I love orchids. I only have on that I cut for a gift, but hopefully it will bloom sometime within the next few months.

I love plants and flowers in general, but orchids are so special. Unfortunately, until I met Genie I would usually buy one that was blooming and then it would never bloom again, and then usually die.
Genie loves them and has to periodically repot them due to their growth. Only once do I recall one dying, and that was because I missed it in the dark on one of our "Frost tonight" scrambles to get everything sensitive inside after work one night. It's nice too because I always know what to get her for birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine's and Easter! (Well, of course there are other things that must also be included like chocolates, clothes, jewelry, nice dinners, wine, hugs, kisses.............)

Thats pretty intense. Looking forward to those FTS!

I second this. You really did a great job.

Updates?

Agreed.

Once again, I went diving and found something I'd never seen before. Of the 4-5 anemone species I commonly see there, last weekend I found something new. It looks a bit like the anemones on a hermit crab, but not quite, and it was on the underside of a rock. When I removed it, it rolled up into a smooth ball, completely sealed off. I put it in my refugium for quarantine and after a week, I decided to move it into the tank. I'd previously put this old coral skeleton, which I'd picked up on a beach in Cebu in the sump and it had a nice hollow for the anemone to live.
Another reason I put it in the tank was I'm still looking for a host for the anemone shrimp. He just can't get comfortable with the other 5 or 6 species I've got in this tank already. I know he'd take to a condy, but they just get too big. Here he is checking it out, as he does all new introductions. We'll see.

Interesting how it almost glows red.

cool! could you get a shot of the base/column? Based on the tentacles, it could be A. equina, but it could be a lot of other things too.

I'll try Jamie, but it's found that little cavity to it's liking, and is pretty well ensconced there. I can say that when I moved it from the quarantine to the display and it was all balled up, it had a rough texture, tiny "bumps" of a red color on the surface of the column.
Be careful of tossing those Latin names around (what does the A. stand for) in front of me as I've been very frustrated at the lack of good information on anemones found in the Gulf of Mexico and will harass you for information!

haha, sorry. A stands for Actinia equina. It was sort of a random guess - I don't know much about Atlantic anemones - but its a pretty common intertidal anemone on both Atlantic coasts, so I thought it was a possibility.

That tank is amazing. Awesome thread! Keep up the good work.

Updates?

I can't seem to find any references to the Beadlet for anywhere but the European Atlantic coast, and they don't have the oral disc stripes that this little guy does.
I have found a couple of leads to some small field guides that might help me. Ordering off Amazon.
1)
2)
If anyone has any other references I'd really appreciate it.


Thanks! For a small update, I scored a pair of 2-spot or crab-eyed gobies to go along with the pipefish. When I got them home I realized why they were less expensive, their fins are kinda ragged and one keeps swimming to the top of the tank, but I'll feed them to see what happens. The are sand sifters which would go well with the pipefish.

Awesome!

Ahh, my bad, that book should help though.

Nice catch. That hermit crab looks tiny compared to that shell he is in.

Awesome journey. I remember snorkeling on the jetties and diving the wrecks and artificial reefs when I lived down there. Those memories are actually what convinced me to try keeping a saltwater tank again. Amazing what changes 20+ years can bring to things.

Well, after getting the second reference, I think that what we're finding here are Anthopleura krebsi, or Rock Anemones. They come in several colors, which we have found, but the predominant ones here are the maroon ones.
Genie and I scored these on Saturday for trade to some friends. They appear very resilient and hardy, not surprising considering where they live. Only reason I've seen them move is to get together with others, they like to live in colonies, and away from too intense of light.

Nice!

Great!

mmm... purdy.

Thanks Guys.
In some parts of the world, I've seen limpets by the thousands on rocky shores.
Here at the jetties, I've found only two in all the time I've been looking, both of which were put into the nano. Only occasionally do I see them, thought I'd post a shot of one I saw today, while trying to get a shot of a new anemone shrimp.

those nems are beautiful roger. they have some sticky tentacles too! lol thx again, for the gems

One of the reasons I keep marine tanks is because of the fascinating life that goes on within those glass walls. While the livestock may know it's restricted to a small space with new organisms to adapt to, still the instinctual imperative goes on. This "short armed anemone shrimp", probably Periclimenes brevicarpalis from the Pacific, inspected every anemone in the tank when I introduced him, finally deciding on the Caribbean Flower Anemone as a suitable host. Over a period of two days, he slowly and carefully sidled up to the anemone, stroking the tentacles, moving closer and closer while the anemone curled away from him, jumpy every time the shrimp touched him. Finally on the third day I came home to see the shrimp nestled right up against the anemone just like he was home. I feel pretty sure that in a short additional time he'll be bounding across the anemone with no response whatsoever. Very fascinating.

