They just keep coming, and coming.....

yardboy · 09-03-2003, 06:10 AM

Well, as I get closer to the time to leave on my vacation things get better and they get worse. I actually got a decent credit on the 8 rocks of xenia that were crowding my refugium (or is it a propagating tank?!) and the evil torch coral that was such a bane to the other corals existence (will the hammer survive? That'll be the first thing I look at when I get back) and after a thorough cleaning of all components of the tank, removing the last of the bio-balls and cleaning of the filters (and busting a joint of the acrylic sump, thus breaking my old record on most water dumped on the carpet) I finally settled back to look at my handiwork when I noticed a weird lump on my Mycedium (which of course has many weird lumps anyway, but this was a different color) and discovered a small snail eating the heart out of one of the coralites! Yet another denizen of that evil lfs's liverock! I don't have a picture yet, will try to get one today (when my new camera comes in, other one busted, of course) The tissue of the Mycedium started pulling back over the hole, and this morning was nearly covered, can hardly tell where it was wounded.
So tell me, an bets on whether I have a tank left when I get back in two weeks? My neighbor is feeding the tank daily, out of pill bottles I've prepared. The lfs (the OTHER one) is doing maintenance twice a week, and on emergency if my neighbor calls) So what will be left when I return? I actually hope to see some coral growth after two weeks. OR will I return to some septic mess that will run us out of the house with it's smell?
Anyway, take care everyone, I'll post pictures from Moalboal, Philippines when I return. I hope to find some fish and coral collectors whie I'm there and see their operations.
This photo courtesy of Blue Abyss dive shop where I'll be diving. Why doesn't anyone ever keep these in their tanks?

Geoff · 09-03-2003, 02:30 PM

have a great trip. i hope everything will be fine when you get back. the object is not to get the system so much better than it has ever been before you leave. you may freak everything out. where did all of this great water come from?

G~

yardboy · 09-03-2003, 02:36 PM

Geoff, how was your trip to the Gulf Coast. Any luck with the ceriths? I was looking at a shell collection this weekend and was surprised to see how much borer's look like cerith's! Gotta be careful what we put in our tanks! I think I'll try to set up a tank with only PCB critters in it. Could be a cool tank.
The water came originally from a 250gpm RO/DI I have at work, but then it went into the sump and then onto the floor. (I've been sooooo lucky so far, the spill this weekend was less than a gallon, and that's the record!)

Geoff · 09-03-2003, 03:03 PM

we are actually leaving this Friday for the gulf. got the catamarn all painted and fixed up ready to go! yea a lot of these snails look the same. i will be poking around all over the place for some cool stuff. i think the gulf tank idea is pretty cool. there are a lot of interesting critters around there. reminds of my backyard creek tank i had for many years.

only a gallon, man you can do better than that! my record is 10g when one of my 10's busted on me.

G~

ShirleyM · 09-03-2003, 03:10 PM

regarding the sea snake...they are highly venomous and would eat your inhabitants and escape your tank. (Was your question serious? If not, forget I even posted)

tkjeffrey · 09-03-2003, 06:10 PM

Nice picture of banded sea snake!! Believe it or not I had one of these wrapped around my leg just above my felt scuba boots. Stepped on him in a knee deep tide pool in the south china sea. Scared the holy bejeebers out of me. I found out later on that he probably wouldnt of bit me due to their very small mouths. They usually have better chance of biting you in the webs of your hands or earlobe or anything small I guess. Still had to call wife that night and get some comforting half a world away

yardboy · 09-03-2003, 07:47 PM

Shirley, very not serious. Though I wouldn't put it past someone to try. Everywhere I saw these snakes I've seen lionfish, and I consider them just as dangerous, or nearly so.
Got my new camera, an Olympus C-4000, arguably the best camera for underwater shooting (in my price range!)
So here's the picture of the rascal eating my Mycedium.

yardboy · 09-03-2003, 07:58 PM

Oh God, I'm gonna love this camera. Difference between 4.0Mp and 2.0Mp is astounding. Here is my version of that $300 zoo rock on Ebay. (I paid $30). I think it's got about 5 different variations on orange zoos.

Casey · 09-03-2003, 08:53 PM

Yardboy heres my version with an Olympus

salt creepette · 09-03-2003, 09:00 PM

I want some of those!!!!

Mkelly · 09-03-2003, 09:32 PM

Really nice guys!

yardboy · 09-03-2003, 10:52 PM

You Go, Casey. I'll learn composition sooner or later! What model Olympus do you have?
Oh, and to continue this thread as it began, I went to the tank after lights out tonight and saw something all in the tank and the skunk cleaner in a different position than normal. Surprise, surprise, it's a she and had just dumped about 10,000 fry into the water! Or do they lay eggs? For sure it was some kind of shrimp and not an amphipod, and they were free-swimming in the water column. Cool to see something so positive after the last few days!

Imaexpat2 · 09-03-2003, 11:20 PM

Yeah, what Olympus do you have?

My Canon Power Shot A20 just aint happening, or its smarter than I am.

Oh, by the way, nice pics!