Cephalopico - ajmckay's Creative container Final FTS

[ajmckay]

Final FTS:

IMG_20180331_235916 by aaron M, on Flickr

 

 

Back story: I've been considering building a pico from one of the OXO Good Grips 4qt. containers (with the pop lids) but they're expensive for what you get.  One day I saw these commercial food containers at Panda Express and found a good deal on them at Sam's Club for 6qt. square ones.  I asked a friend to buy it for me last week but when I got it unfortunately saw that the graduation markings were molded into the plastic and I couldn't remove the ink completely! Bummer!  In a last ditch effort to enter the contest I stopped by a local restaurant supply and found a container that has only printed markings (which I will remove using isopropyl alcohol)!  It's round - which may actually work better but it seems that the plastic scratches easier than the square.

 

Anyways here's my entry! 

photo by aaron M, on Flickr

 

Here's the container I wanted to use but I don't like the markings:

photo 1 by aaron M, on Flickr

[ajmckay]

Old FTS:

 

Dec-2017 (first month it got wet): 

1230171144 by aaron M, on Flickr

 

Jan-2018:

2018-01-31_10-51-57 by aaron M, on Flickr

 

Feb-2018:

2018-03-03_12-00-17 by aaron M, on Flickr

[jahnje]

Welcome to the Cambro club. :-) We'll show those folks in the anchor hawking club a thing or two!!

 

 

[ajmckay]

14 hours ago, jahnje said:

Welcome to the Cambro club. :-) We'll show those folks in the anchor hawking club a thing or two!!

 

 

Haha! that's great - though I believe mine is the "Carlisle" brand.  Red lid.  Still it looks about the same - or at least it did before I spent a few minutes using rubbing alcohol to remove the measurement indicators.

 

I think we're in the minority with plastic containers.  We'll have excellent clarity with durability being the trade off.  I'm planning to epoxy the rockwork together so once in a while everything can be taken out and then I can use a vinegar solution or something to help clean the tank. 

[jahnje]

4 hours ago, ajmckay said:

I think we're in the minority with plastic containers.  We'll have excellent clarity with durability being the trade off.  I'm planning to epoxy the rockwork together so once in a while everything can be taken out and then I can use a vinegar solution or something to help clean the tank. 

My plan is to mount everything to some egg crate, and then pull the whole thing out and move it to a different similar container for "100% WC".  Will wait until the contest is over 'cause I'm not sure if that's fair or not. Also gives me a place to hide my heater etc. While having some flow under stuff. The egg crate will be raised up just a bit.  

[ajmckay]

So things are a little slow getting off the ground but moving some...  At least I'm ordering parts.

 

Ordered a cheap PAR bulb on eBay, it's probably not that great but this is 6 quarts so I'm not too concerned

Also ordered a tiny ass pump for it.  Both on their way from China.  

 

In deciding what to stock - I'm thinking this will be mostly simple shrimps & crabs...  Going super cheap.  

 

In cleaning my 40b today though I found a tiny bleached mini carpet nem - not sure where it came from but it might be making it's home in this pico.

IMG_0835 by aaron M, on Flickr

 

 

 

[vlangel]

I also have taken coral that was languishing in my big tank and have moved to the pico jar.

[ajmckay]

14 hours ago, vlangel said:

I also have taken coral that was languishing in my big tank and have moved to the pico jar.

Hmmmm well the anemone is pretty tiny (that's a frag plug in the picture).

 

Just looked and the pom pom crab is holding it at the back of the tank.  Not sure why - maybe it's going to eat it?  Or maybe it thinks it can somehow use a third wavy nem (it's got both it's anemones)?

 

Edit: decided that this probably isn't the best situation for the bleached nem so I tried to use some long forceps to steal it away from the pom pom.  Unfortunately that's easier said than done in a tiny Fluval Spec III.  It's got some kind of super grip on the thing and I really don't want to knock off any appendages from my awesome crab.  Will try again tomorrow - probably with a net.

 

[Lula_Mae]

12 hours ago, ajmckay said:

Hmmmm well the anemone is pretty tiny (that's a frag plug in the picture).

 

Just looked and the pom pom crab is holding it at the back of the tank.  Not sure why - maybe it's going to eat it?  Or maybe it thinks it can somehow use a third wavy nem (it's got both it's anemones)?

 

Edit: decided that this probably isn't the best situation for the bleached nem so I tried to use some long forceps to steal it away from the pom pom.  Unfortunately that's easier said than done in a tiny Fluval Spec III.  It's got some kind of super grip on the thing and I really don't want to knock off any appendages from my awesome crab.  Will try again tomorrow - probably with a net.

 

Was your pom pom crab missing his nems?  They will often pinch other corals as substitute nems.  Mine over the years have used ricordea, superman mushroom, and toadstool as subs lol.

