More great pics!
I've got ulva in my two QTs and it doesn't do well either. I'm pretty sure it's just the lack of light.
I've got ulva in my two QTs and it doesn't do well either. I'm pretty sure it's just the lack of light.
Oyster Reef Ecosystem Tank
- Thread starter Chasmodes
- Start date
Chasmodes
Well-known member
I agree. I am pretty sure it is the light. I was thinking about setting up my EcoTech marine Radion over this little 20g long tank. It's overkill, but, I can dial it back maybe to meet the needs of this tank, and also experiment with all of the bells and whistles. Maybe I can get the Ulva to come back!
Yeah, play with that thing! You owe it to your future tank…
Chasmodes
Well-known member
Yes, I will do that...I can't believe that I haven't yet. I guess I figured it would be too much for that little 20g tank, LOL.
I don't have much to update from the weekend except I found another critter hiding behind the tunicates. It seems to be a pretty good size bristle worm, but I can't tell. It pops its head out once in a while to check things out or grab a meal (frozen brine shrimp) and with lightning quick speed, shoots back into his hidey hole. It's cool to watch. I see various bristle worms in my sand bed, creating tunnels and funnels to the surface where food collects, but I haven't actually seen them poke their heads out like that or move up to feed on the stuff in the funnels. My guess is that they do that at night, maybe even come out and cruise the tank. They are home bodies though, so my guess is that they stick to their tunnels or only come out part way or short distances.
Before having this tank, I never thought that all of the "other" creatures would interest me almost as much as the fish.
I didn't work on the rest of my build(s) or anything other than feed my fish this weekend. I spent the day yesterday on the ice fishing, and the previous day getting my gear ready. Ice fishing is one of my passions. That puts my projects on hold somewhat, until we lose the ice. I caught 31 bluegills and a couple crappie, saw two trout on my underwater camera and many other various panfish that didn't want to bite. It was a good day on the ice though, good to get out. I don't have pics because my camera (iPhone) died on me before noon.
I don't have much to update from the weekend except I found another critter hiding behind the tunicates. It seems to be a pretty good size bristle worm, but I can't tell. It pops its head out once in a while to check things out or grab a meal (frozen brine shrimp) and with lightning quick speed, shoots back into his hidey hole. It's cool to watch. I see various bristle worms in my sand bed, creating tunnels and funnels to the surface where food collects, but I haven't actually seen them poke their heads out like that or move up to feed on the stuff in the funnels. My guess is that they do that at night, maybe even come out and cruise the tank. They are home bodies though, so my guess is that they stick to their tunnels or only come out part way or short distances.
Before having this tank, I never thought that all of the "other" creatures would interest me almost as much as the fish.
I didn't work on the rest of my build(s) or anything other than feed my fish this weekend. I spent the day yesterday on the ice fishing, and the previous day getting my gear ready. Ice fishing is one of my passions. That puts my projects on hold somewhat, until we lose the ice. I caught 31 bluegills and a couple crappie, saw two trout on my underwater camera and many other various panfish that didn't want to bite. It was a good day on the ice though, good to get out. I don't have pics because my camera (iPhone) died on me before noon.
Chasmodes
Well-known member
After feeding my fish, I like to keep watching them until I get sleepy. During part of that time, I pick up the magnifying glass and search the tank for anything that I can find that I haven't seen before. While examining the base of one of the oyster shells, I spot the sand move...a bulge up, then occasional sand and debris movement. I thought it was maybe another bristle worm. But, there was a little bit of dark space behind the bulge of sand, so I shined my flashlight in there and saw two little appendages of something moving. Hmmm, after a closer look, it finally moved and it was a mud crab. About 4" away is another cave under some shells where a mud crab always hangs out. He was still there. So, a second mud crab appeared. I rarely see them. They've grown quite a bit. They were about 1/2" across but now they're about an inch across. There were 4 or 5 crabs introduced into the tank, I think...I can't remember. I can account for 2 of them. My bet is that all of the ones that I put in there are still alive.
I watched the bristle worm that I found the other day eat a brine shrimp. It didn't take it long to find it, and man, was it quick in devouring it. It kind of reminded me of that Jack Black version of King Kong when they fell down into the cavern and gave me the creeps, willies and eebie jeebies.
I watched the bristle worm that I found the other day eat a brine shrimp. It didn't take it long to find it, and man, was it quick in devouring it. It kind of reminded me of that Jack Black version of King Kong when they fell down into the cavern and gave me the creeps, willies and eebie jeebies.
