Randy's 180G Reef-Photo Journal
- Thread starter rdmpe
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melev
Well-known member
Yeah, I was just thinking about some of your new additions when I read your first post.
Camelback shrimp are often purchased accidentally when the buyer actually wanted peppermint shrimp to eat aiptasia.
Sally Lightfoot Crabs are 50/50 when it comes to being reef-safe or not. I did a search a while back when one came home as a hitchhiker, with half of the threads cursing them while the other half seemed pleased with their crabs. So I put it in the sump, and never -ever- saw it again. Wierd.
The horseshoe crab is a neat creature, but not good for a reef tank. It would be good in a species tank, or in a small nano on your desk at work perhaps. I don't even know what else you could put with it, to be perfectly honest. I have a feeling their are opportunistic eaters.
Camelback shrimp are often purchased accidentally when the buyer actually wanted peppermint shrimp to eat aiptasia.
Sally Lightfoot Crabs are 50/50 when it comes to being reef-safe or not. I did a search a while back when one came home as a hitchhiker, with half of the threads cursing them while the other half seemed pleased with their crabs. So I put it in the sump, and never -ever- saw it again. Wierd.
The horseshoe crab is a neat creature, but not good for a reef tank. It would be good in a species tank, or in a small nano on your desk at work perhaps. I don't even know what else you could put with it, to be perfectly honest. I have a feeling their are opportunistic eaters.
rdmpe
New member
I sure hope the SLF crabs are OK. I love those things! The horseshoe really is cool. He may be OK in the refugium. I looked in there later last night and didn't see him upside down at the water surface, so hopefully he is down on the sand and happier. I didn't see him anywhere though, so I'm not sure right now. If he does do well, he will eventually outgrow the tank and will have to be taken back to the LFS I guess.
So how do I catch those camelback shrimp so that I can return them to the LFS?
Should I try a jar with a silverside in it, and watch what crawls in after it? I also have a gorilla crab I'd like to catch and remove or put in the refugium.
So how do I catch those camelback shrimp so that I can return them to the LFS?
Should I try a jar with a silverside in it, and watch what crawls in after it? I also have a gorilla crab I'd like to catch and remove or put in the refugium.
BrianPlankis
Premium Member
I have to second Marc on the camelback shrimp. Many years ago I bought one of those thinking it was a peppermint shrimp and it was a DEMON in my 55. It ate some of my zoas, picked food out of my LPS, ate some mushrooms. One of my least favorite animals ever. I captured mine because I was lucky, he liked hanging out one large rock on the right side of my tank and I just used my hand to guide him into a net. With your large tank, that is another issue entirely. Good luck!
Brian
Brian
GoldStripe
New member
I had a horseshoe crab for over a year in my reef tank. He stayed buried under the substrate almost 100% of the time and I didn't see him much. Once in a while I'd see a carcass drifting around in the current but then I'd see him so I knew it was just a molt. I haven't seen him now for over 2 months so I think he may have croaked. He didn't ever mess with anything except when trying to get replanted into the substrate. He would walk over stuff but no harm was done.
While he was alive I'd go for weeks without seeing him and then, all of the sudden I see the substrate moving around and out he would come.
While he was alive I'd go for weeks without seeing him and then, all of the sudden I see the substrate moving around and out he would come.
rdmpe
New member
Well, I sure wish mine would be OK in the display, but I don't think he will. I have about 4500 gph in there at least, and he just got tossed around like a Dorothy on her way to Oz. He was not able to walk across the sand due to my flow. It just picked him up and sent him whirling! The poor guy (or girl?). My fuge is pretty calm though it is also getting pretty choked with caulerpa at the moment... Hopefully he'll live well there.
GoldStripe
New member
Good luck with him!!
rdmpe
New member
Yesterday or the night before, one of my Sally Lightfoot crabs molted. At least that's what I think happened. Otherwise it was picked cleaner than I think would be possible! Anway, I removed the shell and let it dry out. Then I stuck it under the kids dissecting microscope (Christmas present from grandparents). So here is a picture of the tip of the crab's leg. Now you see why they climb rock so well. This area is actually about 1 mm long or so...
tgunn
Active member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6442207#post6442207 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rdmpe
Yesterday or the night before, one of my Sally Lightfoot crabs molted. At least that's what I think happened. Otherwise it was picked cleaner than I think would be possible! Anway, I removed the shell and let it dry out. Then I stuck it under the kids dissecting microscope (Christmas present from grandparents). So here is a picture of the tip of the crab's leg. Now you see why they climb rock so well. This area is actually about 1 mm long or so...
