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01/11/2018, 07:16 AM | #351 |
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LOL! These aren't the same type of bristle worm. They're locally known as bloodworms or oyster worms. If you eat oysters on the half shell, then you may have seen one (some restaurants aren't that careful about thoroughly cleaning off the oysters before they shuck them).
I was feeding bottled phytoplankton three times per week. My tunicates seemed to be withering away or not happy, so I increased the amount that I feed them and am now feeding them four times per week. The tunicates looked much better last night. The large barnacle is the only one that had survived, and I never saw it eat much but once in a while would extend its cirri and scoop in some food. Last night, after feeding the phytoplankton, it was constantly scooping in food. My guess is that over time they get weak and don't have enough energy, almost not enough to reach out for food. But, maybe now that its getting food, it has the energy to reach out for more? I don't know, but I'm encouraged by the increased activity. Last night I had a skilletfish stick on the front glass and eat out of my hand, as they often do, and another skilletfish showed up and stuck to it! As a result, the first one let go and they both started to sink, stuck together. Both skilletfish, still stuck together, tried to swim back up toward the food and gave up, sticking to the glass about a couple inches under the surface. They were both still stuck together at this point, both feeding on the food dropping down to them. When they were swimming, it reminded me of the Dr. Dolittle character, push me pull you! They were stuck like that for about 5 minutes until the "top" one let go. I was cracking up watching them!
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Blennies Rock! --Kevin Wilson Current Tank Info: 101g 3'X3'X18" Cubish Oyster Reef Blenny tank, 36"X17"X18" sump |
01/11/2018, 09:26 AM | #352 | |
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01/16/2018, 09:34 AM | #353 |
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I thought that I'd post a couple pics.
Grass shrimp feeding on a cyanobacteria patch. I've seen a few of these shrimp with reddish purple stomachs, so they eat some cyanobacteria and definitely feed on detritus that settles on it. They don't eat enough cyano fast enough to make much of a dent in it though. I haven't applied the treatment that I bought yet, hoping that it dies out naturally. Right now, the cyano isn't taking over the tank, so that is a good thing. Naked goby in his hangout, with some shrimp standing guard. This skilletfish doesn't seem to know which way is up half the time...or maybe he thinks the same thing about me?
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Blennies Rock! --Kevin Wilson Current Tank Info: 101g 3'X3'X18" Cubish Oyster Reef Blenny tank, 36"X17"X18" sump |
01/16/2018, 10:56 AM | #354 |
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I also have a couple videos of my barnacle, who has been very actively feeding lately. Also, he's been looking for love in all of the wrong places, but more on that when I can capture that on video. I've been trying, but he has been camera shy. Of course, the blennies are hams and have to photobomb the videos. The first video is before feeding, the second video is after I fed the filter feeders bottled plankton. All of the filter feeders are doing much better. The barnacle activity is the most solid evidence of that because he's feeding all the time and trying to mate. I find the barnacles to be very delicate, graceful and quite beautiful despite their ability to found boat hulls. Also, if you look closely at the tiny tubes around the barnacle and his oyster shell, you can see the plankton feeding tube worm tentacles searching for drifting meals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmYUShIqjGc&t=2s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGYLu1Dremw&t=2s
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Blennies Rock! --Kevin Wilson Current Tank Info: 101g 3'X3'X18" Cubish Oyster Reef Blenny tank, 36"X17"X18" sump |
01/18/2018, 07:16 AM | #355 |
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OK, remember the jellyfish budding polyp (scyphistoma)? After a week or so of me discovering it, all of the larval medusas were released and I never saw them again. The base of the polyp remained but seemed to wither away to almost nothing. Well, last night, I noticed that it budding more larval medusas! These things keep on going! I'm amazed. This is really a cool event because the local aquarium is starting up a jellyfish tank, and I promised them that if I saw this again, that I'd donate them to their tank. How exciting!
Here's the old video again in case you can't visualize it from before: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPEVLIiZXEI&t=48s
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Blennies Rock! --Kevin Wilson Current Tank Info: 101g 3'X3'X18" Cubish Oyster Reef Blenny tank, 36"X17"X18" sump |
01/18/2018, 10:00 AM | #356 |
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Very cool! You've got such a great variety of stuff going on in your tanks.
It's also cool you have a relationship with your local public aquarium. Jealous!
