Hitchhiker's Cove - Mini-re-boot

[Weetabix7]

1 hour ago, Thunder Goose said:

I did have missing crabs and a green banded goby but I thought it was because the tank was so new. Plus I tend to overfeed. I'm getting the other livestock out as I can catch them. 

 

It's weird that she hid so well - I've seen her every day since the discovery. AND I spent a lot of time checking out the tank for hitchhikers.

 

Gonna be a busy week.

 

I agree, that's weird. 

I like your choice of name for her, will be interesting to see how this changes moving forward. 

Wishing you a successful weekend. 

[Thunder Goose]

Still working on the tank. But I was able to catch up Sally and move her to Tranquility Base. I'm not sure what The Husband did but he's much lighter in color than this and kind of pink (the original image is very dark - it's my cell phone camera, how can you screw up one of those?)

 

 

I also pulled the Gorgonians and macroalgae so I'm largely starting over with decor.

 

Here's my current rockwork (tank is a little cloudy still).

 

 

I like the big tall rock to the left but it's unstable. Right now i have a rock tucked behind to hold it up but I don't like that rock so I may change it somehow.

 

What do you think? Since changing things around I've already gotten better looks at Tlaloc than I did before. She's been out investigating so I don't want to add a lot but I feel like I need something! I'm hoping for some good suggestions so let's hear 'em!

[JoeR]

What is the orange one in the middle? What type of sponge?

[Thunder Goose]

38 minutes ago, JoeR said:

What is the orange one in the middle? What type of sponge?

KP aquatics calls them yellow frilly sponges. I got it as a freebie from Tampa Bay saltwater.

[Thunder Goose]

Deep sigh.

 

I spent the week moving critters from Hitchhiker's Cove Tlalacon to Tranquility Base (which is now a bit overcrowded) and I'm cranky. Tlaloc killed A LOT of the critters I loved so much. Most of them, in fact. The tank now looks like sterile.

 

I did move several corals from Tranquility Base to Tlalacon - rearranging what's where - but for moving things I'm down to 5 Astrea snails , Tlaloc the Mantis Shrimp and one porcelain crab that I haven't been able to catch.

 

Problem number 1: I'm not sure what to do about the porcelain crab. Yesterday I discovered Tranquility Base's starfish eating an emerald crab so that's not a safe place and the sump holds Dexter, the Homicidal Hermit Crab so that's not safe, either. 

 

[and my in-laws are coming to stay with us this weekend so I'm quite busy with other things or I'd put her up for sale on the local reefing site.]

 

My second problem now is that Tlaloc isn't very interesting. At most I get a glimpse of her once a day or once every other day. This tank used to FASCINATE me constantly. I said when I started this that I would take the hitchhikers as they came. I'm re-thinking that decision.

 

So here's my next plan - sell/ give away Tlalacon to someone who will appreciate her. If I can catch them, move some of the original inhabitants back into HC. Only this time, instead of focusing on a Florida Biotope I'm thinking crustaceans. Porcelain crabs (there are several types), pom pom crabs, strawberry crab, decorator crabs, tiny hermits (like the blue legs - I moved several of them, I can probably catch them to move back), Pederson's shrimp, a fire shrimp (unless I can catch the peppermint I moved into TB), sexies (I have three in TB but I wouldn't mind more for HC). A rocky shoreline kind of motif.

 

Yeah, I think that might help. 

 

And get some mud and critters to help restore the micro brittle shrimp population.

 

At least I still have my supper cool rock with all the tunicates (finger's crossed Tlaloc doesn't get a taste for them).

 

Whew.

 

Not what I had planned when I started this adventure back in June. That I would basically go through 3 set ups in a year, but that's part of the adventure and part of the journey. And it keeps me off the streets! Cheers!

[samnaz]

Post a pic of the tunicates! I wanna see em. 

[Thunder Goose]

Ask and ye shall receive...

 

 

 

 

 

[Thunder Goose]

I found a new home for Tlaloc! She's gonna to move Wisconsin, the land of crabs a plenty! Well that's why I'm telling her. Her next servant owner says he has access to plenty of green crabs and she'll have a 40 breeder to live in (much better than my IM14). Yipee! Now I have to catch her so I can ship her on Monday. Better not plan anything else for Monday.

 

In the meantime I did get some pictures of her - she was out and carrying around a piece of shell. Not a crab shell, some shell that came in with my live sand. Not sure what her plans were (conquering the world, maybe?) but I traded her for a piece of clam. See some bad cell phone pictures below.

 

 

 

 

[samnaz]

I'm surprised you found her a new home so soon, and a superb one at that.

 

Look at her out and about, doing her thing in broad daylight, and she's so large.. still weirds me out. Must be lighting fast, eh?  

 

Oh, and good luck with the catch   

[Weetabix7]

23 hours ago, Thunder Goose said:

Ask and ye shall receive...

 

 

 

 

 

 

I LOVE those tunicates, very, very cool looking!!! 

 

I'm glad you found a good new home for Tlaloc. She looks cool in those pics!!

What did you mean when you said you traded her for a "piece of Clam"?

[Weetabix7]

13 minutes ago, samnaz said:

 

Oh, and good luck with the catch   

 

Yeah, no kidding!! 

[Thunder Goose]

5 minutes ago, Weetabix7 said:

 

I LOVE those tunicates, very, very cool looking!!! 

 

I'm glad you found a good new home for Tlaloc. She looks cool in those pics!!

