Bigtuna's Ocean In A Wall

[Donya]

I have had bad experiences with peppermint shirmp, from picking at clams to stealing food from the stomach of corals (jumping on a favia 2h after feeding and ripping food out of its gut).

 
IME healthy/properly nourished shrimp do not do this, and I've had tons of them in many tanks. It's the same issue with mythrax or any other Crustacean going at stuff - there is something the animals are not getting that they need. It's most easily solved by making sure the shrimp get food when the corals are feed and have access to the same food.

 

[gregswimm]

I find that to be BS. I target fed my peppermints and they were still dicks.

 

[Xraymark]

I find that to be BS. I target fed my peppermints and they were still dicks.

 

 

[Xraymark]

Double post

 

[Donya]

I find that to be BS. I target fed my peppermints and they were still dicks.

 
I've had too many of these shrimp over the years in too many different tanks and situations to buy the supposed unreliability from hobby lore. I've seen the problem behaviors (not eating aips, harassing/picking at corals, etc.) show up more than once over time in my tanks and the problems are correctable. It's the same issue for CBS, mythrax, and all the other animals that people commonly complain about attacking corals/fish/etc. If you don't carefully diagnose a behavioral problem in such a situation, then a solution is unlikely - and that's where most hobbyists leave it and dismiss the animals. Taking a quick look back over your journal I see you had the same issue with more than one type of normally peaceful Crustacean and corals. I missed that at the time, but frankly that should have been a red flag that something in the system or the care regime was not right for the stocking. 
 
I apologize to the OP for the continued diversion in the journal and won't add to it anymore here.

 

[BigTuna]

no need for apologies.  any opportunity to learn is welcomed. 

 

[BigTuna]

I was preparing to do the switch from my tank to my sister's today and noticed what appears to be a ton of small white sponges growing in my sump after the filter socks.  I've never noticed before because of how poorly lit the sump is, and I used and LED flashlight to investigate.  Is this normal, or a bad sign of something I should be aware of? 

 

[Donya]

Sponges are a filter feeder, so it just means there is plenty of filter feeder food in your water - which does not mean your water is "dirty" in the sense of being over-fed or something, but rather that there are lots of small things for them to eat and sufficient other nutrients for them to absorb on the side (sort of like you need for some corals, just with more need of particulates). Those conditions are often not possible in heavily-skimmed tanks, but those tanks wouldn't support other ornamental filter feeding animals either due to the water being "too clean." If the sponges are growing somewhere where they can't clog something up, then they are just feeding on your water and are harmless - even beneficial really. The problems happen when things like pineapple sponges (one of the hardier types) start growing inside drain or return tubes and restricting flow. I've never had that problem with sponges and have tons of them in my various tanks, but I've read/heard of others getting a sponge "infestation" in filter tubes, so it's something to be aware of even though it seems quite rare. I would leave the sponges where they are unless they are causing an obvious problem or are on some sort of media that needs to be replaced periodically.

 

[BigTuna]

I will take a closer look around but they sure seem harmless where they are.  The amount of them was quite impressive, so I'm happy to hear they aren't a problem.  Will inverts leave them alone?  I was thinking about housing my snails in that same chamber, while I do my swap.  It appears as though it could use a good cleaning and there may be as good as any to hang out for a while.

 

[Donya]

One of the reasons sponges tend to show up in cryptic places like filter pads/socks is that many inverts consider them delicious stuff, so colonies that try to get started elsewhere get munched. Some "herbivorous" Gastropods love a sponge or two (some large Turbos, grazing cowries, etc.), although IME things like Nerites, Astrea, and Tectus (basically most of the smaller grazers) will normally leave them alone. Crabs will pick at them even if they don't eat much of them. 

 

[BigTuna]

If there is plenty of nutrients at the bottom of the chamber there is no reason a turbo snail would go out of his way to get a sponge, right?  Or should I just house the snails elsewhere during a swap?

 

[Donya]

 there is no reason a turbo snail would go out of his way to get a sponge, right?

 
Probably not, although the bigger the snail the more likely a sponge would have munch marks left on it if the snail made a pass over the general area. If it's pineapple sponges though rather than smooth/soft sponges, those are left alone more because they're prickly.

 

[BigTuna]

Sump build pretty well complete with the exception of a filter sock rack and a base for the skimmer to sit on.  Decided to do a wet test and took some photos.
 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
I left the protective paper on the very bottom for now to protect from scratches.  All in all, all went well.  I have a few spots to patch up with some weld on 16, but other than that I think my first ever DIY project went alright.

 

[BigTuna]

Here are a few picts of the fish now enjoying their new temp home in my sister's 125 gallon magnaflow.
 
 
Not sure I would have went with that background color vs the black overflows, but I think it still is looking sharp.  Almost 100% rid of the green hair algae.  Its been a long battle.
 
 

 
 
 
 
The entire crew
 

 
 
Just prior to this next picture one of the foxfaces got scared and bumped a power head sending some floaties in the water (not ich).  Aside from that and the reflections on the backgroung this could have been a great pict.
 

 

[BigTuna]

Well I do have an update, unfortunately.  One of the foxfaces has died.  Its been a struggle for weeks now to get it to eat regularly.  It was far too timid, and became increasingly picky with the food.  At one point he was eating a very wide variety of frozens, flakes, and seaweed strips.  Then it wouldn't touch the frozens, then stopped eating flakes, and the seemed to care little about the seaweed available.