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As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018 |
01/19/2018, 06:48 AM | #357 |
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Thank you Michael. It's funny, but my threads on forums like this about my tank was the reason their aquarist searched and found me on FB, and contacted me with questions about my build. It turns out that he has a lot in common with us other than aquariums, so we've since become friends too. Nice guy. I'm sure that we will learn from each other, with me probably benefitting from his knowledge more than the other way around
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Blennies Rock! --Kevin Wilson Current Tank Info: 101g 3'X3'X18" Cubish Oyster Reef Blenny tank, 36"X17"X18" sump |
01/19/2018, 09:51 AM | #358 |
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That's great. To have that kind of relationship is invaluable. I'm sure he's getting a benefit from you as well. He's in the business of public display, which can be quite different from our natural, 'dirty' aquariums. The information exchange from those two different perspectives has got to be enlightening!
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As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018 |
01/19/2018, 11:15 AM | #359 | |
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Blennies Rock! --Kevin Wilson Current Tank Info: 101g 3'X3'X18" Cubish Oyster Reef Blenny tank, 36"X17"X18" sump |
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01/19/2018, 09:01 PM | #360 | |
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Yes, I am fairly certain up there and down here is the same shrimp. Professor Samachoa from TEXAS A&M is a expert on zero duscharege intensive shrimp culture confirmed that for me. When it gets cold, shrimp go deep or they die.
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Laissez les bons temps rouler, Patrick Castille Current Tank Info: 10,000G. Greenhouse Macro Growout |
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01/23/2018, 09:20 AM | #361 |
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Not much to update, everything seems to be going well. A couple of my gobies have been scratching a little bit, so my paranoia kicks in each time. But then again, they've always done that to some extent. I saw the largest blenny scratch and its gills were really pumping a lot more than normal one evening, but since then, it's back to normal. I think that when I set up the big tank, I'm going to quarantine all of these fish and treat them with copper before adding them to the bigger system. I'll set the tank up fallow for six weeks at the same time. So, that is on my to do list, to set up a quarantine system.
Now, this video creeps me out... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__Wp1oA_nHA
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Blennies Rock! --Kevin Wilson Current Tank Info: 101g 3'X3'X18" Cubish Oyster Reef Blenny tank, 36"X17"X18" sump |
01/23/2018, 10:19 AM | #362 |
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One suggestion for an extended copper qt system. Use macro to control nitrogen and sequester cooper from the water. The other option is to do large water changes to keep up with ammonia and dilute cooper concentration.
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Laissez les bons temps rouler, Patrick Castille Current Tank Info: 10,000G. Greenhouse Macro Growout |
01/23/2018, 10:53 AM | #363 |
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Thank you Patrick. I also bought a copper test kit.
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Blennies Rock! --Kevin Wilson Current Tank Info: 101g 3'X3'X18" Cubish Oyster Reef Blenny tank, 36"X17"X18" sump |
01/25/2018, 09:39 AM | #364 |
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Last night, after feeding my fish, I watched them so long that I was way past my bed time, LOL, so I'm a bit tired today. I discovered another live barnacle that I never noticed before. I'm sure that it's been in there for several months.
Also, I'm pretty sure the worm that was feeding in my last video is a clamworm (aka ragworm). From what I've read, even though they get large and creepy, that my fish aren't in any danger. In addition, I have a new critter, but I have no idea what it is. It kind of looks like an anemone, but could be the head and tentacles of another type of annelid. It doesn't go after the brine shrimp like the other worm does, and I have yet to see the tentacles pull anything in. That is why I doubt it is an anemone. If you look to the left edge of the video below of the feeding worm, you can see the tentacles, and they move about 1/2 way through the movie. Has anyone seen this before? Here's a link to the video again: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__Wp1oA_nHA
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Blennies Rock! --Kevin Wilson Current Tank Info: 101g 3'X3'X18" Cubish Oyster Reef Blenny tank, 36"X17"X18" sump |
01/29/2018, 08:16 AM | #365 |
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I was able to get a better video of the newly found critter. I have no idea what it is, but I suspect it is some kind of annelid. It doesn't do much, just sits there, waiting for detritus, I guess. Anyone know what this is? This is magnified 6x.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR1ZpDv0ASs Also, I have another anemone, as it turns out. I think this is a ghost anemone, but it much more pink than my other one. This is magnified 6x. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wn56ke_YfI8 This video is just a video update of the tank. The fish aren't very active as this is about an hour after they ate and stuffed themselves silly. The blennies and gobies are pretty much just hanging out in their hiding spots. Last night, I was kicking myself because the fish were really active. I'll catch them more active on the next video. Sorry for the glass not being clean, I forgot to do that before shooting the video. But, you can see all of the pods on the tank. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anTW...s&pbjreload=10
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Blennies Rock! --Kevin Wilson Current Tank Info: 101g 3'X3'X18" Cubish Oyster Reef Blenny tank, 36"X17"X18" sump |
01/31/2018, 07:21 AM | #366 |
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Some recent pics:
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Blennies Rock! --Kevin Wilson Current Tank Info: 101g 3'X3'X18" Cubish Oyster Reef Blenny tank, 36"X17"X18" sump |
01/31/2018, 08:17 AM | #367 |
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This thread is great. I love that it's not your traditional reef tank. It's cool to see someone do something that is more natural to what we would see outside on our coasts.
