2 Creatures, Gulf Live Rock

[Aaron75]

Crab is tiny, maybe the size of my pinky nail. Worm is a decent size. Crab doesn't really look like the good kind but I truly don't know how to tell. And then a bristle worm? Ya?

 

[Aaron75]

Using the hitchhiker ID it almost looks like a cucumber and a gorilla crab.

 

[DaJMasta]

I'd toss the crab in the sump, the hairy look, general body shape, and black claw tips suggest it could be a problem. I think the worm is a sea mouse - a kind of hairer looking bristle worm.

 

[Karen00]

I agree on both IDs that @Aaron75 Check out furry sea cucumber and gorilla crab. I don't think it's any kind of bristle worm (but anything is possible). I'm sure more people will chime in.

 

[Aaron75]

I agree on both IDs that @Aaron75 Check out furry sea cucumber and gorilla crab. I don't think it's any kind of bristle worm (but anything is possible). I'm sure more people will chime in.

Hopefully we get some more opinions. I don't have a sump or anything so what's my course of action for these guys?

 

[Tired]

Euthanasia with clove oil should be humane, and is easy enough to pull off. You should have clove oil on hand anyway, in case a fish needs to be euthanized. Failing that, crushing the entire body in one quick motion, so as to destroy the brain all at once, can be a humane method of killing something.

Do check if your LFS wants either, though. Some places will happily take crabs, particularly considering that one looks a little unusual. Definitely the "hello, I'll get big and destructive" look, but maybe not a usual gorilla.

 

[stovenut]

Keep the sea cucumber (assuming you have a sand bed for him to feed) and toss the crab into your filter, fuge or trash can.

 

[Aaron75]

So we are safe to assume the fluffy worm is indeed a cucumber and the crab is indeed a gorilla or some other non friendly?

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

So we are safe to assume the fluffy worm is indeed a cucumber and the crab is indeed a gorilla or some other non friendly?

The fluffy worm looks like a bristle worm (taxonomic class Polychaeta) to me. Note the dark brown/black chaetae (bristles) sticking out of the middle of the white points (visible on the top side of the body in the first pic) - none of the fluffy sea cucumber specimens I’m aware of have those thin, needle-like spikes jutting out of the white points. So, I’m thinking this is a bristle worm of some variety (though I don’t know what kind at the moment, so I can’t say one way or another on if it’s safe or not).

I’m bad with crab ID, but, generally speaking, crabs with hair or spikes are usually not safe. So, I’d say to sump the crab, but the worm might be alright.

Edit: since you don’t have a sump, I’d offer the crab to local reefers and LFS and see if any of them want it. If not, you can either release it into your reef and expect damage to be done, you can make it its own little tank (either with a new build, a sump, or even just putting it and some rock in an acclimation box or something permanently), or you can euthanize it as described above.

 

[Karen00]

Hopefully we get some more opinions. I don't have a sump or anything so what's my course of action for these guys?

Like @Tired said, check with your local LFS to see if they will take them or a local reefer. Is your tank new? The sea cucumber is fine to keep but I think they need a mature tank otherwise they'll starve. They eat detritus so it's possible you can put food in the tank for it. Hopefully someone will chime in on caring for them or you can search on here. If you can't find anyone to take the crab then use clove oil to euthanize. I think it's about 1/2 tsp clove oil to 4 cups water (.4 ml to 1 litre water).

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

So we are safe to assume the fluffy worm is indeed a cucumber and the crab is indeed a gorilla or some other non friendly?

Contact the place you bought the rock and see if they can provide a definitive ID.

 

[Tired]

If you can't find anyone to take the crab then use clove oil to euthanize. I think it's about 1/2 tsp clove oil to 4 cups water (.4 ml to 1 litre water).

That would be a lot of clove oil to add at once. I usually shake 1/4-1/2tsp of clove oil into a small bottle of water, then slowly add it to the holding cup with the critter until the critter goes unresponsive. You want to add it slowly, as adding it fast seems to be distressing for some animals, particularly worms. Once the critter is completely unresponsive, add a decent bit more clove oil and leave it for a few hours.