Night Life in the Reef

[Drew]

Hi everybody,

I have just spent the last hour and a half gazing into my two sw tanks (one reef, one clownfish tank) with a flashlight. This isn't the first time I have done this, but this was BY FAR the best time. I saw so much life, it rivals what I normally see when the lights are on.
Here are a few notes from the last hour or so:
A sponge filter next to a rock make a very cool place for amphipods to hang out.
I saw what I think were bristle worms spawning. What it actually looked like was an orange blob releasing hundreds of tiny white things (eggs) into the water column. Another orange blob a few inches away was doing the same.
I saw hundreds of the larval stage of something swiming around the bottom third of the tank.
Note to self: clownfish do not enjoy flashlights
I discovered a new type of snail (two of them actually) on the back glass
Those shells I tossed in the back corner of the tank have turned into a great refugium, albeit a small one.
Mysid shrimp ahoy!
After the end of my little "Reef tank discovery adventure" I got to thinking. I said to myself, "self, this was really interesting."

Now a question for you fine folks. In my 20 gal clownfish tank, I never intended to try to keep any type a a sandbed. In fact, I only have one or two inches of sand in there. And (here's the kicker) the tank has copper in it. But yet tonight I saw hundreds of amphipods, mysid, worms etc etc etc in there. Shouldn't the copper have killed these off long ago?
Oh well, it was really a blast. I tell you, if a display tank can be this full of life, I can't wait to see what my refugium will be like in a year

Please, share your midnight adventure stories below.

Happy Birthday Johnny (hour and a half too late),
Drew

[leaky]

you mean you did not see any crabs?? i just did, it was small and ugly and grey... and i think my snail is getting beat up buy a mantis shrimp uh oh... oh and a stick i've never seen before ,white and brown hangin off the side of my rock strange...

I don't know bout your copper deal but if it is true then i guess its not all cracked up as its supposed to be huh..... hmmm

[Drew]

The only crab I that came in on my LR was dead at the bottom of the LR box. Have not seen any since, which to me is good. I rally don't like crabs, even hermits. I do not plan to add any crabs to my new reef.

[DaveJ]

Drew,

Interesting post I like it.. prompted me to check mine out too. Much the same activity, though no bristleworm spawning in site. Snails doing their jobs, hermits wandering around.. my two emerald crabs are happily picking over my blue linkia carcass.. (( Sand sifter is sifting... my large rock with US Open Rough depth calurpa is alive with "bugs"... my Hippo is in a rock.. My purple tang is nowhere to be seen as are the other fish... my nassarius snails are busy with the carcass and other tidbits.... I spoted some slug like things on the glass <new find> My watchman goby watched me watch him.. he didnt say hello... just stared at me.. think he blew me a kiss though... spotted a several worms.. my coral banded was happily chewing on one.. <made note to pray they are breeding>.. saw a hermit pummel from a rock into the sand.. airbag did not deploy... and remembered to ask you all a question!!!!

I have some green growths.. they are about an inch long now and look like worms sticking out a rock, but are not worms.. they are bright lime green and have white bases.. look like plant life I think.. any ideas what they are??? Some kind of algae???

Final note to self... go to bed and get a girlfriend.. she may not have any critters (I hope!) but would be just as fun, or more so, to look at this late at night

[ 07-04-2001: Message edited by: DaveJ ]

[Doug1]

Dude if you are lookin at this much in a tank that has copper traces in it A: think how much better it could be and B: Thats why you are in the midwest and I Rule just kidding bbut think about it,the effects of copper may not be immediate, please tell me you are at least running a Poly Filter, you young upstart, usurpious reefer at large <BG>

[Spanky]

"I love the night life, I love to boogie"

[ 07-04-2001: Message edited by: landescaper ]

[Rick O]

I do the flashlight thing every morning. I see several hitchhiker crabs, usually just picking at the rocks. My red serpent starfish sometimes comes out at night and climbs the glass (think he's trying to escape?). Several bristle worms, some big and some small. Many tiny snails that I don't see during the day. Thousands of sandbed critters. Ocasionally some mini stars.

Rick

[Drew]

Just to calirfy, I do not have copper in my reef (of course), it is in a FO tank. It has had copper in it almost from the very start, which was nearly a year ago. And Doug, someday me and another undisclosed Wisconsinite who frequents these boards are going to come out there to Oregon and show you how to reef!

Drew

[w6nck]

I must assume (oh that nasty word) that you
guys are using a normal white light flash light?

2 alternatives
1 use a black light
2 use a blue light flash lite.

Think you will be happy with the results.

[Drew]

I normally use a flashlight with red plastic over it, but last night I used a plain old white flashlight. I know, I know, its's not good for a lot of things, but you can see so much more

[Doug1]

Drew, come on out to Or and we can compare notes if you have that much action in your FO try running a poly filter occasionally to remove leached Cu traces, sounds good other wise.
I use a red lens on the Flash light only cause I cant get the dam night vision scope to focus that close. I suppose I could duct tape a Tiffen +1 lens onto the barrel but my wife would really start to wonder.
(Disclaimer, I dont recommend the use of assault rifles, foreign or domestic as pest control tools in aquariums)

[Alice]

Hmmmmmm....Doug, didn't you have a leaky tank a while back? Just how big was that hole, anyway??

[MontanaRocknReefer]

Night reefing is alot of fun and relaxing for me. Wife is in bed and cat is sleeping(wierd).
The hermits are usally out feeding and once in a while a hermit or snail will dive to the substrate. Fish are usually hiding for the night. I see alot of tiny worms below the substrate when I look at the front of the glass. This time of night I usually see a few bristle worms and saw the biggest one to date a few nights back(4-5" long).
The snails are all over the glass at night and in the day time they are on the LR.
I have alot of clams that have been surfacing out of the live rock. I usually can tell where they are at at night because the flesh part sticks out of the rock and when you put a flashlight on them the flesh diappears into the rock.
I have noticed I have to buy more batteries than usual lately but it is sure worth it. Johnny

[Doug1]

Well it may have started out as .311 of an inch

[nycreef]

hey guys n gals, i love looking at my tank at nite as much as during the day. i have two custom sea lights smart lights and a strip light which has a 100% actinic. i replace the actinic bulb with a 60 watt flourecent bulb with a red light cover on the bulb. you should see how well the tank is lit in red(which by the way neither fish nor critters can see the red spectrum)the all come out in droves! who needs a flashlight. after im done i just put the actinic back. a bit of work but **** well worth seeing! try it youll like it.