I saw the same giant bristle worm eat a man.
I went back and reviewed your Ghost Shrimp munching out vidio. As things are developing on my end, I intend to co culture an intensive grass shrimp culture system with a seaweed tumble culture system. After much technical advice from mariculture technicians, I will feed nutrient rich water thru a 40W UV sterilizer to seaweed culture tank. While Gracilaria Tikvahiae can survive 0 - 100 degree temperatures, the shrimp can not survive cold. To that end, I need a geothermal heat source. My 30" deep Rubbermade tanks are not deep enough. I have a 1500G tank already. I will bite the bullet and get tank buried in the ground before next electric bill. December electric bill was $458.
Yeah, I'm not a big fan of bristle worms. But they are excellent detrivores and good for the system. I had them in my old reef tank and their population just exploded. It was too much!
Chasmodes
Well-known member
:lolspin:
Wow, Patrick, that is a good chunk of change! The geothermal option sounds like a solid plan.
Are you grass shrimp a different less temperature tolerant species than what is in my tank? Maybe, in the wild, they go to deeper water like some of the fish do? Or do they stay shallow? Right now, the Bay is iced over around the shorelines except for the wind blown areas, and those areas look like ice slushies. I'm curious about that and may have to make a trip and find out and see if I can collect them or not in the shallows once the ice goes out. :uhoh3: Not only the ice going out on the Bay but also after the ice goes out on our lakes, because until then, I'll be sitting on top of it fishing! :bounce3:
What is the minimum temperature that you have been able to keep them alive? Do the shrimp die if the tank doesn't freeze over?
Chasmodes
Well-known member
I think that if the population explodes in my tank, my blennies will feast on them. Right now, the worms are pretty good at hiding from them and escaping. I hope that happens because then I'll have a renewable food supply for my fish!
I'm not sure we're talking about the same worm. The ones I had ranged from an inch to a foot, with hundreds of tiny bristles that stung me when I worked in the tank. Fish avoided them. The tail-spot wrasse, Halichoeres melanurus, was the only fish I found that would eat them. Of course these were sissy, reef fish. Your blennies look like they would eat rusty nuts and bolts for a snack!
Chasmodes
Well-known member
LOL! These aren't the same type of bristle worm. They're locally known as bloodworms or oyster worms. If you eat oysters on the half shell, then you may have seen one (some restaurants aren't that careful about thoroughly cleaning off the oysters before they shuck them).
I was feeding bottled phytoplankton three times per week. My tunicates seemed to be withering away or not happy, so I increased the amount that I feed them and am now feeding them four times per week. The tunicates looked much better last night. The large barnacle is the only one that had survived, and I never saw it eat much but once in a while would extend its cirri and scoop in some food. Last night, after feeding the phytoplankton, it was constantly scooping in food. My guess is that over time they get weak and don't have enough energy, almost not enough to reach out for food. But, maybe now that its getting food, it has the energy to reach out for more? I don't know, but I'm encouraged by the increased activity.
Last night I had a skilletfish stick on the front glass and eat out of my hand, as they often do, and another skilletfish showed up and stuck to it! As a result, the first one let go and they both started to sink, stuck together. Both skilletfish, still stuck together, tried to swim back up toward the food and gave up, sticking to the glass about a couple inches under the surface. They were both still stuck together at this point, both feeding on the food dropping down to them. When they were swimming, it reminded me of the Dr. Dolittle character, push me pull you! :lolspin: They were stuck like that for about 5 minutes until the "top" one let go. I was cracking up watching them!
I was feeding bottled phytoplankton three times per week. My tunicates seemed to be withering away or not happy, so I increased the amount that I feed them and am now feeding them four times per week. The tunicates looked much better last night. The large barnacle is the only one that had survived, and I never saw it eat much but once in a while would extend its cirri and scoop in some food. Last night, after feeding the phytoplankton, it was constantly scooping in food. My guess is that over time they get weak and don't have enough energy, almost not enough to reach out for food. But, maybe now that its getting food, it has the energy to reach out for more? I don't know, but I'm encouraged by the increased activity.
Last night I had a skilletfish stick on the front glass and eat out of my hand, as they often do, and another skilletfish showed up and stuck to it! As a result, the first one let go and they both started to sink, stuck together. Both skilletfish, still stuck together, tried to swim back up toward the food and gave up, sticking to the glass about a couple inches under the surface. They were both still stuck together at this point, both feeding on the food dropping down to them. When they were swimming, it reminded me of the Dr. Dolittle character, push me pull you! :lolspin: They were stuck like that for about 5 minutes until the "top" one let go. I was cracking up watching them!
