It's Amazing What You Can Learn By Watching

[guitarfish]

Watching critters after dark can be pretty intriging. I have bristle worms, gammarus amphipods, cerith snails (small, 3/8" black shells), and larger more traditional snails (3/4" grayish shells), I assume they're turbos.

I have never seen a bristle worm anywhere except on the rock, with the exception of one time I found a dead snail, and there was a bristle worms who had squeezed into the snail shell with the carcass. On the other hand the amphipods come out at night and are all over the rock and sand. All the snails become a lot more active at night too.

Last night just after lightsout, I notice a cerith snail has depositied a little aspirin-sized blob of eggs on the bottom corner of the glass, and he's just sitting there next to them. This is the first time I've seen this, but I know it's happened before, because there are some baby cerith snails that have appeared in my tank over the months.

Having trouble sleeping, a couple hours later I come back and find a bristle worm has made a circle around the eggs. I'm amazed that it didn't take long at all for a bristle worm to find these. Do they smell them? It's a good walk from the rock to the glass, and since I've never seen a bristle worm on the sand at night, I don't think he just went searching.

Also, there's an amphipod there, busily poking at the eggs. The light quickly makes the bristle worm leave, but not the pod. Then I see at least two other amphipods attempt to join the first on the eggs, but the one who's there challenges them, and forces them to leave. I find this amazing, that animals as small as amphipods are fighting over who's got dibs on food.

This morning, the blob of eggs is somewhat smaller, but there are still some there. It is pretty amazing what you can learn just by watching, it's a whole different world at night.

[sjvl51]

I'm usually up at 4:30 and one of the first things I do is check the tank. I haven't had time to get a red light so I can only see little. I hope to have the red light in a couple of weeks and can't wait.

On another note, we have a 6 inch in diameter magnifying glass (not very strong) that I look at the tank with on a regular basis. It is amazing the little (in size) life that you see with the glass. Spots come and then a few days later are not there. When things settle down, I want to spend time on finding out what everything is!

Vickie

[naesco]

You are defineatley hooked on this hobby!

I often wonder why reefers rush to put in fish the minute the tank stops cycling when there is so much happening day and night during that process too.

REEForm: Never buy a fish from the Philippines or Indonesia where the use of cyanide is rampant.

[Aquabucket]

I hear ya. I often find myself looking at my tank's pods, whelks, worms and other night time critters.

I hope to have the red light in a couple of weeks and can't wait.

If you have a regular flashlight, search around your house for some red cellophane. I cut out a nice piece from some pasta packaging.

[sjvl51]

Aquabucket, I'll give that a try. I have a real small mag light by the tank at all times.

Vickie

[ladybug]

i got a bendable flashlight at walmart it has two lenses you can use, a white and a red. $7.00

[guitarfish]

What does the red do?

[Aquaman]

Red light does not bother the night dwelling creatures, as a blue or white light does. Has to do with the color spectrum if I remember correctly. Therefore you can watch to your hearts content without spooking the critters.