got my TritonsGarden prize and...

i got my corals today. i went with the purple rimmed monti and three whisker duncans and they even threw in a green mushroom freebie (free coral is free coral, i'll put it with the others in the back of the tank...). shipping got it here in just under 19 hours, dang fast. everything was packaged up nicely: styrofoam box, peanuts, bags and the corals themselves in little specimen jars. i've never had anything shipped, maybe this is how everyone does it but i was impressed with it (even though there was no candy in there). floated the corals to get them up to temp and my power went out! the dude said something like "i was restoring the meters and replacing a fitting, yada yada.. threestage something... yada yada... and got blasted." i have no clue what thats all about but maybe one of you electricians know what i'm talking about but the whole building's out now. if the power doesnt kick on in the next hour or so, i'm going to have to go find a battery airstone or something. i'll post some pics when the lights come back on

 

Bummer about the power and yes, you must post pics when you get the chance. New corals are always exciting, even if it's just a green mushroom.

 

power clicked on long enough for me to get excited and place the corals. i had time to glue the monti and the duncans (four heads instead of three, woot) and then drop what i have determined might be a blue mushroom down a hole in my LR. the power's back off but everybody is settled in and looking pissed off. pictures once everyone has calmed down

 

so its been 3 days with no pics so i have to explain myself. the duncans are HUGE and doing well but thats the only good news i've got.

i lost the monti, which was not surprising considering the temperature at which i received the guy and then being placed in a tank which was without power or any means of aeration for 6 hours (i learned my lesson and i bought a battery powered air pump). i think it was just to much for the guy.

as for the little mushroom... well, thats quite a story. I've suspected that i have a mantis/pistol shrimp running about in my tank. I've been losing about one to two snails or crabs per week and lost my peppermint shrimp under suspicious circumstances and my diamond goby as been mia for the last 5 days. i was putting the little mushroom in a natural crevass in my rock when all the sudden something grabbed it and pulled it into the rock!

 

Bummer...

 

get that rock out ASAP, at least you know where it might be. I think I read a long time ago that soda water will draw out anything wedged in your rockwork, but I would look into it more before going through all that.

~Will.

 

soda water as is club soda? or more likely KH mix? i know these guys can hide, and i have more than 80lbs of rock, but how is it that i've never caught a glimpse of this guy. i have clicking and have stayed up late looking for it but never spied anything. do they just never come out in the open?

ps- there is no way i'm getting this rock out. it is the very bottom of the pile

 

I would still try to get it out. If you're already losing stuff it will continue.
I have never heard of soda water, but I know a fresh water dip usually flushes them out.

 

So let's see the Duncan's. Every one loves Duncan's. Plus they make great doughnut's.

 

Did you find the mushroom anywhere? Corals aren't exactly on the diet of a mantis shrimp, so he most likely threw it away somewhere.. although he might have beat it up for annoying him.

There are several species of mantis, some of them are nocturnal and rarely leave their den. They are also very intelligent creatures and I wouldn't doubt if they can tell they are an unwelcome guest, and thus more prone to never let you see they are there.