What did you mean when you said you traded her for a "piece of Clam"?

I gave her a piece of clam and she dropped the rubble she was carrying. If I had more free time (ha ha) and was interested I bet she'd be trainable.

[Weetabix7]

21 minutes ago, Thunder Goose said:

I gave her a piece of clam and she dropped the rubble she was carrying. If I had more free time (ha ha) and was interested I bet she'd be trainable.

 

Ah, now I get it!! 

 

From what I know, Mantis Shrimp are very smart, so it wouldn't surprise me at all if she was trainable. 

[Thunder Goose]

Well, Tlaloc is on her way to her new home in Wisconsin. It was easier to catch her than I expected. I knew which rock she liked to hide inside of, pulled it out into a bucket and maybe 10 minutes of poking and squirting water into holes with a turkey baster and out she came.

 

Now I have to re-decide what to do with this tank. My original plan was a Florida/Caribbean biotope with lots of gorgonians.

 

I've since moved the gorgonians to the "big" tank where they really add something and I like 'em! So I don't want to move them back.

 

I could go back to Florida biotope or I could switch things up. Mostly I want 1) a different look than my "big" tank and 2) lots of invertebrates. So now I have to spend some quality time thinking about it.

 

[lkoechle]

They are trainable.  Yoshii comes out with two taps on the glass.  thats the dinner bell

[Weetabix7]

2 hours ago, Thunder Goose said:

Well, Tlaloc is on her way to her new home in Wisconsin. It was easier to catch her than I expected. I knew which rock she liked to hide inside of, pulled it out into a bucket and maybe 10 minutes of poking and squirting water into holes with a turkey baster and out she came.

 

Now I have to re-decide what to do with this tank. My original plan was a Florida/Caribbean biotope with lots of gorgonians.

 

I've since moved the gorgonians to the "big" tank where they really add something and I like 'em! So I don't want to move them back.

 

I could go back to Florida biotope or I could switch things up. Mostly I want 1) a different look than my "big" tank and 2) lots of invertebrates. So now I have to spend some quality time thinking about it.

 

 

So glad you caught her easily!!

 

If you can post a pic of what your "big" tank looks like, maybe we could help with ideas for this one. 

[Thunder Goose]

Here's Tranquility Base, my "big" tank (55 gal ID). I have trouble getting good pictures. I assume it's because the sand is white and the back is black. If I had my druthers  I'd have more natural looking (tan) sand and a blue background but you take what you get and learn from your mistakes.

 

It's a low angle (to avoid the sand) but the anemone on the left reaches to within a few inches of the surface.

 

[Lula_Mae]

17 hours ago, Thunder Goose said:

Well, Tlaloc is on her way to her new home in Wisconsin. It was easier to catch her than I expected. I knew which rock she liked to hide inside of, pulled it out into a bucket and maybe 10 minutes of poking and squirting water into holes with a turkey baster and out she came.

 

Now I have to re-decide what to do with this tank. My original plan was a Florida/Caribbean biotope with lots of gorgonians.

 

I've since moved the gorgonians to the "big" tank where they really add something and I like 'em! So I don't want to move them back.

 

I could go back to Florida biotope or I could switch things up. Mostly I want 1) a different look than my "big" tank and 2) lots of invertebrates. So now I have to spend some quality time thinking about it.

 

Buy some gorgs from KP Aquatics or Gulf Coast Ecosystems and put them in here.

[Thunder Goose]

Picts for @Wheetabix7

 

Since I can't insert these into DM.

 

Cladophora

 

 

Front and back of mystery arrival.

 

 

 

 

They look similar but the texture and density are different.

 

[Weetabix7]

3 hours ago, Thunder Goose said:

Picts for @Wheetabix7

 

Since I can't insert these into DM.

 

Cladophora

 

 

Front and back of mystery arrival.

 

 

 

 

They look similar but the texture and density are different.

 

 

A ha!!!!

First pic is actually Chaetomorpha, it was part of the Refugium Starter you got. 

The second pic is actually the Cladophora. 

[Thunder Goose]

1 hour ago, Weetabix7 said:

 

A ha!!!!

First pic is actually Chaetomorpha, it was part of the Refugium Starter you got. 

The second pic is actually the Cladophora. 

Ah! That makes sense. For some reason I didn't remember chaeto was part of the refugium starter. Thanks.

[Thunder Goose]

It's been a long time since I've updated. Let's see, what's happened?

 

I got rid of a mantis shrimp.

 

I added a two spot blenny.

 

 

I moved some acan frags into the tank.

[picts coming soon - NR doesn't want to add any more even though I'm under the limit]

I returned some of the gorgonians.

[ditto]

I spotted a mystery crab in one of my sponges.

[ditto]

BUT - I'm still hearing snapping and my green clown goby vanished, as have my larger crabs (although they might be hiding, I don't always see them).

 

 

Could I have another mantis shrimp? I've searched for a snapping shrimp and haven't found one or found a good burrow as evidence of one. I think whatever is snapping is in the same holey rock the last mantis was in - which means it will be hard to get at. I guess I need to pull that rock out and try and chase everything out of it to see what's snapping.

 

 

 

[Thunder Goose]

[Hobbs]

Just found this thread, super cool tank! Love all the photos 

[Christopher Marks]

Wow another mantis! The snapping seems to be the same as before? Mostly at night?

 

I wonder if you could set a trap of some sort to lure it out. I can't remember how you removed the last one.