Misc Pics from the 40

[OrionGirl]

Unspecified gastropod. No clue where they came from, but they seem to be detrivores. There are at least three in the tank, and 2 are about as big as a thumbnail. Not the best pic--they have a cap-shaped shell.


Red algae. We really like this stuff-it's got great color, and isn't terribly fast growing.


Fire shrimp. One of two--this one is a tad bolder than it's companion.

[Emg]

Nice shots OG......is that the tank that Lincoln was in ?

[Slick Fork]

I've got a bunch of those snails in my tank. The name is escaping me at the moment, but they're pretty hard workers and I haven't had any problems with them yet!

Ok, just had ambition

Melevsreef.com - Stomatella

If this is the one you're golden!

[Emg]

Nice job Slick !

[reiverix]

I like that shrimp. I've been thinking about some shrimp for my own tank but my wrasse might give them hassle.

[OrionGirl]

Stomatella was my first guess without any research. I've watched them pretty closely and they've always just gone for the soft grunge that builds up in lower flow areas, so I wasn't worried. I was surprised at their size!

Yep, this is Lincoln's old tank. All the solid rock was removed, more lava and tufa were added and we put in about 20 pounds of fresh live rock rubble, plus the corals and such. Added one metal halide, moved the CF towards the back, added a sump and removed the power filter. It's doing well. We lost the red-head goby, I suspect the anenome ate it. The anenome is a remnant, and everyone else avoids it. It stays in one spot, so far, so no worries. There's 2 fire shrimp, 2 cleaners, nasarrius, cerith and margarite snails, a sally light foot, an emerald crab, the yellow and the blue neon gobies and a lawnmower blenny. The blenny has done a great job of clearing away the algae, and is a hoot to watch, but hard to pohotgraph--he tends to freeze and then dart away as soon as you take your eyes off him. Along with the stomatella, there are a couple of hitch hiker snails--small right now, I've only seen them grazing on the soft algaes. There's also a number of worms and such, but very few pods. We do have a mystery crab that hitchhiked in sometime. Never spotted the little bugger, but we've seen his sheds, which look like a porcelain. There are also at least 2 nudibranchs. They haven't bothered the corals or the fish, so I'm guessing they're eating algae, detritus, or a fast growing sponge. And, one more mystery critter--about 1/2 an inch long, solid black, looks like a slug.

We're pondering fish that will swim above the rock work. I like the idea of cardinals, but hubbin isn't convinced yet.

[zanzimog]

Great to see some pix from the new version of the tank. Sounds like a nice little ecosystem developing.

The black thing sounds like it might be Scutus. Then again, it might be something else.

[OrionGirl]

Aha--that was the word! I was thinking scutes, and wading through page after page of Croc shoes. I think that's a good possibility--I've only seen it once or twice (most recently last night), and in the dark, so who knows.

[Emg]

Nice OG ! Any thought on possibly a dwarf angel for the tank ?

[OrionGirl]

That's what Hubbin wants. A flame angel. He's not committed to it though, because we've had them before and he wants something new.

Waffles, anyone?

[Aussie_hippie_2]

I also have some of that red algae. Good stuff. Very pretty.

[OrionGirl]

More pics...

First, my assistant...Patch insists on wedging himself in between me and the tank for all picture taking.


Emerald Crab, hiding in the green algae.


Cleaner Shrimp


Anenome


Also got to the the scutus again. The stomatella are out and about just about every day (and HUGE--they're almost as big as my thumb) while the scutus tends to either stay hidden more often or just be easier to overlook. Here's a pic--he's the black blob, mostly centered under the largest zooanthid. Once you find him you can see his antennae and snout.


Finally...Everyone always complains about having a clunky looking powerhead in their tank. We disguised ours...


And a cheat...Recuperating after helping me take the pictures...

[joephys]

Looks like a great tank. I really like the anemone.

[forestal]

very nice.... i am concerned with the anemone looks very pale/bleached, make sure you are feedinga couple times a week with fine small pieces meaty/cyclopeeze

I am not sure what type this is but they should have a nice tannish/ brown coloring from the zoxanthellae in their tissue... often wholesalers leave them in dark to bleach them so they look pretty white - then they die after purchase... but it looks otherwise well

love the shrimp

[OrionGirl]

That's a native anenome. It's been in the tank since it was setup over a year ago. It changes colors on it's own every few months. It gets target fed 3 times a week, plus whatever it grabs when the rest of the tank is fed. The colony anenomes around here vary widely in color--maybe it's seasonal, I'm not sure. I've seen them in the tide pools with everything from the white like this one, to purple, green and blue.

This one will probably be back to green within a few weeks. That's about how long the white lasted last time, anyway. He wasn't something we got intentionally.

[joephys]

OG, there is a book called "From Whelks to Whales". Its a great source for ID on coastal aquatic life from alaska, to about point conception. (If you are north of there). You can probably find it online, or at a scuba shop.

[OrionGirl]

I'll look for it--Point conception is actually where the Beach House sits. Here's the Google link: Point Conception, California - Google Maps

[Emg]

Nice pics OG.....do you have any full tank shots ?

[joephys]

Looks like a cool place for a beach house. Apparently that is generally where cold water species end and subtropical begin. Here is a link for the book so you can see what the cover looks like. Its a decent book. It doesn't have everything, but it covers a little of everything, even some common algae.

[OrionGirl]

It was originally a Coast Guard station. There used to be a boat house, with rails to move a boat from the dock into the dry dock. They tore down the actual boat house in the 80's to alter the dock so NASA could bring the space shuttle to and from the base. The house that the guys lived in is still there, and it's amazing. They had it open for a tour and clean up last October, and Hubbin and I agree--if they'd let us live there, we'd happily pay for all the restoration and let the main rooms be used for conferences and meetings. It's an amazing location, and an awesome structure!

Pics that shows the view:
From the second floor, looking south west. (hey, it's not my fault, the ocean is to the south in much of the coast here)


Due south, along the fenceline around the house