracted into the mouth in preserved specimens. Several subtidal species, which may be undescribed, occur in subtidal soft substrata and belong to the genera Diplocirrus and Brada. Elsewhere species of Flabelliderma are commensals of echinoids.

Usually free-living, but not extremely active. May be found enclosed in a transparent gelatinous tube or with the body obscured by adhering sand grains. Not known to form permanent tubes but may be found in the burrows of other animals or buried in sandy substrate. All flabelligerids appear to be surface deposit feeders.


**  *BRYOZOA* **  *BUTTON POLYPS* 
Button polyps fit the same bill as zoanthids. They are polyps that live in colonies on your rock. they are photosynthetic, and need at least 3 watts per gallon of appropriate lighting. in proper care, you will have a large colony in no time. they are of no harm to other creatures and a nice freebie to your tank. 

**  *CLOVE POLYP* Clove polyps are another colony coral. in good conditions, they will rapidly multiply. give them medium-high light (preferably halides for T-5's) and medium-high flow and they're happy. they are no threat to other life in your tank.


**  *COLONIAL HYDROIDS* 

**  *DIGITATE HYDROIDS* 

**  *FEATHER DUSTERS* Feather dusters literally look like dusters, with their "feathers" all spread out in a circle. feather dusters can multiply quickly, and if you look at the bottom of a established piece of base rock, you can see dozens of them. they are no threat to livestock, and will try to grab loose pieces of debris to eat.

**  *FORAMINIFERANS* Almost all live rock has evidence of foraminiferans. These are small single-celled animals that we can call a specialized type of amoeba. There are over 7000 species living today  mostly marine and most are found living on various substrates although some are planktonic.


**  *MAJANO ANEMONES* 

**  *MUSHROOM LEATHER* **  *SERPULID WORMS* **  *SPIONID WORMS* 

**  *SPIRORBID WORMS* 

**  *SPONGES* 

**  *TUNICATES* 
Many species are translucent or whitish in color but some species are much more colorful and can be red, brown, yellow and even blue. 

**  *VERMITID SNAILS* 

**  *ZOANTHIDS* Zoanthids are polyp corals that are often found in colonies. Zoanthid hitchhikers are often found on wild harvested rock or rock that has been in someones coral tank. Zoas need at least 3wpg of light to survive, and in proper conditions will quickly spread. they are of no harm to other life, but they can squirt a toxin that some humans can be allergic to. because of this, gloves and safety glasses should be worn if you think or know you are allergic to zoa liquid.


**  *The Marine Mobile World Of Hitchhikers* 

*ABALONE* **  *ACROPORA CRABS* 

**  *AEOLID NUDIBRANCHS* 

**  *AMPHIPODS* Amphipods look like little bugs crawling in your tank. do not be alarmed, they are extremely desirable. Amphipods provide free food for a wide range of fish, and some fish such as mandarin dragonets rely on them for most of their diet. to keep your pod population up, you can create a refugium with live rock rubble for them to breed in. alot of commercial stores and online retailers will also sell them by the hundreds or thousands.


**  *ARROW CRABS (STENORHYNCHUS)* Arrow crabs resemble spiders with their long slender legs. Arrow crabs are excellent scavengers and will eat loose food and even bristle worms. They have a long claw on their underside with a pincher on the end that they use to eat food. They are of no harm to other creatures, but they may accidentally step on corals. If you find one of these as a hitchhiker, consider yourself lucky. They retail for $20-$30 at stores.

**  *ASTERINA STARS* 

**  *ASTRAEA SNAILS* **  *BOX CRABS (CALAPPA)*  *BRACHIPOD* **  *BRISTLEWORMS* Bristleworms are a often salmon colored worm that have sharp spines around them. The majority of bristleworms are harmless to tank inhabitants and will eat detrius. If you shine a flashlight in your tank at night, you can probably see some lurking around. One of their predators are arrow crabs, which eat them. when handling live rock, always wear gloves. touching a bristleworm barehanded is extremely painful and you can expect hundreds of spines in your finger.


**  *CERITH SNAILS* **  *CHITONS* 

**  *CLAMS*  *COLLONISTA SNAILS* 

**  *COLUMBELLID SNAILS* 

**  *CONCH* **  *CONE SNAILS* **  *COPEPODS* Tiny crustaceans that live on the ocean bottom. They enter tanks on live rock or in live sand, and feed by scraping small algae or bacteria off rocks. They thrive in reef tanks and do especially well in tanks with a good sand bed. The Copepods are the primary food source for Mandarins. 

