albertthiel Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 Fly-over Videos of Whitsunday Islands, Great Barrier Reef Videos worth watching ! © Leonard Ho and Advanced Aquarist Link to the videos : http://tinyurl.com/8gw3zxw Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 (edited) Hi Albert, I have a hitch hiker crab in my reef, it must have been there for quite some time as I have only noticed it last week. I would guess it is approximately 2-3 cm and is very illusive, never comes out in the open. It has black claws and is grey in colour. Sorry, not possible to get a picture, I can hardly see him with my eye let alone get a picture. I am wondering if you know of a good ID site/link for marine reef crabs and could pass it along. I have never seen this species before. Thanks Christine If it has black claws it is probably a Stone crab and not one you want in the tank ... does it look like this one: And here is a link to info on them : http://www.facebook.com/notes/beautiful-be...ab/382119896676 This site shows you quite a few ... : http://www.okeefes.org/Crabs/crab_photos.htm And here is another article by James Fatherree: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/12/inverts Hope this helps but if it is a Stone Crab I would for sure get it out of the tank ... Albert Edited October 27, 2012 by albertthiel Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 Crabs in the Marine Aquarium © By James W. Fatherree, M.Sc. and Advanced Aquarist A more complete article on the types of Crabs you may find in your Tank With pictures of the various types. Link to the article : http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/12/inverts Albert Quote Link to comment
Paul.b Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 (edited) I respect your approach but I am also sure that a lot of readers will disagree with it and want to intervene when they see pest "whatevers". If I worried about every event in this tank I would be more bald than I am and that is not possable. To me it is a hobby and a source of awe and wonder, if it becomes a problem or source of frustration and fear, I will get a different hobby. (I am also a combat Veteran so very little bothers me now) Having said that, I think I have been lucky with these events. Seeing the flatworms were not harming anything I chose to leave them alone as I also think of this as a learning experience. I could have eliminated them any time with "Flatworm Exit" Hair algae I battled for years until I found that it is much easier to come to an agreement with it by allowing it to grow where I want it to grow and not on my corals. This is not a passe attitude but a well planned out approach to eliminating it in my main reef where there is none. Algae grows on every healthy reef and if it did not, that reef would have a problem. If you dive you see hoards of tangs, urchins, slugs, chitens, sea hares, rabbitfish, algae bleenies etc. They are there to eat algae and if no algae grew, those animals would not live there. Those animals keep the algae so short that you don't see it, but it is there. I have dove on many reefs for many years and if you know where to look, you will see it. If you dive at night especially you will wonder where all those urchins were hiding in the day. I want algae in my system but I want it to grow where I want it and no place else. My algae trough acomplishes that for me. What many hobbiests see as pests I see as life. Not all of it but some. Now after doing nothing there is no algae visable in my tank, no flatworms, very little cyano, and no diatoms. But there are 19 year old spawning fish. I also have used no chemicals or treatments in years as I prefer a natural approach. My reef is viewed by many as wierd (as I am ) Under gravel filter indeed But when I started this hobby, I was the only one in it so I had no one to go to for advice but my tank and my microscope. Almost every animal I have kept I have spent time with in the sea. I also never push my ideas on anyone as I know how old school and wierd they sound. Someone wrote me once to tell me I killed all his fish because I wrote to put Clorox in his tank. He put it in there with his fish. Like Duh. Certainly not the nicest tank on here, but not overrun with anything either. Edited October 27, 2012 by Paul.b Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 If I worried about every event in this tank I would be more bald than I am and that is not possable. To me it is a hobby and a source of awe and wonder, if it becomes a problem or source of frustration and fear, I will get a different hobby. (I am also a combat Veteran so very little bothers me now) Having said that, I think I have been lucky with these events. Seeing the flatworms were not harming anything I chose to leave them alone as I also think of this as a learning experience. I could have eliminated them any time with "Flatworm Exit" Hair algae I battled for years until I found that it is much easier to come to an agreement with it by allowing it to grow where I want it to grow and not on my corals. This is not a passe attitude but a well planned out approach to eliminating it in my main reef where there is none. Algae grows on every healthy reef and if it did not, that reef would have a problem. If you dive you see hoards of tangs, urchins, slugs, chitens, sea hares, rabbitfish, algae bleenies etc. They are there to eat algae and if no algae grew, those animals would not live there. Those animals keep the algae so short that you don't see it, but it is there. I have dove on many reefs for many years and if you know where to look, you will see it. If you dive at night especially you will wonder where all those urchins were hiding in the day. I want algae in my system but I want it to grow where I want it and no place else. My algae trough acomplishes that for me. What many hobbiests see as pests I see as life. Not all of it but some. Now after doing nothing there is no algae visable in my tank, no flatworms, very little cyano, and no diatoms. But there are 19 year old spawning fish. I also have used no chemicals or treatments in years as I prefer a natural approach. My reef is viewed by many as wierd (as I am ) Under gravel filter indeed But when I started this hobby, I was the only one in it so I had no one to go to for advice but my tank and my microscope. Almost every animal I have kept I have spent time with in the sea. I also never push my ideas on anyone as I know how old school and wierd they sound. Someone wrote me once to tell me I killed all his fish because I wrote to put Clorox in his tank. He put it in there with his fish. Like Duh. Sound approach indeed Paul, and yes I know about your algae trough where you have your algae growing well and very few in the tank itself. Of course that trough that you came up with is somewhat akin to what people nowadays call a refugium ... but you were ahead of the game on that one too ! Maybe hobbyists put more on the fuges than what you have in the trough but I am not sure since I do not know what you have in it. And yes algae are on the reef and are kept under control as you point out by a great variety of life forms not the least of which are the Urchins who can consume large amounts of them indeed. Great attitude on the way you look at pests. As I said it's all a matter of attitude and as you say it is a hobby and if we have to get "high blood pressure" and "panick attacks" when we see something wrong then it is not a hobby anymore as you point out. Your approach is indeed unconventional but as I have posted before " "it works ". Gee ... I can't believe that that hobbyist actually put the Clorox in his tank ... it kills everything, and very quickly too, as all halogenated products will do, although according to the FDA it may not kill "cryptosporidium" but then that is not one we have in our tanks as it is a human intestinal protozoan. Go figure putting Clorox IN the tank itself ... Albert Quote Link to comment
Paul.b Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 Maybe hobbyists put more on the fuges than what you have in the trough but I am not sure since I do not know what you have in it. My algae trough kind of forces algae to grow in there as it offers the algae better growing conditions than the reef itself. The water is flowing fast and it is very shallow. It is lit with many LEDs and an important part is that on the bottom of it is a PVC screen that I have infused with cement. Algae just loves cement and grows on it profusely, much better than the plastic screen alone. Fuges work well but I find that they are too deep. The ones that are vertical where the water drips on them I feel is a better design. That is also why I am using a revolving design on my new prototype. I notice at the edge of tide pools or even here in New York at low tide, the algae grows much better on the wet rocks that are exposed at low tide than the rocks that are continousely submerged. It is just a matter of observation. I think if we looked closer at how nature works we would have less problems with our tanks. Nature does not eliminate things or as we call them pests, it works with them to it's advantage so everything prospers. We may have to tweek that a little in a captive reef but there are ways to use some of these seeming annoyances to our advantage. Not always, but sometimes. That is what makes this hobby so facinating, it is alive and not stagnent like stamp collecting. My tank is not supposed to be a showpiece, it is not in a mall but in my home. I have fun with it because it is a "hobby" and not a "job". Experiment, tweek, change, have fun. Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 Pests Invading the Reef Aquarium Hobby: Part 1 - Red Bugs & Nudibranchs Part 2 - Flatworms, Snails & Limpets © LiveAquaria : this is not a technical paper but it does give some useful advice IMO Links: 1. http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general...ral_pagesid=351 2. http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general...ral_pagesid=362 Albert Quote Link to comment
eitallent Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 In 1971 I think those blue devils were $7.00 each. To let some people know how much that was in 1971, gas was about 50 cents a gallon and I brought home about $52.00 a week as a union electrician apprentice in Manhattan That was a good year for both you and me. In 1971 I flew on Pan Am into New York as a legal immigrant to begin my life in America! Yes but now we will get into very old school methods and you will look at me and say. "Really"Does he Really want us to believe that? Well I guess the Clorox was kind of up there but I didn't invent that. I do know how to cure ich in a day and Pop Eye in a minute. Of course our fish should never get ich, mine don't because I found the secret while diving but I think it is too much typing for one day and I don't want to bore you too much on my first day. I will let Albert talk for a while as he is very good at this fish stuff. Your baby brine shrimp feeder is great as is the PVC cement-clad construction. I could read your and Albert's posts all day! I am addicted! Thank you for your generous contributions. I am not worthy! Quote Link to comment
Paul.b Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 So far I have not had many of those pests that are described in those links but I am sure many people had. Again, I don't know why. You would be amazed at the unbelievable amount of things that I don't know, it is mind boggling. I am glad I had guys like you who could figure out some of these things scientifically. Did I mention I did refer to your book numerous times in the past and still do occasionally. Thank you for your generous contributions. I am not worthy! Oh stop. I am making all of this stuff up, but Albert really knows his stuff. Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 My algae trough kind of forces algae to grow in there as it offers the algae better growing conditions than the reef itself. The water is flowing fast and it is very shallow. It is lit with many LEDs and an important part is that on the bottom of it is a PVC screen that I have infused with cement. Algae just loves cement and grows on it profusely, much better than the plastic screen alone. Fuges work well but I find that they are too deep. The ones that are vertical where the water drips on them I feel is a better design. That is also why I am using a revolving design on my new prototype.I notice at the edge of tide pools or even here in New York at low tide, the algae grows much better on the wet rocks that are exposed at low tide than the rocks that are continousely submerged. It is just a matter of observation. I think if we looked closer at how nature works we would have less problems with our tanks. Nature does not eliminate things or as we call them pests, it works with them to it's advantage so everything prospers. We may have to tweek that a little in a captive reef but there are ways to use some of these seeming annoyances to our advantage. Not always, but sometimes. That is what makes this hobby so facinating, it is alive and not stagnent like stamp collecting. My tank is not supposed to be a showpiece, it is not in a mall but in my home. I have fun with it because it is a "hobby" and not a "job". Experiment, tweek, change, have fun. Yes I remember those algae trough for the old days when we used to use contraptions similar to the one you use but not with the cement ... interesting that the algae do better when the screening is coated with the cement. When I was using them in the 80's/90's I just used the screening and it was actually on freshwater plant tanks first, not even on marine tanks. Great info as usual Paul ... keep it coming ... thanks. And yes as you say sometimes we need to sit back and just let things happen rather than tamper with the tank all the time and create more problems sometimes than we had to begin with. And you are right ... it is for our enjoyment ... not a showpiece that "the Queen of England" is coming to inspect :-) I have to think about that cement one some more and see whether I can incorporate it in my 20 gallon set up but I already have an HOB filter hanging on it and an HOB skimmer so there is not much space for a trough .. but maybe I can move things around a bit and create some space for it, alhtough it will be rather short, but maybe it may help (although I don't have any hair or other type of algae in the tank, except for those red bubbles I had/have). Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 Oh stop. I am making all of this stuff up, but Albert really knows his stuff. No you are not making it up ... We know you are not from reading all the posts on those other forums and in articles etc. Paul ... So keep it coming as I said .. you still have a truckfull of information you can share I know Albert Quote Link to comment
Paul.b Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 (edited) interesting that the algae do better when the screening is coated with the cement. I found that out by observing my tank when algae was growing in it. Algae would always grow first on the cement rocks and as I said,that red stuff "only" grows on cement rocks, in my reef anyway. I don't know if it is the silicate in the cement or the lime. You would know better about that than I would, I just know it works. My trough does not take up any usable space because it is above the tank to the rear. I don't have a sump so I had no where else to put the thing. It's just a PVC fence post sliced in half. Another benefit of the trough in my tank is that is shades the back of the tank so that it appears black. I like that look. Edited October 27, 2012 by Paul.b Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 I am glad I had guys like you who could figure out some of these things scientifically.Did I mention I did refer to your book numerous times in the past and still do occasionally. Yes, you did mention it and I am glad you do ... I wish I still had all the Marine Reef Newsletters I wrote and published as there are some very interesting articles in there especially by some author who called him or herself "The BlackFriar", you may have heard of him/her. Albert That was a good year for both you and me. In 1971 I flew on Pan Am into New York as a legal immigrant to begin my life in America! Your baby brine shrimp feeder is great as is the PVC cement-clad construction. I could read your and Albert's posts all day! I am addicted! Thank you for your generous contributions. I am not worthy! eitallent ... 1971 .. wow .. and here I thought you were 18 or 19 ... And yes indeed that brine shrimp feeder thingie is great indeed .. clever and ingenious ... Albert Quote Link to comment
Paul.b Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 That was a good year for both you and me. In 1971 I flew on Pan Am into New York as a legal immigrant to begin my life in America! That was a very good year for me also. I flew into New York on TWA from a place I was not real happy to be in to return to my life in America. Welcome here. So we have something in common. Quote Link to comment
eitallent Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 And yes as you say sometimes we need to sit back and just let things happen rather than tamper with the tank all the time and create more problems sometimes than we had to begin with.Albert As you have probably deduced from reading my posts, I enjoy constantly fiddling with my humble aquarium set up. Case in point, I moved my little Emerald crab, Ozzie into my homemade refugium and this is what started growing in the DT without him there to eat it: Balance is why there is a living organism in every niche of nature. I threw off my balance when I moved Ozzie into the refugium.Oh well, we learn from doing. That was a very good year for me also. I flew into New York on TWA from a place I was not real happy to be in to return to my life in America. Welcome here. So we have something in common. Gosh, you were just a baby! Hooray for 1971! Quote Link to comment
