My Puddle

[Xraymark]

Yeah the video is cool. Very impressive refuge.
I haven't seen Mr shrimpy since. Don't know if it's just hiding or sucked into the filter.

 

[lljdma06]

Any luck id'ing the mantis with the website I provided?

Actually, as Donya says, many of the smaller ones are actually no worse than any other invert and can be kept rather peacefully in a reef, provided that it's well fed. Best bet is to get a good photo and try to id before you put it through undo stress. I always wanted a small, Caribbean mantid shrimp. Some are actually quite excellent for the reef and very great pets.

L

 

[Xraymark]

No couldn't identity. Most images are of adult shrimp.

I haven't seen it since so don't know if this normal behavior and is hiding.

 

[FishAreFriendsNotFood10]

i like the scape dude

 

[Xraymark]

Aquired

2 red legged hermit crabs
2 turbo snails
2 money cowrie snails



Not much selection in snails. I hadn't heard of the cowrie snails and had to do a bit of research after purchase (I know slap my wrist).

 

[lljdma06]

Aquired

2 red legged hermit crabs
2 turbo snails
2 money cowrie snails



Not much selection in snails. I hadn't heard of the cowrie snails and had to do a bit of research after purchase (I know slap my wrist).

I've got a cowrie in my Biocube. Nice guy, when I see him out and about, which is mostly during lights out.

 

[Xraymark]

True. Since acclimating they have gone into hiding. Time for the night vision googles.

 

[crazyforcordoras]

Ninja Cowrie!

 

[lljdma06]

Ninja Cowrie!

I'll have to go find mine...

L

 

[Xraymark]

Picked up my first coral today.

A green polyp.

Just after acclimation.

20 minutes later

Salinity 35
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5-10
Phosphate 0.04

 

[Donya]

Actually, as Donya says, many of the smaller ones are actually no worse than any other invert and can be kept rather peacefully in a reef, provided that it's well fed.

Wait, I said what? lol

If reef means fish+corals, then sure, but anything with other inverts is a lot iffier. Mantis shrimp are in a bit of a different behavioral grab bag to most of the other grumpy Crustaceans I advocate, basically due to the intelligence factor. The people who keep mantis shrimp in with CUC do so under the assumption that they may have to periodically replace CUC animals - it may be infrequently, but it's always a possibility and sometimes happens rather frequently. Mantis shrimp are curious predators and don't always just pound at things because they're hungry, so basically you shouldn't subject any other valued inverts to a mantis. The problem is that if a mantis takes an interest in something, it shows that interest by beating on the object. Mine eventually crushed every hitchhiker clam in his tank despite being offered more food than he wanted (clam meat included to try to persuade him out of it...so much for that). They were boxes to open, and that was apparently a really interesting activity. Corals and anemones are safe (relatively speaking; stoney corals and frag plugs may suffer a whack or two) but that's about it. Size of the other inverts isn't necessarily a safety factor either. There is an article floating around the web by a guy who tried a Dardanus megistos with a small mantis, and the mantis took on the hermit.

 

[Xraymark]

Sounds like a character. So far not seen him again. So still unsure if the external filter has sucked him in or not. No evidence in the canister, but it would've been mushed. Only time will tell.

I think I have another hitchhiker. Came down in the morning and something was pulling seaweed into the rock. Looked like crab legs but didn't see enough to ID.

 

[crazyforcordoras]

Love the new Zoas.

 

[lljdma06]

Sounds like a character. So far not seen him again. So still unsure if the external filter has sucked him in or not. No evidence in the canister, but it would've been mushed. Only time will tell.

I think I have another hitchhiker. Came down in the morning and something was pulling seaweed into the rock. Looked like crab legs but didn't see enough to ID.

Hmmmm, you got some good hitchikers. Where did you source your rock again? Is it Caribbean based? Legs grabbing seaweed could mean emerald crab, but I'm not sure. Could be a bunch of things.

Love the zoas, those are nice!

 

[Xraymark]

It's Fijian rock.

I think I may have to do a sneak peek in the middle of the night. I think my critters are having a party without me.