Jump to content

Recommended Posts

On 2/9/2022 at 10:30 AM, Patrick_G said:

That green shrimp! 

Yes, it is green! I think it may be a Stout shrimp (Heptacarpus brevirostris), and contains a parasite, maybe a Sylon hippolytes, but I will see if @Biotope Biologist can confirm that. Can see at least two of the green ones in the tank.

PXL_20220209_191931373_MP.jpg.d3f138264d772331ac2d06ce6bc1a801.jpg

PXL_20220209_193618408_MP.jpg.99b3b8cee974931572c4fae7e2a75a7e.jpg

There is a shrimp that appears to be berried:

PXL_20220209_191803063_MP.jpg.b883c688456c6de3bff4aa8cb40d116b.jpg

And a very outgoing little boy, afraid of nothing:

PXL_20220209_191822235.jpg.fb95445e8faf3bf7622f859a002fdaf4.jpg

A little Chiton showed up today, less than 10mm long:

PXL_20220209_191703519.jpg.4b95d1cab872f068fda80c95ffca7f93.jpg

Edited by eatyourpeas
  • Like 3
  • Love 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A Bristle worm found its way into the V-Sump, so we had a little chat:

PXL_20220209_220031916.PORTRAIT.jpg.4b58768b51bc289142f40b00460da4a6.jpg

This is a little guy, about 2", and I know there is at least another one in the substrate about 6" long, when I saw it come out to help himself to shrimp tail leftovers.

Also, I spotted another Opalescent nudibranch! Maybe they'll have babies! 😍

 

Edited by eatyourpeas
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/9/2022 at 12:57 PM, Griznatch said:

Thanks for keeping this journal. I know I've said it before, but it sure is a joy to follow!

I like to let it build up a while before I check back in. It's like watching a couple episodes in a row of a favorite show.

 

You are quite welcome. Glad to see the GOT-like drama has not been a deterrent. 😉

  • Haha 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/9/2022 at 2:54 PM, eatyourpeas said:

Yes, it is green! I think it may be a Stout shrimp (Heptacarpus brevirostris), and contains a parasite, maybe a Sylon hippolytes, but I will see if @Biotope Biologist can confirm that. Can see at least two of the green ones in the tank.

 

It’s most likely Sylon hippolytes weird looking little creatures. The bristle worm is also probably a nereid worm! Lovely worms one of my favorite animals to dig up at low tide, although they hide some nasty jaws if you torment them too much. Some species can max out at almost 3 feet, scare the tourists and locals alike with those big honkers.

  • Haha 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/10/2022 at 6:17 AM, Biotope Biologist said:

It’s most likely Sylon hippolytes weird looking little creatures. The bristle worm is also probably a nereid worm! Lovely worms one of my favorite animals to dig up at low tide, although they hide some nasty jaws if you torment them too much. Some species can max out at almost 3 feet, scare the tourists and locals alike with those big honkers.

They are indeed strange looking!

I love these worms, and I have seen really long ones as well, so I guess I have to brace myself for when, and if, they get that big. 😳  They are very playful, and got one to eat from my hand, gloved hand, that is. Swallowed frozen krill quite fast!

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

She is completely gone!

Ursula Flerken not showing her sexy lips at all this morning. The trail of what appears to be a whelk goes right to her usual spot, but no sign of either. About 3/4" of sand at most. Maybe she is relocating? I can't see her foot under the tank either.

PXL_20220214_174519759_MP.jpg.f7e4f45db0b0186f007c7d7f2e51ef3d.jpg

PXL_20220214_174341279.jpg.b38c17c03ad54f429c2f563fbe282dfe.jpg

  • Confused 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/14/2022 at 11:16 AM, eatyourpeas said:

She is completely gone!

Ursula Flerken not showing her sexy lips at all this morning. The trail of what appears to be a whelk goes right to her usual spot, but no sign of either. About 3/4" of sand at most. Maybe she is relocating? I can't see her foot under the tank either.

PXL_20220214_174519759_MP.jpg.f7e4f45db0b0186f007c7d7f2e51ef3d.jpg

PXL_20220214_174341279.jpg.b38c17c03ad54f429c2f563fbe282dfe.jpg

My house votes for 'alien abduction'.

