vlangel
Seahorse whisperer
Here's hoping for good news!!!
My first tank ever!
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ManOfSalt
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API - Aquarium Pharmaceuticals.
A child of Mars fish care I believe.
So good news and slightly less than ideal news. Good news is I can populate my tank with coral and a CUC!! Just a small wc and I can add fish! Ahhh it's time!!! The test results at the LFS read the exact same as mine. Just small traces of ammonia but nothing significant and nitrates are fair. She was even surprised that it only took a week between cycling and curing the LR. She was like "you must have really good filtration!" Yaaay!
The less than idel news is that my salinity is a bit high at 1.028. That must be from unwashed containers when the LFS delivered the ocean water. Probably left some residual salt. Nothing a few buckets of freshwater exchanged won't fix.
I was so excited I moved my snails from my sump to the display! Overexcited though because then I found out one of them is a Nassarius snail which from what I read prefers a DSB and my display is a SSB. So he sifted a bit and then just attached himself to a rock and hasn't moved since. I'll move him to the fuge chamber in my sump which has a 10" sand bed. The other one I think is a Nerite that just loves it's new home. immediately went to town on the algae that's on the glass. I have another one in the corner that hasnt moved since either. Don't think it's a Nassarius because he was in the fuge chamber but against the glass. I'll take some pics later and get an I'D.
Exciting times ahead! I think my first purchase will be an LPS coral and maybe a couple of those cute little red legged hermits.
YAHOO!
Small triggers
Well-Known Member
Have you had time to find and remove that worm? Or was that the worm in your later video,...the first vid looked definently like a Eunice worm....
woo hoo for you!! congratulations - now the true magic begins 
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ManOfSalt
Active Member
Yup! I got extremely lucky and came home from work to find it chillin out in the open on a rock. I swooped it up with a pair of tongs. Unfortunately I fear that's not the last of them. The other day I saw an Epitoke swimming around that was taking the shape of a Eunice with the 4 antannae on it's head. I know it's only a matter of time before the hunt begins again.
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ManOfSalt
Active Member
woo hoo for you!! congratulations - now the true magic begins
Thank you! :dance:
vlangel
Seahorse whisperer
Hooray! So do you have a particular LPS in mind or just plan to go and see what they have? LPS are so cool and its hard to have a favorite. I love all of mine. Well, have fun shopping and post some pics when you get stuff.
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ManOfSalt
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Very interested in the brain and the torch coral. I saw a couple of those at the LFS and I was just mesmerized. Cant get too crazy as the wedding is coming up in a couple months and Sarah would kill me if i came home with a few hundred bucks worth of coral haha. Gotta see how much I can spare. Would love to have a red legged hermit and a torch in the tank this weekend.
vlangel
Seahorse whisperer
Yes, one must keep their priorities straight!. So, here's to hoping there is enough in the budget for a cute hermit, a beautiful LPS and not infringe on the wedding!!! So when is the big day?
vlangel
Seahorse whisperer
Should be today for the coral and tomorrow for the hermit crab!!
.....o wait... you're talking about the wedding aren't you. LOL wow best groom ever -.- It's May 16th
May is a wonderful month to get married. 2 of my 3 boys got married in May. I will keep you and Sarah in prayer as you make the final preparations for spending your lives together!
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ManOfSalt
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Well the past few days have been eventful. I introduced my first store bought creatures to the environment and they are settling in quite nicely! I picked up a heliofungia plate coral, a strombus snail, a coral branded shrimp. The shrimp claimed it's home already which is quite awesome and the strombus is mowing it's way around the substrate. I read that they require DSBs but the shop had him in a SSB and said he's been doing well there so I said why not.
The heliofungia is an interesting creature to watch. Pictures to come soon.
The heliofungia is an interesting creature to watch. Pictures to come soon.
vlangel
Seahorse whisperer
Still waiting to see the new additions?????
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ManOfSalt
Active Member
Pictures!
