Sunday, February 29, 2004

Bye bye Damsel

Well last night (friday night) I noticed my damsel acting odd. As you know, he's in a QT tank, and he wasn't looking 100% as he usually has been. So I work up today to my first dead fish :(

Kinda sad to see him go, as much as I didn't like the bugger. He did eat my peppermint shrimp, but I'd also not like to see a dead fish.

Saturday, February 28, 2004

Linckia Laevigata

Sunday, February 22, 2004

Coral

So today I picked up my first few frags of coral.

First, I went downtown to pickup a used Mag5 Pump of Seth from Canreef. Costed me only $45 bucks, and only problem was that the intake is slightly cracked... nothing I can't fix ;)

I got a chance to check out his sweet 20g nano tank. Looks really awesome! He showed me some new Ricordea frags that he got from Ocean Aquatics. He mentioned how rare they were, and said I should pick some up, so off I went to OA. After speaking with Jack, I figured they would not be the best to start with, however I ended up getting 3 frags. One that I really like, Xenia, Zoo, and Colt. I'm still learning the names of all the coral still.

The Zoo's came out, and looks awesome, as there are 2 types on the same peice, both different colors. The Xenia is out, and waving back at me, very cool! The leather i'm not so sure about yet. Seems like its still holding back. Hopefully tomorrow they'll awake a little more. We'll see how it goes. I also got to meet 2 other members from Canreef today as well. Seems like awesome community with super nice people!

1 week already gone, and 3 more left before I can get fish again. I'm really looking forward to getting my first fish (gonna be 2 clown fish). I got to hand feed a bunch of small baby clown fish over at OA, very cool! I didn't know they were so friendly!

Wednesday, February 18, 2004

Inverts

Went by JL today, and picked up my second Peppermint shrimp (this guy should last a little longer without that freaken damsel in there!). I also picked up 2 more bumblebee snails and 4 cerith snails as well.

Sunday, February 15, 2004

DIY Overflow Box

So I finished my overflow box a few weeks ago, but didn't get pictures of it till now. Excuse the quality, had to use my camcorder to take pictures. I need to buy a digital camera. Then again I need money period. Damn hobby.

QT Tank

A few things. Friday I dropped by JL and picked up 2 halloween hermit crabs. They are sorta like the blue legged, but these guys are black with orange markings. Very cool.

Yesterday, (well friday) I dropped by King Ed's. Cool store, kinda messy, but cool nevertheless. I picked up the 10g tank i'll be using for my QT. I went by Big Al's, and picked up some mysis shrimp to feed the damsel, and also a 100w heater as well.

Yesterday (sat) I setup my QT tank. I then moved my damsel over to that tank. He was a bugger to get out, so I ended up removing all my LR. But guess what? No sign of my peppermint shrimp.

I only saw him for 2 days and I haven't seen him since. I believe that fat damsel probably ate him. Bugger. I've pretty much checked everywhere, and no sign of him. Grumble. To make matters worse, one of my snails seemed to die of natural causes, (probably fright from the freaken damsel) and another one died as one of the halloween crabs decided to take him out, for his shell.

Not a great week, oh well. So the damsel stays in the QT for a month, or unless someone wants him, and my tank stays fishless for a month too, just incase I do have ich in the tank, don't want it to reproduce on any fish. So the countdown begins till March 15th. Fun.

Maybe I'll get another shrimp, who will hopefully survive, and maybe 2 fighing conches to keep my sand clean.

Nite!

Thursday, February 12, 2004

Blog

Couldn't think of a title. Anyhoo, here's the latest. Did some testing yesterday, everything is 0, PH is 8.4.

My damsel has been acting very strange. First the shrimp has been pretty much hiding, since I got him. There is sorta a cave under the big rock. He's been hiding there since.

Ever since last night he's been hiding around the cave. Then about every 30-45 seconds, he swims... SIDEWAYS under the rock (only way for him to fit), in a circle. The rock sorta goes up where the shrimp has been hiding. So the damsel goes under the rock, swims in a circle (picture homer simpson doing that sideway circle walk) and then comes out. The funny thing is that he started doing that last night. Well he's still doing it. He's been doing it all day today as well. He comes out for food, and goes right back under the rock. I have no idea whats up with him.

Anyways, I still think that he may/maynot have the ich. I wish there was a easier way to be certain. Anyways so I checked in with JL and BigAl's, and asked what I could do. Look like a fresh water bath is in order. Another thing I've been thinking about is a QT tank. I know I'll need one eventually. Shane told me about a 10g tank you can buy new for $11 bucks. Freaken good deal to me. I figure I'll buy one, and by the dimensions, it'll also fit in my new larger stand with my sump which is awesome, cuz I always wondered where I would keep a QT tank if I got one. Just sweet. So all I need to do is p/u that tank, and also a $10 BigAl's heater, and i'm set. I'll take the damsel out, put him in there for about a month, and keep my main tank fish less, so I can make sure the ich dies off.

In that case, I picked up 2 halloween hermit crabs today. I think they are called red legged hermit crabs, but they are like the blue guy, cept they are black, and have orange on their legs, very cool. I bought 2 so there is more things to look at over the next month.

I started sealing my frame today as well. I've got to do about 3-4 coats, I've done one.

Monday, February 09, 2004

New Additions

So today I did a few things after work. First my new additions. I went by JL, since they've continued their invert sale into Feb. I picked up 2 Left Handed Hermit Crabs, and I picked up one Peppermint Shrimp. I really wanted to get a cleaner shrimp, but maybe down the road I will.

I also did the final designs for the internal frame for my tank stand. I decided to make a 48" long stand, so that down the road I can upgrade to a 55g, and I can actually get a tang fish ;)

I went by home depot, and bought all the wood for it today. I'll start making the frame tomorrow, then I'll give it to Roy next door, to make the outer shell. Should be good. Can't wait to get the tank into the living room.

Thursday, February 05, 2004

Okay its not murder...

So after some researching, and settling down, I found out it was not murder. What I didn't know, but now know, is that crabs molt. ie: shed their exo-skeleton. Very cool. I found the shell moving around a few hours later, and the crab looks slightly bigger as well. Very cool, and very interesting. I'm all relaxed now ;)

Yesterday I did some changes to my tank. I bought some egg-crate, and cut it out for the size of my tank. I pulled out all the rock last night, and all my inverts. I ended up pulling out the damsel as well, as the sand was really kicking up, and he was getting stressed. I couldn't get it completely flat inside, because of all the sand, but I got most of it covered. The only way I could of really covered it would be by taking out all the sand, but I didn't want to do that.

I updated my aquascape and started to put most of the rock in one corner. I'm working towards making a mountain on one side, with niks and cranies for the fish and inverts to play in.

Today I went by Fin-Omenal to check out some new LR they got. I was there earlier in the week, and someone had come in, and gave them a ton of new LR as they were closing their tank. So I picked up another 3.5lbs rock for my tank. Its a pretty nice peice, and has some good coraline growth on it.

Wednesday, February 04, 2004

Murder!

Today I came home from work, and found my blue legged crab... murdered.

I found half his body upside down, and his shell empty. I'm not sure who did it, however I'm suspecting the damsel. I don't think the red scarlet crab has done this.

Today is a sad day...

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