"The Package"- Part 1 has arrived!

[AFL]

oh, and 'grats on the vis! I've never been in the gulf, but have done some diving in California and Maui. I would certainly much rather be out in a crystal clear gulf than in my cubicle today! But my 12 gallons of Gulf has excellent visibility year round, so that will have to do for a while!

Enjoy it!

 

[liverock]

ok..
the ball is ok..most likely....if one is going bad, you would see a big bubble on it..., and white...decay....if you have a bubble try popping it...and the nose test is best..to determine state..

sea ya
Richard TBS:rollface: :rollface: :rollface: :rollface:

 

[noahm]

The little black thing that shrinks when the cuke touches it is a black tunicate/sea squirt. Pretty sure anyway. Its hard to tell from the pic. That kind usually looks roughly like a mickey mouse hat w/a hole at the end of each 'ear'.

 

[helix149]

Im not as experienced as most of the people here but the sponge almost looks to me like it is splitting in the picture if it is that prolly means its very happy

 

[Yogre]

I had a yellow ball punk out with a big white blister on it. The sniff test is definitive... when I pulled mine out to check, it smelled like bat barf. Unmistakably bad.

 

[Madratter]

Re: More pics? You got it!

Re: More pics? You got it!

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15626314#post15626314 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by AFL


The only thing that seems to be having a tough time is the yellow ball sponge... it started with a big 'bubble' on top, now it seems to have a mohawk of spikes running all around it. Pics below... not sure what to think of it. Anyone?

Madratter- I thought the same thing when I saw you were running a 12dx. What are you running in the compartments? In compartment 1- I have a tiny protein skimmer, in 2 I have a bag of filter floss that I change every 4 or 5 days so far, and compartment 3 is just the heater and return pump. I'm about to order new bulbs from nano tuners- one full daylight, and one true actinic, rather than the 50/50s it comes with, I'll let you know how that goes.

As for the yellow ball sponge, mine have also developed spikes but the hermit crabs are cleaning them up. The spikes were also kind of dirty brown similar to what yours is showing. I have 3 between the two tanks and although I was really concerned about the one that came in pt I of the package, it is recovering very nicely at this point. I'm still pretty concerned about one of the two that came in pt II. It keeps having bubbles that come out when I move it (under water). However, I did the smell test again tonight and it doesn't stink and my ammonia is still basically zero so I haven't given up on it yet.

I'm running nothing in the compartments other than a heater in compartment 3 along with the original pump. I will occasionally throw a sponge in compartment 1 for a small amount of time when moving things around to act as a mechanical filter but I take it right out. I do not want the thing going biological on me.

I'm probably going to order a Koralia Nano for additional flow.

The thing that is driving me to distraction right now is a very large crab that I cannot catch and which is causing havoc. Its body is about the size of a quarter and with legs out, it is amazing looking. It is a beautiful purple and white. To bad it is so destructive. It is causing me far more problems the remaining mantis in my other tank.

 

[AFL]

BAD NEWS: the sponge was bad. The half facing the front of the tank looked and felt fine, the back half.... had white decaying blotches, was squishy, and smelled absolutely horrible.

GOOD NEWS: the crevice I thought was home to a tiny decorator crab, is actually home to A PAIR OF DECORATOR CRABS! I still can't get a picture with any clarity, but they look EXACTLY like this one from www.tampabaysaltwater.com :

I've been searching, but can't find the scientific name of these guys... I'd like to find some more detailed info on them. One is about 1.5X-2X the size of the other.


Also, Richard, if there is any problem with me using your image, say the word and I'll have this post removed.

 

[AFL]

Hey Madratter- I've found that all the crabs I'm aware of (except for the decorators) run out when I wave shrimp on a chopstick by their home, but I'm sure you've tried that and more already. Did your mantis shrimps cause any trouble before you got them out? I still havent seen any evidence of mine. I've only heard it. Good luck on your crab hunting!

 

[Madratter]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15629240#post15629240 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by AFL
Hey Madratter- I've found that all the crabs I'm aware of (except for the decorators) run out when I wave shrimp on a chopstick by their home, but I'm sure you've tried that and more already. Did your mantis shrimps cause any trouble before you got them out? I still havent seen any evidence of mine. I've only heard it. Good luck on your crab hunting!

I've tried the "waving the shrimp" trick and can't get the crab far enough away from his hole to get him. I tried quite a while last night. I have to nab this guy.