The Strombus and the shrimp getting acclimated.
Coral banded shrimp finds a house
Strombus mucks around
Cautious, shocked Heliofungia just put in the tank
Happy Heliofungia used to its environment
The Strombus and the shrimp getting acclimated.
Coral banded shrimp finds a house
Strombus mucks around
Cautious, shocked Heliofungia just put in the tank
Happy Heliofungia used to its environment
vlangel
Seahorse whisperer
Nice. I love the Heliofungia loving its new home. I love shrimp too and the coral banded shrimp will be out in the open where you can enjoy him.
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ManOfSalt
Active Member
Thanks! Ya it's great watching him roam around the tank exploring new places and then go back in to his hideout. I let him scavenge around by I might just start introducing some fish food to the tank to let him and the snail snack on that... may be good to keep the ammonia generation steady as well? In case these creatures aren't generating enough?
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ManOfSalt
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saw the most random thing last night! A foot long shoe string skinny bristleworm on a suicide swim went straight into the skimmer bulkhead only to come back out to the water column a few minutes later via the return bulkhead.....in pieces! it was just crazy to see. It must've been the return pump that sliced it up when it sucked it through
in other news the newly formed CuC is doing well. So far it consists of 2 Nassarius snails (1 in the fuge section of the sump), 1 Nerite snail, a coral banded shrimp and a Strombus snail! Cant forget about the hitchhikers: various brittle sea stars sprinkled throughout. Last count was 1 big, 3 medium and like 10 small. Bristleworms as well. I counted several small ones as well like 8 or 9. Theres about 4 or 5 over 4 inches now which is a bit of a worry. Their new food interest is the shrimp's leftover feed and if that's not around then it's the little sticks with hair algae on them, or random patches of green algae. The shrimp was having a bit of a go at one this morning which was funny to watch. One passed by him in his little hole and he nipped at it. The worm turned around, sized him up a bit and then kept on passing lol.
Ammonia is steady at 0 , salinity 1.025, temp 75, ph 8.3, nitrites 0, nitrates 25 ish. Thinking about adding a couple trochus snails and a few more nerites. Nervous about adding a crab. There's enough omnivores wandering around to monitor. After a few more algae eaters, ill look into adding a couple fish! Looking at a lawnmower blenny and a scopas tang. i may wait until I get back from the states though before adding fish which is at the end of May. Just want to make sure my environment stays sound.
in other news the newly formed CuC is doing well. So far it consists of 2 Nassarius snails (1 in the fuge section of the sump), 1 Nerite snail, a coral banded shrimp and a Strombus snail! Cant forget about the hitchhikers: various brittle sea stars sprinkled throughout. Last count was 1 big, 3 medium and like 10 small. Bristleworms as well. I counted several small ones as well like 8 or 9. Theres about 4 or 5 over 4 inches now which is a bit of a worry. Their new food interest is the shrimp's leftover feed and if that's not around then it's the little sticks with hair algae on them, or random patches of green algae. The shrimp was having a bit of a go at one this morning which was funny to watch. One passed by him in his little hole and he nipped at it. The worm turned around, sized him up a bit and then kept on passing lol.
Ammonia is steady at 0 , salinity 1.025, temp 75, ph 8.3, nitrites 0, nitrates 25 ish. Thinking about adding a couple trochus snails and a few more nerites. Nervous about adding a crab. There's enough omnivores wandering around to monitor. After a few more algae eaters, ill look into adding a couple fish! Looking at a lawnmower blenny and a scopas tang. i may wait until I get back from the states though before adding fish which is at the end of May. Just want to make sure my environment stays sound.
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vlangel
Seahorse whisperer
Seems like you are off to a great start with your tank. I can understand you wanting to keep everything stable before you add to much livestock, that is very wise. I've suffered heartbreak in the past from doing things too fast so I'm much more patient now.
congratulations on the new additions! Everything looks nice and healthy
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