Just Got Back From TBS !!!

FL Knifemaker

FL Knifemaker

Arming the Free World
Oct 20, 2004
254
0
0
Central FL
All I can say is if you are within driving range, check them out in person!! You might want to call first, Debbie is busy all day packing and running to the airport!! To say she keeps busy would be a huge understatement.

I might have overdone it a bit. I looked for the largest, GNARLIEST piece I could find (27lbs) and brought it home. I also picked up another small piece with some nicely established corals. What kind :confused: I need to do some research!!
My big piece might actually have more critters on it and in it than I really need or is safe to keep, again I need to study everything once it all starts waking up. Debbie showed me some sponges that were about dead and we scraped them off. I also removed a little more before I put it in the tank. Several of the other sponges are in good shape. There are 3-4 clams attached and now open as well. It's also covered with some small anemones, feather dusters and things that look like tiny morray eels!! I also have some kind of crab, maybe 1" across, several snails and some worms. The coolest thing is a very small octopus!! NO, I'm not kidding!!! I'm not sure if he'll survive, right now I can't even find him but I know he's in there somewhere. I've heard they are not easy to keep. Last night everything tested perfectly. I'm going to keep an eye on my amonia levels due to some of the funky looking sponges. Other than that, it's been a fun experience and I now have some cool looking rock in my tank.

Pics when the dust settles!!
 
I'd start looking here: http://reefs.org/hhfaq/ to identify your animals. The anenomes are likely pest varieties--not ones you want to keep (sorry to disappoint). I'm curious about the eels?

On the octopus--no, actually they are not that tough to keep. They are tough as nails, and can tolerate some truly awful conditions, though clearly this isn't the best for them. The problems: escape artists extraordianire. They can and will climb out of the tank--and are smart enough to find their way back in. Covering the tank is a requirement--anything the beak fits through, the whole animal can pass through. Voracious hunters. We're talking anything and everything may end up as a meal. Hermit grabs, snails, chrimp, fish--anything. Ours adored the hermit crabs, ate them like popcorn. Corals are safe, but very little else will be. Basically--you need to decide if you want to have fish in there, or an octopus. Keep in mind have a very short lifespan-- 6 - 18 months for most species. Females will lay eggs once they feel safe, and spend the rest of her life guarding them--she quits eating during this time, and few survive after the long fast. I've had 2--both females. They are awesome, but the loss hurts--they really are amazing with great personalities.
 
Thanks O.G.!!

I won't have time to read much on this until tomorrow night. I have some aiptasias for sure. I can't see any of the little eels or my octopus at this point. The tank is nice and clear and no amonia so far. The only thing that's out is the crab and the little snails. The sponges are looking quite bright also. My clams are opening and closing too. They are kind of funky looking, definately not the fancy ones like at the LFS :D

Pics below

clams.jpg clamshilite.jpg
 
Remeber, the beak of an octopus can break through oyster and clam shells, as well as all sorts of crustaceons (thier favorate food), also if they get startled they can shoot ink, and in a closed system it will quickly poison the aquarium.

Remember these are animals that can figure out how to open containers containing food and get the food out, and can be taught to recognize color, and are excellent problem solvers, if they want to go somewhere, they WILL figure out a way to get there. They can also let the owner know if it hates something, and can sometimes be taught to hate people (some have been known to particularly hate red heads, they shoot water jets at them for whatever reason)


Many scientists wonder why intelligence would develop in a animal thats so short lived.
 
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Mine is smart enough to hide where I can't see him!! I'm hoping I didn't crush him during the re-arrangement but I was very careful. All my fish, hermits and snails are accounted for. Maybe he'll show his face today :p
 
That is some good looking rock. I made the drive from Jacksonville to buy mine from there. It was well worth the drive.
 
The bivalves you have are actually hardier than true clams--if fed. I have a rather large one in my nano--he's been there for about 6 months, so not very long, but I feed the tank invert food regularly and he seems to be thriving. The tiny hitch hiker squamosa clam is also doing well--he's about the size of my pinkie finger, while the 'ugly' one is about half the size of my fist.

The octo probably won't come out for a while--they are pretty skittish initially.
 
Nice looking rock, glad to see you got to go there personally. They are great people to buy from. I was going to go this past weekend also but Mary emailed me friday saying most all of the deco rock was gone and it was slim pickings. Hopefully this weekend I will stop by.

I have that same small red crab, He mostly just cruises around the rock eats, and doesnt seem to bother any of the other organisms. I would like to know what kind it is also.
 
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