What is it?

Question
QUESTION: OK. I am a beginner with a 30gal tank. All parameters are great. I have a lawnmower blenny, a peppermint shrimp, a fire shrimp, 2 damsels, 2 emerald crabs, several hermies, a goby, a brittle star, 2 feather dusters, an purple-tip anemone, and 7 different coral frags. My question is this - sometimes my substrate is perfectly clean, and other times, there are these little green things shaped like cigars laying around. They look soft. Is this poop? Later it is gone! Also, something ate half of three arms on my starfish. Which critter did it/

ANSWER: Hello Starlinne,

I have to ask:  How long have you been into reefing, and how old is your tank?

I ask cause in one sentance you say you are a beginner, then you list off all these cool fish, inverts, and corals...  Doesnt sound like too much of a beginner to me.??

As for the cigar thingys, sorry, i can't help you.  I would like a picture of it if you can.

The starfish missing arms, now, i have a clue...  The crabs.  they love starfish...

You have a lot of crabs, i regret adding crabs, and hopefully dont have any more now.  They are opertunistic feeders, meaning they eat everything they CAN.

I would try to get rid of the crabs and certainly not replace them.

Good luck, and keep us posted.



Mr. Bill



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: About five months, but i do a lot of research and have reef friends. Ok, another question, one night I thought I saw dust floating around. I turned out the light and got my flashlight. About five hundred or more little white sperm swimming all over the place like crazy!!!! The next day - GONE. What kind of babies am I going to have???

Answer
Hopefully YOU wont have any babies, (were you swimmin' in the tank again?)

I am not sure, but you only have 'possible pairs' in damsels crabs, and feather dusters...

This does not preclude spawning sessions with your corals, which would be 'really' cool to see in captivity.  Some folks have reported it, and I hope to hear more and more reports.

Please search for 'coral spawning' in your favorite search engine and then click on images...

If the 'sperm' was more milk like, it could be the brittle star, as they too also will 'broadcast' spawn..


I doubt that you will have babies, any that do happen to successfully find eggs, will probably get devoured before one or two splits of the good ole DNA..


Anyways,  good eye, way to look out at night...