Mol_PMB's Maldivian Biotope

A place to keep us informed of the goings on in your tanks. - Tank Logs - For the marine keepers!
User avatar
Mol_PMB
Senior Member
Posts: 432
Joined: Fri Aug 09, 2019 19:27 pm
Has liked: 205 times
Been liked: 684 times

Stephen wrote: Sun May 24, 2020 13:30 pm
I think there may be a little creature living in a hole in the Porites
Sounds like a great mystery to solve :)
On closer inspection they are on the Porites and on the Montipora, and the ones on the Monti are nearer the glass so easier to photograph.
I have managed to capture two of them, though only one of them is clear(ish) in the photos.
You're looking at the almost transparent thing in the rectangular tube made of sand. It appears to have a head with eyes and appendages.
For scale, the Montipora polyps are about 1mm across, so this critter's head is about 1mm by 0.5mm.
Image
Image

Any idea what they are? They aren't out all the time, sometimes they retract into their tube.
User avatar
Gingerlove05
Forum Guru
Forum Guru
Posts: 6853
Joined: Sun Jan 21, 2018 20:21 pm
Has liked: 5424 times
Been liked: 2667 times

I have no idea, but it looks like it has the same crazy eyes as Dr Doom from Roger Rabbit ROFL
User avatar
fr499y
Admin - TOTM Winner
Admin - TOTM Winner
Posts: 8284
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2018 16:04 pm
Location: West Midlands
Has liked: 1773 times
Been liked: 4164 times

terebellid worms or vermetid snails would be my guess.
User avatar
Mol_PMB
Senior Member
Posts: 432
Joined: Fri Aug 09, 2019 19:27 pm
Has liked: 205 times
Been liked: 684 times

Thanks! I don't think it's a vermetid snail, I've had them before and their tube is more like a straight snail shell, whereas this one is bits of sand stuck together.
I've had worms that make the sand tubes before, so I think that seems more likely. Hopefully they won't turn out to be monsters.
User avatar
Mol_PMB
Senior Member
Posts: 432
Joined: Fri Aug 09, 2019 19:27 pm
Has liked: 205 times
Been liked: 684 times

I recently splashed out on some new inhabitants for the salty tank. It's been running 6 months now, and has settled down really well (famous last words...)
Here's one of the Montipora frags that has been growing for a couple of months and is doing really well:
Image

I bought a mixed lot of snails and a spiny brittle star, because the CUC population of the tank was previously rather low (about 5 snails in 200L). I thought the starfish was going to be a couple of inches across but when it arrived it was bigger than my outstretched hand! The starfish loves the mound of porous rocks and I often see an arm or two protruding from the gaps between them in the hope of snagging some passing food. I think I will need to up the feeding a bit to keep it going, but it will be hopefully do a good job of scavenging leftovers:
Image

The purple Porites I've had for a few months is doing really well and has spread onto some adjacent frag plugs (as I had hoped):
Image
So I bought another Porites, this one is greenish-yellow. It has settled in very well and is already showing good polyp extension:
Image

I also thought I would try my first Acropora, a genus I've never kept before. I bought a small bluish Acropora Tenuis frag, which seems to have settled in well so far. I will move it up closer to the light in due course:
Image

And finally, considering this is a Maldivian biotope, I was unable to resist a Pavona maldivensis. I have kept Pavona before in my old tank, though not this species, so I hope I can keep this one too. It's bigger than I had expected. It actually came with a hitch-hiker brittle star that was about 2" across and free - if I'd known I was getting this I might not have bought the big one!
Image

I think I will need to start feeding some of these corals a bit, but I'm rather out of touch with coral foods, especially since mine are almost all small-polyped species. Any recommendations?
User avatar
Mol_PMB
Senior Member
Posts: 432
Joined: Fri Aug 09, 2019 19:27 pm
Has liked: 205 times
Been liked: 684 times

This morning I received some more items for the Maldivian salty tank.

With continuing restrictions on the use of public transport and me not having a car, I have resorted to mail-ordering fish for the very first time (though I have bought corals and invertebrates by mail order before). In fact I ordered these from Germany as the supplier had exactly the species of fish and corals I was after for my Maldivian biotope. The delivery was exactly as promised and the livestock seems healthy though the fish have slightly tatty fins. They have settled in and are all eating well, which is good.

I bought two largish frags of Pocillopora verrucosa, and a shoal of six Chocolate Dip Chromis. Both of these were species that I saw frequently in the Maldives, often with the chromis inhabiting a big stand of the coral. It'll take a while before my coral grows big enough for them to do that, but in the mean time there are lots of hiding places in the rockwork should they wish to spread out.

Image

Image

Image

Image

Buying a shoal of chromis is a risk - sometimes it works long-term and other times the numbers are gradually whittled down to 3 or even 2. I'll just have to hope that mine get on.
User avatar
Danmassey
Member
Posts: 156
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2019 23:10 pm
Has liked: 76 times
Been liked: 73 times

The corals look great! Super greedy of me I know but any chance of a pic of the whole tank?
User avatar
Mol_PMB
Senior Member
Posts: 432
Joined: Fri Aug 09, 2019 19:27 pm
Has liked: 205 times
Been liked: 684 times

Danmassey wrote: Tue Jul 07, 2020 21:27 pm The corals look great! Super greedy of me I know but any chance of a pic of the whole tank?
Lights are going down now, here’s a quick snap with the phone. I’ll try to remember to get a better pic tomorrow!




Image
User avatar
Stephen
Guru Multi TOTM Winner
Guru Multi TOTM Winner
Posts: 6015
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2018 15:42 pm
Location: Hereford, Herefordshire
Has liked: 1415 times
Been liked: 3407 times
Contact:

Wow! Paul, those Chocolate Dip Chromis look like something special, certainly a handsome fish. ::thumbu::
Never seen them before.

All the best
425L SeaBray Elite aquarium - Rio Mamoré (Bolivia) theme
4 x Cupid Cichlids, 14 x Cory caudimaculatus, 13 x Cory sterbai 52 x Reed Tetra, 4 x Honeycomb Bristlenose (L519)

Powered by EHEIM
User avatar
plankton
Super Mod
Super Mod
Posts: 12204
Joined: Sun Jan 21, 2018 17:02 pm
Location: S. Derbyshire
Has liked: 5030 times
Been liked: 3395 times

VERY nice Paul. :)
Post Reply