[debbeach13]

Quote

2 minutes ago, Lula_Mae said:

(it's got both it's anemones)?

 

 

[ajmckay]

13 minutes ago, Lula_Mae said:

Was your pom pom crab missing his nems?  They will often pinch other corals as substitute nems.  Mine over the years have used ricordea, superman mushroom, and toadstool as subs lol.

 

9 minutes ago, debbeach13 said:

 

Yep it definitely has both it's nems.  It does sometimes "park" one somewhere though...  Because occasionally I'll see it with only 1 anemone and then the next day it will have 2 again (and the sizes are about the same so I don't think it's just cutting one in half).  Very interesting crab though - perfect for tiny tanks because I see this one out every day.   I keep a wad of chaeto in the tank which grows pods like crazy so there's always a lot of them crawling around. I do this in an attempt to make sure that he keeps his/her nems well fed.  So far it's working as I've had the crab for a little over a year so far.

[Lula_Mae]

8 hours ago, ajmckay said:

 

Yep it definitely has both it's nems.  It does sometimes "park" one somewhere though...  Because occasionally I'll see it with only 1 anemone and then the next day it will have 2 again (and the sizes are about the same so I don't think it's just cutting one in half).  Very interesting crab though - perfect for tiny tanks because I see this one out every day.   I keep a wad of chaeto in the tank which grows pods like crazy so there's always a lot of them crawling around. I do this in an attempt to make sure that he keeps his/her nems well fed.  So far it's working as I've had the crab for a little over a year so far.

That's so strange!  Of course I had one I suspected of eating coral as once I lost my last four blasto polyps overnight, skeleton picked clean, and there was nothing else in the tank...she was a little punk.  I'm impressed yours still has nems after a year!

[ajmckay]

Damn!   The little bastage ate it!  Tonight I was going to get the nem away from the crab and put it in a container of sorts but the crab was definitely noshing on a tiny chunk of the nem. I looked around to see if it just tore off a chunk but I didn't see the nem anywhere. 

[Orangutran]

On 11/9/2017 at 11:35 AM, Lula_Mae said:

Was your pom pom crab missing his nems?  They will often pinch other corals as substitute nems.  Mine over the years have used ricordea, superman mushroom, and toadstool as subs lol.

 

I wonder if they use aiptasia!?

 

On 11/9/2017 at 11:53 AM, ajmckay said:

 

Yep it definitely has both it's nems.  It does sometimes "park" one somewhere though...  Because occasionally I'll see it with only 1 anemone and then the next day it will have 2 again (and the sizes are about the same so I don't think it's just cutting one in half).  Very interesting crab though - perfect for tiny tanks because I see this one out every day.   I keep a wad of chaeto in the tank which grows pods like crazy so there's always a lot of them crawling around. I do this in an attempt to make sure that he keeps his/her nems well fed.  So far it's working as I've had the crab for a little over a year so far.

 

First of all, nice to see you join the contest! So do pom pom crabs eat pods? That might be alright, since I've got tons in my pico, then I won't have to feed it daily?

 

Btw, you should leave one of the graduation markings on your container, to use as a water top off point.  It'll be better than my ghetto masking tape.

 

(on second thought, I think leaving all the marks would keep the charm of the container! Just keep it on the back side!)

[pj86]

55 minutes ago, Orangutran said:

 

First of all, nice to see you join the contest! So do pom pom crabs eat pods? That might be alright, since I've got tons in my pico, then I won't have to feed it daily?

2

When I had one they accepted meatier food easily. Waving a few frozen Mysis shrimp will assure you that they are eating well.

[vlangel]

2 hours ago, Orangutran said:

 

I wonder if they use aiptasia!?

 

 

 

I actually remember reading a post (I think it was polarcollision) about a pom pom crab with an aiptasia and the horrifying thought that it might be seeding the entire tank!  Horrifying to her, a bit funny to me but then it was not in my tank.

[ajmckay]

15 hours ago, Orangutran said:

 

I wonder if they use aiptasia!?

 

 

First of all, nice to see you join the contest! So do pom pom crabs eat pods? That might be alright, since I've got tons in my pico, then I won't have to feed it daily?

 

Btw, you should leave one of the graduation markings on your container, to use as a water top off point.  It'll be better than my ghetto masking tape.

 

(on second thought, I think leaving all the marks would keep the charm of the container! Just keep it on the back side!)

Thanks Oranutran!  Getting off to a slow start due to missing the rest of my equipment (on it's way from China)...

 

It's interesting that you ask about the aiptasia because I've found what I believe to be an aiptasia or majano in the Evo III but the pom pom hasn't used it as a "wavey boi" - yet.  Obviously they can't be trusted with some other small anemones either.   The container does have 1 set of graduated markings molded into the plastic so that will stay.

