Livestock

"Hidden" Hitchhikers

melev — Sun, 04 Sep 2022 04:08:12 +0000

"Hidden" Hitchhikers melev Sun, 09/04/2022 - 07:08

In a previous blog, I mentioned that I bought some live rock from a Florida business. Over time, I've observed all sorts of life appear from the nooks and crannies of the rock. Initially I spotted one feathery looking organism that wasn't in a good spot that I could photograph. In the meantime, not only has it moved... I've spotted five of them. They are called Hidden Sea Cucumbers (Pseudothyone belli)

Their bodies are inside the rock, rather than on the surface. The only part that is visible is the crown, the filter feeding appendages they extend to trap food from the water column.

The fractal form of each branch is designed to trap plankton-sized morsels of food, which the animal then retracts, bending it into its mouth to 'lick it clean', and then it does so with the next branch, and so on. Other cucumbers as well as the vividly-colorful Sea Apple eat in this same fashion, which can be rather satisfying to observe.

These "crowns" appear to be about 1" to 1.5" in diameter, with the smallest one being about .5" wide.

For these creatures to survive longterm in a reef, they will need to capture enough food to sustain themselves. In a pristine SPS reef, this may be more challenging, but in this particular aquarium I believe they should do well as the tank's only filtration is reliant upon a weekly partial water change. I'm hoping all sorts of neat things grow due to the water being dirtier, which is common for a softy-based system.

Hopefully I'll spot the entire animal and get a picture one day. For now, I'm just enjoying the colorful display of these hidden cucumbers.

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I ordered some live rock online

melev — Thu, 26 May 2022 23:25:00 +0000

I ordered some live rock online melev Fri, 05/27/2022 - 02:25

New aquarium set up: May 28, 2022

I've always preferred live rock when setting up an aquarium. When I bought used aquariums, careful consideration included what type of rock I was getting. It added to the price of the sale, but was totally worth it for me. Over the years, I acquired hundreds of pounds which are all in use in my current systems.

When it was time to set up a new aquarium, I wanted some live rock. I checked the local fish store near me but wasn't impressed with the choices, so I decided to shop at GulfLiveRock.com, a company out of Florida that sells live rock. They ship overnight too, so die-off is minimal.

They have a few package sizes, so I picked a smaller box because I wanted the look of the tank to be mostly open space with a little rock. They were kind enough to send me a picture of the rock they were prepared to ship, which I quickly agreed to.

The next day my box arrived, well packed. Each rock was wrapped in wet paper towels, and they revealed several types of sponges, macro algaes, feather dusters, and a couple of clams. (Unfortunately the clams didn't survive the cycling process, but the rest did.) I spotted three aiptasia, and a couple of other things I don't recognize.

Here are some pictures of the rock, so you can see what it looks like.

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We haven't had a picture blog in a while

melev — Sun, 10 Feb 2019 14:51:48 +0000

We haven't had a picture blog in a while melev Sun, 02/10/2019 - 17:51

The weather today is cold and wet, so I decided to break out the macro lens and take a few pictures today. First off, here's the new frag I picked up a few days ago, a Montipora digitata. I decided to part it in a section of dead skeleton for now where I knew nothing would touch it. I may have to move it so the Sebae doesn't tentacle it to death, but for now it looks great.

The green Toadstool leather coral is always polyped out, except when I clean the glass. Currently it measures just over 10" across.

This is a branch of the Lime In The Sky acropora I grow in my reef in a couple of spots. It looks a lot like "green slimer" but the "Limer" is green with a light-blue core.

This is a macro of about 1" of the Shadowcaster acropora that grows well in my reef.

Tiny dots on the glass the size of a sesame seed appear to be snail eggs. I recently added both Trochus and Nerite snails to my tank; I believe these are Trochus egg sacs.

Here's a section of the 24" wide hammer coral that spans my reef.

The Milka coral is growing too tall, and will require fragging soon since I can't see what's behind it.

And Drew's acropora is another popular coral in my reef.

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Dory update

melev — Mon, 07 May 2018 10:37:19 +0000

Dory update melev Mon, 05/07/2018 - 13:37

Dory has found a new spot to sleep. It's rather cute. In the very bottom of the tank in the front, there's a montipora capricornis. About 10 days ago, I saw her from across the room swim deep into the coral, then back out with something in her mouth. I'd hope to film her actions, but she spotted me and played fish instead. lol Anyway, turns out she was cleaning out whatever bothered her, and now goes into that spot to sleep at night.

During the daytime, she swims around the rockwork and the anemones. As the day progresses, the anemones get bigger and tentacles are everywhere, but she still swims through them slalom style. And every night when I feed the tank, she's right there, ready to capture food in the open waters.

She will have to move out of this tank this year, she's outgrowing it. But it was nice while it lasted.

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Found him

melev — Wed, 02 May 2018 20:01:04 +0000

Found him melev Wed, 05/02/2018 - 23:01

The melanurus wrasse is usually out and about, but I'd noticed over the past few weeks it was looking thinner and thinner. I'd watch closely when I dumped in my "dumptruck of food" as my buddy Evan used to say, and the fish would eat some food, but would also miss portions as if his aim was off. That was my reason for thinking he was dropping weight, he just didn't have the visual acuity he used to have. I've had this fish since 2011, for seven years. I'm not sure what their lifespan is.

Two night ago during the feeding session, he was nowhere to be found. Last night though, I found him. Or should I say, found what was left of him. It seems the Sebae decided to make a meal of the wrasse.

While the loss is always sad, the anemone got fed which is completely natural. I have mixed feelings overall, but c'est la vie.

