Lula Mae's Mr. Aqua 7.5 gallon bowfront--on hiatus :(

[Tamberav]

Any updates? 🙂 

[Lula_Mae]

On 6/28/2019 at 10:49 PM, Tamberav said:

Any updates? 🙂 

I haven't been very good about updating, have I? I do post pics sometimes on instagram. I'll try to remember to put them over here too. The branching GSP that @WV Reefer sent me is doing well. Green banded goby is cute as ever. Halimeda is growing and looking gorgeous.  I have a bit of cyano forming because I need to do a water change and my powerhead is furrier than Chewbacca at the moment.  I was really sick last week so literally nothing got done around the house by me.  I'll be holding off on livestock purchases until I see the damage of that ER bill lol.  I'm finally perking back up and feeling alive which is nice.  Starting to be able to do things again as well.  I need to make some more RO/DI so I can pull off that water change soon.  Hopefully in the next few days I'll get that done.  I had a mysterious red crab appear, then found him dead on the sand. Then I found another red mystery crab.  Possibly a mithrax but not sure. I didn't get a good closeup look at the second crab because he vamoosed when he saw me move closer to the tank.  There's an enormous bristleworm living in the right hand rock who likes to hang out.  I don't know if any of the brittle stars are still alive, I haven't seen arms in a few weeks.  Other than that, the tank just keeps trucking along. Debating whether to move stuff from the pico in here or not.  I put a couple hermits in the pico for movement lol. 

 

Here's a post from last night--I spotted a green sprout of some kind popping out of the sand in the front corner!

 

[seabass]

1 hour ago, Lula_Mae said:

I'm finally perking back up and feeling alive which is nice.

Wow, the ER!  Glad you are doing better.

 

Don't be a stranger.

[Lula_Mae]

On 8/13/2019 at 8:06 AM, seabass said:

Wow, the ER!  Glad you are doing better.

 

Don't be a stranger.

I will do my best.  Found Reddit's fish subs and have been dutifully trying to give good advice and dispel the derpy advice but it's weird how lockstep some people are in their thinking there lol.  Definitely no room in some people's minds for doing things a different way.

 

I have found ANOTHER mystery crab.  I'm posting pics to see if anyone can help ID them. Crabs make me nervous at the best of times lol.

This is the first one I found who later turned up dead on the sand:

 

This is the second, possibly mithrax? crab I found. I haven't seen him in a few days.

 

Then a few days ago I spotted a third crab but couldn't get a picture until I spotted him again tonight on the other rock.  This one has striped legs like a pom pom crab almost, but it's got nasty looking claws:

 

Anyone got any clues?

 

This is what I get for wanting live rock fresh from the ocean lol.

 

[seabass]

1 hour ago, Lula_Mae said:

Crabs make me nervous at the best of times

I'm with you on being nervous about unidentified crabs.

http://chucksaddiction.thefishestate.net/hitchcrabs.html

 

I'm guessing you'll need to set a meaty trap to capture them.

[Christopher Marks]

Glad you're feeling better now @Lula_Mae ❤️

 

That last hitchhiker crab looks intense! These are from the caribbean right? I wonder if @johnmaloney would recognize them.

 

That's a great hitchhiker crab ID guide @seabass!

[Tamberav]

They are cute... although probably naughty!

[Lula_Mae]

On 8/21/2019 at 3:05 AM, seabass said:

I'm with you on being nervous about unidentified crabs.

http://chucksaddiction.thefishestate.net/hitchcrabs.html

 

I'm guessing you'll need to set a meaty trap to capture them.

Yeah, I think so.  Ugh crabs.

On 8/21/2019 at 12:23 PM, Christopher Marks said:

Glad you're feeling better now @Lula_Mae ❤️

 

That last hitchhiker crab looks intense! These are from the caribbean right? I wonder if @johnmaloney would recognize them.

 

That's a great hitchhiker crab ID guide @seabass!

Yeah, it's Caribbean/Florida rock from KPA.

On 8/21/2019 at 3:03 PM, Tamberav said:

They are cute... although probably naughty!

Very naughty...I found this tonight!

I think this is the crab I posted the other day, I was thinking maybe he was a type of gorilla crab but not sure. Now I think it's dead, and there was a huge red mithrax-type (probably the one I spotted before) under the GSP rock. I am going to have to figure out how to get that sucker OUT because if he kills my little guy I will be very angry lol.

[Tamberav]

I had a bad crab take out one of my fish awhile back....I legit saw it happen and that's how I also discovered the crab.

 

Love your goby! I got two of those guys...they do cute! 

[TatorTaco]

I’m familiar with /reeftank, but that place is a cesspool compared to NR. It’s nice to visit once a week, but the lack of research and old school mentality is frustrating. 

[johnmaloney]

Second crab is a Mithrax. That third crab is bad news. To scurry that fast it is probably a predator. The only safe crabs that move that fast from the Caribbean are porcelain crabs (and they don’t move that fast and he isn’t a porcelain looks like a Xanthid crab) and the sally lightfoot which he isn’t either. 

[Lula_Mae]

On 8/23/2019 at 1:23 AM, Tamberav said:

I had a bad crab take out one of my fish awhile back....I legit saw it happen and that's how I also discovered the crab.

 

Love your goby! I got two of those guys...they do cute! 

I'm kind of hoping he'll do like @WV Reefer's crab and end up in the laundry or something lol.  I love the little guy, I waited so many years to have one and it was totally worth it.

On 8/23/2019 at 4:09 AM, TatorTaco said:

I’m familiar with /reeftank, but that place is a cesspool compared to NR. It’s nice to visit once a week, but the lack of research and old school mentality is frustrating. 

