One of those last pics looks like it's an aiptasia anemone. It's the 4th pic from the bottom. Those can be bad news for some corals. Otherwise your tank is looking good with the pieces of lr you've chosen! Q: Who makes the 6g tank you're using?
Its official, I've converted to the dark side!
- Thread starter gatotsu77
- Start date
This was perhaps a dumb move, but I've taken the advice of an lfs associate whom a friend of mine trusts greatly. (he helped my friend set up her reef tank, and has given consistently good advice) Last night I added 5 hermit crabs, 3 sand-sifting snails, and 2 small coral frags. I had inquired about my "cycle," as I had initially seen ammonia in the first few days, which has since subsided and remained at 0. I had observed nitrite for just two days, which has also since subsided and remained at 0. Nitrates started out at 5ppm, and since have climbed to 10ppm. He was under the impression that starting with the live rock I had, and combining it with a product he recommended I use (Fritz Zyme #9) that I had effectively cycled the tank, and that it should be ready for a small bio load. As such, I decided to go for the recommended "clean up crew" and to persist in testing the water parameters regularly to ensure no harm comes to any of these creatures.
Of the two frags I picked up, one was of zoanthids (orange center, kinda brownish ring of tentacles) and one had a red mushroom on it. The mushroom seems to have irridescent blue spots, and that particular frag also had 2 featherdusters and another unidentified piece of coral. (as well as a couple hitchhiker bristleworms) I've come to realize that the things I thought were "featherdusters" in the tank initially were likely some form of tube-worm, though I'm not entirely knowledgeable about the subject as of yet. What I have noticed is that the hermits have systematically been going around and picking them apart, eating whatever is inside of them.
Among the hitchhikers... this morning I noticed something I'd not thought I had to worry about, due to a lack of clicking noises indicative of a stowaway mantis shrimp. Upon turning the lights on this morning, I saw what I believe to be a 3-4mm long baby mantis shrimp. It seemed to have the same body characteristics of a mantis shrimp, tried to swim in the same manner, and sure as heck didn't like the light much. I've caught a couple side photos of it, but the quality is fairly poor. (nothing worth really identifying the bugger by just yet... hopefully I'll catch it out in the open again some time soon)
At any rate, I know it likely wasn't the best idea to go for living creatures just yet, but I'll be dilligent in ensuring parameters stay where they should be to keep them from harm's way. I'll follow this with a photo post in a short while, I'm busy reformatting my sister's laptop currently.
Of the two frags I picked up, one was of zoanthids (orange center, kinda brownish ring of tentacles) and one had a red mushroom on it. The mushroom seems to have irridescent blue spots, and that particular frag also had 2 featherdusters and another unidentified piece of coral. (as well as a couple hitchhiker bristleworms) I've come to realize that the things I thought were "featherdusters" in the tank initially were likely some form of tube-worm, though I'm not entirely knowledgeable about the subject as of yet. What I have noticed is that the hermits have systematically been going around and picking them apart, eating whatever is inside of them.
Among the hitchhikers... this morning I noticed something I'd not thought I had to worry about, due to a lack of clicking noises indicative of a stowaway mantis shrimp. Upon turning the lights on this morning, I saw what I believe to be a 3-4mm long baby mantis shrimp. It seemed to have the same body characteristics of a mantis shrimp, tried to swim in the same manner, and sure as heck didn't like the light much. I've caught a couple side photos of it, but the quality is fairly poor. (nothing worth really identifying the bugger by just yet... hopefully I'll catch it out in the open again some time soon)
At any rate, I know it likely wasn't the best idea to go for living creatures just yet, but I'll be dilligent in ensuring parameters stay where they should be to keep them from harm's way. I'll follow this with a photo post in a short while, I'm busy reformatting my sister's laptop currently.
OgreMkV
Father of Earth's Next Emperor
DO you want to keep the mantis?
If not, find the rock he's in and take the rock out. Then throw the rock onto ground zero of a nuclear test site or some other way of quarantining the mantis is dead... maybe launch the rock into the sun.
If not, find the rock he's in and take the rock out. Then throw the rock onto ground zero of a nuclear test site or some other way of quarantining the mantis is dead... maybe launch the rock into the sun.
Words spoken by someone who has faced the trials and tribulations of removing a mantis shrimp from their tank, I'm guessing? As I'd like to make this tank a reef tank, I doubt I'll be keeping the little bugger. If I happen to see it again, I'll be attempting to catch and or remove it from the tank, so long as I can confirm that it is indeed a mantis shrimp. I'll post the photos I did catch of him, though they aren't really much worth looking at.
