Bill's Intro to the Reef - 5 Gallon Rimless

[MMantelli]

Nah its all good...lol...

[Billbug68]

I'm really starting to feel like the emerald crab is trying to nip at the torch. The last few mornings I've checked out the tank and the torch is fully retracted while the crab is perched up right behind it with a guilty look on his face. Someone might be receiving an eviction notice soon!

[jwh0818]

Originally Posted by Billbug68

I'm really starting to feel like the emerald crab is trying to nip at the torch. The last few mornings I've checked out the tank and the torch is fully retracted while the crab is perched up right behind it with a guilty look on his face. Someone might be receiving an eviction notice soon!

Poor crab. What have you been feeding the crab?

[Billbug68]

Originally Posted by jwh0818

Poor crab. What have you been feeding the crab?

Been feeding him brine cuz that's all I have. I'm gonna pick up some mysis soon. I've read that people feed them seaweed too? But I've also read that once they get big, it's a little more common for them to go after corals. Just caught the little bugger!

[jwh0818]

Oooohhhh yeah. I see an eviction soon too! Crab meat taste good! Jk trade him in at your LFS

[Billbug68]

Originally Posted by jwh0818

Oooohhhh yeah. I see an eviction soon too! Crab meat taste good! Jk trade him in at your LFS

Yeah, just tried feeding him brine. He would pick one out of the tweezers, spit it out, pick another one, spit it out, and so on... Aye! He's so cool, I'd hate to get rid of him... But I honestly think he has to go... Just read a story about an emerald dive bombing of rocks on to a clown... So much for the most "reef safe" crab. I could try to target feed him more, but I just don't trust what goes on in the dark...

[jwh0818]

Originally Posted by Billbug68

Yeah, just tried feeding him brine. He would pick one out of the tweezers, spit it out, pick another one, spit it out, and so on... Aye! He's so cool, I'd hate to get rid of him... But I honestly think he has to go... Just read a story about an emerald dive bombing of rocks on to a clown... So much for the most "reef safe" crab. I could try to target feed him more, but I just don't trust what goes on in the dark...

Its all fun and games till the lights are off! o_0

[Billbug68]

Originally Posted by jwh0818

Its all fun and games till the lights are off! o_0

Hmmm, or it's all fun and games WHEN the lights are off!

Just got home from work and realized I forgot to turn the powerhead back on last night after attempting to feed the crab...

[carey]

You know, maybe I just have great luck but I've had at least a dozen emeralds over the last 3 years and never had one even look at a coral funny. LOL They do perch on them sometimes, mine like to sit on my zooa's and pick the algae between the polyps. At first I thought they were eating my corals but after really watching them I realized they were after algae.

[Billbug68]

Originally Posted by carey

You know, maybe I just have great luck but I've had at least a dozen emeralds over the last 3 years and never had one even look at a coral funny. LOL They do perch on them sometimes, mine like to sit on my zooa's and pick the algae between the polyps. At first I thought they were eating my corals but after really watching them I realized they were after algae.

Well, I'll have to keep a closer eye on him at night then, to see if he's actually eating it. Whenever I approach the tank he freezes, though. Which leads me to believe he's up to no good... I'm gonna have to set up a nanny can on this tank... Hahaha

[carey]

LOL. I wish I could see what happens when all the lights go off. My little emeralds do the dance on the front glass which is why I love them so much! Do yours do the dance at all? I know several people have said they have the dancing crabs as well lol

[Billbug68]

Originally Posted by carey

LOL. I wish I could see what happens when all the lights go off. My little emeralds do the dance on the front glass which is why I love them so much! Do yours do the dance at all? I know several people have said they have the dancing crabs as well lol

He does it when I feed him. Climbs up to the very top stone and flares his arms all about while standing on his back legs. I really enjoy him, but, $8 crab vs expensive coral, I'm gonna pick the coral... Lol, my intentions for this tank were to focus on the coral and scape first, while other critters are second, so I'm not dead set on having him. I dunno. Just took a closer look at the torch and it def looks like he's took a couple tentacles, I'm not positive though... I think in a larger more established tank they have more room to graze, but in my 10x10x12 glass box, there's not a lot of places for him to go... Haha

[Billbug68]

Well, I finally got around to removing the zoas from the frag disc and glued them down with some loctite super glue gel. Needless to say, they're a little pissed off right now. I'll post another pic once they open up.

[Billbug68]

I decided to do a full run of all tests I own tonight, here are the results...

pH - 7.8
kH - 12
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 5
Phosphate - 0
Calcium - 480
Salinity - 1.024
Temp - 78

I also decided to take some pics with my wife's old digital camera. Not the best but they'll do. The diatoms are slowly disappearing, and I'm starting to see signs of life! So far I've seen a couple pods come out of the sand bed, I've got a few Asterina stars that came in with the corals, and I also saw a very tiny bristle worm poke its head out of a tiny hole in the rocks! Those guys give me the willies! Ew. Anyways, I think that's about it for now. Oh! Does it look like the zoas have zoa pox??? They have tons of tiny white dots on all the stocks... Here's the pics...














Lemme know what you guys think! Thanks for reading!

[MMantelli]

looks great! i like the two shots from low it makes that thing look huge lol.

[Billbug68]

Originally Posted by MMantelli

looks great! i like the two shots from low it makes that thing look huge lol.

Thanks dude! Yeah, those are pretty epic shots... Haha, dang I wish I had a better camera!

[Brian_Nano12g]

Wow that's really nice! One day, just one day in the distant future... I'll try my hand at SW! haha

[jwh0818]

Originally Posted by Billbug68

Thanks dude! Yeah, those are pretty epic shots... Haha, dang I wish I had a better camera!

So youe cycle is done? It looks amazing bill!

[MMantelli]

I may have missed it but what do you have in mind fish wise?

[Billbug68]

Originally Posted by Brian_Nano12g

Wow that's really nice! One day, just one day in the distant future... I'll try my hand at SW! haha

Thank you Brian! You have to try it! Turn the 6g salt!

Originally Posted by jwh0818

So youe cycle is done? It looks amazing bill!

Yea, it appears the cycle is wrapped up. It actually finished before I added the coral and snails, but I had a nitrite spike after adding them. All better now! thank you so much!

Originally Posted by MMantelli

I may have missed it but what do you have in mind fish wise?

I'm thinking a yellow clown goby.