nice little hitchhiker...

Sk8r · 06/17/2007, 09:13 AM

My tank is a year and a half old; but 3 months ago, I had to move, re-set-up, and leave my corals and fish at the lfs while I got the tank going [basement sump, which took an extra week and crashed my rock into an unintended cycle]...so I ended up with newly 'cured' rock and a lot of corals and 5 or so fish coming into a pretty raw tank.

So what do I see last night? several brindled arms, about an inch on a side, coming out from under a 1 inch rock. Brittle star, one of the good guys. I figure his total size to be about 3". I think I picked him up with one of my corals...and I hope he's one of the larger ones in baby stage.

I lost all my stomatellas and asterinas in the move, ditto the worms, which I re-imported on the rock. Spiorbids have reestablished, and I bought some dove snails, along with the regular turbos, etc. And I'm real glad to see this little guy...not a species I'd generally buy, since I'm more creeped out by brittle starfish than by any size of bristleworm, but if I don't have to handle him, hey, he's all good.

Wonder what else rode in on my rock?

ACBlinky · 06/17/2007, 09:34 AM

I find it amazing what can appear out of the rockwork, sometimes after months or even years. Sorry to hear you lost some of the snails and worms (and you may find you didn't lose 100%), but it sounds like your tank has a lot of life now. A starfish is a really cool hitchhiker, you're lucky

In addition to the usual small snails and worms I've found a mantis, several large crabs, little anemones (not good ones), chitons and more -- some I didn't see for months and I have no idea how they stayed hidden so long. LR is a constant adventure

06/17/2007, 09:13 AM	#1
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	nice little hitchhiker... My tank is a year and a half old; but 3 months ago, I had to move, re-set-up, and leave my corals and fish at the lfs while I got the tank going [basement sump, which took an extra week and crashed my rock into an unintended cycle]...so I ended up with newly 'cured' rock and a lot of corals and 5 or so fish coming into a pretty raw tank. So what do I see last night? several brindled arms, about an inch on a side, coming out from under a 1 inch rock. Brittle star, one of the good guys. I figure his total size to be about 3". I think I picked him up with one of my corals...and I hope he's one of the larger ones in baby stage. I lost all my stomatellas and asterinas in the move, ditto the worms, which I re-imported on the rock. Spiorbids have reestablished, and I bought some dove snails, along with the regular turbos, etc. And I'm real glad to see this little guy...not a species I'd generally buy, since I'm more creeped out by brittle starfish than by any size of bristleworm, but if I don't have to handle him, hey, he's all good. Wonder what else rode in on my rock? __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

06/17/2007, 09:34 AM	#2
ACBlinky Premium Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Peterborough, ON, Canada Posts: 4,954 Blog Entries: 20	I find it amazing what can appear out of the rockwork, sometimes after months or even years. Sorry to hear you lost some of the snails and worms (and you may find you didn't lose 100%), but it sounds like your tank has a lot of life now. A starfish is a really cool hitchhiker, you're lucky In addition to the usual small snails and worms I've found a mantis, several large crabs, little anemones (not good ones), chitons and more -- some I didn't see for months and I have no idea how they stayed hidden so long. LR is a constant adventure __________________ "The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea." - Isak Dinesen Current Tank Info: 150g mixed reef, 30g sump/refugium, LED lighting, 100lbs LR, coral beauty, flame angel, blue & yellow tangs, gobies, damsels, 6-line wrasse, lawnmower blenny, dottyback, clown pair, rabbitfish, shrimp, crabs, CUC.