"The Package" Part 1 Has Arrived

[webdizzy]

Part 1 of my packaged arrived yesterday -- an hour earlier than the schedule said it would. The cargo agent called me to tell me it was already there so I left to pick it up right away (I'm an hour away from the airport).

Got it all home and immediately began the process of introducing it to the tank. I was surprised at the size of a couple of the rocks! The silt cloud is finally clear enough this morning in order to get a decent look at them. They're covered with LOTS of barnacles! Other notable finds are a large orange/pink sponge, a small red sponge (I think), and possibly a white tunicate. As for traveling critters, so far I've only seen a small red mithrax and various snails including welk, cerith and keyhole limpets. In the silt at the bottom of one of the bags I also found a few very tiny (1/8" - 1/4") crabs, and teeny tiny white stars. So far, no evidence of any mantis shrimp, which I'm happy about.

No pictures yet, since the water is still a bit murky after moving things around and I haven't really aquascaped yet (and probably won't until I get Part 2 so I can see how to put it all together). Did one water change this morning since ammonia started to register when tested.

Thanks, Richard. Looking forward to Part 2!

 

[webdizzy]

Well, I think I spoke too soon about not having any mantis shrimp. I haven't seen any, but I've heard the telltale clicking several times now. Here we go with the hunt. . .

 

[Raggamuffin]

yeah I was wondering... I got about 25ish lbs of rock in part 1 and so far I am at 4 mantis shrimp and 6 pistols.

 

[webdizzy]

yeah I was wondering... I got about 25ish lbs of rock in part 1 and so far I am at 4 mantis shrimp and 6 pistols.

Yeeee-Ouch! Have you caught any of them yet? I got about 37 lbs. in the first batch. I haven't SEEN any shrimp yet, but I hear an occasional clicking sound. I supposed that could be something else, but I set a bottle trap with some raw shrimp to see if I can bait something out of hiding at least to confirm if not to catch.

 

[webdizzy]

Still not quite sure if I do have a mantis shrimp or not. I tried baiting w/ some raw fish in a bottle trap yesterday but the only thing that went for it was a welk snail. Although I didn't expect the trap to work, I was hoping to at least draw him out so I could confirm that one exists. Haven't heard the clicking today, either, so maybe that was coming from something else.

Other finds since my last post (these ID's could be wrong -- I'm new at this and just trying to match up pictures):

- 2 porcelain crabs
- a few small feather dusters
- what looks like a couple of small (1") clams embedded into one rock (they were closed this a.m. but opened up a few millimeters today)
- a large area 7" x 3" covered with small (1/8" diameter and smaller), short (a few millimeters) yellow orange tubes (see photo below -- not the best picture, but the best I could do).

One of the rocks looks like it was splattered with white paint -- lots of small, flat white spots -- not sure what that is from.

I'm sure there's more stuff that I just don't recognize since I'm still in the learning process!

I'm having to do at least one 25% water change every day to keep up with the ammonia. I'll be glad when the cycling is done!

 

[Raggamuffin]

oh thats a nice rock wish I could zoom that pic and tell ya what they were, and yeah I have caught all the mantis and all but maybe 2 of the pistols. I kept 1 mantis he was just too cute! The pistols are tiny so I left 'em in. The white paint stuff is most likely a dying sponge, try and scrub it a little bit, if it melts it's a goner and needs to be sucked out and if it holds together very well it may just be a white sponge

 

[webdizzy]

I GOT HIM! Finally got a glimpse of the mantis shrimp I thought I had. Took the rock out, squirted some seltzer water in it and he came right out, along with a crab (don't know what kind it is yet -- has a triangular head -- seen a photo before but can't remember where). Anyway, the shrimp is 2.5 inches. If anybody wants him, he's free to a good home! I'll post in the mantis forum as well.

 

[Raggamuffin]

Find a local /semi local group up in the groups section and post there as well might save you some shipping and some stress from shipping on the mantis

 

[webdizzy]

Find a local /semi local group up in the groups section and post there as well might save you some shipping and some stress from shipping on the mantis

Thanks! I didn't even know one existed until last night! Poor little guy is stressed and needs a home soon.

 

[webdizzy]

Well, I'm thinking I have another mantis, although I haven't seen him in the 2 1/2 weeks I've had the rock. Do them things ever come out of hiding??? I'm hoping to locate and get him out before my Part 2 arrives this week.

 

[Raggamuffin]

yeah I think I have another one in hiding as well either that or the mother of all pistols, I heard the smack from the living room with the tank in the bedroom with the door closed. in the same situation with part 2 (hopefully) comming this week

 

[Yogre]

I've found them to be very reclusive. After a major mantis hunting rampage a few months ago, I thought I'd gotten them all. No such luck, another poked his head out a few weeks ago.

Since then, I've seen the critter about three times in six weeks. I figure if he behaves himself he can stay.

P.S. Pistols make a heck of a lot of noise... I've got several that I know of and I can hear them pop all the way upstairs.

 

[webdizzy]

Reclusive -- that's a good word for them! I went mantis hunting tonight -- took out the 2 rocks I thought one might be hiding in and tried flushing out w/ seltzer water. The only things we found are 4 more small crabs. Guess I'll have to wait to see if he ever shows himself. . .