Re: Clumps appearing in substrate

[Marc Levenson]

The bristleworm is fine, leave it.

The crab could be a problem. I'd try to get a picture of it. Does it have red
eyes? Would you describe it as muscular? I had one that for some reason
reminds me of a gorilla. LOL

Try to break up the clumps. I get them as well. It could be related to excess
food/waste, or even some type of sponge growing within the pieces.

Marc


TW wrote:

> My reef has a crushed coral substrate. It is now approx 31/2 years old.
> Recently I have found several new creatures living in my tank that I did
> not add. One night I spied a large 6" bristle worm coming out of a hole
> in my LR. Then I saw a freshly excavated hole at the base of the LR and
> in it is a crab. It is about the size of a grape. It is shaped like a
> hand with the finger tips touching. Each leg is tapered from a fine
> point up to a somewhat roundish leg. I have never seen it outside its
> hole so I believe it is nocturnal. I am now seeing small clumps of
> subtrate appearing. For lack of a better description it looks like
> clumps in a cats litter box. My subtrate is otherwise loose. I have no
> idea what could be creating these clumps in my tank. I wonder what else
> is living in my tank
>
> Any ideas?
>
> Todd

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[Jim Reynolds]

I found the same type of crab in my tank with red eyes and built like a
little bulldozer.
Never did find out what it was. Mine is about 11/2 " across.

Thanks,
Jim Reynolds
"Marc Levenson" > wrote in message
...
> The bristleworm is fine, leave it.
>
> The crab could be a problem. I'd try to get a picture of it. Does it
have red
> eyes? Would you describe it as muscular? I had one that for some reason
> reminds me of a gorilla. LOL
>
> Try to break up the clumps. I get them as well. It could be related to
excess
> food/waste, or even some type of sponge growing within the pieces.
>
> Marc
>
>
> TW wrote:
>
> > My reef has a crushed coral substrate. It is now approx 31/2 years old.
> > Recently I have found several new creatures living in my tank that I did
> > not add. One night I spied a large 6" bristle worm coming out of a hole
> > in my LR. Then I saw a freshly excavated hole at the base of the LR and
> > in it is a crab. It is about the size of a grape. It is shaped like a
> > hand with the finger tips touching. Each leg is tapered from a fine
> > point up to a somewhat roundish leg. I have never seen it outside its
> > hole so I believe it is nocturnal. I am now seeing small clumps of
> > subtrate appearing. For lack of a better description it looks like
> > clumps in a cats litter box. My subtrate is otherwise loose. I have no
> > idea what could be creating these clumps in my tank. I wonder what else
> > is living in my tank
> >
> > Any ideas?
> >
> > Todd
>
> --
> Personal Page: http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com/oanda/index.html
> Business Page: http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com
> Marine Hobbyist: http://www.melevsreef.com
>
>

[Marc Levenson]

I have found that when I find some clumps in my substrate, soon more and more of
it becomes solid. This is problematic in that your creating a wall between the
microfauna in the substrate and the dwellers above it. I make a point to break
up my substrate when this occurs, even vacuuming it thoroughly to clean up the
tank.

Marc


Lone6Wolfpack wrote:

> why break up the clumps? i think i have the same thing, looks sort of like
> a few pieces of large crushed coral that are binded together with a blob of
> jelly, then it gets kind of a pinkish color to it, or ever other colors like
> green think ive seen. now i thought it may be a birthing place of
> something, so i leave them alone. glad to hear someone else is having
> succesas with with crushed coral too, i have sprinkled live sand over it a
> few times to add life to it, and the crushed coral has been thriving for
> about 9 months now with a new reset system, would never touch a vacuum to
> it!!!!! whered that come from? well just for those newbies!! haha.
> wolfhedd.

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[Todd W]

Marc

I have seen these clumps a half a dozen times so far. They appear
suddenly on top of the substrate. The rest of my substrate is loose.
Don't have any idea what is forming these clumps.

Todd.

I will try to get a picture of the crab and post it in
alt.binaries.aquaria I do believe it does have red eyes.

Todd

Marc Levenson wrote:

>I have found that when I find some clumps in my substrate, soon more and more of
>it becomes solid. This is problematic in that your creating a wall between the
>microfauna in the substrate and the dwellers above it. I make a point to break
>up my substrate when this occurs, even vacuuming it thoroughly to clean up the
>tank.
>
>Marc
>
>
>Lone6Wolfpack wrote:
>
>
>
>>why break up the clumps? i think i have the same thing, looks sort of like
>>a few pieces of large crushed coral that are binded together with a blob of
>>jelly, then it gets kind of a pinkish color to it, or ever other colors like
>>green think ive seen. now i thought it may be a birthing place of
>>something, so i leave them alone. glad to hear someone else is having
>>succesas with with crushed coral too, i have sprinkled live sand over it a
>>few times to add life to it, and the crushed coral has been thriving for
>>about 9 months now with a new reset system, would never touch a vacuum to
>>it!!!!! whered that come from? well just for those newbies!! haha.
>>wolfhedd.
>>
>>
>
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>Personal Page: http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com/oanda/index.html
>Business Page: http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com
>Marine Hobbyist: http://www.melevsreef.com
>
>