picked up additions...

[dragon79]

Check this out, a yellow gumdrop chillin' on the galaxia. I'll get more pics up soon.

Also thought I'd throw in, how I acclimated the neon blue goby (size of a guppy)

I also got two sexy shrimp as well, but haven't taken pictures yet, so like I said, I'll add more to this post when i can.

 

[mikeguerrero]

Hey dragon,

I like the demonstration of how you drip line your fish. I've never done that but should get in the routine of doing it.

Doesn't look to hard. So have you aquascped you new pico, if yes I'd like to see some pics.

Mike

 

[dragon79]

as promised

here are more pics

Here's the RedSea Pulsating Xenias

Here's another one of my xenias, but the sexy came in for a pic.

Here's the blue neon goby. The little booger likes my glass

Here's a cool pic of everybody, even one of the green mushroom's I was lucky to get from Sandra's JBJ. It attached to a piece of LR rubble.

The pipe organ is not photographed, it's to the far left of my tank, I'm contemplating whether I should take it out or not. thinking it may be too big. Also it's delicate and it's very easy to break off the "organ pipe" pieces

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Great looking additions. I've had my neon for a couple of years now and he's about 1 1/2". Very cool little fish.

 

[djconn]

Coming along nicely. Looks good.

Glad to see someone else with some sexy shrimp in their tank!

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

I just placed an order for 4 more sexy's since I'm now down to one. Damn huge bristleworm population in the 2.5.

too many bristleworms + molting sexy shrimp = dinner for the bristleworms. HATE THAT!!!!

Dragon, you'll find that the little neon will stake out several favorite perches in the tank.

 

[Physh1]

Tank looks really good. The additions are nice and I'm glad to see a nice acclimation technique! 8)

Cameron

 

[mikeguerrero]

Love your pics Dragon.

Your tank is comming alive. It's so neat how unique everylittle items shows up a tenfold on a small tank.

Your xenia look great. Mine are still wilted from the blast of Ammonia and Nitrite that hit my tank, I hope they pull through.

Mike

 

[dragon79]

I just placed an order for 4 more sexy's since I'm now down to one. Damn huge bristleworm population in the 2.5.

too many bristleworms + molting sexy shrimp = dinner for the bristleworms. HATE THAT!!!!

Dragon, you'll find that the little neon will stake out several favorite perches in the tank.

What eats bristleworms? I've seen them in my tiny tank, but to get those boogers would be hard, they retract back into the rock. I had two, I find that I have one now, it's like.....what the ??? bristleworm I'm guessing, cuz I dont have anything that would eat it.

As for the neon, he is awesome, he perches on just about everything, but has found a favorite place...there is a hole in the upper left of my tank and it's big enough for it to fit and there and have his head stick out...I'll be sure to catch a picture of that and show you and the rest.

 

[mikeguerrero]

Dragon and Sugar,

LFS sell a kit under 10 dollars that trap bristle worms overnight. It looks like a capsule that has holes where they crawl in response to a mysis shrimp you place in the capsule.

I have seen LFS pull out some really big suckers. Magnolia, that would really help you out since you say they take out your sexy which is 10 dollars a shrimp.

One trap will do the trick.

Good Luck,

Mike

 

[incysor]

I've tried the little green trap before, and never caught anything. Anyone have any luck using it?

Check out this worm.
http://www.oregonreef.com/sub_worm.htm

 

[dragon79]

i'll give it a shot i guess, nothing to lose but 10 bucks, right? If that doesn't work, what if I drop that rock it's hiding in cold water for a little while....you think it'll come out all crazy or perish inside? All i know is those bristleworms work fast...as soon as something dies, you'll see it extend it's arm around it and attempt to feed. I saw one do that when the gumdrop died....it was in the tank for 5 min....then already you see bristle worm come out to snag it for dinner.

Yo incysor: that's crazy about that 7 foot worm, and how thick it was....I was like damn.

 

[Phischy]

That would be a good Far Side strip where it shows the bozo feeding his tank and the worm not liking it and then pulling the bozo into the tank to eat him. ha ha

 

[incysor]

i'll give it a shot i guess, nothing to lose but 10 bucks, right? If that doesn't work, what if I drop that rock it's hiding in cold water for a little while....you think it'll come out all crazy or perish inside? All i know is those bristleworms work fast...as soon as something dies, you'll see it extend it's arm around it and attempt to feed. I saw one do that when the gumdrop died....it was in the tank for 5 min....then already you see bristle worm come out to snag it for dinner.

Yo incysor: that's crazy about that 7 foot worm, and how thick it was....I was like damn.

I definetly give the trap a try. Lots of people make their own and it does the trick for them. So far I just haven't had any luck with either one's I've made, or the store-bought ones.

One of the best methods I've seen for removing mantis shrimp, and unwanted bristleworms from LR, that doesn't have corals/sponges/etc.. on it is this.


Take two 5g buckets. Put a piece of eggcrate about 1/4-1/3 way up so that the critters exiting the rock will fall through the crate and end up in the bottom. Do this with both buckets.

Fill the first bucket up with RO/DI water.
Fill the second bucket up with a salt water that's supersaturated. Mix it up so that you're refratometer, or hyrometer can't read that high.

Dip the LR in the salt bucket for 10mins, then transfer it to the RO/DI bucket for 10mins. Repeat several times.

Some of the critters will crawl out in one or the other, trying to find more suitable water quality, fall through the crate and be trapped in the bottom of the bucket. Others will simply be stunned and extend out from their hidey holes and you can get them with a pair of forceps. They're definitely not their normal responsive selves and they're usually fairly easy to grab. I'm sure that others will simply be killed off by the fast, repeated switch between super-concentrated-salt, and fresh water.

I wouldn't do this with pieces of rock that have lots of corals attached obviously, but it doesn't seem to affect coraline, or any of your good bacteria cultures. At least it didn't when my boss and I did it on his two nano tanks.

B

 

[mikeguerrero]

Steven,

When you remove your rock and it's airborne, in about 5 minutes you'll see the bristle worms coming out of hiding. They come out just like earth worms on a rainy day.

Sieze the moment and get them out. I got about 3 out on my last move of rocks.

Mike

 

[dragon79]

Steven,

When you remove your rock and it's airborne, in about 5 minutes you'll see the bristle worms coming out of hiding. They come out just like earth worms on a rainy day.

Sieze the moment and get them out. I got about 3 out on my last move of rocks.

Mike

thing that sucks is that I just aquascaped it to the way I like....I still haven't posted about what it looks like currently but I"ll take a few shots. I'll attempt to erradicate all the bristleworms, I'm sure I'll lose the peanut worms I have as well, but oh well. ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

Then after that I'll have to go to the store and buy another sexy to keep the other one company.

 

[Vafik]

Dont know if it's alittle late for this tip But I've read that if you suspend the rock over a tank or bucket of water and mist the rock with salt water that all the critters you dont want should drop out of the rock and into the water bellow. I've heard thats how some companys cure their rock by misting and letting the crap drop out so you dont get it in your tank.