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01/31/2018, 08:45 AM | #368 |
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Thank you Heuristic, I appreciate the feedback.
I really love watching this tank. It's been my dream tank since I was a kid, and I have a lot more to do to get that realized (setting up the 100 gallon). I hope that others can enjoy it as well as I move forward. I've learned so much on RC and try to incorporate the husbandry practices used into my system as much as possible. At the same time, I'm learning a lot on my own, and some of that could be the hard way.
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Blennies Rock! --Kevin Wilson Current Tank Info: 101g 3'X3'X18" Cubish Oyster Reef Blenny tank, 36"X17"X18" sump |
02/05/2018, 09:04 AM | #369 |
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Here's a video update where the fish are a bit more active (shot last week).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrPHZQUVVKI&t=1s
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Blennies Rock! --Kevin Wilson Current Tank Info: 101g 3'X3'X18" Cubish Oyster Reef Blenny tank, 36"X17"X18" sump |
02/26/2018, 11:50 AM | #370 |
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It's been a while since I've provided an update, so here is an update in case anyone is still reading this thread. I'm probably the only one, LOL. No pics or videos this time, unfortunately.
Ever since I set up this tank, off and on, some of the fish have shown signs of parasitism, in particular, scratching themselves on the oyster shells or substrate. Until recently, mostly the gobies have been doing it, with a blenny doing it once in a rare while. But now, All of the gobies and several of the blennies have been scratching much more frequently. And, three of the blennies have visible signs of parasitism or disease of some sort, mainly a loss of overall color on their sides (faded, a bit whitish but not solid white), and on Friday, I noticed one of the blennies frequently cowering in the corner, which is another sign of disease (and I'll add a but...later), and, this blenny is showing some cysts (like ich, larger, so I don't think it is velvet) around the head. It is a male blenny, and has also been biting his tail, as if to attempt to remove something. I also noticed my largest male with similar symptoms, and he would only show up for a few bites of food, then hide again. Only a couple blennies didn't show any symptoms, and neither did any of the skilletfish. All of the fish ate well, even showing up to feed out of my hand (which is comical as I try and spread the food around the tank, skilletfish and blennies chase my hand and try to intercept the food from my fingers). So, I don't think I'm too late. So, I had to take action, not wanting what happened to my other tank where all of the fish died. I suspected flukes and/or ich. I set up a 20g long quarantine tank and began the process of catching my fish for treatment. Well, as you might suspect, blennies, gobies and skilletfish aren't ones to come to the net. So, remove all of the cover (my oyster reef and shells) and left the invertebrates in the tank. It took me quite a while to coax the blennies and skilletfish out of the many hiding spots in the oyster cultches. Some of the fish were in the individual oyster shell (matching pairs, connected and open). And, within one of those shells was my largest male that was always hiding except for food, and infected with the disease. And in his shell, were eggs. MY FISH WERE BREEDING! He was guarding eggs, hence, the reason that he wasn't coming out for food. It also might have been part of the reason that the other large male was cowering in the front corner of the tank. So, this is great, because it was a goal of mine to breed these fish, but, at the same time, it stinks because I had to remove them from the display tank. After setting up my quarantine tank treated with Cuprimine (a copper medication) to kill ich and/or velvet, I brought the fish in and gave each of them a freshwater dip for 5 minutes. I was happy to see that this didn't stress out the fish much at all, and after each one, put them in the QT. I noticed some external parasites falling off, but the main reason to do the dip was to look for flukes. There may have been a few, but, not many at all, and certainly not enough to cause a fish to be sick and stressed. There may have been a bunch of smaller parasites that I couldn't either see or ID with my magnifying glass. So, maybe that wasn't a total bust, because FW dips can provide some relief of the symptoms, albeit temporary. So, this is day three of QT and they are now being treated with a full dose of copper. 