Disgusted: Online Detrivore Kit Pricing

[LJA]

I've been looking into an online distributer of certain detrivores for my current and next tank with the impression that it would be fairly cheap. .. Not.

Checked out some websites like IPIF and was shocked to see a simple "pick 5" kit or whatever was $100!

I understand how necessary these items are but everything they are selling is extreamly common! Bristle worms, mini stars, snails, peanut worms ect...

What a joke.

And if you want to but something alone, say half a dozen mini-stars.... $35.00 + shipping.

This is something that I expected to be able to pay something like $10 for half a dozen.


Anyone know where I can buy this stuff at a reasonable price?>

 

[abulgin]

Any live rock you buy should come with plenty of bristleworms and brittle stars. I would suggest getting hermits and snails at your LFS. No need to spend $100 on a bunch of stuff that comes free.

(By the way, and don't take this the wrong way, but it's "detritivores")

 

[LJA]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13053666#post13053666 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by abulgin
(By the way, and don't take this the wrong way, but it's "detritivores")

lol... thanks.


I just wanted to suppliment my current tank because I've been looking at it every night with a red flashlight for the past 3 months and the 50 some lbs of LR I have didn't come with any bristle worms. I've asked a few LFS around here and they don't sell them.

The main things I wanted to buy are the mini stars, bristle worms, and maybe some other misc. detritivores to help with some kind of brown "crap" that is on a few parts of my LR. The "crap" is kind of like short brown hairs and dissolves when I touch it. Has not spread at all but my current CUC hasn't made much of a dent in it.

 

[abulgin]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13053713#post13053713 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by LJA
lol... thanks.


I just wanted to suppliment my current tank because I've been looking at it every night with a red flashlight for the past 3 months and the 50 some lbs of LR I have didn't come with any bristle worms. I've asked a few LFS around here and they don't sell them.

The main things I wanted to buy are the mini stars, bristle worms, and maybe some other misc. detritivores to help with some kind of brown "crap" that is on a few parts of my LR. The "crap" is kind of like short brown hairs and dissolves when I touch it. Has not spread at all but my current CUC hasn't made much of a dent in it.

That brown "crap" could be cyanobacteria, and no animal is going to take care of that. If you bought "live" rock, I'll bet you have plenty of bristleworms--you just don't see them.

 

[greggnyce]

Do you live close to the water? you can probably collect snails and hermits for free. I live on Long Island and this time of the year we can collect snails in the water here plus tropicals that are swept north, but mostly juveniles.

 

[LJA]

If it is cyanobactera what would I do to get ride of it?

 

[LJA]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13053774#post13053774 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by greggnyce
Do you live close to the water? you can probably collect snails and hermits for free. I live on Long Island and this time of the year we can collect snails in the water here plus tropicals that are swept north, but mostly juveniles.

I live about a 3 minute walk from the beach, and a 30min. drive from Sebastian Inlet. I've thought about that but the water on the beach here is very dark and impossible to see more than 1 foot and is not much better until you go out at least 300 yards.

 

[greggnyce]

Here were I collect snails the water is not as clear as florida ever. Just scoop some sand up with your hands and sift through. You will probably get alot of snails. Good luck. I agree though with your opinion of online retailers prices for easily collected livestock.

 

[abulgin]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13053851#post13053851 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by LJA
If it is cyanobactera what would I do to get ride of it?

How long has your tank been set up? Tanks will go through a bunch of algae cycles the first year or so.

The brown/green algae that you see covering sand/glass/rocks may also be diatoms. Diatoms basically look like brown/green splotches. See here: http://elnanoreef.blogspot.com/2007/11/diatoms-whats-all-that-brown-crap.html. Diatoms will cycle off over time.

Cyanobacteria looks like pond scum, and it can be purple, red, green, blue, orange, brown, you name it--it has a tendancy to trap bubbles underneath it and feels slimy. It looks like this:

http://www.aquamax.de/Shop/Artikelb...ium_Blaualgen - Cyanobacteria_STUG_cyano1.jpg

or as shown in: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bluegralgae.htm

Cyano is typically an indicator that your tank has too much nutrients, phosphates and/or nitrates. Phosphates can be introduced through tap water, bad salt, or overfeeding.

