It's Alive!!!

[tonyh67]

Got the first half of a 29 gallon Package today, absolutely amazing.

I will try and get some pics up. Saw 4 porcelain crabs and several brittle stars that are refusing to pose.

No mantis or gorilla crabs...yet.

Two pair of these guys...

 

[tonyh67]

Is this okay swaying in the current?

 

[landlord]

Nice Xmas worm! The octocorals in my tank enjoy high current which seems to bring them their food. Looks good have fun!

kurt

 

[tonyh67]

More Pics

More Pics

Not the greatest images, but I know how much I enjoy looking at everyones.

I Did find a pea size hairy legged crab(gorilla). Is there a way to remove it without pulling the rock or injuring the crab? Exactly what kind of damage do the do?

 

[tonyh67]

Pic

 

[hdtran]

The hairy 'gorilla' crabs will attack your snails & pick at corals when they're hungry.

If you can lure them out onto the substrate (going after bits of shrimp, etc.), they are very easy to catch.

 

[tonyh67]

Critter Pics

Critter Pics

Bored on a Saturday afternoon...


This thing is interesting.

 

[tonyh67]

Close-up of X-Mas Worm

Close-up of X-Mas Worm

I just liked this shot...

 

[tonyh67]

Camo

Camo

Yesterday(4/21) the rock has been in 7 days. Last night I found this decorator crab, it is about dime size. I took several shots before I got one where you could actually see a pincher and see at least some resemblance of a crab.

 

[tonyh67]

Excuse me, I meant "pincer".

 

[seastarUSC]

bad crabs

bad crabs

if you have any gorillas, big or small, take them out as soon as you can. after my royal gramma disappeared, i started staking out the tank in the dark. low and behold, these two gorilla crabs (which were only about an inch long but had heavy claws) came wandering out....probably looking for another meal to catch.

i did keep a big one in a separate tank that i caught when i first got the rock. he's managed to smash a lot of rockwork and eat a starfish.

my advice, get ride of them before they cause trouble.

 

[tonyh67]

Will they kill porcelain crabs?

 

[tonyh67]

I have found a couple eraser sized porcelains dead over the past week and a half, and today one of my larger nickle size ones. The largest hairy crabs I have yet to find are pea size. There are still many other porcelains left...what could be killing them, just the cycle? I have not witnessed or seen signs of a predator yet. The crabs do not appear to be eaten. There is one more even larger porcelain, is it possible that one may have killed the other one? Everything else in the tank looks really good...

AM 0-.25
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20(at the most)
PH 8.2
Sp. Gr. 1.024
Temp. 78

 

[hdtran]

If you are finding pieces of crab shell, what is very likely is that your crab molted.

 

[vapovick]

I have found a couple eraser sized porcelains dead over the past week and a half, and today one of my larger nickle size ones. The largest hairy crabs I have yet to find are pea size. There are still many other porcelains left...what could be killing them, just the cycle? I have not witnessed or seen signs of a predator yet. The crabs do not appear to be eaten. There is one more even larger porcelain, is it possible that one may have killed the other one? Everything else in the tank looks really good...

AM 0-.25
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20(at the most)
PH 8.2
Sp. Gr. 1.024
Temp. 78

Could be a mantis, or have you checked you Iodine/Iodide levels ?
Do you does Iodine ? if so how much ? what kind ..etc..

 

[tonyh67]

Hy, I pretty much found what looks like to be the whole body, I did think about the molting issue because the smaller bodies were very white. The claws, legs, and body were all attached on the larger crab...and still had good color.

Should I be that concerned about the iodine issue this early in the game? I should have mentioned the live rock has only been in the tank for 1 and a half weeks...just ending its cycle.

 

[hdtran]

Tony,

Sounds like your crabs are molting. If you can grab or net a shell out, you can find out for sure--the shells are clean and empty, open at the rear, and hinged (or not) at the front.

I don't believe that you are lacking in Iodine. A regular water change regimen will replenish your trace minerals, including Iodine.