More babies. This time, it's red emerald crab
http://youtu.be/KBtTjoH6PSs
My wife asked me why I seem to have a lot more life born in my water with broods of shrimp, worms, snails, starfish, crabs and maybe even a baby sea cucumber... And it got me thinking.
I think my system has five elements that are different from others that likely contribute to this effect:
1. No mechanical filtration anywhere. The downside is that I don't have crystal clear water all the time. In fact, I have some bubbles and a lot of fine dust that is only exported by my skimmer- but never completely exits my water column. Either bubbles, fine sand, or dust.
2. I use phytoplankton regularly. I don't think this is useful for the corals or even the fish. But I think this establishes a food source for the babies.
3. Large populations. I don't think a pair can effectively breed enough to make a difference. I have hundreds of shrimp. Hundreds of tiny snails, 20 stars, 50 emerald crabs, hundreds of hermits... And I think that creates a viable breeding ground. There's a critical mass that needs to exist to get these guys to spawn so regularly.
4. Chaotic surge. I think my surge creates temporarily intense forces that move large volumes of water regularly. But it also flushes through my chaeto scrubber constantly. Not like a pump, but like a wave that flows in and out. I think that shakes a lot of material loose that would normally settle and die.
5. UV Moonlight. I have a low power UV fixture that comes on deep in the night. It's not strong enough to see anything directly, but the UV content creates enough outlines that a crab or shrimp could make out boundaries.
What do you think? I have no scientific evidence- just anecdotal in comparing my system to others I've seen and known.