Wow, neat view!
How'd you hook up the microscope to the camera? Or does it have an attachment for it?I bet it moulted; my crab moulted and the moult got sucked into the closed loop intake. I freaked out thinking it was the actual crab that got killed, but nope, just moulted. It was remarkable how much like the "real thing" the moult looked.
Tyler
rdmpe
New member
LOL I hope you have a better screen over that CL intake!
The microscope came with a camera that slides in where you remove one of the eyepieces. It's kind of low rez but it's still pretty cool!
There are attachments that you can buy to interface with a regular camera but I don't know if there is one that would work with my model and besides they are $$$.
Yeah I thought the crab was dead until I pulled the shell out and realized it was "empty".
Hey Rock455 - you know I never realized that was a pumping type of xenia. But it has recently began pumping clearly. Before I never noticed it. I think it had stopped for a while.
Still looking to ID the species of that Xenia if anyone wants to take a crack at it!
The microscope came with a camera that slides in where you remove one of the eyepieces. It's kind of low rez but it's still pretty cool!
There are attachments that you can buy to interface with a regular camera but I don't know if there is one that would work with my model and besides they are $$$.
Yeah I thought the crab was dead until I pulled the shell out and realized it was "empty".
Hey Rock455 - you know I never realized that was a pumping type of xenia. But it has recently began pumping clearly. Before I never noticed it. I think it had stopped for a while.
Still looking to ID the species of that Xenia if anyone wants to take a crack at it!
rdmpe
New member
Well, I think I'm just going to have to be satisfied with "Pulsing Xenia". From what I've been reading there are many different species of Xenia and it isn't practical to try to ID them based on photos. There is a good article by Anthony Calfo here http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-02/ac/feature/index.php
Randy,
It took me about a week to finish reading your thread. My next upgrade will be about 180 gallons. I would like to see you build a nice sump for under your tank. I made one for my tank and I love it. Acrylic is easy to work with. I spend a lot of time looking in my sump. I made my sump after ones I saw on Melev's web site. I need to e-mail Melev and thank him for the information. You have spent a lot of time on your tank and on this thread and I appreciate your effort. The more I read the more I learn.
It took me about a week to finish reading your thread. My next upgrade will be about 180 gallons. I would like to see you build a nice sump for under your tank. I made one for my tank and I love it. Acrylic is easy to work with. I spend a lot of time looking in my sump. I made my sump after ones I saw on Melev's web site. I need to e-mail Melev and thank him for the information. You have spent a lot of time on your tank and on this thread and I appreciate your effort. The more I read the more I learn.
rdmpe
New member
I"m glad you've found the thread useful Airman! I have certainly learned some lessons along the way. I have a pile of unused equipment to show for it
I looked into acrylic sheet, and it is just so $$ that I'm more likely to order something from glasscages.com or get tanks locally. The main problem about my sump is that I have to use two different tanks to get decent volume. I can't get one large tank under my stand, it's too tight trying to get it through the openings. Someday I'll get to that. It has been working pretty well lately though, I got rid of the microbubble problem. It really would be nice to have a good sump tank with baffles and such.
Bigger priority at the moment is to get some fans installed in my stand so that I can close the doors without creating a mold oven in there... I've ordered another batch of fans. I'm going to have two blowing in one end and two blowing out the other. Also ordered more to make a set of fans blowing on the sump/fuge. All will be 12VDC and the ones in the stand are Yate Loon brand, low RPM and very quiet.
Next priority after that is to tear my light fixture apart, replace those fans, replace the MH lamps, replace the T5 cord with a long one, measure the T5 lamps so I can order the correct size of "SuperBlue" lamps from commodityaxis.com etc. etc. etc.
I also am patiently waiting for someone to put about 100 LB of cured mature LR on sale locally...
So much to do and so little time.
BTW - Thanks for posting Airman, it's nice to hear from people who are following along or have found the thread useful!
