Even more pics! Look for 3-03-04 dates

[FranklinP]

My tank is currently up and running, it is stocked with some rock I found locally. I purchased some fiji live rock but the natural rock seems so much nicer. There are several anenomes in the rocks and some sponges that inhale and exhale water. I have several hitchiking crabs and fish. Lots of long red and green algae. The rock was part of a collapsing sea wall that was filled with argonite rock. I took 5 big pieces. I am likely getting into trouble by naturally collecting as far as parasites go but it is a financial matter at this point. I can spend hours in front of the tank each night and see something new each time. I even have a brittle star in the mix. My kids are helping in the measurements. Here are the pics , they are very blurry sorry. Thanks. http://www.iongun.com/reef

 

[Len]

Tank is coming along nicely. Ya, pics are a little blurry, but we'll forgive you One note I should mention: in reef1.jpg, you have aiptasia. It's best to kill them or entirely remove the rock they've congregated on. You do not want these buggers reproducing

 

[Len]

Actually, I see them in multiple pics. I think Peppermint shrimps or a Copperband is in order.

 

[FranklinP]

Ok, thats hilarious. I have been hand feeding them each night with fish food. I thought they were anemones. They have a purple base with white lines going up them and the tentacles were a deep brown color but have lightend up some. The tentacles have faint white bands on them. They are all over the tank and I purposely picked up rock that had them. OOPS. As far as the pics go I cant get them clear, I think my camera is focusing on the glass not the inside. Here are some very doctored up pics of the sponge with the hole in it and the offending anemone, Please take another look to be sure what they are. They look really neat in there.

 

[ChrisRD]

Ok, thats hilarious. I have been hand feeding them each night with fish food. I thought they were anemones.

Well....they are anemones....just not the kind you want.

 

[FranklinP]

Just to add: I noticed on the web sites describing the problem anemone that they are very small. The biggest one in my tank is at least 3" across and the base is thick not skinny. Mine have dark vases too. The pics are very poor and were heavily enhanced for color and sharpness. These came from the atlantic in a canal with heavy currents near a mangrove swamp in about 12" of water. Yes i'm in denial. :roll:

 

[Len]

I'm sorry, but these are most definitely Aiptasia. I got the hunch you were trying to raise them They aren't monsters, per se, nor are they truly unattractive. However, they multiply like weeds and sting everything around them .... hence their bad rap. They are neat animals and has their place in nature. It's just they are terribly destructive in reef tanks.

 

[FranklinP]

Just to be sure I will send each of you guys a piece of the rock so you can put it in your tank and make sure it is really htem. I'm surprised there was no comment on the forest of green algae on the other rocks, this is likely some parasite too. LOL. Thanks for all the help.

 

[Anonymous]

no need to send samples anywhere.

hehe. before i even saw Len's replies, i was going to suggest you fix your aiptasia problem. it's most definitely them. aiptasia i've seen can take on a few variations in tentacle size/shape/markings as well as trunk thickness and opacity ... "small" is a relative term, i've seen one or two that might have been 3 or 4" across.

toss in a few peppermints now. it's an excellent time to kill the problem - all your rock is in but your tank is not cluttered with a bazillion corals and fish and such to get in the way and be bothered of your cleaning efforts.

maybe you could be the first reefer to cultivate a species tank of aiptasia. think of what we could learn! you might even uncover some secret about their lifestyle, some kind of achilles' heel that we would be able to exploit against them.

also i agree w/ len ... aiptasia are neato and not inherintly "bad" ... nothing in nature is. but they will roxxor your reef tank with their little stingers.

good luck, post some more pix!

-me

 

[FranklinP]

Thanks everyone, I am going to take some film pics so they wont be so blurry, I am going to wait a month or so to get tank fully cycled and some more interesting stuff in it. Thanks again.

 

[Anonymous]

i've found it much harder to produce a clear shot with an old school camera. digital (filmless) is well suited to the nature of aquarium shots - you sometimes have to take a lot of pix to get a good one out of the batch. i think all you should do is tweak some of your digicam settings and maybe work on steadying the hand.

it must be fun to have such a large tank to play with ...

 

[FranklinP]

Go by the dates. The 3-3-04's are the new ones.

PLEASE! comment on the stuff you see in the tank. I really have no idea whats in there. I just love looking at it. Note the mystery orb that is growning on the live rock. Waiting to wake up and see wet tracks from the tank to the front door.

http://iongun.com/reef/

 

[Meloco14]

It's hard to tell what your little "dogfish" is, but I'd guess some sort of blenny or goby. He should be pretty peaceful. The orb might be bubble algae, which is a nusiance algae species. Getting an emerald crab or two should take care of it. I like the big clumps of macro algae, especially the red. It looks pretty healthy. You need some angels or tangs to get in there and really appreciate it :wink:

 

[Aquadude]

I thought the toilet on top of your tank was interresting. Never seen that before. It's a good thing nobody can sit on it. I would hate to think what would happen....

http://iongun.com/reef/Wavemaker.jpg

 

[FranklinP]

Look what came out tonight!!! Everyday is something new! Whata cool hobby. I guess this is a tube worm right? Will it get big enough to ride like in dune? More pics added BTW. I even have a Nemo but he hates his anenome house though. Lousy pics of course, enjoy.

 

[Anonymous]

yes that is a feather duster... ... YIPPIE! This is a blast of a hobby... if its not cocaine im addicted to its this... grrr...cant kick one bad vice for the other...(J/K on the cocaine addiction too...)

 

[morganjl]

This is definately a way cool hobby! I can share your enthusiasm FranklinP. When I was in college (a few years ago) I got my first piece of live rock. Yup -- one single rock! But let me tell you -- that little piece of rock was a source of amazement/entertainment for weeks! That first night there was a party in my apartment complex. I dragged EVERYONE over to my place to see my silly little rock. We even invented a new drinking game: Instead of Fuzzy Duck we played "Inanimate Anonymous Anemone"! :lol: Oh ya! Try saying that quickly after a few! Rock On! BTW - I am still giddy about live rock et al to this day!

 

[FranklinP]

There is a word file here now, just all the pics shown in a row to keep from clicking. All the post pic links are down Thanks.

 

[ricky1414]

Nice idea for a toilet for a surge device. What are you gona use for a refugium, a urinal? 8O