In today's edition of "what the...?"

[Anihiel1]

It's a Photoshop of a stock image, but that's the crab that came in on the rocks. There were two, I might still have the dead one in the bucket. I'll look after work and post a pic if he's there.
The other crabs I had were eaten by KingKongCrabby (the red mithrax) a few weeks ago that included a small green emerald, small red mithrax, 2 sallies. I think it was a territory thing, he didn't actively bother anything until it came on his rock.

 

[TriggerFinger]

Is the crab still on a rampage? How is the rock looking?

 

[Anihiel1]

Sadly have not seen the little white crab since that day. King Kong Crabby has decided to claim the tippy-topmost cave as his own and appears to have reached some peaceful accord with the fish. Rock looks great! And i keep finding more life. It's amazing! Last night had to get the flashlight out to retrieve an errant suction cup. To my surprise there are at least 2 spaghetti worms. Hitchhiker jackpot!

 

[TriggerFinger]

Don’t worry, white crab is most likely still there. I had one hitch a ride when I moved rocks to a different tank. Didn’t know he was even in there for a good 6 months. And I have a pistol shrimp that I keep hearing but have never seen 18 months in. I wanted to try and trap it to see what it looks like but it’s been so long at this point. I want to see how long he can remain unseen.

 

[Anihiel1]

I feel ya! I'm trying to train them all to come for food. Worked on my cats LOL

 

[TriggerFinger]

I feel ya! I'm trying to train them all to come for food. Worked on my cats LOL

No sign of my crab in months but I found his molt on my sand this morning. Hard to see but he’s apparently alive and well...wonder how big it is now?

 

[Anihiel1]

Hope that eventually he is too big to hide LOL
I still haven't found the mantis shrimp even though there is literally ONE ROCK in 'his' tank. But when I put food in there, he will pop his face out for 3/10s of a second and glare angrily at me before chucking the food back out.
I feel like they are all, WAY more intelligent than we give them credit For....

 

[Anihiel1]

Hit the hitchhiker lottery- I've found 2 (at least) spaghetti worms and one is flipping HUGE. How big do these things get? His tentacles are probably 4 inches long. Possibly longer, Hard to tell.

 

[Anihiel1]

 

[Arthacker87]

THIS guy- he's a baby here, but then he hit crabpuberty or something, morphed 3 times his size overnight. Scared the holybejeezus out of me when I saw this massive claw come out of the rock. See the crabs behind him? Yeah...he ATE them. And 3 peppermint shrimp. I keep tweezering him chunks of meat bc I'm afraid he'll eat the fish.

I think he's ready for a fight

 

[Goonofthelagoon]

This is such an entertaining thread. I had such a great time reading this

 

[Anihiel1]

I think he's ready for a fight

I told him we had a fight lined up, but

he's hiding in the gorgo where (he thinks) no one can see him

 

[Neoalchemist]

Heres another trap trick.
Remove the rock they are hiding in and suspend it over a container of tank water in a dark quiet room for a while and when you come back the crab or whatever will be in the container. I dont think it will work with swimming shrimp but will probably work with crawling and digging shrimp.
Also baited hand lines work at night just be very slow pulling them up, and turn your flow down.

 

[Anihiel1]

Heres another trap trick.
Remove the rock they are hiding in and suspend it over a container of tank water in a dark quiet room for a while and when you come back the crab or whatever will be in the container. I dont think it will work with swimming shrimp but will probably work with crawling and digging shrimp.
Also baited hand lines work at night just be very slow pulling them up, and turn your flow down.

Good idea, Thanks! Unfortunately I haven't a clue which rock the tiny crab is hiding in. Guess I'll just wait for him to turn up again if he ever does.

 

[Anihiel1]

Apologies, did you mean the mantis..? I caught him when he first came in with the rock and he's in a separate tank so no danger. There are a TON of holes in the rock but I believe he's living underneath it. Just wish he would come out once in and move around so I could admit him, not just pop out to throw food at me!

 

[Anihiel1]

@Arthacker87 KingKongCrabby has set up land mines around his cave for any would be fighters. I think he read my posts.

 

[Anihiel1]

Question, copepods- I have never seen them except in the jar. Tonight as the lights were on moonlit, I shut off the flow for a moment to examine a bristle star who lost a part of a leg.
When I noticed a dead spot between two rocks that was TEEMING with hundreds of miniscule little bugs hopping all about. Can't get a pic, my phone camera resolution is not that great. Could these be copepods? I just started feeding reefbugs so is this a logical assumption.?
It seems every time I look at this rock I find new life. It's fascinating.

 

[Arthacker87]

Sounds like it. They are tiny roach looking things lol. They are night time scavengers (unless in a sump with no predator to eat them) and are very beneficial

 

[Anihiel1]

Excellent! I am trying my best to do more of a natural ecosystem versus just the superclean rock & coral look. If I could stop my foxface from eating every single macroalgae I try to plant! Hey, what's your advice on protein skimmers? My HOB broke its pump the other day, ordered a new one but won't be here until saturday, so I threw in some airstones for oxygenation. And actually the tank seems to be just fine which surprised me. Now I'm re-thinking my previous 24/7 skimming. What's a good daily schedule for skimming? # of hours? Better to skim daytime/night/ after feeding? It's a 55g, uv and a canister filter (No room for a sump)

 

[Arthacker87]

I had a 55 gallon with a 20g long sump unser and it worked great. Always run a skimmer imo. It takes out waste cuts back on water changes exports nutrients. That all depends on how well it works. I have a instant ocean hob skimmer and it works well. I'd always go with one bigger than the tank size. What did ya order?