So, longer update...
Part 1: The Mantis
There are some clicks coming from the rocks. I've seen numerous small pistol shrimp (just under an inch long) so I know some of the clicking is coming from them. Sunday afternoon I'm doing some tests on the tank, setting up my BRS carbon/GFO reactor andI hear some good clicking. Look up from under the tank and see a pile of sand fly out from one of the rocks. Keyed in on that and that is when I saw the beady little eyes
Looking back at me from under the rock. I knew it was sort of now or never, the rock was on the right side of the tank under all the rest (of course). I tore into it after watching for a second, the shrimp was definitely headed into a hole in that rock.
Out came the rock and I just went at it carefully with a hammer and chisel breaking out the rock around the hole. Eventually the shrimp came out into a waiting bucked of salt water. It now lives in a 10G I had and I'm going to set this tank up for it. It is truly an awesome animal and is thus far doing pretty well. Right now the goal is to keep it and It is eating some snails and pest crabs.
The rest of the tank is doing very well, some of the sponges are clearly on their way out and I'm getting a little in the way of diatoms. There are tons of good hitchhikers as well. I've seen a bunch of keeper snails, a couple porcelain crabs are starting to emerge and new stuff pops up every day. I love fan worms and they're all over, in the sand, on the rocks, in the rocks etc.
I've been feeding a weak dose of Reef Chili every other day and that seems to be keeping stuff happy without any huge parameter swings. Zero on every ammonia test I've done (2 per day). I think it is almost time for a full on clean up crew (Part 2?!??!?) I'll do a water change or two to knock down some of the nitrate soon and start stocking the fuge with some macro.
Yeah I've run into some pesky hitchikers but all things considered the package is still awesome and the tank is doing great.
I have some bottle and glass traps in there for tonight to see what I can get to come out... I know there is at least a couple more gorillas in there