Paul.b Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 That growth is perfectly fine, normal and healthy. Ozzie should be proud. Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 I found that out by observing my tank when algae was growing in it. Algae would always grow first on the cement rocks and as I said,that red stuff "only" grows on cement rocks, in my reef anyway.I don't know if it is the silicate in the cement or the lime. You would know better about that than I would, I just know it works. My trough does not take up any usable space because it is above the tank to the rear. I don't have a sump so I had no where else to put the thing. It's just a PVC fence post sliced in half. Another benefit of the trough in my tank is that is shades the back of the tank so that it appears black. I like that look. My tank is a 20 galon High and with a HOB filter and an HOB skimmer I don't have much space but I could move the skimmer to the narrow side maybe and then have the long back side available for a trough ... I have to think about that as I may be able to get one of those going using a small output power head on one side for the input and just a screen opening on the end of it for the outflow .. I'll let you know what I figure out ... Nice pics btw ... Thanks Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 That was a very good year for me also. I flew into New York on TWA from a place I was not real happy to be in to return to my life in America. Welcome here. Yes I ams sure you were glad to "come back at all" as so many unfortunately did not. And yes you do look young in that pic ! Albert Quote Link to comment
eitallent Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 eitallent ... 1971 .. wow .. and here I thought you were 18 or 19 ... Albert Well you are only off by 20 years ... I have a daughter in college and a son who is in his last year of high school. I had a salt water tank in Miami in 1984 for a few years. The technology sure has evolved. I returned to this great hobby because I love the ocean and now I am far away from it. I snorkeled off John Pennecamp Coral Reef State Park and took my kids to the beach four to five times a week. With masks and snorkels we explored the shallows. They ran after peek-a-boo crabs and seagulls. What fun! Quote Link to comment
NanoTopia Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 If it has black claws it is probably a Stone crab and not one you want in the tank ... does it look like this one: Hope this helps but if it is a Stone Crab I would for sure get it out of the tank ... Albert Thanks Albert, the closest thing I could find was a stone crab however, the claws are not as big, this may be due to it being a juvenile, around an inch diameter. Only way to catch this guy would be by trap. I will have to make one. No rush as he is not causing any trouble so far, but it will have to be done sooner than later. Thanks, Christine Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 (edited) Well you are only off by 20 years ... I have a daughter in college and a son who is in his last year of high school. I had a salt water tank in Miami in 1984 for a few years. The technology sure has evolved. I returned to this great hobby because I love the ocean and now I am far away from it. I snorkeled off John Pennecamp Coral Reef State Park and took my kids to the beach four to five times a week. With masks and snorkels we explored the shallows. They ran after peek-a-boo crabs and seagulls. What fun! Guess you are the baby of us two then as I turned 69 in September ... When I lived in CT I would go to Long Island Sound and get in the marshlands, and we used to go to Long Island on the ocean side and hang around there and explore but, to be honest, the water was a bit too cold there to snorkel for any length of time, but it "was" fun, just aw what you describe you did in FL. And of course there was not that much to see there ... not like John Pennecamp ... We did see some fish though but nothing tropical like they see now as some fish seem to have migrated up the Gulfstream and all kinds of fish are now found along the Jersy and L.I coast that were never there in the days I was around that area. When I say all kinds of fish I mean not the least of which is all the Lionfish that have turned up and about which quite a few articles where written, in fact I published a link to one of them on this thread a week or two ago. In case you are interested in them here is a link to the posts about them (I used the search feature) http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...ite=%2Blionfish Albert Edited October 27, 2012 by albertthiel Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 Thanks Albert, the closest thing I could find was a stone crab however, the claws are not as big, this may be due to it being a juvenile, around an inch diameter. Only way to catch this guy would be by trap. I will have to make one. No rush as he is not causing any trouble so far, but it will have to be done sooner than later. Thanks, Christine Yes that sounds right given it has those black claws. Catching them is not that easy but a trap will work or should work and as you say since it is still a very small one no rush indeed but soon ... Happy catching ... yet another first I guess ... Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 Thanks Albert, the closest thing I could find was a stone crab however, the claws are not as big, this may be due to it being a juvenile, around an inch diameter. Only way to catch this guy would be by trap. I will have to make one. No rush as he is not causing any trouble so far, but it will have to be done sooner than later. Thanks, Christine Here is a link to a video on a Stone crab and on the right side on the screen you'll see links other videos. Now the other nasty one is the Gorilla Crab but based on your description that is not what you seem to have but you may want to do a search for that one to see picture of it as well. Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 Paul Baldassano’s Reef - 40 Years in the Making © Paul Baldassano and reefkeeping.com For those who had not seen it, here is a link to Paul's 40 Years + Reef Tank Link : http://tinyurl.com/97k4es3 Albert Quote Link to comment
albertthiel Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 The “So You Can Go Out of Town for a Few Days” piece of equipment Written By Chris Burns The Brine Shrimp Feeder based on Paul's design Full explanation on how to make your own Link : http://www.aquarium-design.com/invert/seahorsefeeder.html Albert Quote Link to comment
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