Thanks haha! You are the expert I guess. I just didn't want to send someone something that would die

Any ideas on the species of that crab by the way?

Looks to be a baby red rock crab. Scroll down on this page:

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/shellfish/crab/redrock.asp

Wow. I have found tons of baby red rock crabs, usually they just look like a mini version of the big ones. Well thats kinda cool and kind of annoying I guess, they get pretty big and feisty.

Yep. I hear they can break bones!

Oh yes they can. We usually throw them back if they are in the traps because the only good meat is in the claws on them.

Make crab bisque! There's no limit on red rock crabs (at least not in Oregon).

Lol. Crap tank ammonia levels are through the roof. Emergency water change time. I lost some stuff

Keep us updated.

Just did my first 4g one with RO water. Gonna do the second with dechlorinated tap. Lost my cool crab, green star fish, sucker fish, and one tube worm so far. Oh and one other shore crab. Not bad for having so much ammonia I can see it, and smell it.

Not surprising, considering how much stuff was added all at once. The same thing happened when I got the strawberries. It was very difficult. Basically, the best recommendation I have is this:

Set up another tank (or buckets, whatever is available) with fresh mixed sw, as close as you can get to the temperature and salinity of the current tank. Inspect everything in the current tank closely. The things that you think will live can be moved into the new tank. Rinse them with fresh salt water before moving them. Anything that is dead, probably dead, or will not recover, just throw away, it's not worth saving it only to have them die and pollute your tank (for the record, anemones can be very resilient, even if they look like crap, and have turned themselves inside out, save them; everything else that looks bad will probably just die). Then completely empty the polluted tank, wash it thoroughly. Tomorrow, if the water in the buckets/holding tank is still clean, you can transport everything back into the main tank, including the water, then do a 20% water change. If the water in the buckets is getting polluted, transport everything to the main tank, and mix new water to use. I had to do this three times before things finally stabilized. The more proactive and thorough you are with throwing dead stuff away initially, the less work you will have to do later. Good luck.

I can't really have two tanks at one, thats the problem. I am doing basically 50% water changes one after the other, and I have taken all dead things out. Is that enough?

I'd do at least one 100% wc, but I guess it depends on how much ammonia is in the tank. I prefer to get it all out, as opposed to reducing by half, but depends on how high your levels are. I would also start running some filter carbon if I were you.

Ok I have done two 50% ones now I am gonna do one 100% or really close to it one. I am running some carbon also. I hope this works out. On the bright side my tank will be stable when I go up to my cabin again this fall.

Hope so!

In addition Jamie's advise, I would use Super Bac bacteria.
This should help to re-establish your biological filtration.
I have used this in my 5.5 in the beginning and when I
had ammonia spikes due to adding too many things at
The same time. Believe it easy to crash 5.5 temperate
tank. If you can not find Super Bac maybe Biospira if they
Still make it. If all goes well, you should see a drop in
Ammonia and a rise in nitrites. Maybe in a week or so.
You may even raise the temp a degree to speed the
metabolism up a bit. Good luck.

H

Thanks man! I should probably go out and get some.

sweet tank

Thanks!

Well I just finished doing another 100% water change, only this time I took everything out of the tank and put it into a 10g holding tank. I got all of the dead stuff out (there was more than I thought) and threw it away. Then I put new water in the tank, and made a new rockscape that looks in my opinion waaay better. Currently the tank is at 68.5 degrees and cooling (dang mixing pumps warmed the water) so I will soon be taking the critters from the 10g and putting them into the 15g. My water is still oddly cloudy, I am thinking it was because I stirred up the sand bed. I am gonna put some filter floss into the overflow, there is already a bunch of carbon there so those two should help a lot. I think I am going to keep doing water changes daily for a week or so or until I feel its stable. I will try to post pics if the water is cleared up after I add in everything from the 10g.

Ok well its time for a pic update. Well I had a lot of die off but the tank appears to be stable now. I lost my two biggest tube worms and some other stuff. All of my nems appear to be happy except my huge one, He won't attach to the damn bottom so I have to move him to where there is super low water movement, so hes unhappy right now. Anyway, I have a new rockscape that I like a lot more, more room for fish (hopefully a spiny lumpsucker later on) to swim around and a lot more eye appealing.

Current FTS


Cool nem I need an ID for.


And some more shots:

Really Nice!

Thanks!