Ok, here are the couple photos I did manage of the little booger. First one is more focused on his eyes/antennae/whatever that is in front of him, second one shows the body somewhat. I couldn't get a head-on shot to show how he had his forward appendages poised, which when I initially saw the thing, is what made me suspect it as a mantis.
Also, as promised, here are the other photos of the current inhabitants. The only one missing from the photos as of yet would be the zoanthids, which I'll try to get a photo of some time soon. They are all open and seem to be happy, but with where they are located in the tank, I'm getting a bit of bounce-back flash off of the wall behind the tank. I'll be adding a black background soon... I ended up going to the store to buy one today, and spent almost $100 on everything BUT a darn background. I forgot once I got there. :x
OgreMkV
Father of Earth's Next Emperor
Well. So much for any chance I would have in the Marine PoTM contest. That's a great lens you've got. What kind of camera is it?
I don't think that is a mantis. The eyes are the give away. All the mantis shrimp I've ever seen have eyes on stalks. Those are the wrong color/shape and attachment.
I don't think that is a mantis. The eyes are the give away. All the mantis shrimp I've ever seen have eyes on stalks. Those are the wrong color/shape and attachment.
The hermit crabs have since torn that thing to pieces and eaten it.. so with all hopes, there will be no aiptasia in my tank. *crosses fingers*
I cannot remember who makes this tank currently, but the next time I'm at the store I bought it from, I'll find out. I rather like it... its rimless, seamless front edges, even comes with a styrofoam layer attached to the bottom of the tank. I've seen several sizes, 3.5, 6, and 8.5 were the sizes they had at the store at the time. (I got the 6g because it was closest to the dimensions of the top of the filing cabinet it resides on. And fear not... I sat on top of that cabinet for an hour reading a magazine to see if anything negative would come of it... and I weigh 175-180 lbs... not to mention, I had a 5g fish tank on it for about a year when I first got into the hobby)
OgreMkV
Father of Earth's Next Emperor
Haha, thanks Ogre. These certainly weren't done as nicely as they could have... I just happened to have one of my camera bodies in my room and took some quick shots. The lens is a Tamron 180mm f3.5 Macro, on a Canon 40D body, using a Speedlite 580exII flash. (mostly using it as a bounce flash, though I did have the catchlight card up to direct a small bit of flash forward) On a day I'm not feeling so under the weather, I'll set up the slave flash, and be more patient with my shots, and see what I can turn up. (cleaning the glass would have helped too...)
I'm relieved to hear that its not a mantis shrimp I saw earlier... but now of course I'm wondering just what the heck it might have been. I didn't catch the little booger in any adequate poses to give really identifying characteristics... it is quite small currently though. As mentioned, its no more than 3-4mm in total length, probably on the smaller side of that scale.
If things continue going well, I'm planning to add 1-2 more small frags of coral next weekend. I've had my eyes on a frag of gsp at the store, and I imagine they'll have a fair number of other fascinating specimens in as well. I don't think I'll add anything more to the bioload for a couple weeks... as suggested, I want to take it nice and slow. I'm still skeptical as to whether or not the tank really has fully cycled, but I was willing to trust the guy, given his proven track record with my friend's tank. Ultimately, I'm hoping to have a fire shrimp and a firefish in this tank. He seems to believe that'd be fine stocking wise, do you agree? Am I going to need to look into a nano skimmer?
I'm relieved to hear that its not a mantis shrimp I saw earlier... but now of course I'm wondering just what the heck it might have been. I didn't catch the little booger in any adequate poses to give really identifying characteristics... it is quite small currently though. As mentioned, its no more than 3-4mm in total length, probably on the smaller side of that scale.
If things continue going well, I'm planning to add 1-2 more small frags of coral next weekend. I've had my eyes on a frag of gsp at the store, and I imagine they'll have a fair number of other fascinating specimens in as well. I don't think I'll add anything more to the bioload for a couple weeks... as suggested, I want to take it nice and slow. I'm still skeptical as to whether or not the tank really has fully cycled, but I was willing to trust the guy, given his proven track record with my friend's tank. Ultimately, I'm hoping to have a fire shrimp and a firefish in this tank. He seems to believe that'd be fine stocking wise, do you agree? Am I going to need to look into a nano skimmer?
