Squatch's Continuing Adventure with a 40g breeder
- Thread starter Squatch XXL
- Start date
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
Thanks again frank for dropping in. Always glad to see you posting. I've not been here long, but I noticed that if regulars stop posting I wonder why, and at times send messages. I like to know how the stories I read end, and at times for me it is unacceptable for just vanishing. Some chronicles are too good to just let go.
I know it is the "internet" where random people drop in and out, but this is one of my 2 support groups for my saltwater addiction.
I know it is the "internet" where random people drop in and out, but this is one of my 2 support groups for my saltwater addiction.
Yeah, sorry to drop like I do. Sometimes I burn out. I don't just post on the forums but do a lot of help in private message and emails.
Some I even deal with on phone and text.
Running a business and keeping my family on track are majors in my life.
Sent from my SM-N910T3 using Tapatalk
Some I even deal with on phone and text.
Running a business and keeping my family on track are majors in my life.
Sent from my SM-N910T3 using Tapatalk
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
Bad news. I have been trying not to be upset. I decided that while I post this, I would listen to some
Motorhead.
I haven't seen Pussy cat in a few days. This is not at all unusual, as when it is molt time, it is hiding time. Last week she seemed like she was in that funk. Today, I saw here hiding behind a rock near her burrow....I decided to do the "tap-test". She failed the test. The next test was the chopstick-poke test. Also failed.
The smell was not near as bad as a bag of a dozen raw shrimp, so I think she gave up the ghost sometime in the last 48 hours. I am quite sad. I had issues in the past few weeks I attributed to the recent move of the tank from one home to another. Earlier this week I commented that the algae has subsided, and the corals were starting to look well. I find it odd to be this attached to an evil critter that lived in a glass box.
As durable as these creatures are, I can only think that it was a freakish death that may have something to do with a molt. There is no signs of molting however.
I have not added anything new in the tank in months. I have been doing 20% wc every week-10 days. The last check on the tank params was 2 weeks ago right before a water change. I had Zeros in everything except nitrates at less than 10ppm.
It is sad, and a bit unfair. My kids luckily are spending the night at my mother-in-law's....but I am not looking forward to explaining this. I know I am taking it harder than they would.
Motorhead.
I haven't seen Pussy cat in a few days. This is not at all unusual, as when it is molt time, it is hiding time. Last week she seemed like she was in that funk. Today, I saw here hiding behind a rock near her burrow....I decided to do the "tap-test". She failed the test. The next test was the chopstick-poke test. Also failed.
The smell was not near as bad as a bag of a dozen raw shrimp, so I think she gave up the ghost sometime in the last 48 hours. I am quite sad. I had issues in the past few weeks I attributed to the recent move of the tank from one home to another. Earlier this week I commented that the algae has subsided, and the corals were starting to look well. I find it odd to be this attached to an evil critter that lived in a glass box.
As durable as these creatures are, I can only think that it was a freakish death that may have something to do with a molt. There is no signs of molting however.
I have not added anything new in the tank in months. I have been doing 20% wc every week-10 days. The last check on the tank params was 2 weeks ago right before a water change. I had Zeros in everything except nitrates at less than 10ppm.
It is sad, and a bit unfair. My kids luckily are spending the night at my mother-in-law's....but I am not looking forward to explaining this. I know I am taking it harder than they would.
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
I feel that this thread will die too. I think I am going to let it. What sense does it make to keep a mantis shrimp tank with no stomatopod? I may contact the LFS and see if they have any in stock. With the weather being this cold, I highly doubt it. They get them, then sentence them to (My estimate on size) two gallon acrylic tanks with one piece of pvc. Aside from it being somewhat cruel, the sign that asks customers to not pester them only invites every dumb-ass hick to bang on the tank wall hoping to see them strike.
Im going to concentrate on getting my 80 gallon fixed up and start a new thread. Thanks for the kind words Frankie.
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Make sure you post a link here on the new thread when you do.
I don't troll the site much these days, very busy. I only follow a few threads anymore.
Don't get down. This hobby has a major fatality risk. It's why I work with dogs so much. They live longer
Sent from my SM-N910T3 using Tapatalk
I don't troll the site much these days, very busy. I only follow a few threads anymore.
Don't get down. This hobby has a major fatality risk. It's why I work with dogs so much. They live longer
Sent from my SM-N910T3 using Tapatalk
Sorry to hear ! 
love following... here hoping you get another one !
Would you consider ordering another online ? They are so cool !
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=497+2857+1702&pcatid=1702
http://www.thatpetplace.com/peacock-mantis-shrimp-odontodactylus-scyllarus
https://www.bluezooaquatics.com/productDetail.asp?did=2&pid=1226&cid=84
love following... here hoping you get another one !Would you consider ordering another online ? They are so cool !
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=497+2857+1702&pcatid=1702
http://www.thatpetplace.com/peacock-mantis-shrimp-odontodactylus-scyllarus
https://www.bluezooaquatics.com/productDetail.asp?did=2&pid=1226&cid=84
DaveR11
Well-Known Member
Bad news. I have been trying not to be upset. I decided that while I post this, I would listen to some
Motorhead.
I haven't seen Pussy cat in a few days. This is not at all unusual, as when it is molt time, it is hiding time. Last week she seemed like she was in that funk. Today, I saw here hiding behind a rock near her burrow....I decided to do the "tap-test". She failed the test. The next test was the chopstick-poke test. Also failed.
The smell was not near as bad as a bag of a dozen raw shrimp, so I think she gave up the ghost sometime in the last 48 hours. I am quite sad. I had issues in the past few weeks I attributed to the recent move of the tank from one home to another. Earlier this week I commented that the algae has subsided, and the corals were starting to look well. I find it odd to be this attached to an evil critter that lived in a glass box.
As durable as these creatures are, I can only think that it was a freakish death that may have something to do with a molt. There is no signs of molting however.
I have not added anything new in the tank in months. I have been doing 20% wc every week-10 days. The last check on the tank params was 2 weeks ago right before a water change. I had Zeros in everything except nitrates at less than 10ppm.
It is sad, and a bit unfair. My kids luckily are spending the night at my mother-in-law's....but I am not looking forward to explaining this. I know I am taking it harder than they would.
Sorry for your loss Squatch. We seem to have lost a lot of rock gods in the last few weeks. The awesome cat will be missed along with Lemmy.
Thought this might cheer you up if you've not heard it before - Lemmy and the Foo Fighters.... (with Dave's colourful language poorly bleeped out).
DaveR11
Well-Known Member
No worries Frankie. I never got to see Motorhead live but will always remember them for this
Playing live in the front room on The Young Ones an anarchic cult UK comedy TV show about university undergraduates when I was at uni..
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
I almost have to based on the current tank setup. That fish place/that pet place is my LFS, and they are out of stock. My conversation earlier this year with the head of the fish room indicated to me that when winter sets in, these critters may be hard to come by. They have nothing in stock right now, but I do know they order from the same places that I could order direct.
There is a burrow, and If no mantis, then it will need removed. I have thought about a few tank things tonight, and I have way too much LR to fill up a my 80 if I choose to consolidate. In all I have about 200-250# of LR. Some is still in my cure tank, and is probably done....but I am doing a long term "cook" in the dark. One other solution that has come to mind is to ditch the 80 gallon project and simply order a 100+ gallon that can hold ALL of my rock, and just restart from there.
I have not decided if a peacock will be on the list, or If I will look into some of the other variety. If I stick with another Peacock I may go against my beliefs and try to save a male from a LFS if possible. I HATE the way the LFS keeps these smashers in very small (2 gallon-ish) acrylic tanks with bare bottoms and a single pipe coupling.....The sign on the tank always tells customers "Please do not provoke" which is just an invite to each and every idiot to bang on the tank trying to make it hostile. It is bad enough the creature is stressed from conditions, but to have some unshaven fool in a lumberjack flannel in its face and beating on its storage container only makes it worse.
I would not trust ordering one right now due to weather conditions. It is much too cold this time of year. I don't know if I would like being shoved into a box and shipped from California to the east coast as most of these wonderful little monsters are.
I am going to sleep on it until the time is right to decide. I can't commit right now. If/When the right thing comes up, I will be ready. I still have a bi-color chromis that needs fed and cared for. I hope it does not get too protective of the now uninhabited burrow....because if another mantis comes into the picture, there may be a scuffle....and I know who wins that.
