Our Tbs

[Grand Wazoo]

For Pat--hey Pat, did you come down here to Florida yet?

For Pat--hey Pat, did you come down here to Florida yet?

These are some more recent pictures--my tank with TBS rock&sand.

The first picture is some algae growing naturally from my TBS rock--

Then you'll see the Condy anemone Richard included that is still thriving after almost 3 months--and a tube coral on TBS rock--

Next is a Hammer coral I glued to a piece of TBS rock--

Next--a piece of Monti Cap I also glued to TBS rock

Last--two frags I picked up yesterday--frogspawn and xenia and TBS sand/shells/hermits/snails...

 

[patsan]

Thanks....they're great pics. Nice and colorful!

Yes, we went to FL and are back sadly. Had 11 days of sunshine and not a drop of rain. Beautiful warm weather too.
We came back to rain and it's been raining here ever since. (plus it's colder)

We stayed on the east coast next door to my aunts in Jupiter. We did make a trip over to the west coast and met Sally & Brett (Lossman). We spent the day with them and headed back to the east coast the following day. We never got to meet up with Richard. I wasn't checking emails while I was gone, so I didn't see he sent me his phone # to call him. That would have been nice.

Besides the turbulent plane ride both ways (and I am petrified to fly), the worst part of the vacation was when I walked thru a screen door at the place we were staying. My uncle and Bob went to Home Depot the next day and bought a new one, so it wasn't bad at all....just a costly mistake.

I seriously have to look into moving down there. My body just wasn't made for this cold weather up here.

Where do you buy all your corals from? They look so nice!

 

[krajacich]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7393029#post7393029 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jmait769
Here is front view:

\

I love the way the front looks! Very nice set-up

My TBS is over a year old now (wow! I hadn't realized). I got my part 1 last February and my part 2 in April.

Here's a full tank shot:

FTS w/ actinics only:

I still haven't gotten my light hood finished so I can get my MH/VHO installed....but I did start staining it last night so hopefully soon

 

[elzool]

FOR SALE: One-clawed gorilla crab. 1.5" Across. Missing claw included. May have some emotional damage. $50 OBO

 

[jezzeaepi]

*clap*
nice work =) I still got a few gorrillas to catch myself.

 

[Grand Wazoo]

Really nice tank, Danielle!!!

Nice job with it...

 

[elzool]

for some reason all the crabs are coming out this afternoon, I've picked off four since I originally posted

I'm having me a crab boil tonight

 

[patsan]

Selling crabs huh? If I could have gotten $50 for every crab in my tank, I'd be as rich as Donald Trump. :eek1: :eek2:

Danielle....your tank looks good as usual. Can't wait to see when you do the new lights.

 

[Safir]

i found a big one in my tank oday, but he was on a rock underneath the one the anemone is on, so he is not coming out today. I think i may have caught a glimpse of ym mantis shrimp as well, but i could be mistaken.

I did find a very curious hitchiker.. it's on the back of a piece of rock so I can't get a picture of it, or even see it enough to give a good description.. hat i saw looks like a cross between a spiny caterpillar and a sea cucumber - when i tried to knock it off the rock to pull it out and photograph it it got "firm" like cucumbers do, and refused to let go of the rock it was holding on to. it's body was more red than teh cucumbers that came with the package and the spines were more yellow, about 1/8" long and kind of sharp - i felt a little poke through the latex glove i had on. i saw about 1/2"-3/4" of it and suspect it is twice that long. the spikes were in 4 or more rows across the top and sides.. when all i saw was a little bit of it i thought it was some sort of pincusion urchin...

 

[patsan]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7405782#post7405782 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Safir
i found a big one in my tank oday, but he was on a rock underneath the one the anemone is on, so he is not coming out today. I think i may have caught a glimpse of ym mantis shrimp as well, but i could be mistaken.

I did find a very curious hitchiker.. it's on the back of a piece of rock so I can't get a picture of it, or even see it enough to give a good description.. hat i saw looks like a cross between a spiny caterpillar and a sea cucumber - when i tried to knock it off the rock to pull it out and photograph it it got "firm" like cucumbers do, and refused to let go of the rock it was holding on to. it's body was more red than teh cucumbers that came with the package and the spines were more yellow, about 1/8" long and kind of sharp - i felt a little poke through the latex glove i had on. i saw about 1/2"-3/4" of it and suspect it is twice that long. the spikes were in 4 or more rows across the top and sides.. when all i saw was a little bit of it i thought it was some sort of pincusion urchin...