I've been hanging out on the betta fish sub but according to their guidelines, everything I do with my bettas is wrong lol.  Some of the most frequent posters have been keeping fish for a few months to a year or two and I'm like...yeah I got my first betta over 15 years ago, I think I know how they can live lol.

23 hours ago, johnmaloney said:

Second crab is a Mithrax. That third crab is bad news. To scurry that fast it is probably a predator. The only safe crabs that move that fast from the Caribbean are porcelain crabs (and they don’t move that fast and he isn’t a porcelain looks like a Xanthid crab) and the sally lightfoot which he isn’t either. 

Thanks for responding!  I was wondering if that third crab was some type of xanthid because it did remind me of gorilla crabs but I wasn't sure if it was one. I'm not sure if he's the one I found dead the other night or if that was a smaller mithrax.  Too many crabs in this tank lol.  I'm kind of afraid to add anything lest it be killed or destroyed!  Hope I can figure out a way to get all these bad boys out so my fish will be safe.

[Christopher Marks]

I wonder if there are any successful DIY crab traps you could build? I remember some designs using a cut down clear water bottle.

[seabass]

1 hour ago, Christopher Marks said:

I remember some designs using a cut down clear water bottle.

I was just posting that one.

Put some mysis or other food in the bottle overnight.  You can cut the bottom section smaller if you wish.  I've seen people put rubble in there too; but I'm not sure if that helps any.  Maybe bury the trap in the substrate, so that it's easier for the crab to get in the opening.

 

Note: it might catch fish too.

[WV Reefer]

1 hour ago, Lula_Mae said:

I'm kind of hoping he'll do like @WV Reefer's crab and end up in the laundry or something lol.  I love the little guy, I waited so many years to have one and it was totally worth it.

I've been hanging out on the betta fish sub but according to their guidelines, everything I do with my bettas is wrong lol.  Some of the most frequent posters have been keeping fish for a few months to a year or two and I'm like...yeah I got my first betta over 15 years ago, I think I know how they can live lol.

Thanks for responding!  I was wondering if that third crab was some type of xanthid because it did remind me of gorilla crabs but I wasn't sure if it was one. I'm not sure if he's the one I found dead the other night or if that was a smaller mithrax.  Too many crabs in this tank lol.  I'm kind of afraid to add anything lest it be killed or destroyed!  Hope I can figure out a way to get all these bad boys out so my fish will be safe.

 

Leave the dryer door open just in case........

 

😄

[Lula_Mae]

On 8/24/2019 at 10:36 AM, Christopher Marks said:

I wonder if there are any successful DIY crab traps you could build? I remember some designs using a cut down clear water bottle.

Yeah I've been thinking of that.

 

On 8/24/2019 at 10:39 AM, seabass said:

I was just posting that one.

Put some mysis or other food in the bottle overnight.  You can cut the bottom section smaller if you wish.  I've seen people put rubble in there too; but I'm not sure if that helps any.  Maybe bury the trap in the substrate, so that it's easier for the crab to get in the opening.

 

Note: it might catch fish too.

Is that a 2 liter bottle? Haven't had a chance to look anything up yet but wondering how big a bottle I'll need lol.  Hopefully it won't catch fish and crab at same time...

 

On 8/24/2019 at 10:55 AM, WV Reefer said:

 

Leave the dryer door open just in case........

 

😄

Funny enough the dryer door gets left open a lot, mostly by my hubs lol. There's no light inside (or it burnt out before I got it, secondhand) so I never worried about it lol.

[seabass]

56 minutes ago, Lula_Mae said:

Is that a 2 liter bottle?

I'd use a regular drinking water bottle (what are they, like 16oz) with the bottom cut down to make it even shorter.    I bet you could make one not much more than 4" long.  They even sell those tiny drinking water bottles that should also work.  The crab just has to be able to fit in the opening.

[Lula_Mae]

On 8/26/2019 at 9:51 PM, seabass said:

I'd use a regular drinking water bottle (what are they, like 16oz) with the bottom cut down to make it even shorter.    I bet you could make one not much more than 4" long.  They even sell those tiny drinking water bottles that should also work.  The crab just has to be able to fit in the opening.

Alright, I'll try to get my hands on one (I usually use reusable bottles/cups lol).  Have developed cold symptoms now but not feeling as crummy as I was a few weeks ago so I guess that's a plus.

[seabass]

1 hour ago, Lula_Mae said:

Have developed cold symptoms now but not feeling as crummy as I was a few weeks ago

I hope it turns out to be nothing.  Take care of yourself.

[Snow_Phoenix]

Take care and get well soon, Lula. 

[Lula_Mae]

On 8/28/2019 at 1:46 AM, seabass said:

I hope it turns out to be nothing.  Take care of yourself.

Thanks, so far it's mostly an annoyance but I do have to work tonight.

On 8/28/2019 at 2:50 AM, Snow_Phoenix said:

Take care and get well soon, Lula. 

Thanks.

 

The latest installment in the crabby saga.

 

[WV Reefer]

8 minutes ago, Lula_Mae said:

Thanks, so far it's mostly an annoyance but I do have to work tonight.

Thanks.

 

The latest installment in the crabby saga.

 

My red mithrax crab is a model citizen........ maybe he’ll be good?

[Lula_Mae]

On 8/30/2019 at 8:18 AM, WV Reefer said:

My red mithrax crab is a model citizen........ maybe he’ll be good?

He's eating all my macro algae. My halimeda has one clearly nibbled on stump remaining, and I realized tonight my caulerpa is all gone!  Like what the heck crab dude!  Gonna need to feed him while he's in the tank or I'll have nothing left!

[Tamberav]

Idk where these inverts put it all... My clown crab can eat palys like no other....

[Lula_Mae]

Little turkey polished off my halimeda today.  Grrr.