This prompted an entire discussion on "do you think fish and aquarium creatures tell each other stories about aliens, too? To explain why Uncle George disappeared right after his fry were born, think the fry might tell stories about the aliens and their giant net that abducted their dad?"

😬🤣

  • Haha 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Frankly, Ursula Flerken is all about drama!

If she were human, I would picture her as a very flamboyant pink-haired lady, with feathered pink slippers, a pink feather-collared robe, big bright red fingernails, and of course, the brightest pink lipstick ever known to mankind.

I think she got tired of her fainting couch and went scouting for a new one, but apparently did not succeed as she is now back in her spot. I may need to feed her a big shrimp tail for her effort! 🦐

Her tank gets the V-Sump cleaned today as the flow has slowed down. I have only done this once before in the seven months the tank has been running, so am quite happy with how little maintenance is required.

I wonder if all the abductees are living on the bottom of the V-Sump, and having drinks at a bar called O'Malley's? :classic_ninja:

  • Like 1
  • Haha 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The cause of the flow slowdown ended up being the carbon bag partially blocking the spout of the filter chamber, so I ended up not needing to clean it. This, of course means, that I still don't know who dwells in there! 😵

Ursula Flerken got her snack, and welcomed it in a ridiculously pink embrace!

It is 2X playback speed.

Edited by eatyourpeas
  • Like 3
  • Love 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Which is good! The thought of having to go to the beach and look for boy starfish was not making me very comfortable.

"Excuse me, are you a boy or a girl?" "I am searching for a boy, a very special boy." "No! Not for myself, of course not!!!!" "You see, I have this friend..." :classic_ninja:

Edited by eatyourpeas
  • Haha 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/16/2022 at 12:12 PM, eatyourpeas said:

New find this morning, another itty bitty anemone inside a barnacle shell.

PXL_20220216_184747646_MP.jpg.092bb6b11b07b645bc1d9afc2ba462e7.jpg

 

And is Twinkle Toes a girl and laying eggs???? She has been parked there for days and releasing orange bits...

PXL_20220216_185709690_MP.jpg.c42fde77d88d3fa71aaca3e48258880a.jpg

ORD 🤩🤩😍🤩🤩

Would they be fertile?

I know absolutely nothing about starfish sex...

<goes to Google>

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I went to the Seattle Aquarium yesterday and tried to inquire about starfish. Nobody knew, so I will need to email them. They did have Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers!!!

PXL_20220217_184546585_MP.jpg.9cb2f5e15c8a12b165fb3aace46670ce.jpg

 

If you ever want to take stock of the critters in a tank, drop a cube of Repashy! They all came out for it! I did not realize it would be such a hit! 🤪

This is about one third of the gobies that inhabit the tank:

PXL_20220218_185006593_MP.jpg.d4f31b3037ba41fff7e80c1caf689389.jpg

  • Love 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Disco Ball Nem has decided to join the dance floor and doing a little pasodoble with Twinkle Toes:

PXL_20220301_174053470.jpg.061f3fef3c17b68621c7e0b6a450a322.jpg

 

Someone molted:

PXL_20220301_185325837_MP.jpg.a7b24a68e880416eab9343519dbcb2d6.jpg

 

A new baby peeking from the barnacle home (Oh, can they stretch!):

PXL_20220301_174103545_MP.jpg.73ad91963178ff60d6a2c56483f58c5e.jpg

 

Lola relocated again, the Aiptasia are not her favorite neighbours:

PXL_20220301_174212167.jpg.fc1d614017cf1ab80c4816604343a26e.jpg

 

Crustacean party at the ACO powerhead (free food):

PXL_20220301_174142162_MP.jpg.8c8adcf76f526ff0eebadd1f00b6272a.jpg

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
  • Love 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

There was a bit of an emergency (in my mind, of course) with this tank. I never measure parameters, but a few days ago decided to test the water. The nitrates had spiked to 20ppm! So it was an emergency water change, which got the levels back to 0. I am still getting the hang of this beast, so am mixing 20 gal. and storing it to have it ready for WC. BTW, I only do WC on this tank once every eight weeks, but I wonder if the anemones have been secreting chemicals contributing to the presence of NO3. Spring is here, I guess! 😎

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...