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.

Fed 1/2 cube of Mysis shrimp.

Saw a 2+" bristle worm!

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get to the camera in time.

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

Water change, and weeding.

Performed a 2.5gal water change.

Removed another pint of algea, mostly the brown kelp and a couple large clumps of the "bristle" algea (presumed pest). I tried to shake out as many of the small serpent starfish as possible (about 5) but was somewhat disheartened by the appearance of a 1/2" bristle worm.

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

Water change, and feeding.

Fed the tank 1/2 cube of Mysis shrimp.

Performed a 2.5gal water change.

The old "stump" of pulsing xenia (Xeniid) is starting to resemble a stalk:



Hitch hiker stripped Brittle/Serpent Star, perhaps 1" wide:



A large clump of the brown Kelp:



Stalks of pulsing xenia (Xeniid) on another clump of brown Kelp:

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Feeding, and pictures

Fed the tank 1/4 "feeder fish" (brine shrimp variety) by California All Natural Pet Foods .

Hitch hiker stripped Brittle/Serpent Star, perhaps 1" wide:



Old "stump" of a stalk of pulsing xenia (Xeniid), starting to grow (sorry about the blury photo):

Maintenance

Removed another pt. of the brown kelp. Will bring it to Josh at work (what I bring to Jim's never seems to survive).

Did a 2.5gal water change.

The Maroon Clownfish (Premnas biaculeatus) is dead!

Found this morning being cleaned up by my "clean-up" crew.

Feed the fish a pinch of Aquatrol Spirulina 20 flakes - they seemed to like it.

"sick tank" Supplies and Prep

Bought from Ralphs:

• Vinegar (to clean hard water stains from tank)

Bought from Jim's:

• Hagen Marina 15w "Aquarium Light Bulb"
• MarineLand Penguin size "A" Filter Cartridge
• Seachem Reef Buffer (to increase pH of FW dip)
• Aquarium Products Organi Cure (Copper 1.25%, Formaldehyde 17% in a tri-chelated form)
• 5gal of NSW

Started cleaning the 3gal hex with Vinegar and water - I'm going to let it soak for a few hours. It cleaned up real well - the tank, hood (not light fixture), HOB filter, and misc parts. I made sure to rinse it very very well. Now it's drying.

I was hoping to do a FW dip on the Clown but I don't think I'll get to it tonight.

The clownfish doesn't look the best, so found a sick tank

The Maroon Clownfish (Premnas biaculeatus) looks like he has a small bit of "cotton" on each of his sides (see pictures below), and his fins are somewhat clamped. I'll have to stop at Jim's at lunch and see what I can do about this - I don't want to lose another fish.

I found in the garage an old freshwater 3gal hex glass tank I had for a short period of time a few years back; it will make a good quarentine/sick tank. It has:

• undergravel filter (not going to use)
• air pump
• ProFile 10 HOB filter
• glass top
• light fixture with a CC-15 bulb
• heater
• stick-on thermometer

It's filthy, and has bad lime/hard water stains.

      

Feed tank, and water tests, and picture

Fed the tank 1/4 "feeder fish" (bloodworm variety) by California All Natural Pet Foods.

Tested Ammonia: (most likely) 0.00 ppm. At this point I don't think I'll be doing any more Ammonia tests.

Small (perhaps 1") bristle worm, among brown algea, Star Polyp colony (Order Zoanthidea/Zoanthids), and snail:

Porcelain Anemone crab appears to be dead, and pictures

While investigating my tank by flashlight, I found what appear to be the remains of the Porcelain Anemone crab (Neopetrolisthes ohshimai). Specifically, I can see the claws, hollowed out. I still wonder if I have an aggresor in my tank.

Removed the bag of the carbon rods (that come with the Nano Cube) from the filter area.

Bumble-bee Snail (Family: Pusiostoma) and a hitch-hiker snail (top right, stripped):

I know its difficult to see, but this a two-tentacled Hair worm (Spionids), its tube is made of debris "glued" together.



Orangeclaw Hermit Crab (Calcinus tibicen) and a hitch-hiker snail (bottom left, stripped):



Small (perhaps 1") bristle worm:



The "remains" of some of the pulsing xenia (Xeniid) as it "moved" over some of this brown kelp, has now grown into a small stalk of its own right.



Star Polyp colony (Order Zoanthidea/Zoanthids):



Sponge (from Josh):



Orangeclaw Hermit Crab (Calcinus tibicen):

Water test results, and new fish food, and fish!

Tested Ammonia: (perhaps just) >0.00 ppm, and definately <0.25>

1x Pajama (PJ) Cardinalfish (Sphaeramia nematoptera) - larger than the 1st one, and should "school"

1x (medium-small, and bright red, with three bright white vertical stripes outlined with a thin line of black) Maroon Clownfish (Premnas biaculeatus) (AKA the Spine-Cheek Anemonefish)

0.87oz Aquatrol Spirulina 20 flakes (they apparently use this throughout the store)

California All Natural Pet Foods' 12oz 3 in 1 combo 110 count frozen "feeder fish" (it's bloodworms, bring shrimp, and plankton, in small fish shapes) - recommended by Mark's staff

I'm still bummed about the Royal Gramma (Gramma/Grammatids loreto), that I appeared to have killed in a single day! I took an extra long time to acclimate - perhaps almost 4 hours, mixing in about 1/4 cup of my tank water every 22 minutes.

Feed a pinch of the Spirulina and all three fish ate.

Pictures of the Maroon Clownfish (Premnas biaculeatus) (AKA the Spine-Cheek Anemonefish):

Pictures of the Pajama (PJ) Cardinalfish (Sphaeramia nematoptera):

Water tests, and feeding

Tested Ammonia: (perhaps just) >0.00 ppm, and definitely <0.25

Fed 1/4 cube of Mysis shrimp with 5ml of Selcon.

Water tests, and changes

The tank looks good, but I decided to test and do a water change, just to be safe.

Tested Ammonia: (perhaps just) >0.00 ppm, and definately <0.25

Performed a 3.5gal water change (turned off the main pump)

Purchases, tests, water changes, observations, pictures

Purchased from Jim's:

• Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Ammonia Test Kit
• 5gal container
• 10gal NSW
• Tram Rio replacement suction cups

Tank looked much clearer when I returned home, but it was definately still suspended particles, and was somewhat cloudy.

Side view of tank, having cleared substantially:

The whole tank, having cleared substantially.

Tested Ammonia: (perhaps just) >0.00 ppm, and definately <0.25>

Performed a 3.5gal water change. Thats the maximum I could change given my current rock and coral configuration; I had to turn off the main pump to do so, without doing so it would be a maximum of 2.5gal. I'll do another change tomorrow morning.

This exposes a weakness of sump-less aquarium tanks: without a sump to to
keep the main tank water at a high level, water taken out is limited by the
"headroom" between the highest water level and the top of highest livestock in
the tank.

The Porcelain Anemone crab (Neopetrolisthes ohshimai) looks a bit odd. It seems to have red/brown/pink-ish splotches on it. It kinda looks like it has coralline algea growing on it.

Electric Blue Hermit crab (calcinus elegans):

View of tank from above:

Star Polyp colonies (Order Zoanthidea/Zoanthids) - retracted:

Red algea, home to many tiny snails, and a couple serpent stars: