A 55G link in the Golden Chain

[goldenmean]

I ususally dont see the duster on the sand until they close up as I walk by. The movement catches my eye.
I am starting to see the first signs of some algae growth on my substrate.
I am getting some brown growth in the overflow/u-tube syphon/and hose to sump. My skimmer is doing a good job of pulling that junk out.

This rock is so amazing!

I so agree. I feel like a kid in december waiting for christmas as I am waiting excitedly for Part 2 of my rock.

[goldenmean]

Santa just delayed christmas for another week.

I just got an email from Richard at TBS and he is leaving Thursday for 10 days and he want to know if I was read for part 2 of my LR Package on Tuesday or Wednesday. I am leaving Wednesday for 6 days so I cant get the rest of my LR until Richard gets back. Looks like the 17th or 18th now.
Patience. . . . .patience . . . . .

[ScubaDrew]

The brown algae is getting pretty prevalent on my sand also. You get a huge CUC with your second order also don't ya?

[goldenmean]

yes there will be a big cuc with part 2 but I have to wait 2 more weeks now.
I did but 6 mexican red leg hermits hermits to go with the 3 tri color leggs that moved from the nano along with 6 astrea snails. They have done a great job removing the hair algae from the rocks.

[goldenmean]

Cool Discovery of the Day:

Last night I saw this cute starfish.
He is about the size of a quarter.
After I took this pic I noticed some of the other life forms.


The lower right corner you can see a pair of tentacles from the brittle star that was a previous CDOD. There are also a couple of small snails.
Just to the left of the starfish is a blurry rubber growth. It looks kind of like a small piece of inflated inner-tube. I have thought it was some sort of sponge but I really dont know. It is rather out of focus in this pic.
I am also seeing some nice new coraline algae growth too.

[goldenmean]

Not all discoveries make Cool Discoveries of the Day.
These are definately not Cool.

Last night as I was doing some maintence on the tank and sump getting ready to leave the tank for 6 days I found these two creatures.
The first one is a Cirolanid Isopod. This is the Parasite that ScubaDrew is currently battling. I found him in my sump in the sponge filter of my return pump. Those eyes just look evil eh?


This other worm was swimming around the return section of the sump too.
He really reminded me of a leach as he was swimming around.
I don't know what he is but he creeps me out.

[Dentoid]

Cool! That rubbery growth may be a chicken liver sponge. I see a picture you posted of a nasty isopod. Did you get that out of your tank? Those are the ones I found dead on my skimmer sponge.

[Dentoid]

We posted at the same time.

[ScubaDrew]

Have I mentioned I hate you guys! hahah All your evil critters end up in your sponges and sumps while mine attach to my fish and steal the bait from my traps!

I dont think the isopod attached to my fish was a Cirolanid. how big is the guy in your photo golden? the thing attached to my foxface was about a 1/2 - maybe 3/4 of a grain of rice w/ eyes hardly visible. Its possible it was just a very small Cirolanid, or that your picture is very magnified and/or the fact I was trying to ID something that was attached to the tail of a live fish...

Anyway, very glad you got that thing out of your tank!

Drew

[hma]

Originally Posted by goldenmean

Not all discoveries make Cool Discoveries of the Day.
These are definately not Cool.

Last night as I was doing some maintence on the tank and sump getting ready to leave the tank for 6 days I found these two creatures.
The first one is a Cirolanid Isopod. This is the Parasite that ScubaDrew is currently battling. I found him in my sump in the sponge filter of my return pump. Those eyes just look evil eh?


This other worm was swimming around the return section of the sump too.
He really reminded me of a leach as he was swimming around.
I don't know what he is but he creeps me out.

A really good hunt result, the worm is harmless..... however like that it is safer.

[goldenmean]

That cirolanid was about 1/4 inch long.
He was good size. In the pic he is on a piece of wet paper towel and he lived and was crawling around for a good half hour out of water. He did not seem to care that he was on dry land.

I read that the eyes and if the isopod can roll into a little ball while still alive is the positive ID traights for Cirolanid. My guy did a good rolly polly bug impersonation. One Cirolanid in the sump can only mean more in the tank.

I read read about the cirolanid before i bought the TBS rock and knew they were a possibility. That is one reason why I do not plan on adding fish to this tank for some time. That and I did not add fish to my nano for 9 months and I have had good luck with that tank.

[goldenmean]

Thank you Heinz.
It is nice to know the worm is harmless.
It sure is ugly and I would not want to be swimming with it.

[Melanie]

Cool Discovery of the Day:
The Hermit Pigs from the nano have cleaned the green hair algae from the barnacle's rock.

[hma]

The worm is well-known as peanut worm or with scientific name Phascolosoma noduliferum.

[Melanie]

Originally Posted by ScubaDrew

Have I mentioned I hate you guys! hahah All your evil critters end up in your sponges and sumps while mine attach to my fish and steal the bait from my traps!

I dont think the isopod attached to my fish was a Cirolanid. how big is the guy in your photo golden? the thing attached to my foxface was about a 1/2 - maybe 3/4 of a grain of rice w/ eyes hardly visible. Its possible it was just a very small Cirolanid, or that your picture is very magnified and/or the fact I was trying to ID something that was attached to the tail of a live fish...

Anyway, very glad you got that thing out of your tank!

Drew

Drew, you are too funny! ~Melanie