First, figure out what you're dealing with, then you can research on what to do. If it's diatoms and your tank is new, then I would just leave it and let it cycle off.

 

[abulgin]

A for collecting things locally, know that (i) animals caught in temperate waters like in New Jersey should never be kept in a tropical aquarium, (ii) introducing wild caught animals may introduce disease into your tank, and (iii) collecting wild animals may be illegal.

 

[Venetia]

I was sure I didn't have bristle worms, but my buddy kept saying I did. I went and got a bristle worm trap so I could prove him wrong. I had 4 in there the first morning. I let them loose and called my buddy. lol
A trap is a lot cheaper than new liverock or buying from that online store.

Never collect from the ocean unless you have an available quarentine tank and always check for local collecting laws. You can't do it at all in South Florida without permits.

 

[RicksReefs]

down here, we call that permit a saltwater fishing license.

i get mine at walmart.

 

[markeo99]

just buy some chaeto tell them your intentions "do it on the board they listen"mine came loaded if you have a fuge they reproduce I 've got everything a detrivore kit would have

 

[Everyones Hero]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13053851#post13053851 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by LJA
If it is cyanobactera what would I do to get ride of it?

My Lawnmower Blenny eats it.

If you let it grow on the front glass for a few days you can see all of the oval marks from his mouth all over the glass.

 

[greggnyce]

The fish are tropical fish that are caught in the gulf stream. Perfectly legal to collect them. They die in our temperate water when it gets cold in the winter, they cannot swim back to the carribean. I have collected plenty of snail in september here that are still alive in my tank today. I would quarantine though.

 

[greggnyce]

checkout this link. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1440122

 

[abulgin]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13057618#post13057618 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Everyones Hero
My Lawnmower Blenny eats it.

If you let it grow on the front glass for a few days you can see all of the oval marks from his mouth all over the glass.

That's not cyano--that's diatoms. Lawnmowers do not eat cyano, which is not an algae but bacteria.

 

[LJA]

I really highly doubt that it is cyanobacteria. This substance only presented itself when my girlfriend and I moved around and re-aquascaped the entire tank. The brown particales where only on the parts of the rock that were previously under or touching the sand. I talked to some guys at the LFS and they suggested it's just ditritis.

abulgin - Those pictures really do not represent anything that I see in my tank.

I have already gone through the diatom stage and for the most part the green algae as well.

Tank has only been established since Feb. 08 but has some very stable water parameters.

After adding a TLF reactor with pellet GFO my algea REALLY started to drop down.

My main reason for wanting to suppliment my tank is not only because of this brown crap that I can't reach, but because I'm trying to have the most diversity in my tank as possible. I currently have about 8 differant types of snails in my CUC and would like more as well. I plan on shortly starting to culture my own phytoplankton and rotifers too.

I appreciate all the comments, I think I may try to buy another 5-10 lbs of LR and some better cheato.

 

[LJA]

Constant parameters for about the past month+

Ammonia: Undetectable
Nitrite: Undetectable
Nitrate: < 2ppm
PO4: Not tested but probably very low now

Chemistry is great as well, my magnesium has been a little high since I've been useing Reef Crystal salt but its going down. Also my dKH has been a little low, around the 7-9 dKH range.

 

[abulgin]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13059008#post13059008 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by greggnyce
The fish are tropical fish that are caught in the gulf stream. Perfectly legal to collect them. They die in our temperate water when it gets cold in the winter, they cannot swim back to the carribean. I have collected plenty of snail in september here that are still alive in my tank today. I would quarantine though.

Okay . . . do you know how many miles separates the coast of New York from the Gulf Stream? 35+ miles. Animals, including snails, don't get caught in the Gulf Stream and washed upon the shores of New York. Animals that you find in temperate waters either migrate to those waters during the summer season or are accustomed to spending some amount of their lives in warm water. The latter are not accustomed to living 365 days in 80 degree water. While it is certainly possible to keep these animals in our tropical tanks, you significantly decrease the life span of these animals by doing so. I would check local laws before collecting--many states prohibit or restrict (such as through licensing) the taking of animals from the native shores.