Here's a little tank update.
This past week Must be hitchhiker week for my tank.
I found a small feather duster on the bottom of the birdsnest frag plug.
I also found a tiny black and white whelk/nassarius snail cruising the barnacles.
Lastly, I found a strange white sponge? It is between my little zoa cluster and the foam wall. It is milky white and looks like a mini shag carpet. Its in a place I can't get a pic of it for a good id.
I panicked at first thinking Aiptasia had come in to infest my tank, I currently have 0 pest anemones. So, I poked it to see if the anemone like tentacles retracted, and they didn't. It kind of appears there is a milky white mat forming below the frag, but I am not sure. Time will tell!
On to newer things!
I went to the beach with some family for a long weekend in Charleston, SC.
I had to 'fish' for some new inhabitants. lol I ended up coming back with a handful of different things. No snails this time, though there were thousands of black whelks for the taking. I still have 2 from before and they are useless. They are what I call the 'grim reaper' snails as they generally only come out after something has died. They have been out more frequently recently, however.
All were netted off of an inlet estuary.
I found 3 thin stripe hermits - I had one that died a few weeks back for no reason and really liked it. Great algae control and peaceful.
I caught a butt-load of ghost shrimp? I think I dumped about 15 in the tank. (1" long) I estimate about half to still be alive - have eluded being eaten. I caught one shrimp that was eating size! 4in or so. Didn't keep it.
One tiny brown crab, 1/2". Not sure if its land or water based. I've only seen it once (two days ago) since adding it a little less than 2 weeks ago. I have the length of the foam wall that rises above the waterline for it.
I also brought back some blue crabs. Not sure what Ill do with them when they get big, but I've always liked them. Three juvenile male blue swimmer crabs.
The prize of my trip is a healthy yellow sea-whip I found on my way back washed up on the beach. I found a handful of others, but this one was the best looking.
I ended up cutting it in half where there was a dead spot, hence the two separate whips. They have some nice translucent polyps. Hopefully they stay healthy!
The tank is doing good, fragged some more GSP, Something knocked off a little 1" green digi limb so glued that to a plug as well.
Something also knocked off a frag of pulsating xenia which I only recovered the rubble base from Snappy's lair. I found two little polyps in the sand bed in different places today and glued them down.
Now for the wall...
I have figured out part of my problem. First off, I have never been able to understand how soo many tiny little foam pieces end up in the sand bed.
There are 2 culprits!
Snappy, and the Turbo's.
A few days ago, I was looking through the gap between the rim and lid, vent for the fans, and heard a munching noise. I then notice a turbo halfway out of the water munching away at my wall! Culprit number 1.
Culprit number 2. I finally figured out how snappy has been commuting to and fro the 'fuge whenever he pleases. I tore apart his lair last night in search for the GSP that came unglued from a plug. There is a giant hole he has torn away at the bottom center of the wall about 2" wide and 1" tall. He then deposits all the foam shavings to the sand bed.
Time for pics!
Sunrises
FTS
Blue swimmer crab 2.5"
Sea-whip and 1" blue crab
Zoas and 1"crab
Shrimp pic
Shrimp and xenia polyp
Dwarf zebra hermit variant. I think possible a Hawaiian one, but not sure..
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