The Adventures Of A Marine Newbie...

[ox5477]

Use a baited trap.... put some food at the bottom of a tall glass (like a milk glass for dinner) and lean the glass next to the rockwork so any little buggers can get to the top edge of glass..... they stomachs will make them go forward and they will be trapped in the glass as they will not be able to climb out on the smooth glass.... then in the morning, just extract and do with it what you wish... if there is anything in the tank, it shouldn't take more than one night for this trap to catch the little beasty... just a heads up so you don't go cracking apart your lr the next time

 

[jennybugs]

Ox...I tried that 4 nights on the trot! It's up there ^^^ soomewhere Had more success from fishing with bacon on a bit of thread except the b*gger was stronger than the thread was

Cold RO showers didn't work or a cold RO dunking so the hammer had to come out! no sign of any others so hopefully that's my lot. Just the aiptasia to tackle now but picking my Aiptasia X up from the post office tomorrow

 

[jennybugs]

Here's the next chapter...

I had planned to go to Crews Hill and scour Home Marine and Wildwoods to make notes on everything I saw, but my old Beetle decided to throw me a curve ball with a coroded fuel line that decided to saturate itself with fuel just before I passed Halfords. Handy timing I guess but it meant me on my hands and knees in the car park, surrounded by tools, stripping the air filter off and replacing fuel lines

To cut a long story somewhat short I got so fed up I ended up just popping up to my local LFS where I got a fair few bits of supplies a few weeks ago.

After many water tests from my tank sample and discussions about how much algae I do or don't have, it was decreed that I'd put a couple of fish in first and then next weekend maybe start stocking up on the cuc

Allow me to introduce you all to George (Cloooown-ey) and Mildred

I know it's not what I had planned but I've been advised it will be good to have them in feeding for a week, then start to introduce the snails and hermit crabs if I decide to go for them. This will only be if my water tests ok again though. If it needs longer to adjust to livestock then that will be the order of the day

They're tank bred Percs and so full of life, eating very well indeed

A bit of advice/opinion would be appreciated here...

I have two nanos and the Flo in the tank and I have got only the rear nano running with the Flo at the moment as the clowns are rather tiny and seem to cover more of the tank when this is off. When I turn them both on then they stay in one area of the tank as if the flow's too much.

Do I keep one nano off or get them used to the two running together? Last thing I want is dead sopts in the rock. I could point the rear nano more in to the middle of the tank.

 

[kj23502]

They look lovely jennybugs

Don't know 100% about the current issue, but I'd keep it like it is so they can adjust to it. It seems like they're in good health so they'll get stronger. If they were sick or something, I'd say to cut down on it for the time being.

That's my educated guess



Kj

 

[orange shark]

looking really good jennybugs

aquascaping and fish look lovely

 

[jennybugs]

Thanks guys

I have turned the second nano off as the micro bubbles are still shooting out of it. I'm getting a replacement asap to see if that is any better.

I've gone from having crabs to having worms! I was just admiring George and Mildred when I happened to notice a little face pop out and grab a brine shrimp!

Not that these two are in the least bit worried

I've been studying my marvellous little spaghetti worm this evening! He's been sending out his feeler and gathering bits of substrate for his 'lair', but today I have been gobsmacked at how far he went out on the stretch and how much grit he pulled back on his 'arm'.
Have a look at this!

Absolutely amazing!

I've also found another fan worm and the one that was in the substrate is still there waving away every now and then. Tiny these fans are, but it will be nice to watch them grow

I also busted another couple of Aiptasia tonight *mwhahahahahah*

 

[jennybugs]

I have the beginnings of my CUC

The algae was taking over and I have now got a few snails...

meet Team Turbo...Alonso, Massa and Hamilton Yes, I've named my snails

They started tucking in straight away and this morning the big areas of algae are no more

 

[SkiFletch]

Nice snails. Btw, those are Astrea snails, not Turbo snails. Shops get that wrong all the time

 

[CageUK]

Nice snails. Btw, those are Astrea snails, not Turbo snails. Shops get that wrong all the time

You'll have to find new names for them now

 

[jennybugs]

They are? How can you tell the difference - bear in mind I have no idea of the differences

Whatever they are they're eating all the algae up anyway

So now I must rename them the Astrea Allstars then?

 

[n3ont3tra]

Turbos get a lotttt bigger. And their shells are more...spiralish, while the astreas are more cone shaped. Lol.

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Yep, my LFS sell both types labelled as "turbo" snails. They both do the same job though.

Tanks looking good

 

[jennybugs]

Excellent! Thanks peeps

I have to admit The Astrea Allstars are doing a splendid job

 

[jennybugs]

Well I've had another successful shop

I now have one peppermint shrimp called Fanny...the OH says it looks like it 'fannys about' ...the evil aiptasia WILL NOT take over my tank!

She's a big'un too

She's disappeared behind the rock so more pics once she decides to come out to play
I have seen a tiny fan worm in the sand

It's also my time for freebies by the looks of things...I got some more LR fragments to add to the back section as they had some new stuff in.
While I was picking off some bubble algae that I knew to be nasty stuff even though it looks quite attractive, I saw a couple of small red blobs. Not knowing what they were, I put the rock in the main part of the tank. I'm nosey like that you know
Look what's appeared!!!

There's another tiny one above it but the one at the bottom is still growing! :shock:
There's more fan worms on it as well!

Yay!

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Cool Free corals on LR is always good and that looks like a really nice mushroom (great colour on it). The little colony of Zoa's I had come in on one of the first bits of LR I got are still my favorites (and are now really starting to spread quickly with better lighting and the occasional feeding ).

Oh yeah, dont expect to see the peppermint shrimp too often. I have 3 in my tank and only occasionally see one at feeding time. Mine did a great job on the aiptasia I had though.