I find it funny that other users have ordered live rocks and then spend time trying to chase one of these out.....Meanwhile I am always open to making a home for one.
Tl: DR
I may end up with:
A much larger tank
A different species of mantis
Some other aggressive creature that needs love
I will know when I see it.
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Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
If it isn't apparent, I have a few more issues than National Geographic. I don't mind being specific, but my old man was diagnosed with ALS about 6 years ago. He is doing as good as can be expected, but I somehow think that this tank incident is causing some sort of deferred grief. I never got this worked up over a specimen. I don't even think that it has much to do with it. I am just venting in this specific post, and trying to help myself rationalize why this is upsetting. I may just make some hot tea, and wander into my video game (Dark Souls) and get lost for an hour.
@DaveR11 After watching that video, I realized that I have the energy to play the drums. I need to enrich my life with something that is an organized form of beating things in a controlled fashion.
@DaveR11 After watching that video, I realized that I have the energy to play the drums. I need to enrich my life with something that is an organized form of beating things in a controlled fashion.
jpsika08
Well-Known Member
Sorry to read about your Mantis, they are graceful creatures which deserve to be admired, I had a Peacock as well, life took a punch at me and had to sell it. Hope you get on the saddle soon.
I usually play COD Black Ops 3 Multiplayer to vent a little, sure helps blowing up some baddies.
I usually play COD Black Ops 3 Multiplayer to vent a little, sure helps blowing up some baddies.
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
I feel better after working my (expletive deleted....more wordy than the word it replaced) off today. I found a 3 foot pipe wrench and used it to get my head screwed back on straight. Thanks for the understanding, as I think that we all have lost precious critters at one time or another. Its great to know that there are others out there that are as crazy as I am. It makes us feel less crazy that we can communicate together. Is there a 12 step program for reefkeeping?
And I spent some time looking at where I could source another Stomatopod. They seem like seasonal items, and Most places are totally out of stock. I may opt for a smaller model. I need to study more as well. Some keepers report that the males are much more interactive than females, but the general consensus is that each one has its own personality.
And I spent some time looking at where I could source another Stomatopod. They seem like seasonal items, and Most places are totally out of stock. I may opt for a smaller model. I need to study more as well. Some keepers report that the males are much more interactive than females, but the general consensus is that each one has its own personality.
Oxylebius
Well-Known Member
I just came across your thread here again. I'm so sorry to hear of the loss of kitty cat. You have provided a great informative thread here for those who wish to keep mantis shrimps. You seemed to have bonded with it and enjoyed its company and interesting ways of living. We can get as attached to the critters in our tank as we do to any other pet, particularly if the critter is as intelligent as mantis shrimps are. I hope that when the time is right that you are able to pick up a another Stomatopod. I'm also sorry to hear about your dad. Dealing and caring for aging parents is very difficult on many levels.
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the nice words. I learned as I went, and I am more than glad to know that others may benefit from it.
I am not normal in the sense of animal husbandry. I kept my 75g for almost a decade, and never much cared for fish or their habits. I had a single Mandarin Dragonette, a yellow tang (don't call the tang police please), a huge anemone and its clown.....and a pile of corals. Fish bore me. I don't know why, but they are too needy. Daily feedings drive me nuts. I have kids, and they eat enough and are just as picky and sloppy as any group of tangs could ever be. There is something about crustaceans that makes me chuckle. They are inventive, and calculating. If they want to eat your favorite snail, they are going to....No matter how much you keep them stuffed with shrimp, scallops and lobster. I could only be so lucky to eat like that every day. Much like house cats, they are really fun to watch, and at times playful...but at the end of the day they are self serving and at times total maniacs. Never keep anything in a tank with large clawed creatures that you are not afraid to lose.
In order to clear house a bit, I gave my only fish to a local fish club member in trade for a few coral frags. (Thanks StudioDude if you are out there!)
I am down to corals, rocks..A hated urchin..2 large turbo snails.....some hermit crabs and an endless supply of stomatella snails. The Mantis Burrow has been removed just because I hated the way it was visible. This removes most of the need for me to do huge water changes weekly. Not once since the birth of this tank has Nitrates exceeded 10ppm.....This has been the first week in months that I have not found any snail eggs......But them are EVERYWHERE. I figure the hermits will get them.