That sounds so interesting. Probably Brian P would have an idea what it is. (cirolanid hunter)
You're brave...I'd be afraid to touch it.

 

[jmait769]

Pat ââ"šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å“ Yes that rock is close but about an inch of clearance. Put these rocks in and will probably have to landscape a little more. I cannot believe how much life is on this rock!! My ammonia has been less then 0.25 and have done what Richard states on his website for initial cycle.

Everyone ââ"šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å“ I did find a rather large mantis and boy is he smart. Looks to be dark brown to purple. I do want to keep a few fish. Should I worry about this guy? I have tried the plastic trap and the claw but he is to smart. I read on another Reefcentral thread to dip the rock in fresh water and he will come out. Does this sound like something I should do? Seams risky so thought I would ask!

Grand Wazoo ââ"šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å“ Great pictures. What type of camera are you using? I cannot believe how clear those are!!

Krajacich ââ"šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å“ Your tank looks awesome!! Does the urchin move the rocks around? I like the way you landscaped it.

Elzool - Glad you got your crab! Did you have a mantis and if so did you catch it and how?

Thanks all,

J

 

[patsan]

J...if you can get the rock out easily, then yes, I would say dip it. You can also squirt some seltzer in it and it will fly out too.
If you can't get the rock out, the mantis probably won't harm the fish. You'll need to replenish your snails (and hermits if you choose to have them) every few months. Otherwise, it really doesn't bother much in the tank)

 

[BrianPlankis]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7405814#post7405814 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by patsan
That sounds so interesting. Probably Brian P would have an idea what it is. (cirolanid hunter)
You're brave...I'd be afraid to touch it.

I'm afraid that description is too vague for me to be able to help out. It could be an urchin or a cucumber, but so far I haven't seen a yellow spined cucumber from Florida.

Maybe Richard from TBS can help out, but if you ever get a chance at a picture that would be very helpful. If it was round it could be an urchin, but if it is more elongated then that at least eliminates urchins.

Brian

 

[BrianPlankis]

J,

I would recommend the squirting seltzer water or even just freshwater into the holes in the rock before dipping it. Dipping in freshwater will kill more life on the rock than selective squirting. I dipped a couple of my rocks and lost some of my pretty sponges because of it

Brian

 

[krajacich]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7405889#post7405889 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jmait769
Krajacich ââ"šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å“ Your tank looks awesome!! Does the urchin move the rocks around? I like the way you landscaped it.

My pink urchin "decorates" himself with anything he can pick up, zoanthids included. But other than frags they don't move much. I had a TON of urchins but I took a bunch of them to the LFS.

 

[Safir]

certainly not an urchin - it is elongated.

birdlady - i made sure to put a glove on before touching it good thing too, as while futzing with it i accidentally touched the anemone

wish i could describe it better, but i could barely see it as it was on the back side of a large rock. It has completely dissapeared since i messed with it - the next time I see it i'll try to get some sort of picture of it, but it will undoubtedy be a poor one, as i hav enever seen it anywhere but the very back of that rock (this is teh second time i've spotted it, btu the first time it was even further back, so i thouht it might just be part of the rock.. this time i sw it move)

on the plus side, i saw a sixth porcelain crab today (that is, six at once)

 

[jmait769]

Danielle ââ"šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å“ that is a sweet picture!!:rollface: What kind of camera are you using and how do you set it up for that type of picture?

Pat & Brian ââ"šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å“ thanks for the input. I will try the seltzer first. Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢ll let you know how it is going. Brian, no sponges on the rock but this mantis is wrecking havoc on the area just outside his hole. Nothing growing there now!! But, I will use the dip as a last resort.

Thanks!!

J

 

[krajacich]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7406615#post7406615 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jmait769
Danielle ââ"šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å“ that is a sweet picture!!:rollface: What kind of camera are you using and how do you set it up for that type of picture?

I think that that picture was taken with a Kodak DX4530 (old point & shoot digital). I believe I used the macro setting to get that pic. Currently I'm more often using a Konica DiMage Z1. It has a few more bells & whistles and my DH got me some macro lenses & filters for it.

My advice on taking good pictures is: turn your pumps off while you're shooting and takes TONS of pics (gotta love digital cameras) that way you might have a few good ones turn out

 

[elzool]

How about a dip in a hypertonic solution, say about 1.035 to 1.040 for a minute? Seems like that would make the spineless bastiches run for the hills. As opposed to a FW dip that is.

 

[jallen1964]

Hi eveyone,
I have found a few new crabs also and another mantis. My algae seems to be growing faster also. Should I worry about it, or will the critters in part 2 take care of it

John