I have tons of limpets on my rocks. My wrasse likes to try and get to their soft insides.

cool! It'd be awesome to replicate that in a cw tank, but I think all my nems would eat it, no matter what. There is a beautiful cw species that hosts an even more beautiful shrimp, but I've never seen either.

Interesting that limpets are so rare there. They are quite ubiquitous on this stretch of coastline. Is there much in the way of rocky substrate, or is it mostly sand other than the jetties?

So cool.
I <3 this tank.

Same with the coastline of most of SoCal. Those and chitons which frequently appear. However they are closer to the water than the limpets or so my observations suggest.

I guess that's it, only sand other than jetties or artificial reefs. Amazing that they can find it at all.


That's great Sam. Now if we can just promote them as the latest greatest thing and make a fortune! I finally figured out how to use their stickiness to catch them. Just tickle'em on the foot and stick my finger in their tentacles. They come right off the rock!
The stuff you gave me is doing fine also. I've had them in my frag tank but am calculating how to place them in my nano. I'll get pics soon.

lol roger, wait, they're not? doh!

i had to buy a guppy breeder to keep em from moving around stinging the crap outta my corals. lol

They don't like bright light, I find them on the edges of rocks, out of direct light, and they like to be together in little colonies. Mine moved around until they all met up on the side wall of a little canyon near the front of my tank.
I've not noticed them stinging any corals. At least not gorgonians, clavularia or montipora's, but they are pretty callous anyway. Sorry to hear they were hassling your corals.

ahh, yeah they snuck out of the pen. one is hidden under the frag rack out of direct light. it looks happy where its at. the corals are everywhere so there was a possibility they'd get stung. i had to take the chance

I have been spending a lot of time this week, watching the dance between the anemone shrimp (Periclemenes brevicarpalis) and the Caribbean flower anemone (Epicystis crucifer). While the shrimp is Pacific, he decided that the flower was where he wanted to be. That anemone is the jumpiest thing in my tank and neither the Pederson's or sexy shrimps had ever had a chance hosting in it. It would jump and they would jerk like they'd been shocked so no compatibility, but the brevi wouldn't take no for an answer and today I see he has finally completely won over the flower. Looking closely, I can see him constantly stroking the tentacles of the anemone with his claws. Too cool.

Neat. You should catch a video of this. .

im gonna be in florida next week for a cruise thru the caribbean....i was hoping i could smuggle something back to cali to remember the cruise by! any tips?

I was watching them this evening when a "wave" went around the perimeter of the anemone, it's tentacles curling back for a second. That was what I really wanted to have on video! I will have to try with my wife's camera.


I thought the same thing when I went on an Eastern Caribbean cruise, but the way it's timed, there were two days at sea after the last port, there were x-rays every time you went aboard, the dive and snorkel spots were protected and the divemasters were watching everyone closely. Wasn't worth the risk (of getting busted or the life of the critters I'd have smuggled). I just got pictures.

ya we will talk next week....i wish i could tell you the stuff i .... ______________________

i always love anemone shrimps!nice pics.

well i was thinkign even in just florida....no?

This is a link to what you can take With a current recreational salt water fishing license.....

bag limits saltwater aquarium species

Hope this helps

DougN

i went to St. Andrews this summer and snorkled... it was awesome!!! I never new the gulf of mexico had that kind of exotic fish life, i saw a sting ray lol wit like a 2ft long tail, tons of those black urchins and hermits, saw just about evrything in those pics... great place to go if u have a chance

I'm glad you liked it. I happen to live near and very much enjoy snorkeling or diving every single chance I get. Thankfully, Florida sells an annual pass to their State parks and I give it a work out at places like the jetties!
Too bad it's so cold there right now. I'll be ready as soon as it warms though!

Awesome thread, and tank. I keep thinking that one of these days i'm going to do a biotope from the gulf. I just never have the chance to make it to the coast.

Yes, there is some awesome stuff in the Gulf.
If you study what area you're trying to emulate, even if you can't collect it all yourself you can get it online at places like Sea Life, Inc. and still end up with a beautiful Gulf tank.

Pics of the new additions?

New coral colonies from Isaac.

Awesome.

Read thru some of your thread... awesome tank/orchid room!! I love both and you have my dream setup in a sense.

Thanks. funny how the "gang" have all come by and checked it out. The cucumber has taken up residence next to it for the last two days. Finally moved off this evening.


Thanks to you too! It is a lot of fun, and work too. Nice to have a place to play like that. And my wife always knows where to find me!