Things are looking pretty good. I'm not sure which nem you're referring to. The one in the very center of the pic, behind that duster? I think it's metridium senile, but it's hard to tell in that pic.

The pink/orange one in the center. I only have one of them and didn't even know it was there till I rearranged everything.

So you think the new scape is an improvement?

I think it is... I like the new scape.

+1

Good to hear! Thanks guys. Now that it's* starting (or is) to become stable it will be a lot easier to stock next time I go up to my cabin.

I can't wait to see what you get the next time around. I am so jealous you have access to the coast to be able to get stuff.

Haha I am glad I have this access too. I love the place, I have been going there since I was little. Its been in our family for over 80 years so my dad has been going there since he was little too, this tank is his favourite because of that too.



Here a pic of the beach (its in front of the cabin, which is up to the right). The cabin is also over 80 years old, no TV internet etc. I love it there.

Sorry for the crappy pic, its with my cell.

Nice.. it looks really peaceful there.

Ya it is...usually. That was during the winter (I know it was February and nice lol) so the water is flat, usually there are waves from ferries and other boats.

Thanks again lol.

Ok just did some tests, my tank is under control!!!! Yay! I am gonna post some more pics because everything is open and happy!

Ehh what the heck. Its a cool pic.

I like that big fat anemone in the middle.

Me too, it looks kind of like a bubble tip nem to me haha. It is actually called a painted anemone though.

yay! It's looking good. Watch out for those shore crabs, they'll climb outta the tank if they can. My mom found mine crawling down the stairs one day!

Haha my dad found one just yesterday all the way downstairs too!!!! I really like them though, I have the orange one and a redish green one for sure, a little white one is still MIA.

I am glad everything is happy. Means the tank is ready to support a spiny lumpsucker!!!!

Now you just have to find one.

Haha yea, the hard part. But I know they come into the shallows when it gets colder (the fall and winter) . As for keeping it alive while I am up there I am thinking put it in some sort of little cage out in the water, like attached to a buoy, I know that sounds mean but then its in the purest and least stressful water possible. I will feed it everyday while its out there too, but I am sure they like most fish can go for a while without eating. My dad caught one when he was younger (along with some other little critters*) and while they were all in the bucket the lumpsucker ate them. So (confirmed by Wombat) I am pretty sure I will be able to keep him well fed. Whew theres my plan now I just need to find one.

Hopefully you will find one.
And here is also hoping your MIA white crab doesn't end up stinking your bedroom up some time. That would suck.
But gotta love that huge nem.

Haha yea that little crab will be nothing, when I had that die off it smelled terrible. I love the ocean and have been around it my whole life...and it was bad haha. I love the nem too, I am glad it is doing so well. They seem to be pretty tough, hes been peeled off of rock and glass several times haha. Doesn't it kinda look like a bubble tip? Well kinda anyway.

I am really hoping to find one, I might be able to top Jamie's tank if I find one

Yes I agree that nem does look a bit like a bubble tip which is cool. Perhaps it is a cold water cousin.

I dunno. I would ask Jamie haha. I am trying to figure out if its a little bit photosynthetic, it would be cool if it is.

Also, I AM GETTING A CAMERA!!! pretty soon anyway...

Well it may be a little, but however you have your tank set up right now it seems to be happy so keep doing what you are doing with it.

I guess they live down to as deep as 100 feet so I am starting to think they aren't photosynthetic.

I am really happy with the tank, I mean I had some die off but now that it is stable its pretty dang cool.

Well I can't wait to see some more pics when you get your new camera.

Ya neither can I. The problem is I won't have a macro lens yet ($$$$$$$) so the pictures will be mostly FTS. I am also a DSLR noob so it will be fun* to learn.

Well if you have a zoom lense with it, as long as you stand back and do a bit of a zoom you can get some decent upclose shots.

Also for macro lenses, check on ebay for some decent cheap ones. My mom got an awsome set for her Canon DSLR camera that just screws on over the reg lense like a UV filter. It works great! I keep on tryint to convince her to let me borrow her camera.

Cool. Well my dads friends daughters are big into photography (think college scholarships) so I might be able to get, or borrow a few lenses from them. Albeit their cameras are worth over 3k and they have a lens worth over 1k but it will be a fun experience haha.

Its not really a zoom lens either its just a basic 18-55 mm. I may be able to take some pics but they won't look as good as Lalanis for example. Also, you use photoshop right? I am gonna need to learn (and buy eek $$$) to use it down the road.