About Creatures that Roam the night...

[Ctimpson]

So I have got in the habit of setting aside time before bed to just enjoy my tank with the atinics on... After the lights go off, I have started doing the flashlight thing and watching my tank for about 15 mins in the dark... Now mainly I am seeing lots of tiny bristleworms and things that look like little white fleas... I am assuming these are copeopods... What else should I keep an eye out for, with descriptions please... It is really cool to know that all this life you never see, is actually thriving in your tank... It is almost like an entire different ecosystem coexisting in the same space... Large beautiful fish and shrimp, then life on a microscopic scale just as diverse... I will never ever go back to Freshwater Cichlids and Discus...

 

[yote]

Looks for the legs of micro-brittle stars and serpent stars.They look like little small worms sticking out of the rock.

 

[hibye]

feather dusters and sponges

 

[DavidA717]

yeah i just started noticing brittle and serpant stars coming out of the rocks at night and when i feed. and feather dusters have popped out of no where all over my tank as well

 

[Bifferwine]

Oh, and anyone with a REAL saltwater tank will have these guys too: aiptasia and/or majano anemones!! ;)

 

[Alexander]

I had tons! ....... HAD I have 6 peppermints in my 180 and it took about 2 or 3 months but they have completely destroyed all of the aptasia in my tank. I assure you it works, it just takes some time :)

 

[yote]

Dont forget about the peanut worms.The little cup corals that only show up at night.

 

[Doc]

just watch out for a audible "clicking" noise coming from inside the tank. Mantis shrimp are visible at night and love to eat everything in your tank. It kinda creeps me out to think of all the crap that lives in my tanks and I put my hands in there....yuck.

-Doc

 

[fishbait]

stamatela snails, limpets, and all kinds of worms only come out at night. you may look for several months and think you have discovered everything in you're tank. then one night you will notice something you have never seen before and wonder, what the hell is that? and where did it come from? my tank never fails to fascinate me. and I agree with you. freshwater tanks don't even closely compare to salt!

 

[Bifferwine]

Yeah you might find an elusive ramen noodle sponge one day!

 

[yote]

The best part is when the tanks been running for several months.And then one night you hear clicking sounds coming from back in your rock work.Then the next morning you find some snail shells that have been busted open.