Today is the day!

[liverock]

You need to go out of town when my part 2 is scheduled to ship

LOL!:rollface::rollface::rollface:

 

[dwculp]

I just found 2-3 dozen snail egg sacks all over my glass today!

 

[dustin.chirico]

I just found 2-3 dozen snail egg sacks all over my glass today!

The snails must be happy, I found some as well

 

[dustin.chirico]

(I forgot to drop this post in from my build thread on 7/1/11, so here it is today... )

I have placed everything into my tank and it's running it's cycle now. I haven't aquascaped at all, and have no intentions of going with the "rock wall" look. I had originally been thinking of a 2 island setup, but now with all this unanticipated rock I could also do a large pyramid or a snaking "S." I'll probably get to play Sunday!

The temporary rock wall

Y U M !

Check out the feeding barnacle!

 

[dustin.chirico]

Updates from aquascaping today!

I went with two parallelagram islands (still got my wave!! I had lost it with the rock wall)

Star

Peppermint Shrimp and to the left, in orange, a Decorator Crab

Flame Scallop

"Spike"

 

[Jaxom]

Looking good .............. I like what you did with the aquascape. My tank is a foot longer so I'm planning on 2 islands on the outside and 1 large rock in the center, towards the front, can't wait. Your tank looks like it's been up and running for a long time. Keep us posted on the parameters.

 

[dustin.chirico]

I lit up about 3 inches of what I believe to be a Bristle Worm protruding from the sand last night. There's more length on him too unless he was standing on end LOL He quickly zipped back to the underworld upon noticing he was illuminated.

Thoughts on these guys? It's varied out there.

 

[Jaxom]

Mine eats stuff that makes it to the bottom of the tank, I think they are a plus, never had them bother anything I didn't want them to.

 

[dwculp]

The ones that come in on TBS are ok, I had a ton of them and they never got large and helped to keep the tank clean.

 

[dustin.chirico]

Upon inspection I appear to have dozens of them. Most are 0-1" while I saw one about 3-4" and the big boy at 6+"

 

[liverock]

Very Nice!

Very Nice!

Updates from aquascaping today!

I went with two parallelagram islands (still got my wave!! I had lost it with the rock wall)

Star

Peppermint Shrimp and to the left, in orange, a Decorator Crab

"Spike"

Very nice pictures and one of the most excellent aquascaping jobs my peeps have done. Is amazing that you cycled part one in a week than added part two which is 4 times the bio load of part one....and nailed it...great job man....

This is the way it is supposed to work......and you can thank the real live sand and live rock, makes all the difference in the world...every time I am out there diving I look down and see the wonders of mother nature...and what she has done to the live rock farm......and her work on the rock...I am amazed.......and your tank is the end result.

Richard TBS
www.tbsaltwater.com:bounce1::bounce1::bounce1:

 

[dustin.chirico]

Very nice pictures and one of the most excellent aquascaping jobs my peeps have done. Is amazing that you cycled part one in a week than added part two which is 4 times the bio load of part one....and nailed it...great job man....

This is the way it is supposed to work......and you can thank the real live sand and live rock, makes all the difference in the world...every time I am out there diving I look down and see the wonders of mother nature...and what she has done to the live rock farm......and her work on the rock...I am amazed.......and your tank is the end result.

Richard TBS
www.tbsaltwater.com:bounce1::bounce1::bounce1:

Thanks Richard, that means a lot. You run a business like it should be run as well, I will refer everyone who will listen.

 

[dustin.chirico]

Small update: I lost a few Gorilla's (lots of really tiny ones left... and one quarter sized. I am getting a trap ready, and I am prepared to catch everything BUT the crabs). I discarded a sponge and a whip as they weren't ever really healthy and had died. I found a clear peppermint, but cannot tell if it is a molting or a body... A cucumber turned itself into slime in the fuge, but I find new ones all the time - maybe 7 now? Everything else is alive and pulsing. Not bad at all considering how much was moved in. I have about a dozen brittle stars, albeit babies. Bright yellow and blue Pistols. Tiny corals and sea squirts everywhere. My Condy pounds the shrimp I feed it! I just lose myself at feeding time!

Moonlight @ 5 %

 

[Jocko]

Yeah I've "lost" a few gorilla's too. Heh. Those guys are nothing but trouble! I had one from my original TBS package back in the day that lived in my sump for like 4 years and grew to almost 4" across.

When they get big I think they can start taking out smaller fish. Not cool.

 

[dustin.chirico]

Yeah I've "lost" a few gorilla's too. Heh. Those guys are nothing but trouble! I had one from my original TBS package back in the day that lived in my sump for like 4 years and grew to almost 4" across.

When they get big I think they can start taking out smaller fish. Not cool.

Figured someone would appreciate my sarcasm LOL
I went after my quarter sized crab last night, in the relative wide open. No contest, those little buggers are fast!!

 

[dustin.chirico]

Here we go LOL...

Got a MMS from my wife today: "Is this a Mantis Shrimp?" :bounce1:

Sure enough, Mantis #2 has suddenly surfaced, and with a bang, parading around the tank like he owned it. Where'd he come from???

He matches the first Mantis that lives in the fuge, but a little bigger. Dark purple body with teal-blue "arms" and orange appendenges. Beautiful for sure, but I have a lot of empty snail shells around...

 

[dustin.chirico]

Here's an iPhone picture from the text message:

Hey, I have been meaning to ask you all - almost all of my hermits congregate for half the day at the base of a random flower anenome in the sand. It's alive, but a different color than the rest. I mean, the crabs literally pile up for like 6-7 hours, then head out for scavenging over every square inch of the tank. Then, like clockwork, they all come back at the same time. What gives? Protection?

 

[dwculp]

Possibly, mine do something similar, they all pile up in two different locations during the day and the disburse for the night. I dont understand it either.

 

[dustin.chirico]

Flatworm! 2 inches by 3/4 inches and a fast little magic carpet at that. I was doing a late night crab/mantis trap check when I saw him hovercrafting over the substrate... Couldn't get my baster out in time :uhoh2:

 

[dustin.chirico]

I caught the 2nd Mantis last night... added some nice Clowns today :fish1: Then I'm thinking: "wow, the Pistols seem to really be out tonight..." I take a closer look---

Mantis
Number
Three!

stalking the Clowns...