27 days to go. The display tank is fallow, save for the invertebrates, and will remain fallow for 6 weeks. After the QT period is up, I'll keep the fish in there for observation until they are ready to go back into the DT. A friend of mine suggested a possible bacterial infection, so if the whitish film doesn't go away, I will try treating them with antibiotic. Anyone know if I can use antibiotics and copper at the same time? Once I'm done with this process, then the QT tank will remain my QT tank for future collections. I plan to use the other 20g tank as a holding tank for any new macroalgae, invertebrates, substrate or shells that I collect for my display tank, with the idea that keeping them in observation for 6 weeks serves the same purpose as keeping a tank fallow, to make sure that they are parasite free for the most part. Until then, it will be a challenge to control ammonia and nitrites for a few days while keeping the dose of copper at the most effective level. I took out a sponge filter from my other tank to aid in the cycling of the QT. The QT has a bunch of PVC pipe pieces and parts for the fish to hide in, and they're taking to them. They're scared to death of me now, understandably, and also very spooky. They don't like their new home much at all, but, they are eating. I reduced their feeding to once per day and half of what I've been feeding them until the QT cycles.
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Blennies Rock! --Kevin Wilson Current Tank Info: 101g 3'X3'X18" Cubish Oyster Reef Blenny tank, 36"X17"X18" sump |
02/26/2018, 12:24 PM | #371 |
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I'm still reading! Your thread is awesome!
Congrats on the breeding success! And good luck with QT. It sounds like you have a solid plan in place.
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As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018 |
02/26/2018, 12:37 PM | #372 |
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Thank you Michael!
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Blennies Rock! --Kevin Wilson Current Tank Info: 101g 3'X3'X18" Cubish Oyster Reef Blenny tank, 36"X17"X18" sump |
02/27/2018, 07:05 AM | #373 |
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This is the third day of QT, and although the fish are skittish, they're eating, which is a good sign. The copper concentration is 0.5 ppt right now, which is therapeutic strength. Some fish are sensitive to that and stop eating, but so far, so good for my fish.
With the DT being fishless, it's amazing what invertebrate life does. The crabs come out more often, the shrimp are roaming the tank without fear of getting eaten, and lots of worm and other life is showing up. The tiny anemones (or some sort of polyp, not hydra) are multiplying, and I think that the white anemone like creature in the hole in the oyster shell is a type of tube anemone, which is kind of cool too. But, it is kind of sad not seeing the fish in there. With luck, I'll have them back home in about 6 weeks!
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Blennies Rock! --Kevin Wilson Current Tank Info: 101g 3'X3'X18" Cubish Oyster Reef Blenny tank, 36"X17"X18" sump |
02/27/2018, 07:21 AM | #374 |
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That's cool! Remove the fish, and the inverts come out. Not quite as obvious as fish behavior, but still entertaining, no? It'll be interesting to see how your tank changes in six weeks.
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As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018 |
02/27/2018, 08:59 AM | #375 |
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It is still entertaining, using my magnifying glass to observe the tank, looking for new life. But, it ain't the same. I used to spend at least and hour or two each day watching this tank. Now, I spend about a 1/2 hour at most at each tank. With the fish being so skittish in the QT, it is boring to watch also. I spend some time with them when I feed them because right now, that's the best time to observe their condition for the brief moments that they dash out for food.
It is a little comical, because it doesn't take much effort for the fish to move the PVC fittings and pipe chunks around. Last night, one of the skilletfish stuck to the top of a fitting and swam, and dragged it for a few centimeters. But, it is what it is and I have to complete this process.
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Blennies Rock! --Kevin Wilson Current Tank Info: 101g 3'X3'X18" Cubish Oyster Reef Blenny tank, 36"X17"X18" sump |
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