**  *COWRY SNAIL* **  *DECORATOR CRABS (MAJIDAE)*  *EUNICIDS*  *FIRE WORMS (AMPHINOIDS)*  *FLATWORMS (ACOEL)* These flatworms usually come in a red to orange variety, but others colors exist. Due to their symbiotic algae, large population densities can be obtained with strong lighting and abundant food. Other than ugly to look at, these flatworms are harmless in reefs with a few exceptions. These flatworms are copepod hunters. They will eat at your copepod population. They expel toxins when killed that can poison livestock. They can also smother light dependant corals when their population is out of check. The best way to remove these hitch hikers is to vacuum them up.

**  *FLATWORMS (POLYCLAD)*  *GALL CRABS (CRYPTOCHIRID)*  *HYDROID JELLY*  *ISOPODS* **  *LANCELETS*  *LIMPETS* 

 *MANTIS SHRIMP* mantis are beautifully colored creatures that vaguely resemble lobsters. If you find one in your tank, be careful and take the proper precautions. They can "snap" their strikers at the speed of a bullet, so they can easily break human bones and glass aquariums. they use their strikers to break the shells of inverts off so they can eat the meat inside. To remove one from your system, you can purchase a mantis trap. this is about the only safe way to remove one, do NOT try to use a net. they will likely break through the net and you risk getting injured. Once removed, you can place him in your sump, refugium, a spare tank, or try to give him away. try not to flush or kill them, they are intelligent creatures that are misunderstood.

**  *MEDUSSA WORMS*  *MICRO BRITTLE STARS* Micro brittle stars are small starfish that you will often fine crawling around on your live rock. They are harmless and will scavenge around for any loose food. If you want to keep their population up, consider puting some cured live rock rubble in your sump or refugium, there they should breed and quickly get their numbers up.


**  *MITHRAX CRABS*  *MYSID SHRIMP* **  *NERITE SNAIL* **  *NUDIBRANCH*  *OLIVE SNAILS* **  *PEANUT WORMS (SIPUNCULIDA)* 

**  *PEA CRABS (PINNOTHERIDAE)*  *PEBBLE CRABS (LEVCOSIIDAE)*  *PEPPERMINT SNAILS* **  *PISTOL SHRIMP*  *PORCELAIN CRABS* 

**  *PYRAMID SNAILS* 

**  *RIBBON WORMS (NEMERTEA)*  *SCALE WORMS (POLYNOIDAE)*  *SEA CUCUMBERS* **  *SEA SPIDERS* 

**  *SHIELD LIMPETS* 

**  *SPAGHETTI AND HAIR WORMS (CIRRATULIDS)* 

**  *STAR SNAIL (ASTRALIUM CALCAR)* **  *STOMATELLA SNAIL* The stomatella snail is a hitch hiker that you will only see at night. With a flash light it is very common after procuring live rock to see many of these herbivores cruising on the glass and rock. Having a shell that only covers a portion of their body these seclusive snails only come out at night and are very beneficial to any reef tank. Once established they will release clouds of "smoke" which become fish/coral food or new stomatella if fertilized. If you do find that they multiply to fast you can collect them at night and many people will be willing to take them off your hands. I have witnessed maximum growth to be about a half inch for an adult specimen.

**  *SUNDIAL SNAILS* This tiny snail is a predator of zoanthids, and may be tough to see in your tank. Keep an eye on you Zoa's. I found some in my tank and they laid a bunch of eggs, was a challenge removing them all.


**  *SWIMMING CRABS (PORTUNIDAE)*  *THALASSINIDEAN SHRIMP*  *TULIP SNAILS* **  *URCHINS* 
Urchins are spiny creatures that are interesting to watch. There are various kinds of urchins. some are round with short spines on them, some have fat pencil tips around them, and some have long thin spines. For the most part, they all act the same, and will scavenge for food and some even eat coraline. make sure your corals are anchored though, these guys are known to accidentally knock down corals while cruising around. If you find one that hitchhiked, consider yourself lucky, they often run for $15+ each. 

**  *WHELK* **  *XANTHID CRABS*  *Algae's And Other Stuff*

*BRYOPSIS* The most common characteristic of this alga is the fernlike fronds resembling feathers. It is a sure sign of high levels of nitrates. The nitrates are not detectable because they are being absorbed by the Bryopsis itself. This can be very difficult to deal with. There are many methods of removal, my suggestion is watch your feeding, and use chaeto in your sump for nitrate exporting.


**  *BUBBLE ALGAE AKA VALONIA* 
Bubble algae grows rapidly and can spread through the tank. It will tend to crowd desirable specimens out. Fortunately, it is normally possible to manually extract bubble algae and keep it under control unlike hair algae. 