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Who let out all the helium?

melev — Thu, 29 Mar 2018 22:02:04 +0000

Who let out all the helium? melev Fri, 03/30/2018 - 01:02

I've had the Sebae anemone for over three years, but tonight it decided to do something I've never seen previously. I mean, if water quality goes to crap, anemones may respond accordingly. Or during a full moon, they may choose to spawn into the reef. But when everything is just like it should be, a mundane day at that, seeing it go from Super Saiyin to something a tenth of its size is noteworthy.

It's like someone let all the helium out of a balloon. I closely watched the rest of the anemones, the fish, the skunk clownfish of course, and the LPS corals. This event took place over a period of about 90 minutes. The first picture was taken when it was already half its normal size, when usually it wraps its tentacles around every coral it can to make sure they all feel its love.

The mouth was super-inflated, pushing out some of its internal fibers. Food hadn't been added to the water, nothing justified this atypical behavior. This anemone has been pretty much rock solid for years, getting bigger and bigger and bigger.

Whether you call it shrinking or retreating, it definitely left a giant void where it normally dominates.

Some of the skunks opted for the duncan corals to the far right, while others decided to stick close to the 'nem and give it moral support.

When your centerpiece is missing, the entire reef looks wrong.

Even as dusk struck, and food entered the water, the anemone had other plans. It's been over an hour since lights out, and it still is fully retracted.

I'll have to wait and see when happens next. Tomorrow it may be back to its normal self. It may be somewhere else in the tank perhaps... it's just really weird. Hmmm, I wonder. Maybe it decided to split itself? What else could it be doing in the rockwork like that? I'll be sure to update you when I know more.

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When a Lyretail changes its sex

melev — Sun, 14 Jan 2018 19:01:09 +0000

When a Lyretail changes its sex melev Sun, 01/14/2018 - 22:01

Did you know that if you get a harem of female Lyretail anthias, you'll end up with one or more males at some point? Lyretails are beautiful bright orange fish with a purple eyeliner like Cleopatra, when female. When one decides to change to male, the fish will turn bright purple, extending a spike on their dorsal fin and will express dominance over the females. This pictures today were unintentional, the fish swam into my field of view so I snapped a couple to share.

First, here's an example of a female.

And here's a male:

Quite the change, wouldn't you say? See below, this fish is clearly in transition still, but in a couple more months it will be purple.

Normally, one male in an aquarium is best. If there are two, they will fight until one is the winner. And as far as I know, males will never revert back to female so if one changes sex, it must think it's got a good chance at success. :)

Reef Blog

How do Hippo tangs get to us?

melev — Wed, 20 Dec 2017 23:23:29 +0000

How do Hippo tangs get to us? melev Thu, 12/21/2017 - 02:23

I found this video to be quite interesting. It's 33 minutes long, showcasing how fish are captured in Indonesia, how they are quarantined, measured, and prepared for travel. One moment that caught my eye was how they added air to the bags initially using a hose from an inflated inner tube. The fisherman are creative, and of course want their efforts to result in success rather than death. Overall, this video gives hobbyists a realistic overview of how fish come from there to our homes. Hopefully you have the time to watch the entire thing.

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Where did the Sherman Rose Bubble Tip come from?

melev — Fri, 23 Jun 2017 18:39:48 +0000

Where did the Sherman Rose Bubble Tip come from? melev Fri, 06/23/2017 - 21:39

From DFWMAS.org: Ever wonder what the heck a Sherman Anemone is?! Well, the Sherman Rose is just a regular old Entacmaea quadricolor, or bubble tip anemone. What makes them so special is the fact that the original “nem” first entered a hobbyist tank back in 2000 and as such, is very hardy. They have a solid, deep red color that makes them incredibly striking, and they are quick growers when taken care of. Another reason they are so popular is that they will split for you pretty easily, allowing you to share your prized beauty with all of your friends. If you look closely, there are actually three of them in this picture, if you can see past all the other amazing eye candy that is!

Photo Courtesy of Steve Weast via ReefKeeping.com:

The nem originated from Upscales Fish and Reptiles in Tualatin Oregon where it was purchased by a very well-known hobbyist in the area named Steve Weast. He sold many splits, or clones, on Reef Central and one of them ended up in a local DFWMAS member’s tank, Steve Rodgers. Steve R. bought the anemone from a split that was from one of the original clones out of Steve Weast’s tank, and this single animal became the source for all of the Sherman Rose Anemones in the DFW area.

While the two Steves involved is merely a coincidence, the name of the anemone is actually a very simple story. Steve Rodgers lives in Sherman, Texas! It is really as simple as that! Now many people claim to have a Sherman but if it did not come from our dear friend in Sherman Texas, and if it is not a pure red E. quadricolor, then it is not a SRBTA. True, there have been dozens of these guys spread around and there are plenty of other beautiful, healthy anemones available, but if you want the real deal, find a reefer who was a participant in this story.

Photo by Marc Levenson circa 2007:

Melev's update: Over time, the anemone may lose those bubbles and look more like what you see below. I've had this Sherman Rose since 2007, and has been seen in the Anemone Cube by people around the world.

Reef Blog

Skunks ascending

melev — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 20:17:32 +0000

Skunks ascending melev Mon, 06/12/2017 - 23:17

Most of the time, the skunk clownfish remain in the tentacles of the Sebae anemone. Some have migrated to some nearby Duncans and are seen swimming through the green hammers, but the Sebae is their home. When I feed, the harem tends to swim out into the open to get their share. But today I saw something different: They were swimming upwards into the open water column in a group, which was rather appealing to observe. I tried to get a few pictures. These will will have to suffice.

And here is more what I'm used to seeing.

It could be they are joining the Anthias for a little fun. Or maybe the largest Skunks are chasing a little one. Either way, it was different and I liked it. :)

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