Homey's 2nd TBS shipment!! [Image intensive]

[Homey the Reefkeeper]

First off, I want to say that TBS rock is money well spent! After a total of 2.5 hours driving to the airport and back, I came home and excitedly opened the 4 boxes of my 70g package. This is what I got...........

Oh I also want to give a thumbs up to Richard and Mark at TBS . One box was labeled "special rock" and it certainly lived up to its name.

It's worth mentioning I caught one mantis shrimp hiding in a large rock. I wasn't sure what it was so I stuck a chopstick in the rock crevice and the thing started snapping at me. I poked him some more and finally he jumped out into the foam box and landed beside one of the clinging crabs in the water. As soon as the shrimp landed, the crab jumped against the wall like it saw a ghost LOL! I haven't decided what to do with the shrimp yet, but he may become anemone fodder since they are seriously aggressive and I've read enough horror stories to know their damage potential. I am praying I didn't let one slip by into my tank when putting in the new rocks....anyway on to the pictures!

pic of sea cucumbers

condy anemone

condy anemone

LARGE brittle sea stars

large brittle sea stars

snails...I forget which kind

peppermint shrimp I think

blue leg hermits

I'll post more pics later after I get them edited

 

[Homey the Reefkeeper]

More pics!!!!

Can anyone help ID some of these?

whats the green stuff?

This is a cool rock. It actually looks like a hollow tonga branch!

Whats the red stuff?

yellow sponge?

 

[Homey the Reefkeeper]

Here are the pics of my "special rock"

first pic of the "special rock"

more special rock. there are literally tons of sponges on it

special rock

special rock

critters floating in tank

 

[docklink]

Looks like you got some dynamite pieces there. Outstanding. Keep us posted.

 

[Fountainhead]

Nice stuff! Those Brittle Stars or Serpent Stars (which are they, anyway?) are my favorite. They spend most of the daylight hours under the rocks, but when they venture out, they're cool to watch. They'll smell food in the water from all the way across the tank.

Enjoy.

 

[Homey the Reefkeeper]

Fountainhead - I think they are brittle stars. All I can say is they are huge and scary looking hehe. I'm not really sure what they're good for so I may trade them in at the LFS.

I'll try and get more pics for Id-ing later tonight

 

[Fountainhead]

I think they are brittle stars. All I can say is they are huge and scary looking hehe. I'm not really sure what they're good for so I may trade them in at the LFS.

I'll try and get more pics for Id-ing later tonight

Yes, post more pics, but don't get rid of the stars! Really, they're the coolest thing in the tank. Below is a picture of one of mine who ventured out for a stroll...there are four total. Given the way they converge when I feed brine shrimp to my clown, I'd say they'll definitely keep your system free of excess food. I like to target feed mine a hunk of shrimp occasionally. They'll come out and grab it right from the tongs. I just love those things.

<img src="http://mywebpages.comcast.net/kschannen/star.jpg" alt="" border="0">

 

[goblinsharkman]

Hey, thats some nice stuff u got there, tons of corals open brains, porites or favites, star corals the whole shabang. cant wait for more pics

 

[hdtran]

Actually, they are serpent stars, but that's a common name, not scientific name. The serpent stars have legs that look like snakes; the brittle stars have legs that look like bristleworms.

Hy

 

[Homey the Reefkeeper]

Thanks for the correction Hy

Here are more pics

 

[Homey the Reefkeeper]

 

[hdtran]

Homey,

Absolutely beautiful pictures.

Too late for this advice, but be careful about exposing soft-bodied critters (e.g. stars, cucumbers, anemones, snails) to (a) salinity/temperature shock, (b) air...

 

[Homey the Reefkeeper]

Hy - Thanks for the compliment! You're giving me more credit than I deserve though My camera is only a sony cybershot 3.2 megapixel digital camera and it does ok. I don't think I capture the colors very well however, but it may be because of my 10k metal hallides give off alot of yellow light.

Regarding the cucumbers, these things put me in fear but not because they are physically disgusting. I've read they release their toxic organs if threatened or if they die and the pollutants are strong enough to wipeout a tank. Unfortunately I have four of them and who knows when an outbreak may happen I've considering getting rid of them but they may add more value to the tank than I know, I guess I need to do my research on them.

It also looks like I'm going through my first mini-cycle. I took my water readings this morning and my ammonia rose to .5ppm, my nitrite is at .25, and my nitrate is still at 0. My ph is hovering at 7.8 which is low. I'm gonna head home during lunch today and do a quick water change.

Took another batch of pics as well and they look better than before, I'll try to post them soon!

 

[Homey the Reefkeeper]

Hy - Thanks for the compliment! You're giving me more credit than I deserve though My camera is only a sony cybershot 3.2 megapixel digital camera and it does ok. I don't think I capture the colors very well however, but it may be because of my 10k metal hallides give off alot of yellow light.

Regarding the cucumbers, these things put me in fear but not because they are physically disgusting. I've read they release their toxic organs if threatened or if they die and the pollutants are strong enough to wipeout a tank. Unfortunately I have four of them and who knows when an outbreak may happen I've considering getting rid of them but they may add more value to the tank than I know, I guess I need to do my research on them.

It also looks like I'm going through my first mini-cycle. I took my water readings this morning and my ammonia rose to .5ppm, my nitrite is at .25, and my nitrate is still at 0. My ph is hovering at 7.8 which is low. I'm gonna head home during lunch today and do a quick water change.

Took another batch of pics as well and they look better than before, I'll try to post them soon!

 

[hdtran]

Homey,

Sea cucumbers, as a rule, can be toxic. Anecdotally, the cucumbers shipped by TBS do not nuke tanks. Experimentally, I had 2 of my 3 cukes die within 1 month, but my tank stayed happy. My remaining cucumber is happily wandering on the substrate, inhaling substrate, and, umm, eliminating substrate

 

[Homey the Reefkeeper]

I got some new friends over the weekend


My LFS had a good deal on the rose tip anemones so I couldn't resist Also got a few LPS corals; cynarina, alveopora, and a green star polyp. Below are some of the pics

 

[Homey the Reefkeeper]

Also included some pics of my condy anemone. It appears to be relatively healthy and is eating