**  *CAULERPA* If you introduce Caulerpa into your main tank, either on purpose or accident, keep a close eye on it and prune heavily to keep it in check. Most Caulerpa is maintained in filters or refugia where it can be confined. When part of it is harvested from the these systems, it is acting as a nutrient export mechanism. In other words, the nitrates and other compounds the algae absorbs as it grows is removed from the system when a portion of the algae is removed. 


** ** 

 *CHAETOMORPHA* _Chaetomorpha_ is generally placed in a refugium that is connected to a saltwater reef tank where It is usually balled up. This macro algae has many benefits to a reefkeeper but generally its sole purpose is to absorb nutrients such as nitrates. Chaeto as it is sometimes called has the ability to host a whole slew of organisms such as pods, mini stars, and worms. Chaeto is preferred by reef tanks owners over _Caulerpa_ because unlike _Caulerpa_ it does not go sexual. When _Caulerpa_ goes sexual it releases most of its nutrients it has absorbed and it could cause a tank crash. Using Chaeto will help fight nuisance algae.


**  *CORALLINE ALGAE* Coraline is a green, purple, or sometimes even red hard algae that can quickly spread. It is desirable for most aquariusts because of how neon it is, and how bright and purple it can make live rock. Coraline growth takes a while in a new system, but with proper alkalinity and calcium levels it will soon enough come. some commercial products, such as purple up, will cause coraline to grow faster. this product is great and has a good success rate. If you decide you dont want coraline on your glass, the best way to prevent it is to scrape all sides of your glass daily, or purchase a coraline eating urchin if one is appropriate for your tank.


**  *CYANOBACTERIA* Cyano is a ugly, red slime that quickly spreads around your tank. Luckily, it is easy to cure. There are a few causes of cyano. First, it is common in young tanks. when the tank is around 5-10 months old, you can expect to see a bloom. keep your skimmer going and feed a bit less during this time, and it will disappear. Try to manually pick it away from your corals to prevent damage to them. If you have a established tank with cyano, overfeeding and excess phosphates are likely to blame. Phosphates and excess nutrients are directly to blame from overfeeding, but phosphates can enter your tank by using tapwater. Most peoples city tapwater contains phosphates and alot of nasty stuff that will feed algae. This is why reverse osmosis and distilled water use is recommended in saltwater aquariums. There are a variety of red slime removers on the market, but they only mask the problem, not get to the root cause, which is why they sometimes are frowned upon.


**  *DIATOMS* 
Diatoms are a brown algae that will quickly spread. They are common in new tanks, or established ones where tapwater, overfeeding, and silicates are present. to prevent diatoms, use RO or distilled water, have a good protein skimmer, and do your weekly water changes. in a new tank, ride it out. do not add a algae eating fish like lawnmower blennies. algae eating fish will eat all the algae, but when there is no more algae left, they will starve. 

**  *DINOFLAGELLATES* 
Dino's occasionally bloom in reef aquaria, and they can be toxic to invertebrates and fish. They form nearly colorless to rust brown or green gelatinous mats and films that trap oxygen bubbles. They can also be present in large numbers in the water column and on the surface of the water during a bloom. They coat bare surfaces so quickly that it is futile to siphon them off." 
**  *GRAPE CAULERPA* If you introduce Caulerpa into your main tank, either on purpose or accident, keep a close eye on it and prune heavily to keep it in check. Most Caulerpa is maintained in filters or refugia where it can be confined. When part of it is harvested from the these systems, it is acting as a nutrient export mechanism. In other words, the nitrates and other compounds the algae absorbs as it grows is removed from the system when a portion of the algae is removed. Some species, especially Grape C. can go sexual and disintegrate overnight adding substantial biological load to the tank. This can be minimized by heavy pruning which seems to retard this tendency.


** ** 

 *HAIR ALGAE* 
Usually dark green, grows quite long if left unattended and spreads across your tank rapidly. A number of things may have contributed to it getting a foothold in your system. Your nitrates or phosphates may be too high. Find that source, you may be over feeding. I use Chaeto algae in my refugium to suck up the nitrates and starve the Hair Algae. 

**  *HALIMEDA* Halimeda is a slow growing calcareous algae. Halimeda is probably the best macro algae to have in a reef tank. It is slow growing, so it cannot easily become a nuisance. Halimeda requires fairly high calcium and Alkalinity levels similar to stony corals to survive. Halimeda also prefers higher intensity lighting. 
---------------------------
I will carry on adding to this List as i get Time

Regards Gary

**

----------


## lost

Glad you posted this gaz because this morning i saw on the glass of my tank what looked like a tiny white *MEDUSSA WORM* never seen something with so many loooong legs if thats what they are.Are they a good thing to have?i no i would have had fun trying to explaine to you what i saw :roflmao:

----------