McPuff
New member
It's possible you had a different species. Or that you had so much more detritus in your previous tank that it allowed for giant mutant worms. :0) Seriously though, I have also seen some colossal worms but not in my tank thankfully!!!! There have always been hawkfish and other species (wrasses most likely) that must consume the small worms because I rarely see them unless it's in my sump where there are no predators.
Chasmodes
Well-known member
I thought that I'd post a couple pics.
Grass shrimp feeding on a cyanobacteria patch. I've seen a few of these shrimp with reddish purple stomachs, so they eat some cyanobacteria and definitely feed on detritus that settles on it. They don't eat enough cyano fast enough to make much of a dent in it though. I haven't applied the treatment that I bought yet, hoping that it dies out naturally. Right now, the cyano isn't taking over the tank, so that is a good thing.
Naked goby in his hangout, with some shrimp standing guard.
This skilletfish doesn't seem to know which way is up half the time...or maybe he thinks the same thing about me?
Grass shrimp feeding on a cyanobacteria patch. I've seen a few of these shrimp with reddish purple stomachs, so they eat some cyanobacteria and definitely feed on detritus that settles on it. They don't eat enough cyano fast enough to make much of a dent in it though. I haven't applied the treatment that I bought yet, hoping that it dies out naturally. Right now, the cyano isn't taking over the tank, so that is a good thing.
Naked goby in his hangout, with some shrimp standing guard.
This skilletfish doesn't seem to know which way is up half the time...or maybe he thinks the same thing about me?
Chasmodes
Well-known member
I also have a couple videos of my barnacle, who has been very actively feeding lately. Also, he's been looking for love in all of the wrong places, but more on that when I can capture that on video. I've been trying, but he has been camera shy. Of course, the blennies are hams and have to photobomb the videos. The first video is before feeding, the second video is after I fed the filter feeders bottled plankton. All of the filter feeders are doing much better. The barnacle activity is the most solid evidence of that because he's feeding all the time and trying to mate. I find the barnacles to be very delicate, graceful and quite beautiful despite their ability to found boat hulls. Also, if you look closely at the tiny tubes around the barnacle and his oyster shell, you can see the plankton feeding tube worm tentacles searching for drifting meals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmYUShIqjGc&t=2s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGYLu1Dremw&t=2s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmYUShIqjGc&t=2s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGYLu1Dremw&t=2s
Chasmodes
Well-known member
OK, remember the jellyfish budding polyp (scyphistoma)? After a week or so of me discovering it, all of the larval medusas were released and I never saw them again. The base of the polyp remained but seemed to wither away to almost nothing. Well, last night, I noticed that it budding more larval medusas! These things keep on going! I'm amazed. This is really a cool event because the local aquarium is starting up a jellyfish tank, and I promised them that if I saw this again, that I'd donate them to their tank. How exciting!
Here's the old video again in case you can't visualize it from before:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPEVLIiZXEI&t=48s
Here's the old video again in case you can't visualize it from before:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPEVLIiZXEI&t=48s
Very cool! You've got such a great variety of stuff going on in your tanks.
It's also cool you have a relationship with your local public aquarium. Jealous!
It's also cool you have a relationship with your local public aquarium. Jealous!
Chasmodes
Well-known member
Thank you Michael. It's funny, but my threads on forums like this about my tank was the reason their aquarist searched and found me on FB, and contacted me with questions about my build. It turns out that he has a lot in common with us other than aquariums, so we've since become friends too. Nice guy. I'm sure that we will learn from each other, with me probably benefitting from his knowledge more than the other way around 
That's great. To have that kind of relationship is invaluable. I'm sure he's getting a benefit from you as well. He's in the business of public display, which can be quite different from our natural, 'dirty' aquariums. The information exchange from those two different perspectives has got to be enlightening!
Chasmodes
Well-known member
You hit the nail on the head!
Minimum temperature after four days below 30 degrees was 53.4. Everybody OK at that temperature.
Yes, I am fairly certain up there and down here is the same shrimp. Professor Samachoa from TEXAS A&M is a expert on zero duscharege intensive shrimp culture confirmed that for me. When it gets cold, shrimp go deep or they die.
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