Odd Happenings Thread

[bioteacher]

Had two odd reef related happenings today, and as I get more and more into this hobby I realize that odd happenings occur fairly regularly. It seems like I am always finding some new inhabitant in my tank, or some new behavior by one of the tank inhabitants. It got me thinking that I am sure that we all have weird stories to share that maybe don't deserve a whole thread, but are fun anyway. That is the focus of this thread.

 

[bioteacher]

Ok, so here is #1 from today. I have a bit of a chronic Aiptasia problem in my tank. Today, I was doing a little weeding using a syringe and lemon juice. Never seen this one before. I zapped one and he went through the regular death throws...shriveling, color change, little white threads, and then he retracted back into the little nook where he originated. I went on zapping another few on the other side of the tank when I noticed my serpent star crawled out of his regular daytime hiding spot. He crawled faster than I have ever seen him move. Up the rock work about 18 inches. Keep in mind, I never see this serpent star during the day. He just hides under his rock all day until lights out.he made a bee line for the Aiptasia that I zapped about a minute earlier. He crawls up to it, wraps his arms around that nook and starts wriggling and curling his arms. Soon he pulls out the dead Aiptasia, curls his arm around it and shoves it under his mouth. Then he just crawls back down to his hole and disappears for the day.

How the heck could he sense the dead Aip so quickly? It was so rad! I mean starfish don't even have brains, but this was such a coordinated and complex behavior.

 

[honeysuckle11]

That seems like a amazing sight to see. Sucks u dont have that on tape to watch over and over again. lol

 

[bioteacher]

#2..... I have 2 purple pin cushion urchins. They are pretty cool. One is sort of annoying. He picks up everything and puts it on his back. Poor little hermits and snails get carried around for days unless I pull them off.

That has nothing to do with the story, but oh we'll. So, anyway, the urchin was just sitting vertical on a rock. I had just cleaned some algae off the glass and I was looking at it carefully to make sure that I didn't miss any spots. That is when I spotted little pebbles falling off the urchin. I looked closer and they seemed to be coming out of the top of his back. They just kept pouring and pouring out. I think it was laying eggs! Weird.

 

[bioteacher]

That seems like a amazing sight to see. Sucks u dont have that on tape to watch over and over again. lol

Seriously, I think I am going to put a video camera down there!

 

[Saratj1]

I had a similar incident at a friends house the other day we were zapping apistasia with ap-x , ( I was spotting and my friend was zapping) and he nailed a medium sized one really well, so well he actually skewered it and it came off the rock on the syringe, as my friend pulls away with the ap still attached a green nasty worm we had never seen before shoots out of a nearby hole snatches the Ap off the needle and disappears. This all happened in about 3 sec.

 

[Sniperhank]

Your urchins sound like tuxedo urchins. Really cool guys.

 

[Ewatson249]

#2..... I have 2 purple pin cushion urchins. They are pretty cool. One is sort of annoying. He picks up everything and puts it on his back. Poor little hermits and snails get carried around for days unless I pull them off.

That has nothing to do with the story, but oh we'll. So, anyway, the urchin was just sitting vertical on a rock. I had just cleaned some algae off the glass and I was looking at it carefully to make sure that I didn't miss any spots. That is when I spotted little pebbles falling off the urchin. I looked closer and they seemed to be coming out of the top of his back. They just kept pouring and pouring out. I think it was laying eggs! Weird.

Don't want to ruin it but that's your urchin pooping! Maybe you could give him a little privacy next time.

 

[VinnyP]

When I read this thread I said dang I never have anything weird happen to me them bammm it happens looked over and my hermit had molted and then looked closer and it was him actually out of his shell and his dead body next to him and another hermit took over his shell and was taking hostage both of the shells and testing out which one he liked. Poor hermit out of his shell was hopeless he kept trying to get back in but was getting bullied he finally got in and the bully went over was banging on the shell and pulled him out and switched one last time. It was def funny to watch

 

[bioteacher]

Don't want to ruin it but that's your urchin pooping! Maybe you could give him a little privacy next time.

Pooping!? I hate it when I confuse the reproductive system with the digestive system.....I have a friend that accidentally did that with his girlfriend. Lol, she was mad.

 

[Ewatson249]

Pooping!? I hate it when I confuse the reproductive system with the digestive system.....I have a friend that accidentally did that with his girlfriend. Lol, she was mad.

Ha ha...