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Jocco's Tank Phase 2

I have shrimp shaped specks!!! The Peps still have eggs under them but there are a dozen or so teeny shrimp specks floating around! Congrats to Hoo and/or Deenie!

Its 3am, just got home from work, and I feel like a lunatic, totally excited about specks. I even tried to wake Rocco up.

In other news a 4th hermit popped up with a new shell out of no where! I thought it died a week or so ago. Woke up yesterday to 3 hermits grazing together (Kamikaze, Clinger, and Lil Guy in a new shell) on a conch. Jerk Face was off somewhere else.
The tiger shrimp Sir Stewart, is reorganizing ALL of the sand and making tunnels all over the place lately. Very cool. I'm going to be sad when Sir and Jerk Face end up a meal to the octopus.
The blood shrimp hangs out/bothers Sir Stewart, usually at one of the main openings of his cave, and doesn't come out a lot. Too bad. It is sooo bright.

Ugh!! I wish the specks would cling to something so I can take a pic... lol.
 
Rocco was cleaning the tank and we moved a few picesnof rock around. We took out 2 of the conch just to do some rock scaping then put them back. Created more movement to hunt and hide. We scheduled a water change with out LFS. Until we get mixing and storing water, I don't think it is a bad idea.

Is there a good place to read about how macro algae works? I want to create a more natural tank environment.
 

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Thanks Tonmo!
We feel like kids who bring up their art to a teacher :biggrin2:

Speaking of unidentified squiggles... what is this plant? It came with our Fuji rock and has had some growth.
 

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Lesson 1 :sagrin:, other than grasses, there are no "plants" in the ocean. The closest thing might be algae (most - depending on the user's definition - have chlorophyll and are photosynthetic like land plants). Many of the things that look like plants (as is the case with your brown stemy thing - assuming I am looking at what you are trying to point out) are actually colonial animals collectively called corals. I am not familiar with the name of this one (but I do have them in my tanks). It seems to be quite common and often "sprout" from live rock. To my knowledge, it is totally harmless but I find it somewhat annoying as it is so rough I have cut my hands on it while cleaning (self-recrimination, you DO have gloves you know).
 
<holds out hands for the wooden ruler slap across the knuckles>

OK ok, haha.

Yes, the brown stemy thingies. Hm. Ok. I'll figure it out at some point. I'm thinking about getting some Halimeda and Chaeto. Reading up on macro algae. Cool stuff.

Picked up 5 snails today, supposedly they're all Turbos... but they all don't seem to look black or quick... but the LFS said they were "on them" this time. Maybe they knew they didn't give me the snails I asked for. Or maybe because we just did a water change with them. IDK, I'm weary of handouts from them.
Anyyyywhooo they didn't have anything green, which is good, I'm feeling impulsive haha.

They talked me out of red mushrooms, they had a lil rock with a bunch of them on it. They said my light isn't strong enough. Said they gave me a light that isn't strong because we are getting an octopus and octos do not like strong light. I don't want to pay $65 for something that I might kill... so... I wait.
 
For much the same reason, the macro won't likely survive long term but I add some of the larger macros for a little green from time to time. I am not a fan of Chaeto because it breaks up into tiny pieces and gets yucky with all the stuff it collects but it is good for nitrate export and I still have some in my overflow (closer to the lights) from raising the baby cuttles ATM. Shaving brushes (Penicillus pyriformis) and sea fans/pansies (Udotea flabellum) also add interest and are an inexpensive plus, but don't live a long time in my tanks.
 
... the snails died.

The first one the peppermints bothered until it gave up, and Jerk Face wore the shell for an hour before going back into his og shell.
The second and third died a day later.
The fourth died today, found it belly up next to some rock.
I don't know where the 5th is yet, but I suspect it is dead.

Had a water change on monday or tuesday, checked the water the day after and all was well. Bought the snails... and a blue chromis and a couple clown fish <ducks flying objects> wanted to wait to see what survived... I don't have a green thumb, quite ... but I want a blue thumb.

The fish are fine
<still ducking projectiles>
The snails died.
We acclimated for 20mins.
AND the hermits only went after 1 of the snails (a smaller one). 2 of them were BIG too. Gah. I want this purple algae under control ... :frown:

WHAT THE $%*# ???
 
The snail deaths are very strange. If I did not know you used your LSF and he/she knew that you had a saltwater tank, I would suspect that they were freshwater snails. There are a group that can live in saltwater but are typically brackish but should still have survived longer than a few days if they did not transition well.
 
They take the snails out of a tank they use for anemone and algae. They have little critter boxes with other shrimp, hermits, and critters around the tank too. This shop has helped us from the beginning - stand, tank, sump, did the water change, etc... we've been very loyal (I believe in supporting local and hesitate to buy anything from Petco/land)... they really have no reason to mess with our tank.

We're in retail, we manage a shop, we give specials on slow moving and old items etc too... but c'mon... at least our stuff isn't alive. Well... battery operated doesn't quite count. lol
 
I should clarify point 1, there are not underwater saltwater plants other than grasses. It is, however, my understanding that mangroves actually get their water from rain and can be grown in freshwater. The leaves (at a minimum) need to be out of the water and should be misted with freshwater regularly.
 

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