Just the Latest on the Tank

Just the latest on the tank!

Thursday, I had to go get more calcium, so I grabbed up a smaller cleaner shrimp. The one we have (Antennas), is the same size as the fish, and they all run from her so I thought maybe if a smaller one cleaned them, they'd get it and not be scared. So, I brought "Minitennas" home, and he was eating right out of the gate right out of the turkey baster. He hung out with a peppermint shrimp (I have 2 perpetually pregnant females) that night, and the next morning was with Antennas...now they're pretty much inseparable...AND Antennas is now carrying eggs! Minitennas! You sly devil you!

Here they are hanging out tonight.
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And Antennas eggs.
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So, while I was taking shrimp pics, I saw Spot watching and took a couple of shots. As I was distracting him with the camera, Antennas snuck up on him and started cleaning! YAY!!!!!! Thought it would never happen! Poor Antennas has been trying SOOO hard to clean someone, and finally got to!
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Also, I have been watching (if you can call it that) the candy pistol since Saturday. It set up a burrow right on the side of the tank, so I've been feeding it there. It comes out & takes the food (all I see are claws) back into the burrow. I was SO excited Saturday when I actually saw a claw come out (didn't realize there was a burrow there)! Gonna try to get pics, but it won't be easy.

So, it's been a very exciting few days for me, tankwise!

 

I think I just learned something. Your telling me a shrimp can raise up your calcium? Or is it just a certain kind

 

No, I went to buy calcium & picked up a shrimp too.

 

I'm pretty sure she meant she needed some calcium so while she was at the lfs she picked up a small cleaner shrimp that her fish wouldn't be afraid of. That would be awesome if shrimp raised calcium levels though
Actually, I think leaving shrimp molts in can help a smidge with iodine. This could be way wrong though.

Sushi Girl, nice thinking on acclimating your fish to the large cleaning station with a smaller cleaner.



:Edit: ha! You posted while I was

 

That was a cute story Sushigirl, it gave the shrimps lots of personality and character (which I am sure they have). Love the names and great images. I am glad Antennas obsession to clean has finally been realized. Too funny.

 

So, just spent 10 minutes looking at my fuge.

Spotted one, then two, decent sized stomatella babies that match this one we found in the DT months ago (it's huge, and spawned all by itself several times...which apparently made it through to the fuge LOL). Cool!



Then I spotted one of the baby strombus snails (they've all hatched now), and it's actually large enough to start having a pattern on its shell. Cool!

Then I look down on the sand, and think I see a big amphipod molting. Yeah, no...it was an adult strombus EATING the pod. I hoped it was a molt, but it appeared to still have meaty areas in the head and front claws. The strombus was cleaning out the middle. EWWWWWW!

So, all in all, a couple of cools and an ewww!

 

Awesome!

 

A better stomatella pic to get an idea of this monster's size!
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A mostly-empty FTS
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Thanks JJL!
I'm oh-so-easily amused by hitchhikers!
And note the coralline on the overflow! Yay! My old rocks are starting to get quite covered!

 

Cool. Not sure about the snails, but the shrimp do definitely have great personality They do get big quick though, but it sounds like Minitennas is already helping the fish get over their cleanerphobia. Congrats on the shrimp and snails!