I'm pretty sure the mantis shrimp tore up the peppermint shrimp in that tank. I found the remains of the peppermint shrimp kind of stuffed into a hole in the rock. And unfortunately the larger of my mantis shrimp is still in that tank.

So basically, I have one tank plagued by crabs and another by mantis shrimp.

 

[noahm]

That crab will cause you grief. I had one and loved it because it was kind of larger and interesting to watch. It loved to mow caulerpa and any other algae that came its way. It grew like a weed until it was about 3 inches leg tip to tip. Then I noticed that it would pretty much eat whatever it could pull off the rock. It started yanking polyps off the candelabra gorg etc. Finally I sump banished it. Not sure exactly what species it is, but I believe it is considered a type of spider crab. Pretty neat looking though and generally harmless, but absolutely an opportunist.

 

[AFL]

Eventually I'm sure most crabs will be trouble. I'm willing to give them all a chance, and when they do cause trouble, they can move to another tank... or become mantis food... depending on the crime.

I'm trying to keep them full, and hand feed them every few days. I know that wont prevent problems, but I'm hoping it will reduce them.

 

[liverock]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15632519#post15632519 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by AFL
Eventually I'm sure most crabs will be trouble. I'm willing to give them all a chance, and when they do cause trouble, they can move to another tank... or become mantis food... depending on the crime.

I'm trying to keep them full, and hand feed them every few days. I know that wont prevent problems, but I'm hoping it will reduce them.

Remember guys...this is the ocean...everything eats everything else...is the way it works!

If an inhabitant is not playing fair...then evaluate their 'coolness' to their value to the tank over all....
then decide..


I was diving today, just for fun, well almost...was getting real live sand...and watching the process from the smallest little swimmy thing to a few huge black grouper, all doing their survival behavior on the reef, was very interesting.

Had some cobia today an also a loggerhead about 200#...really nice day to dive in the Gulf.

Richard TBS

:rollface: :rollface: :rollface:

 

[slm32123]

Posted this on the dry rock thread, before realizing it was for dry rock.

Looking at the package for a 35g hex, maybe for a 75g rectangle if i get it in time. read a lot about your rocks, read they have a lot of amazing hitchhikers, some bad but mostly good. i have only one problem tho, i have only one good arm, and can't remove bad critters on my own, and nobody is willing to help, any way you could remove them before shipping the rocks. i am willing to pay extra!

sorry for double post!

also how much for package shipped to 46552?

 

[AFL]

Richard- This is exactly what I love about your rock- the bio diversity is unmatched. I have watched more tank than tv the last few weeks!

 

[AFL]

Some more pics!

Some more pics!

Just thought I'd update with some pics... everything is going great! Still finding new life on a regular basis. Starting to see some algae growth on the glass, and TONS of copepods! I'm up to about 6 porcelain crabs. Still havent seen the mantis, just the missing barnacles and a few clicks at night. I've been doing a 10%ish water change every two weeks, even though testing before hand shows 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and <5 nitrates.

For feeding I've been alternating using reef chili and kent microvert every 2 or three days. I also feed the starfish, large crabs, and cup corals fresh or frozen shrimp or prawns. I didnt think the corals would be interested in shrimp, but their tentacles were always stretched out the farthest whenever I was feeding the crabs, so I tried offering them a little chunk- they seem to like it, and have gotten noticeably larger. Does anyone know if/how they reproduce in tanks?

Ok, 'nuff blabbing, I know you just want the pictures!

The other day I learned that you should always check the algae scraper before scraping:

Here's one of those cup corals:

Copepods!

Decorator crab back- without the flash he is much more blue than purple...

Same crab, front view-

Goby in his cave- (and a baby limpet!)

Serpent star-

A crab tipped this sponge over, and gave me a view right inside!

Last for today...

This worm comes out every now and then, this is the first time I've seen the entire thing at once, note the tail in the background, he's circling back on himself in this shot, stretched out it's well over 6inches long.

 

[khaosinc]

wow.... talk about critter TV...

and don't worry, you can't post too many piics.

 

[Madratter]

Great view inside the sponge. I have seen the same worm that you have in the last picture.

 

[lionbacker54]

AFL-
you have some mad photo skills. really awesome stuff.
btw, i noticed you also dose with kent's microvert. do you find it turns your water green? it does for me.

 

[noahm]

That worm is way cool. Those brittle stars may appear to dwindle in numbers over time, but just look at your rock for a few arm tips poking out. You will find that they are everywhere just chillin'. They seem to find a spot and never move.