Clumps appearing in substrate

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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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

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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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