Worms And Crabs In Tank! Help! I'm Over Run!

[Ben]

Well i was checking out my tank today,
I have now got alot of algae covering the rocks, which in a way im glad about, and i found two small star fish on the glass!
BUT
I'm over run by worms! ALl these worm and centerpede type things,
what are they? And i've found a small crab, i don't know whether its good or bad,
I have some pics below for IDs etc Any help or info would be greatly apreciated!

DD
Pics:

 

[Ben]

I've just found these!

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE HELP!
Anything i can do?

DD

 

[Chac]

Bristle Worms

Great Cleaners, they are a great addition to any tank

Not sure about the crab thought -cant really make out the piccy

 

[Ben]

phew! Thanks alot Chac!
So i can just leave them in there? Even that big one? and they won't hurt the fish?
Thanks alot
DD

 

[catxx]

they look like something out of Alien!

 

[Navarre]

the worms are fine and are good cleanres. Dont touch em unelss you want a particuarly nasty sting!

The crab.. hm.. not sure but the head looks a little like a sally lightfoot. However im not sure so that could be a compleltely wrong ID there. The last creature is a pistol shrimp and this species (if i am right ) is rare to be seen in the home reef. Not a problem and a good addition to the crew

 

[Ben]

Thanks Nav

I guess i was just shocked to see all these wierd things suddenly come out of the rocks, i'm just not used to it, i mean, if i saw worms in my FW tank i'd freak out!
I've got alot, and i mean alot, of these little shrimp running around the rock, so i guess im happy then
And i've just found a bigger crab,i'll try and get a good shot of it

Thanks again,

DD

 

[Synirr]

Awww, that little crab is so cute

 

[EliteFishy]

Where did the crab come from? Do creatures just grow from live rocks?

 

[J-Money]

he wuz probably buried deep in the LR and finally just got comfortable enough to venture out

 

[Ben]

Where did the crab come from? Do creatures just grow from live rocks?

When you get LR from your LFS, critters are usually hiding inside the rocks, and once you water stats are right and they feel comfortable they will usually come pout and swim around

DD

 

[Mr Miagi]

Be at one with the bristle worms!

That crab is cute, lol. I thought i had two, but after i feed them sinking wafers oneday i found 5! They eat my macro, but they are ok for now.

 

[RoyalGrammaPrincessHannah]

O if ur sure its a pistol shrimp, they are about 20-30 bucks actually, but have symbiotic relationships with gobies, particularly yellow watchmans. They have horrible eyesight, and so they keep an antler on the tail of the goby{who shares a burrow with him} and over time they will develop signals with eachother, like the goby will wiggle his tail or something warning potential danger, letting the shrimp dive into the burrow first, following him. It would b kinda cool i think, plus i have 1 of these gobies and he has the cutest personality. I just didnt wanna have a shrimp.

 

[Ben]

Unfortunatly all thse cirtters died with the crash of the tank

But with the new LR, i have some bristle and flat worms

DD