Fed the tank 1 "feeder fish" by California All Natural Pet Foods.

Feed the fish a pinch of Aquatrol Spirulina 20 flakes.

Performed a 2.5gal water change (and the water had "warmed" in the house for a few hours).

Three Bristle worms?

There were 3 ends - perhaps two ends belonged to the same worm. I was able to take some pictures which I'll post later. I tried to grab it while wearing my extra thick rubber gloves by it quickly returned into the rock.

Reef related book for my child

My son is nuts for the Finding Nemo DVD.

The other day I noticed a Nemo's Birthday book, it's a bit old for him (being a read-aloud counting book w/a CD), but when I saw that the fish for the number "10" are "exotic" but what's pictured are basically PJ Cardinals - I had to get it for him. We're saving it for his upcomming birthday.

Second to last Xenia stalk has attached

But the last one is still somewhat distant from the rock and stuck to the brown macro algea.

Fed the tank 1 "feeder fish" by California All Natural Pet Foods.

Water change... and hint for next time.

Performed a 2.5gal water change.

I realized afterwards that since the water's stored in garage, it's temperature was in the low 50's (F). I didn't check the temperature immediately before adding the water but during I glanced over - I'm guessing that it dropped about 3 (F) in the tank.

If I assume the tank was 77 (F), and do the math, it comes out to about 74.2 (F), although that doesn't take into account the heat capacity of the rock, glass, etc.

I'll have to remember for next time to allow the water to come to room temperature.

I also removed some of the brown algea, and moved a branch that has the last two stalks of Xenia on it against a rock. I think at least one piece will move over to the rock.

Interesting video links

Crab vs. Pipe

"This is a video taken in 6000 feet of water. An undersea robot is sawing a
3mm wide slit (1/10th of an inch ... remember that width) in a pipeline. The
pressure inside the pipeline is 0 psig, while the pressure outside is 2700 psi,
or 1.3 tons per square inch. Then a crab comes along.... "

Octopus Eats Shark

Incident at the Seattle Aquarium...

Return of the Bristle worm

It's at least 3" long. I was able to take some pictures:


I tried to grab it while wearing my extra thick rubber gloves by it quickly returned into the rock.

Fed the tank 1 "feeder fish" by California All Natural Pet Foods.

Feeding, and pictures

Feed the fish a pinch of Aquatrol Spirulina 20 flakes.

Un-relocated Xenia stalk and Star Polyp colony (Zoanthids):


Close-up of the polyps (Zoanthids) on the SPS rock:


Side view of tank - Xenia, SPS, polyps (Zoanthids), hermit crabs, and algea:


This picture shows the Star Polyp colony (Zoanthids) growing over some brown Kelp, plus hundreds of tiny serpulids (Spirorbidae):

Fish names, feeding, and two lone Xenia

My wife and son have named the two Pajama (PJ) Cardinalfish (Sphaeramia nematoptera): Polka, and Dot.

Fed them a dash of flake food.

Found two lone Xenia polyps:

• One on the rock that was below the algea, that was home to most of the Xenia prior to being moved - not sure how it got down past the algea. See it in the picture below between the the snail and hermit crab:

• One on the rock way out in front and much lower than the algea, that was home to most of the Xenia prior to being moved - not sure how it got down so low - I can't think of any way any peice of Xenia could have touched it.

An unidentified macro red algea:

The dislodged piece of trapped Xenia (from 11/16/05 Xenia Reoganization):

The transplated Xenia on the top rock:

Hitchhiker stripped Brittle/Serpent Star, perhaps 2" wide; and a Peanut Worm (Sipunculid) :

Colony of some "globe"-ish SPS (possibly Porites?), along with colony of polyps (Order Zoanthidea/Zoanthids):

Water change, and Xenia re-org

Performed a 2.5gal water change.

I was able to relocate two stalks by stuffing the attached algea into a hole in the top rock; hopefully this last until the stalks have a chance to attach to the rock.

Removed another pint of algea, mostly the brown kelp, mostly the remains of the clump that was the former home of the Xenia.

The last stalk still on the algea I moved to its now pinned against the top rock - hopefully it'll move onto the rock itself.

The Electric Blue Hermit crab lives!

The Electric Blue Hermit crab (calcinus elegans) is alive and well! The picture also has a good shot of my Ricordea mushrooms (Corallimorpharia Ricordea):



The current state of the Xenia transplants:

Fed them a pinch of flake food.

Cleaning, observations, feeding.

Feed the tank 1/2 "feeder fish" by California All Natural Pet Foods.

Saw 2 bristle worms, small and of unknown length.

Removed the brown algea that I had used to migrate the pulsing xenia (Xeniid) from the large brown algea to the rocks, as the stalks had attached to the rocks.

Also trimmed back some of the large brown algea clump that was starting to get two close to some of the other xenia.

Electric Blue Hermit crab dead?

I see some parts of the Electric Blue Hermit crab (calcinus elegans) - is it dead or just molted?

Results of algea culling and Xenia transplant, etc.

Here's the tank post culling of brown Kelp algea:


The transplanted Xenia seems to be doing well:


Except for this piece of Xenia which was dislodged and is now trapped (no way to get in there) in a cave:


A Tunicate/Sea Squirt/Ascidian Zooid (Phylum Chordata, Subphylum Urochordata):


Here's a Hair worm (Spionids Polychaete Worm) with two tentacles - it's tube seems to be assembled from debris. Amazingly the tentacles "grow" from 1" to about 4" and can be articulated in almost any position. Sorry about the blury phot.:

Water change, and weeding, and reorganizing the Xenia.

Performed a 2.5gal water change.

Removed another pint of algea, mostly the brown kelp. Removed a lot on the stalk that housed a few Xenia stalks. One had already moved to the rock, and another was on its way. I was able to relocate two stalks by stuffing the attached algea into holes in the top rock; hopefully this last until the stalks have a chance to attach to the rock.

Brown kelp algea pre-culling:


Brown kelp algea culled in 5gal bucket.



Bought a Sav-on/Osco Simply Clean "premium heavy duty latex gloves" to help remove the much of the small sections of "bristle" algea (presumed pest). This is where the bristle worm had been seen so the gloves would also be protective.