Josh's SuperReef 65

[StirCrayzy]

They are literally bulldozers in the sand though. Not good for UN-anchored corals/ sponges.

[video=youtube_share;a9pm5Aqwir4]http://youtu.be/a9pm5Aqwir4[/video]

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

Josh I love him - they are sooooo cool, but what do you do when he gets 2 feet wide?

Anyone know their growth rate from 2" to 2' ?

 

[StirCrayzy]

About 8-10 yrs I think. Here's a good read.
http://www.horseshoecrab.org/info/lifecycle.html

I'll probably trade in for little one when it gets 3-4", cause they can start eating CUC, and clams, and being a general nuisance.

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

That was a great :read:

What are you feeding him & how often?

 

[StirCrayzy]

I only feed the tank , not him specifically.
Omnivore marine chips every 3 days, and a cube of mysis or cyclopeze on Saturdays.

 

[StirCrayzy]

I've got amphipods out the wazoo, so he's probably been snacking those I'd bet.
I added a bag of pods from reefcleaners about a month or so ago, and since then, the population has grown exponentially.

 

[Basile]

I've got amphipods out the wazoo, so he's probably been snacking those I'd bet.
I added a bag of pods from reefcleaners about a month or so ago, and since then, the population has grown exponentially.

Phytoplancton will keep your pods pop up and running. When they explode like that they can crash as easily too so be carefull, phytoplancton is very easy to keep them up to par.

 

[StirCrayzy]

They need to continue to adapt their own population to the system "as is".
Since I'm not really into supplementing except dire circumstances.

Natural is best, and I like to see things be able to thrive without much of my intervention.
Of course I'm still doing WCs, no escaping that just yet...

 

[StirCrayzy]

So, finally got the new reactor hooked up, decided to just combine my two bagged items from the sump.
CPE in the bottom carbon on top.
Definitely just used up the last inches of wiggle room under the stand.
Also had to buy a new mj1200 to run it since my old 900 doesn't have enough snout on the output to attach a push fitting.

 

[Basile]

So, finally got the new reactor hooked up, decided to just combine my two bagged items from the sump.
CPE in the bottom carbon on top.
Definitely just used up the last inches of wiggle room under the stand.
Also had to buy a new mj1200 to run it since my old 900 doesn't have enough snout on the output to attach a push fitting.

Looks good my friend, i didn't know you could combine both of them lol , you put carbon first?

 

[StirCrayzy]

Ya I've seen a couple BRS vids with tips on combining media.
CPE is first on the bottom, with carbon on top. Ideally when my algae situation is over, I'll keep just carbon in it and run on a schedule, not 24/7.

 

[Woodstock]

Looking good. Great thread. Keep up the good work.
And congrats on your FIVE children. Your wife deserves a trophy!

 

[StirCrayzy]

Thanks Doni.
She is the best especially for tolerating me!
Heres all the boys, hard to get them all holding still for a good picture

[/URL][/IMG]

 

[Woodstock]

Great photo! Beautiful children.
I guess the wife is not in the photo because she is taking a nap in the back.

 

[StirCrayzy]

My wifeTami and I both dislike being in pictures, but here's a couple oldies.
Niagara in January


And the Rifle River in July, with #1 in the middle and #2 in the oven.



[video]Hshoe crab in daylight: http://youtu.be/I09B0-aWads[/video]
[video=youtube_share;I09B0-aWads]http://youtu.be/I09B0-aWads[/video]

 

[Basile]

I got get one of those he'd be ok in my fuge for a while even in my main tank .

 

[StirCrayzy]

Horseshoe crabs are the Best sand sifters around !

In unrelated news, my 13year old urchin died
I don't know for sure if the cause is common, but the last time I added a second urchin the new one died.
I added a blue tuxedo urchin a bout two weeks ago, and I haven't seen them get near each other, but I have to suspect some sort of chemical warfare was going on.?
I should have just stuck with the one like always, but I was looking for some GHA destruction help.
I don't suspect water quality, as this guy has survived my learning curve and transittion between many different ranges of neglect and top notch care. On top of that, in the last 10 years, I've upgraded twice, moved once, and generally, he's never missed a beat. And I've never had a spot of corraline anywhere within reach of his mouth.

In the past week, I've noticed a lack of shells being carried , not climbing the glass, and not eating when on the glass.A couple days ago I noticed he was lathargic, and not moving but still had and was moving spines and tentacles so I did my reg. WC , moved the tuxedo to the fuge, and hoped for the best.
I didn't suspect the conditions of the display, as nothing tests out of the ordinary, and I didn't move to QT, because there is no food, and neither urchin will eat nori or packaged foods.
This afternoon I came home to an empty carcass, and lost a long time pet.

 

[Oxylebius]

Sorry to hear of you loosing your 13 yr old urchin, what type of sea urchin was it?

The possibilities are endless on what could have been the cause. You tested water params, nothing out of the ordinary, so it is not that. Urchins can live a very long time while slowly starving to death, this is a possibility. It could have been old age, that is why I asked what type of urchin it was. The new urchin could have brought in disease (virus or bacterial) to the tank and the old urchin caught it. Some species of sea urchins are omnivores, but can survive on algae. And some sea urchins will eat other sea urchins.

I used to keep a couple dozen sea urchins in ten gallon tanks in a lab setting, and had to replace the kelp they ate four times a day to keep them happy. They eat A LOT in the wild.

It wouldn't have been allelopathy.

 

[StirCrayzy]

I've never positively ID'd him, here's a pic of the point he stopped moving around the tank except for spines.
By the disheveled state of the spines, I could sense something was definitely not right.
I would say by the current state of my tank that he definitely did not starve, he was the best GHA lawnmower I've ever seen. There were literally clear cut areas showing his progress. Also I have witnessed him slurping up a snail from the glass, I can't seem to find the pic of it though, so I don't doubt he was an omnivore. Now that I think about it, that was about a week before the noticeable difference in behavior. I wonder if he could've choked on the shell of the small cerith . There was a noticeable difference in the anus during the immobile stage, I suppose if I go inside the skeleton maybe I could find something?

 

[Basile]

I've never positively ID'd him, here's a pic of the point he stopped moving around the tank except for spines.
By the disheveled state of the spines, I could sense something was definitely not right.
I would say by the current state of my tank that he definitely did not starve, he was the best GHA lawnmower I've ever seen. There were literally clear cut areas showing his progress. Also I have witnessed him slurping up a snail from the glass, I can't seem to find the pic of it though, so I don't doubt he was an omnivore. Now that I think about it, that was about a week before the noticeable difference in behavior. I wonder if he could've choked on the shell of the small cerith . There was a noticeable difference in the anus during the immobile stage, I suppose if I go inside the skeleton maybe I could find something?

It a Lytechinus variegatus sorry about that man, i know you pain, mine is loosing its spine he eats my foam and i think its a question of time before he goes.