This tank is not dead, nor getting tore down. It is on time out. There are WAY too many stomatellas popping up. I am concerned about standard rules of capitalism. Supply and demand.....There are way way way too many snails to clean up, and I half expect a die off of some kind. They have to starve out to reasonable levels right?
The hermits will love them if they can catch them, though I have not seen it happening.
I am still chugging along with my other thread:
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forum/...resealing-and-removal-of-plastic-frame.95624/
It will either be a huge mistake and a waste of time, or else be a great way to bring back a very nice tank from the grave. It is more learning and sharing as I go...
I don't know what to call that tank. Sometimes I call it an 80, sometimes a 90....I know it is not produced in mainstream anymore. It is really close to 90 gallons....
In another semi-working 38 gallon tank in my basement I have 105# of base rock in cure. It has been there for (I don't know really...I can't remember...days run together like crayons in the hot sun) 6 weeks? In that tank is also another 50ish# of agrocrete that was part of the bunch I had made 8+ years ago.
I literally drew out a flow chart the other day, and wish I could find it to make a photo. It made me smile....the sick smile that we, the insane get when failure is impossible....
The plan: IF the 80 holds water than proceed:
If the 80 fails, there will hopefully be video, because It will be catastrophic. It will be replaced with a standard 90 or 120g...4 foot long tank. I am trying to get it put together again so that I can test it outdoors without it freezing. I really don't want 20,000 cubic inches of water to suddenly let loose in my home or garage. Either way it is a win/'win for me. I may even spring for one with holes pre-drilled....but I doubt it because I am terribly cheap.
All tanks will get plumbed together. I think a larger water volume will save me more headaches than it causes. There are pros and cons.
All of my agrocrete peeves me off. It has almost exclusively become covered with green coraline algae....And it looks cheap. It was cheap to make, but for some reason, something about it seem to only like the green. They will get moved to a secondary/background tank. They can be ugly where I don't have to see them, and I will only use them in a DT if the shape is necessary. Sure I have a few cool shelf shaped pieces, but nothing a hammer and chisel can't do to any real "reef-rocks".
All of my "reef-rocks" were farmed inland. They will be display piece rocks. The ones in my 40 are becoming quite nice looking with the purples and reds really blooming on them.
If I had to guess right now, I have well over 260# of wet rocks.
All the tanks will be cut into the wall here in my family room. In-wall tanks are too awesome. A few different tanks with different livestock and lighting choices will make for a good time. I may have room for a max of 2 tanks in the walls side by side. Any extra will be kept in the room for ?????? Frag tank? Maby. A DSB Refuge? dunno.
There will be another mantis shrimp clubber. I don't know that I will go after a peacock again. They are very tough to find small. From my shopping around, Males seem to be "rare" as well. When males pop up for sale, they are usually sold at a premium rate due to the color intensity. I have seen full grown males selling for $400+ just because they are bright.
The only other variable that I have no control over is local used tanks for sale. With having as much rock as I have, my wild card would be a very large tank come up for sale that I could use as a single display versus 2 "smaller" tanks. If that happens.....well I don't want to even think about it....I do check locally daily....
DIY metal halide will go over whatever largest tank I get. I always loved the MH, and sure the upfront cost is much less than a DIY LED kit....but long term replacement of bulbs will cost more. I am ok with that also. Heat....No issue. The "fish room" (It looks like a junk room as can be seen in the photo in the other thread) has access to outdoors via a window. I will put a fan and vent directly with ductwork.
I have built up for the next few months. I have enough to keep busy with what I have now. I really want to move forward so that I can take inventory and remove EVERYTHING I don't need. I have enough lights for the 80 right now. I have my 4x T5 HO and will be DIY'in and adding a pair of power compacts. If you mount power compacts sideways, and the reflector is at a 45 degree angle of the sideway bulbs, it should make a perfect reflection downward.
But I am going off on a huge tangent of a tangent.
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
I thought about making a TL: DR addendum that said just about that. One step at a time however, and like all things in this hobby....lots of time. Patience is clutch. Something that I usually have none of.