14 hours ago, pj86 said:

When I had one they accepted meatier food easily. Waving a few frozen Mysis shrimp will assure you that they are eating well.

I use a baster to send a few his way every few days... Practically climbs into the baster when it gets near.   While feeding I usually squirt some of the "juice" from the frozen food (the tiny bits) into the tank for the pods to eat.  I keep a ball of chaeto in there that the pods are crawling on/in.  It's my thought/theory that the pom pom eats the mysis I feed it while it feeds the nems with the detritus from the other inhabitants, and maybe also some of the smaller pods/worms and such.  This is not an immaculate tank!

 

12 hours ago, vlangel said:

I actually remember reading a post (I think it was polarcollision) about a pom pom crab with an aiptasia and the horrifying thought that it might be seeding the entire tank!  Horrifying to her, a bit funny to me but then it was not in my tank.

Oh wow - that would be horrible. 

 

The pom pom crab is honestly a great little creature.  Suited for a nano/pico for sure.  Mine has the weird behavior of "parking" one of it's anemones somewhere for a day then it picks it back up again.  I'm pretty sure it's not splitting the anemone because they seem to be the same size each time I look at them.  So far I haven't found any rogue anemones of that species so it doesn't appear to be "seeding" them.  I feel like there is probably a lot more I could (should) learn about these little crabs.

 

Note that at this moment I'm not planning to transfer the pom-pom to the contest pico.  Would love to but I feel the 3G Spec III provides a better habitat.  Plus I either won't have a heater in the container pico or it won't be a very good heater (risky).

[vlangel]

6 hours ago, ajmckay said:

Thanks Oranutran!  Getting off to a slow start due to missing the rest of my equipment (on it's way from China)...

 

It's interesting that you ask about the aiptasia because I've found what I believe to be an aiptasia or majano in the Evo III but the pom pom hasn't used it as a "wavey boi" - yet.  Obviously they can't be trusted with some other small anemones either.   The container does have 1 set of graduated markings molded into the plastic so that will stay.

I use a baster to send a few his way every few days... Practically climbs into the baster when it gets near.   While feeding I usually squirt some of the "juice" from the frozen food (the tiny bits) into the tank for the pods to eat.  I keep a ball of chaeto in there that the pods are crawling on/in.  It's my thought/theory that the pom pom eats the mysis I feed it while it feeds the nems with the detritus from the other inhabitants, and maybe also some of the smaller pods/worms and such.  This is not an immaculate tank!

 

Oh wow - that would be horrible. 

 

The pom pom crab is honestly a great little creature.  Suited for a nano/pico for sure.  Mine has the weird behavior of "parking" one of it's anemones somewhere for a day then it picks it back up again.  I'm pretty sure it's not splitting the anemone because they seem to be the same size each time I look at them.  So far I haven't found any rogue anemones of that species so it doesn't appear to be "seeding" them.  I feel like there is probably a lot more I could (should) learn about these little crabs.

 

Note that at this moment I'm not planning to transfer the pom-pom to the contest pico.  Would love to but I feel the 3G Spec III provides a better habitat.  Plus I either won't have a heater in the container pico or it won't be a very good heater (risky).

ajmckay, I also keep a ball of cheato in my jar.  Do you have it just loose or do you have it confined somehow?  I have mine in a little tub.  I drilled a small hole in the tub to insert my airline hose so that the bubbles would aerate the cheato. Even with the tub, little pieces float around and get caught in the intake of the rio pump.

[Lula_Mae]

20 hours ago, vlangel said:

I actually remember reading a post (I think it was polarcollision) about a pom pom crab with an aiptasia and the horrifying thought that it might be seeding the entire tank!  Horrifying to her, a bit funny to me but then it was not in my tank.

I was going to say, I thought I remembered reading about someone whose pom pom had an aiptasia!

 

7 hours ago, ajmckay said:

Thanks Oranutran!  Getting off to a slow start due to missing the rest of my equipment (on it's way from China)...

 

It's interesting that you ask about the aiptasia because I've found what I believe to be an aiptasia or majano in the Evo III but the pom pom hasn't used it as a "wavey boi" - yet.  Obviously they can't be trusted with some other small anemones either.   The container does have 1 set of graduated markings molded into the plastic so that will stay.

I use a baster to send a few his way every few days... Practically climbs into the baster when it gets near.   While feeding I usually squirt some of the "juice" from the frozen food (the tiny bits) into the tank for the pods to eat.  I keep a ball of chaeto in there that the pods are crawling on/in.  It's my thought/theory that the pom pom eats the mysis I feed it while it feeds the nems with the detritus from the other inhabitants, and maybe also some of the smaller pods/worms and such.  This is not an immaculate tank!

