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These guys looked robust and seemed to have a good time for many months. All of the sudden they - well - died all out! It took them less than 24h to suffer a total extinction from my tank. Note: the only change in the water parameters I can think of is the salinity: evaporation is out of...

It moves like octopus and has a tendency to attach itself to surfaces with its tentacles. Most have 8 of them.

What are these? (About 1.5 mm across the longest axis.)

[Instead of a picture (I'll upload it when I can): a hairy chunky crab, about 0.5 in across the longest axis of the body, yellow ends of lags, dark shall, light hair, possibly red eyes.] This hitchhiker looks cute but how safe is it? It took me a month to first observe it (just as I was getting...

This guy is very cool: amazing behavior, very active and a good cleaner. Not considered quite reef safe but has been tolerant to soft corals I have. I enjoyed having him for a month now together with a bunch of shrimp and other small inverts.

I am wondering if a 4 inch deep send bad, covering say 10-20% of the ground, would have any significant effect on nitrates in a 15g tank. How good are green hair and other green algae in removing nitrates?

It looks like a worm (a feather duster) to me. They are tiny (2 mm across the circular mouth) and they populate one of my live rocks. Here is a pic (excuse the quality - they are really tiny):

I've survived (well, my tank has) so far without a protein skimmer in my 15g. All I use is carbon filtration. Of course, the nitrates are a constant issue and I'm afraid to remove the biowheel. I do not overfeed (got good discipline on that) and I replaced most of the gravel with sand. I know...

Here are a couple of pics form my new corals (zoanthids and mushrooms). I'll post the tank development pics later.

Do zoanthids and peppermint shrimp mix at all? The latter is considered reef safe, but watching him harassing my zoanthids, I wonder if this is fully true. My first small colony of zoanthids didn't make it. I don't want to blame it on the pod in question, but he is displaying a behavior that...

After not having much luck with the first 'experimental' zoo's, I am quite happy to find these still doing well. What species is this? What is the growth rate of these fellows? What is the deal with the fresh water therapy?

I liked Baltimore national aquarium most; followed by Boston. I saw New Orleans, New York and Atlanta. The latter was a disappointment but is the only one form which I have my own pics: (welcome posting here comments, pics and links to world aquariums)

I'm trying to save money with my 15g tank (haven't been doing great so far in this aspect of the hobby), and the summer is near with temperatures well in the 80'. What would be the cheapest and most reliable chiller I could get for my volume?

The zoanthids I planted 5 days ago aren't doing very well, or I don't know what their normal behavior is: the polyps won't open lately - at least for 24h. I noticed a peppermint shrimp harassing them a bit but he didn't seem to leave any damage. I moved them to a place where he doesn't hang out...

How long would it take for a dead rock in contact with a live one to become live rock? What are some criteria for LR?

Hi all, I bought an 'experimental' soft polyp. They are about 12 in number and 3 mm radius across the "mouth". Small. The polyps haven't opened yet (except for two). They are green/gray and suppose to have a high reproduction rate. I don't deceive myself that they will make it in a long run...

Hi all, In order to reduce my nitrate problem I replaced about 70% of the crushed corals with sand (oh, it looks so brilliant now). It wasn't an easy process and everyone looks stressed out. My main concern is this: isn't the removal of so much of the bio filter likely to cause nitrite...

Hey, It's me again, this time with some positive news at last. My 15g and everyone in it is doing fine - 2 months after cycling. I do have a couple of - perhaps unusual - concerns: 1) Purple algae (bacterial ancestors of our great mitochondria I'm told; they look like slimy purple sheets...

HI everyone. A week after cycling my tank and making sure that water was basically ok I purchased a purple reef lobster (again). He didn't do well and died on me 2 weeks later. I have other crustaceans in the tank: shrimp, banded "shrimp", 3 small hermit crabs. All are well. This is a second...

Hi all, 2 days ago I put 2 yellow tail damsels and 3 red clawed hermit crabs in my tank (15g). The 2 fish stick in their corners under living rock and almost never come out. The hermits do not move form the spot (one of them molted while in the transport so this could explain it but the other...