I looked into acrylic sheet, and it is just so $$ that I'm more likely to order something from glasscages.com or get tanks locally. The main problem about my sump is that I have to use two different tanks to get decent volume. I can't get one large tank under my stand, it's too tight trying to get it through the openings. Someday I'll get to that. It has been working pretty well lately though, I got rid of the microbubble problem. It really would be nice to have a good sump tank with baffles and such.
Bigger priority at the moment is to get some fans installed in my stand so that I can close the doors without creating a mold oven in there... I've ordered another batch of fans. I'm going to have two blowing in one end and two blowing out the other. Also ordered more to make a set of fans blowing on the sump/fuge. All will be 12VDC and the ones in the stand are Yate Loon brand, low RPM and very quiet.
Next priority after that is to tear my light fixture apart, replace those fans, replace the MH lamps, replace the T5 cord with a long one, measure the T5 lamps so I can order the correct size of "SuperBlue" lamps from commodityaxis.com etc. etc. etc.
I also am patiently waiting for someone to put about 100 LB of cured mature LR on sale locally...
So much to do and so little time.
BTW - Thanks for posting Airman, it's nice to hear from people who are following along or have found the thread useful!
rdmpe
New member
Yeah, that's what I'll end up doing. I just have to figure out the best dimensions and how the plumbing will work.
Last weekend I pulled about 40 lb of sand out of the tank - it was too deep in some places. I think I have someone picking it up today. I'm calling it semi-live sand since it is a pretty new tank...
I also repaced some of the exposed plumbing with loc-line. It looks better now IMO. After removing the sand and shoving other sand around all over the place, my tank looked like a milkshake again for a day. It has cleared fairly quickly this time though.
I also picked up some more critters. I got an Atlantic Cucumber, black, spikey and about 4" long. That is one strange animal! I also got a half dozen Cerith snails and half dozen Trocus snails.
I still have to get those &#$%%# camelback shrimp out of my tank somehow! I think they ate my hidden cup corals.
Last weekend I pulled about 40 lb of sand out of the tank - it was too deep in some places. I think I have someone picking it up today. I'm calling it semi-live sand since it is a pretty new tank...
I also repaced some of the exposed plumbing with loc-line. It looks better now IMO. After removing the sand and shoving other sand around all over the place, my tank looked like a milkshake again for a day. It has cleared fairly quickly this time though.
I also picked up some more critters. I got an Atlantic Cucumber, black, spikey and about 4" long. That is one strange animal! I also got a half dozen Cerith snails and half dozen Trocus snails.
I still have to get those &#$%%# camelback shrimp out of my tank somehow! I think they ate my hidden cup corals.
tgunn
Active member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6467551#post6467551 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rdmpe
I also picked up some more critters. I got an Atlantic Cucumber, black, spikey and about 4" long. That is one strange animal! I also got a half dozen Cerith snails and half dozen Trocus snails.
I still have to get those &#$%%# camelback shrimp out of my tank somehow! I think they ate my hidden cup corals.
I've got a tiger tail cucumber. They're really strange looking creatures alright. I've always found it amazing how they can grow and shrink so much... I almost never see him in the day; but at night he can be seen slowly lumbering around the
sandbed....
The ceriths are great too; they seem to reproduce in the tank quite readily. I have quite a number of baby ceriths hanging around my tank.
Keep us updated on the critter trapping! Seems getting things into the tank is easy, but getting them out is another story altogether!
Tyler
rdmpe
New member
What a rookie mistake. First I buy something without knowing about it ahead of time. Then I trust the LFS employee who says it is reef safe. The I bring it home, acclimate it and put it in the tank WITHOUT looking it up first!!! :mad2: :mad2: :thumbdown
I could have at least looked it up on the net while the %&##$ things were still in the bag !!!
I could have at least looked it up on the net while the %&##$ things were still in the bag !!!
tgunn
Active member
Kinda sounds like my logic at the LFS when I bought my monster hermit crabs. "Gee, hermits are good cleaners, so if they're huge they must be EVEN BETTER cleaners...".. I've had to banish both to the sump for picking at corals...
Or then there's my galaxia that as I read later is one of the most aggressive corals. oops!!
We all make mistakes.
We just need to learn from them. Tyler
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