invisible critter...help please

[OrangeKoi]

Ok, thanks for checking this out. I need help with this critter. He's translucent.

And very small.

I took a bucket and filled it with enough water from the tank so that I could immerse any of the rocks he might be in(my clicker).

I proceeded with the rock he had originally been in. Tell me if I did this right...I put it in the water, pulled it out...put it in, pulled it out up and down. Maybe for 30 seconds, maybe for two minutes I didn't count. Is this what dipping is?

Then, I proceeded with the next rock untill I'd checked what I thought was reasonable.

At that point I let the dust settle. Re-arranged the rocks and went to looking into the bucket. I couldn't see anything.

So I proceeded to carefully put the water back checking each cupful as I put it back into the main tank. I watched the water as it went in each time to be sure...

Then, at the bottom there was sand and a little tiny bit of rubble. Not very much stuff. I swirled it around and looked closely for awhile to see if anything moved. Nothing.

So I slowly poured the stuff back into the tank on the side I felt would be most beneficial.

Then, guess what happened. A little piece of translucent very light green moved away from the column of dust like it was a leaf falling through the water, only it was narrow, about 1/2 inch long. Poof- right into a tiny little hole in a rock! Voila! My creature! I realized, grabbed the rock and pulled it out.

I had poured alot of the rubble out, but unfortunately in my haste, I didn't think of removing the rest of the rubble and sand.

Well, I put more water back in, did the dip with the little rock and now I'm back to where I was before. I can't see anything.

So here's what I just thought of. I had put the rock into a ziplock with some tank water and it's floating. I'll do the same with the rubble, maybe I'll see it when I pour it in.

Be right back and I'll let you know.

 

[Thurge]

Sounds more like a Copopod or Amphopod. Mantis ZOOM around when they are swimming, where pods make jerky motions. Also I highly doubt a Mantis is going to come out if his rock because of being shakken around in tank water. To get a mantis to come out of its rock you need to use Fresh water for dipping, and thats no guarantee of getting it out.
Also if it is a 1/2 inch long mantis there shouldn't be anything in your tank in danger of becomming lunch.

 

[OrangeKoi]

There were no jerky motions, believe me. I was hoping for jerky motions so that I could be assured it was a pistol shrimp. No, it did not jerk at all. And, this time, I could find nothing. He might have even swam through the rock or maybe he's still in it. Or maybe it's not him at all. I'm taking it with me till I know though, lol. If it's him, and he's in there, he'll click sooner or later.

Would fresh water kill the creatures?

And is that how you dip things? Or is a dip more like a soaking in water that is different from normal?

Well, by the color it could be a pistol shrimp. who knows. It probably could have been anything.

Thanks anyway.

 

[justinl]

*clap clap clap* you did the "dip" right. well... except for the putting the thing back in the tank lol.

Let us know if the green thing comes out. FW probably won't kill it right away, but it isn't a very nice experience for them. I would let everything settle out for a while... a full day or so? and then try the dip again. Or even try target feeding it using a feeding stick.

 

[OrangeKoi]

feeding stick sounds like a good idea. I'll try that next.

 

[reefgrief]

Once you see this lil' critter again, remove the rock to a plastic bucket, and hold it to get a picture u can post. Some members actually culture mantis shrimp, and might like to have it.

If the rock is less than 2 lbs is it really needed rt now ? Set it out and cure it in a bucket of salt and with an air pump/stone.
Its not quick but at least your main tank is free to stock

 

[OrangeKoi]

change of perspective

change of perspective

Only the Lord knows if it was a mantis or a pistol shrimp. I know one thing for sure. There was hardly anything in that bucket and I could not see any creature, until it swam away.

It was the right color for a pistol shrimp and I do have the clicking. Time will tell if I have actually got one or the other or both.

But I believe it's time to go forward.

I have some questions about a sump/refugium.

Anyone up to this?

My 30 gallon cube is being erratic with the nitrates. I think I need to address this problem. I set up the mini refugium (DIY) on my 5.5 and let it run. The thing was solid as a rock. I just had to do small water changes regularly and add a cup of water or two regularly.

I had in mind to create the same setup with my 30 gallon cube. I'm off track. Help me with this?

If I run a pump to get the water from below (the 5.5 gallon will make a perfect sized refugium even half full) up into the 30 gallon with a tube taking it out, I suppose I'd need one or two of those blowers (jet?). I wonder how this will work. The 5.5 is on the bottom of the cabinet, is ready and in position. The sand bed would hold the algea and some LR. I could continue running the AC 300 DIY refugium on the side or not. It just seems like a really good thing for those tiny creatures that are growing in there so well. The corals would be fed well with both sources. I could switch the lights (PC) and add one on top, there'd be room for whatever lights I finally decide on(probably MH).

So I just need to get the plumbing worked out? (I suppose a mesh cover for this too so that one day a fish or something doesn't swim into the plumbing.) Maybe the refugium will fix the nitrate problem. I'm going to have to do something. Who knows, maybe it will settle before I do this.

So can I use PVC pipes? And for the sealant what can I use?

I would have to create a sort of S shape for the pipe taking the water out of the tank. That would allow for a steady intake for the water to fall into the pipe. The other would just be a straight run up with an elbo that would hook onto the side of the tank.
(I believe my tank glass can't be drilled.)

Which pipe gets the pump attached to it?

 

[Pea-brain]

Your going to want a overflow box. that way when the pump is pumping the water back it will overflow into the blue pipe. It is nearly impossible to match siphon flows exactly with pump flow, and you are going to find yourself flooded. IfI'm understanding you green gets the pump.

 

[OrangeKoi]

If I set the level of the pipes so they are immobile there will be no overflow.

 

[OrangeKoi]

ok, I found out what an overflow is. It all makes perfect sense now. Thankyou.