 

Oh wow - that would be horrible. 

 

The pom pom crab is honestly a great little creature.  Suited for a nano/pico for sure.  Mine has the weird behavior of "parking" one of it's anemones somewhere for a day then it picks it back up again.  I'm pretty sure it's not splitting the anemone because they seem to be the same size each time I look at them.  So far I haven't found any rogue anemones of that species so it doesn't appear to be "seeding" them.  I feel like there is probably a lot more I could (should) learn about these little crabs.

 

Note that at this moment I'm not planning to transfer the pom-pom to the contest pico.  Would love to but I feel the 3G Spec III provides a better habitat.  Plus I either won't have a heater in the container pico or it won't be a very good heater (risky).

I believe that the species of nem pom poms carry has never been found on its own in the wild, only in the claws of a pom pom.

[ajmckay]

On 11/18/2017 at 10:06 AM, vlangel said:

ajmckay, I also keep a ball of cheato in my jar.  Do you have it just loose or do you have it confined somehow?  I have mine in a little tub.  I drilled a small hole in the tub to insert my airline hose so that the bubbles would aerate the cheato. Even with the tub, little pieces float around and get caught in the intake of the rio pump.

So I just leave it in a ball.  Some pieces do fall off and get stuck in the pump but I bought a pair of super long forceps in stainless steel that I use to pick out the rogue strands occasionally.  I once came up with an idea to use fishing line run through the chaeto to secure it loosely to a small piece of egg-crate but that was simply to keep it in place in a much larger tank.  In a pico I don't think it matters much.

[Orangutran]

On 11/18/2017 at 10:13 AM, Lula_Mae said:

I believe that the species of nem pom poms carry has never been found on its own in the wild, only in the claws of a pom pom.

 That's crazy how things like that happen in nature! Like, do these crabs mariculture these nems in the ocean for other crabs to use? 

[ajmckay]

On ‎11‎/‎18‎/‎2017 at 10:13 AM, Lula_Mae said:

I believe that the species of nem pom poms carry has never been found on its own in the wild, only in the claws of a pom pom.

So I did some research on this because it seems fascinating but it appears that the anemones do exist on their own in the wild. The species "most commonly" associated with pom pom crabs is Triactis producta.  It seems that these anemones do look different when not held in the claws of a crab though. They have weird looking zooxanthellae-packed "pseudotentacles" that are out during the day while the "true tentacles" only come out at night/low light.  My pom pom is rarely out during the day so I can't say I've seen any such pseudotentacles on it's nems.  Then again the anemones seem to be much smaller when carried around by the crab so it could be that they never develop this second set of stalk-mounted tentacles.

 

https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/malacology/invert.htm

https://wikivisually.com/wiki/Triactis_producta

 

I am going to take another look at the anemones that I called aiptasia earlier in this thread and see if they may actually be free-roaming Triactis producta!  They're up on the glass, out of the reach of the pom pom crab - Maybe the crab parked one of it's nems and the anemone wandered off lol!

[Lula_Mae]

On 11/20/2017 at 12:31 PM, Orangutran said:

 That's crazy how things like that happen in nature! Like, do these crabs mariculture these nems in the ocean for other crabs to use? 

No idea, would be interesting to study! 

 

On 11/20/2017 at 6:05 PM, ajmckay said:

So I did some research on this because it seems fascinating but it appears that the anemones do exist on their own in the wild. The species "most commonly" associated with pom pom crabs is Triactis producta.  It seems that these anemones do look different when not held in the claws of a crab though. They have weird looking zooxanthellae-packed "pseudotentacles" that are out during the day while the "true tentacles" only come out at night/low light.  My pom pom is rarely out during the day so I can't say I've seen any such pseudotentacles on it's nems.  Then again the anemones seem to be much smaller when carried around by the crab so it could be that they never develop this second set of stalk-mounted tentacles.

 

https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/malacology/invert.htm

https://wikivisually.com/wiki/Triactis_producta

 

I am going to take another look at the anemones that I called aiptasia earlier in this thread and see if they may actually be free-roaming Triactis producta!  They're up on the glass, out of the reach of the pom pom crab - Maybe the crab parked one of it's nems and the anemone wandered off lol!

Oh, that's interesting! The last article I read said few months ago, and what I'd always heard, was that they didn't live independently, so it's neat if they've been found apart from the crabs!

[Felicia]

Hi!  Just a reminder to please pm me your November full tank shot (FTS) along with a link to your build thread by the end of the day on November 30th.

[ajmckay]

Well now...  still waiting on my light :/  Had high hopes it would show up today or before...  according to eBay since the end of the delivery time frame is Sunday.

 

2017-12-01_12-00-38 by aaron M, on Flickr