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Post by TenebrousNova on Jun 20, 2015 17:38:51 GMT
Got my first wages today, so I celebrated with my favourite species of shrimp that I've wanted for a while now. This is a fire shrimp, Lysmata debelius. Unlike the skunk cleaner shrimp, Lysmata amboinensis, the fire shrimp is beautifully coloured but they tend to be pretty shy. This one is quite young and has spent a lot of time in a pet shop display tank so I'm hoping it won't hide so much. After releasing him, he swam down to the Sarcophyton toadstool and climbed underneath its cap. He has stayed around the toadstool ever since introducing him, I'm hoping that the coral provides sufficient shelter that the shrimp feels safe. That way I'll be able to see him.
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Post by TenebrousNova on Jun 23, 2015 20:31:11 GMT
It's been a few days since I last saw the fire shrimp but he's definitely there. At the weekend I might buy a second one because apparently they are more confident in numbers. The squamosa clam has a shiny new set of scutes (The shelf-like formations) on his shell and is already growing another. It would explain why the calcium levels have been dropping so quickly! The white parts just under the mantle is new shell growth. I've also decided to give the torch coral another go and bought this single head earlier today. I hope it avoids the fate that met my previous one.
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Post by TenebrousNova on Jul 3, 2015 16:47:39 GMT
I'm very happy to say that the green hair algae and cyanobacteria have been eliminated, so the tank looks pristine at the moment. Here are the inevitable photos. The midas blenny is still great. I love the way he glares indignantly at people from his hiding places. Torch and trumpets are quite happy today: One of the two fire shrimp. This is the one I first got, he seems a bit territorial around the second. Hopefully they'll eventually pair up. As I hoped, they come out more now that there's two of them. I found this mushroom coral at the shop a while ago in bad shape. It was completely white and bleached so I was allowed to try and look after it. Under my care it has turned a beautiful blue with light blue spots! I still have a few baby lettuce Nudibranches. Most of them were picked off over time by the bubble tip anemones, which snatch them up if they wander too close. My slowly growing SPS garden: I haven't seen the mantis shrimp for about a week but as I type this, I can hear loud clicking coming from the sump where he has made his lair. Hope you enjoyed the photos.
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Deleted
Hibernating
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jul 3, 2015 17:12:37 GMT
It's hard to beat the beauty of a well set-up marine aquarium. Stunning Timenova
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Post by TenebrousNova on Jul 25, 2015 15:58:01 GMT
The clownfish are getting ready to spawn!!! They've been sticking very close to each other this week and have been preparing the nest area. As you can see here, the anemone's tentacles are very stubby near the edge. This is because the clownfish have been nipping it so they can lay their eggs underneath. Here's the male cleaning the surface they've chosen: The female keeps going through the wriggling motions she'll do when she actually lays her eggs. Kind of adorable. I think they're sort of practicing for the real thing. The male will do a similar motion when he fertilizes the eggs. I'm pretty excited!
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Post by TenebrousNova on Aug 2, 2015 23:20:50 GMT
The bubble tip anemone that was cloned from the original was sold a few weeks ago because it was simply too big and started moving around to attack the corals. I had to massage its foot for about half an hour before it eventually let go, but not before a small piece of foot was ripped and remained attached to the rock. The anemone is doing very well at the pet shop and is home to a very enthusiastic clarkii clownfish. I've just noticed that the torn piece of foot is still alive and is beginning to sprout several tentacles. Slowly but surely, it is regenerating! On top of that, the original anemone has just split into three or four. I'm being invaded.
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Post by TenebrousNova on Aug 13, 2015 17:57:31 GMT
Update, the torn piece of anemone foot I mentioned in the above post has moved to the front. To my surprise it has already become a miniature replica of its parent. The regenerative powers of these animals amaze me.
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Post by TenebrousNova on Aug 24, 2015 13:18:32 GMT
Sold two of those bubble tip anemones. The mantis shrimp came out today and had a staring contest with me. He won because he doesn't need to blink. I visited a rock pool yesterday and collected a few small crabs which the mantis shrimp smashed into pieces before eating them. It was very impressive to watch. I also found a small red anemone in the rock pool which I'm experimenting with. It seems to be okay living in the sump with the mantis shrimp...he tried pulling it into his burrow at first before realizing it isn't edible to him.
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Post by TenebrousNova on Sept 26, 2015 11:58:14 GMT
Got a nice photo of the mantis shrimp sitting on the heater. I just bought this enormous red Montipora capricornis for a bargain of £20! I used superglue to attach it and the other corals to more permanent positions because I'm fed up of snails knocking everything over. Two of my fingers are currently glued together as I type this but nevermind. The Montipora broke into a few pieces which I have situated at different sites to see how they grow. My family thinks I'm running out of room in the tank now. RUBBISH!
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Post by TenebrousNova on Oct 10, 2015 10:21:30 GMT
My latest addition is a baby blue maxima clam. He is less than two inches in size and tiny compared to the gold maxima and the squamosa. Not to mention he cost more than both of them together. I'm looking forward to seeing him grow because I'm utterly in love with him.
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Post by deansie on Oct 10, 2015 19:15:38 GMT
Fantastic mate, makes me really miss my tank lol
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shadowynne
Nurse Ant
Posts: 84
Country: UK
Pets: Many, many pets...
Favourite Ant: Lasius flavus
Likes: 63
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Post by shadowynne on Oct 10, 2015 19:47:02 GMT
Nice tank man. I love clams!
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Post by TenebrousNova on Oct 10, 2015 20:12:00 GMT
Thanks guys! I put him next to the gold maxima and after a few hops he positioned himself comfortably.
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Post by TenebrousNova on Oct 19, 2015 10:56:15 GMT
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Post by TenebrousNova on Nov 16, 2015 18:11:19 GMT
"Hey guys, I forgot what an anemone is." I can only assume that Mrs. Clownfish has kicked him out of their house.
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